Get your hands out of my pockets...

Get your hands out of my pockets

I am really sick of people like Eileen Murphy wanting to dip into

the taxpayer’s pocket to fund her particular interests. As one of

those Land Trust people, she participates in finding ways to make all

of us pay for things she and her group find appealing. If there are

so many people who want to buy Bolsa Chica land, why don’t they just

do it out of their own pockets and share the land with anyone who

wants to visit it. They’ve had over 30 years to do some fundraising

for more than political campaigns and lobbyists.

Now she wants taxpayer money for a desalination plant that not

only could’ve been paid for by private enterprise, but also would’ve

put money into the city’s general fund. It’s getting crowded in this

middle class resident’s pocket with the state, feds and city all

shoving their hands in there. I don’t need someone like Eileen

Murphy’s hand in there too.

By the way, I am a resident of the Southeast area of Huntington

Beach and support the desalination plant as do most of my neighbors.

BARRY BARENSON

Huntington Beach

City should have gone with Poseidon

I always thought our City Council was charged with looking out for

the best interest of the residents of Huntington Beach, but now I’m

beginning to wonder.

At the December meeting when our City Council decided to vote down

Poseidon’s desalination project, a gentleman who served on the

Metropolitan Water District Board of Directors warned the council

that if they denied Poseidon’s project, a public water agency would

put the same project there and Huntington Beach would not receive any

of the tax benefits or infrastructure improvements that Poseidon, a

private company, had guaranteed.

The council ignored him and denied the project. Now instead of

getting $2 million a year in tax revenue, street improvements, jobs,

a $10-million water tank built for the city and control over the

desalination project, our City Council decided to deny the project,

which resulted in the city essentially handing control of the project

to Orange County Water District.

If Orange County Water District takes control of the desalination

project, our city loses a voice in the process and will receive none

of the benefits that Poseidon offered. Not only that, but Poseidon

would build the desalination facility using private funds. The water

district will use our tax dollars. Poseidon says they plan to come

back later this spring with a revised EIR. In light of Orange County

Water District’s plans, I hope the council jumps at Poseidon’s

generous proposal.

ERIC CARLISLE

Huntington Beach

Demonstration ordinance a waste

It’s reassuring to know that our police chief and City Council are

in touch with the needs of our community. Given the budget issues and

other major problems in the city, county and state, knowing that we

have safer poles on picket signs will help me sleep better at night.

Adding this new law to the list of those the reduced number of

police officers must enforce sure seems like a priority to me. I

applaud our city officials for looking out for the best interests of

Huntington Beach residents by passing laws like this, the ban on

planes towing signs over our beaches and the prohibition of elephants

in circuses in Huntington Beach.

If Nero fiddled while Rome burned, I wonder what our politicians

will be remembered for -- after all, this is America; where common

sense is a disability.

ANDY WEISS

Huntington Beach

MTV means money, which the city needs

I got home from work Thursday afternoon, cracked open a cold beer

and then cracked open my Huntington Beach Independent. It is a

Thursday ritual.

First article I read is “City will lose $1.9 Million.” Wow! And

Perq just got close to that. ( I love that bar.) Then, I skim through

our weekly DUIs and so forth and stumble upon “Surf City turns away

MTV.” I turn back to the front page, back to A5. I can’t believe what

I’m reading. Is it me?

Does anybody else out there in Huntington Beach see what I’m

seeing. MTV = money. Plain and simple. What is wrong with the mayor?

“Bringing a whole lot of kids in the summer is really not

something we need to do,” Mayor Cathy Green is quoted as saying. I

see kids in the summer as money to the city. But heck, maybe it’s

just me.

JASON STOUT

Huntington Beach

Bible initiative a brain-washing ploy

Matt McLaughlin’s proposed state initiative to force Bibles on

public school children is yet another attempt by religious busy

bodies to brain wash our children. This deceptive proposition will

allow the Bible to be taught as a literature text according to

McLaughlin.

JOHN BOAG

Huntington Beach

Measure E offers false hope, solutions

An infamous South American politician once claimed that he had a

solution to his city’s chronic gasoline shortage -- he would have all

the city’s roads redesigned to run downhill. He then set out to

convince, what he rather cynically considered, an ill-informed

electorate that his solution was indeed plausible and he, alone,

could make this happen.

The history of local politics throughout the world is littered

with examples of such specious claims. Equally absurd claims are

being made here in our city by the proponents of Measure E, the

Huntington Beach “Fair” District Initiative. The initiative’s backers

claim that carving the city into five districts will yield a more

accountable city government than our current at-large system. Sound

plausible?

Impossible is more like it. Presently, I have all seven council

members accountable to me. Measure E would change that to only one

council member. If that is more accountable, it’s very strange

accounting.

Don’t fall for the deceptive claims of backers of this measure.

Vote no on Measure E.

DAVID E. HAMILTON

Huntington Beach

Districts will cause building boom

If Measure E passes in March, we can all say goodbye to what is

left of our open spaces in Huntington Beach. Council members will be

motivated to develop all open space not in their district. With only

three votes required, this will be easier than ever before.

Districting will cause each and every open space in Huntington to be

in a single district with only one representative.

As we all know the city is desperate to create new sales tax

revenue by using redevelopment to bring in new big businesses such as

Wal-Mart and Costco. Unused land is untaxed land so the “Let’s build

it in your district” boom will begin. The agreement of only three

council members will be all that’s required to develop any open

space. Council members will not have to face the wrath of the voters

affected by the development of open space not in their district. They

will be, in effect, immune. Additionally, they will be able to boast

to their constituents the benefits gained on their behalf from all

the new tax revenues coming to them from outside their district. This

will be disastrous. I encourage everyone to vote no on Measure E.

NORM WESTWELL

Huntington Beach

Fireworks at the pier recipe for disaster

The last time that Huntington Beach sponsored the fireworks

display from the pier, I was present on the beach within a couple of

hundred yards of the pier. It was an absolute mad house with many

rowdy, drunken individuals.

The beach was densely packed with people shoulder to shoulder with

isolated fights occurring before, during and after the fireworks

display.

It was very fortunate that a major melee didn’t occur because all

of the elements of a potential riot were there. If the City Council

decides to once again offer a Fourth of July fireworks display on the

pier they will once again show their stupidity and lack of foresight.

Since the fireworks display has been offered at Huntington Beach

High there have been no major problems. Many families in nearby

surrounding neighborhoods are able to view the display from their

homes and families congregate peaceably in public areas around the

high school.

Many residents have peaceful Fourth of July celebrations

coinciding with the display or leading up to and ending with the

conclusion of the fireworks display.

If one wishes to shatter the peace in Huntington and bring forth

problems then go for the pier display.

JIM CURRAN

Huntington Beach