Readers Respond

At issue: The City Council approved a $10,000 expense on a gathering to

boost employee morale.

About 1,400 city employees are expected to party with $10,000 of tax

money to boost their morale.

I’m puzzled. Is there a need to boost city employee morale? And when and

if it gets boosted, are the residents going to see a boost in

productivity and service next year? It’s scary to think that next year

they may declare that this morale needs to be boosted many times more.

Richard Barnard, deputy city administrator, wrote in response to an

Independent story that city employees will be “spreading joy and

happiness.” No doubt there will be joy for some, but the $10,000 can also

bring joy to many unfortunate people more directly. I think it was a bad

recommendation and a hasty decision to dip more into the taxpayers’

pockets. Don’t take us for granted.

STEVE LAU

Huntington Beach

It is interesting that Councilman Dave Sullivan would think that a happy

city employee would be a more productive employee.

Years ago, when I worked for the Long Beach Naval Shipyard, I submitted a

suggestion that the shipyard should name Workers of the Week, with cash

awards, based on the idea that a happy worker is a productive worker. My

suggestion was turned down with the comment that most of the workers were

happy and did little work, and the less work they did, the happier they

were.JOHNNY B. MULLINS

Huntington Beach

I have lived in Huntington Beach for 20 years. I used to live Downtown,

but as more development came in, it became a development nightmare. I

live in one of the oldest housing tracts in the city, at Bushard Street

and Garfield Avenue. The gutters and sidewalks are filthy. Across

Garfield is Fountain Valley. That side of the street and the sidewalks

are well maintained and much cleaner.

If the city thinks its employees need a party to feel better about

themselves, then we have bigger problems than I thought. Those employees

need to feel good about a job well done, and the city needs to provide

its residents with a clean city.

I work for the third-largest insurance company in the country, and our

holiday party is not a free ride. The tickets cost $30 to $40 each, and

we are only allowed to bring one guest. It certainly is not to help us

feel better about ourselves or our jobs. It is, pure and simple, a social

occasion.

BEVERLY CAGNE

Huntington Beach

The use of $10,000 from Huntington Beach City funds for the purpose of

hosting a Christmas party for employees is absolutely not appropriate.

I recently retired from over three decades of service for a department of

Los Angeles county, and it was the practice there, as I am sure it is

elsewhere, that if the employees have a Christmas party or other

celebration, the expense is borne by the employees via an employee fund

that they contribute to for such purposes.

The city of Huntington Beach is continuously involved with budget

shortfalls and one financial crisis after another. How, then, can the

city justify this inappropriate expense?

ALAN CHANCELLOR

Huntington Beach

I work for the Huntington Beach Union High School District and am

therefore a public employee. When we have a party, it is either a

potluck, or we each contribute our own money to pay for it.

I believe city employees can afford to cough up $10 each to attend.

And Mayor Peter Green’s statement that he considers this a reasonable

expense, especially when compared to the price of parties thrown by large

private companies, is nonsensical. There is no comparison between private

industry and a public entity.

I am completely fed up with this City Council. They leap from one debacle

to another, never learning from their past errors. They do not appear to

consider their constituents’ opinions, blindly voting their personal

agendas.

I hope the next petition I sign is for a recall of our council.

PAM DOMINELLO

Huntington Beach