Residents need more than one council vote...

Residents need more than one council vote

I was shocked when I read the first letter in the “Mailbag”

(“Residents of Surf City want districts,” Nov. 13). The writer was,

of course, speaking only for himself, as I am. The writer didn’t even

touch on the primary and overwhelming reason not a allow council

election by district: each citizen would be left with only one

council member who may be interested in dealing with that citizen’s

concerns.

Another writer was motivated to support election by fiefdom as a

way to hold our council accountable to the people. It just doesn’t

work that way. For the most part, the council members for whom you do

not cast a vote are not accountable to you at all.

LINDA PETERSON

Huntington Beach

The initiative proposal to change the structure of our city

government from the current seven at-large council seats to five

districts, where each citizen has only one representative on City

Council is an extremely bad idea. It is obviously much less

democratic.

Now, each citizen votes for, and is represented by, seven council

members. Every two years we can vote for all the City Council

positions that are on the ballot. Each citizen can contact any or all

council members as they represent all the people of the city. The

districting proposal would allow citizens to vote only once every

four years for only one council member representing only one

district. The citizen would be out of luck if that representative

doesn’t agree with him on issues. Further, that citizen would have no

one else to turn to on City Council. In other words, that citizen

would lose his voice in our city government! How fair is that?

A lobbyist for the AES plant brought forth the districting

proposal. It is evident that such a plan would make it much easier

for special interests such as AES to control our city elections.

Smaller voting areas mean that less money would be spent on fancy

campaign brochures. AES imposes a hideously ugly eyesore on our city.

It also spews polluting smoke into our air. It doesn’t’ pay its fair

share of taxes. Now, to add insult to injury, special interests want

to take away our political voice.

MARINKA HORACK

Huntington Beach

City Council districts are the way to go

I am for districting because the City Council has misrepresented

themselves to the southeast portions of Huntington Beach, and we get

no services over here whatsoever compared to the rest of the city.

LARRY BARNARD

Huntington Beach

Districts initiative is a power play

I’m really concerned that special interest lobbyists are trying to

dupe the public into thinking that we would be better off by

decreasing the number of council persons and electing them by

districts when in fact the whole reason is to divide the council and

push through their questionable programs. We don’t need

Washington-style politics in Huntington Beach.

PETER CLARK

Huntington Beach

City Council isn’t broken don’t fix it

The old saying if something isn’t broken don’t fix it applies to

Huntington Beach government today. The lobbyist who is trying to

change the council to districts and cut the number to five is dead

wrong.

Districts for a city are detrimental. Today, if we have a problem

we have seven people elected who care about the whole city. With five

districts you would have only your own elected district council

person to appeal to. Today you vote every election for whomever is

running.

Districts are a no-brainer.

EILEEN MURPHY

Huntington Beach

Seven districts would be best government

I believe that the government should be set up in seven districts

and I believe that each person who is voted in should be represented

in a particular geographic area. I don’t think it’s a fair

representation to have all the City Council members in one small area

of Huntington Beach such as the harbor because I think that

Huntington Beach needs to be represented fairly by geography. I am in

favor of seven separate geographic districts and the people who are

elected should live in those districts, because that way I believe

they would have the best interests of their particular area at heart.

I would like to see it broken into seven because it’s a really big

city.

BARBARA VUNCANON

Huntington Beach

Surfrider supports Bolsa Chica purchase

The “Legislators push Bolsa buy” article in Nov. 20 paper is

strongly supported by the Surfrider Foundation. For more than 10

years Surfrider has worked with the Bolsa Chica Land Trust and other

groups to educate and encourage our representatives to help find the

means to purchase the Bolsa Chica Mesa to keep it as an ecological

and archeological treasure within our urbanized region. Money for the

purchase was approved in Proposition 50. We should support our

representatives in the pursuit of acquiring these funds.

BILL GREGORY

Huntington Beach

Thanksgiving should be a peaceful time

This Thanksgiving celebration should provide welcome relief from

the violence-laden national debate about terrorism and Iraq. Instead,

many Americans will perpetuate the violence with a tortured, dead

bird on their dinner table, even as they give thanks for their life,

health and happiness.

The 330-million turkeys abused and slaughtered in the U.S. each

year have nothing to give thanks for. Ironically, turkeys get their

revenge. Their flesh is laced with cholesterol and saturated fats

that elevate the risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer. Their poop

is dumped into our water supplies.

This Thanksgiving, I won’t be calling the Poultry Hot Line, I

won’t be falling asleep during the football game, and I won’t be

staying awake at night wondering how that turkey lived and died.

Instead, I will be joining millions of other Americans in feasting on

nonviolent, delicious products of our earth’s bounty.

Our holiday fare may include a mock turkey made of tofu or seitan,

lentil or nut roast, stuffed squash, corn chowder or chestnut soup,

candied yams, cranberry sauce, pumpkin or pecan pie, and carrot cake.

An internet search on “Vegetarian Thanksgiving” will provide me more

recipes than I’ll ever need.

MARK HIDELGO

Huntington Beach

City needs a voice in desalination plant

A desalination plant is essential if we are to maintain homeland

security. For we live in a desert that exists today only because of

water imported and vulnerable across vast distances.

At issue is whether the newly proposed desalination plant is the

one we want to build. In any event, no desalination plant should be

permitted within city limits unless the builders grant part ownership

to the city of Huntington Beach and guarantee a seat on its executive

board to a representative appointed by the City Council.

PHILLIP GOOD

Huntington Beach