Letter re: Bar Lobby Front Group
On Feb. 26, I sent the following letter to various city officials in response to a front group that created a misleading "petition" claiming to represent area residents. I share it here to make sure others don't fall for this nonsense.
On behalf of the Belmont Shore Residents Association and its task force on safety and alcohol policy, we are writing to address the recently circulated petition submitted under the auspices of the organization calling itself the “Long Beach Hospitality Alliance.”
Public records show that the domain for this organization was registered on January 9, 2026. It is a newly created entity formed during an active policy debate. The domain registration is anonymized through a privacy service, and no leadership, governance structure, or membership transparency is disclosed on the website.
Despite this, the petition — under the headline “Keep Belmont Shore Thriving: Protect Nightlife Businesses and Increase Police Presence” — repeatedly claims to represent “Long Beach residents” and “Belmont Shore neighbors.”
Based on publicly available materials (see attached, posted at Panama Joe’s), the “Long Beach Hospitality Alliance” appears to be organized and promoted by the four late-night establishments directly at the center of the current policy discussion.
There is nothing improper about businesses advocating for their interests. However, policymakers must clearly understand when a campaign represents operator interests rather than a broad-based resident organization.
The petition’s signature line lists “Long Beach residents • Belmont Shore neighbors • Employees and workers • Small business owners • Community supporters” as a single unified group. This is a false representation.
By combining residents with employees, business operators, and unspecified “supporters,” the petition creates the impression of broad neighborhood backing without distinguishing between those who live in Belmont Shore and those whose connection is economic or general. Conflating these materially different categories obscures important differences in stakeholder perspective and overstates resident representation.
The petition also states that a “small group of voices” has circulated negative claims about Belmont Shore nightlife. Labeling concerned residents as a “small group” attempts to diminish legitimate neighborhood participation. Residents who consistently engage in public meetings and policy discussions are not fringe voices — they are constituents exercising civic responsibility.
Moreover, we are not making claims at all, we are sharing documented facts. The four businesses may not like the negativity accruing to their operations, but they never refute the facts underpinning the core issues at hand: safety and quality of life.
The concerns raised by Belmont Shore residents are grounded in documented incidents, lived experience, and publicly available information.
The petition, not unexpectedly, devotes much of its text to diverting attention from the operations of those core four businesses — and the long history of documented ills and complaints filed against them — to focus instead on other “issues that drive disorder.” The business owners would have public policy focus on everything but the ecosystem created by their operations. They demand, in essence, that the community and city pick up the tab for creating this environment without taking any responsibility.
The BSRA is not anti-business, nor is it seeking to shut down lawful establishments. We support responsible operators and a vibrant neighborhood economy. Our focus is accountability, enforceable standards, and public safety policy that protects both residents and businesses alike.
Transparency matters in policymaking. If a coalition is business-organized and -funded, it should be described as such. Clear identification of stakeholders allows for informed, balanced decision making and protects the integrity of the public-engagement process.
We remain committed to a data-driven, people-first approach that reflects the lived experiences of Belmont Shore residents and respects the City’s responsibility to balance economic activity with neighborhood safety and quality of life.
Respectfully,
The Belmont Shore Residents Association
Task Force on Safety and Alcohol Policy