MAILBAG - March 16, 2006

Poseidon opponent loses his vote

Will council members’ positions on Poseidon affect my vote as they come up for reelection?

Absolutely!

Those council members who chose to accept the scare tactics and misinformation (and often outright lies) about the Poseidon project revealed to us all that their personal agendas mean more to them than does serving the city at large, as they were elected to do.

To have voted against this project because you are intrinsically anti-development ? and fear that additional fresh-water sources will allow new development in Orange County ? is not serving the city of Huntington Beach. It is serving a personal agenda.

To have voted against this project because you think that we should only conserve fresh water ? instead of developing new sources of fresh water for future generations ? is not serving the city of Huntington Beach. It is serving a personal agenda.

So, no, I will not be voting to reelect those council members who used very weak justification to oppose the Poseidon desalination plant.

However, I will most heartily support those council members who did choose to reject all of the personal threats, the name-calling, the misinformation and the outright lies, to vote for approval based upon the facts, foresight and basic common sense.

Tom Polkow

Huntington Beach

An open letter to Councilman Bohr

Councilman Bohr:

I was shocked by your insensitive comments in the Huntington Beach Independent regarding choosing not to live in the southeast neighborhood because you “don’t like the industrialization.”

Many of us in the 92646 area are longtime residents of Huntington Beach.

We lived here before the sanitation plant and the Adams Avenue “super street” project and the AES power station were constructed. We lived here before the 405 Freeway came south of Beach Boulevard.

Those of us who are longtime residents would like to halt the industrialization of a community that has a nice beach, a beautiful bike trail, many nice homes, schools and shops.

Unlike you, Councilman Bohr, we didn’t move here in 1987 and make a choice because we didn’t like the industrialization (which, ironically, is needed as infrastructure for people ? like you ? who move here).

We moved here in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s because Huntington Beach was a great place to raise a family, make a living and have a good quality of life. It’s a shame you think those of us in southeast Huntington Beach don’t deserve that anymore.

J. and K. Fidler

Huntington Beach

Defining the borders of southeast H.B.

During the City Council meeting on Poseidon, Councilman Coerper asked 18 comments, mostly questions, and nine of them were about money gained by the city.

Councilwoman Cook, after discussion on the Utility Users Tax (on which the City and Poseidon are $790,000 apart), asked Coerper if he would file a lawsuit for the difference between the city figure of $840,000 and Poseidon’s $50,000, and he said no.

Coerper says he is very concerned about money, and then he gives away a potential $790,000 a year for 30 years.

There will be a general election in November, and we can vote in a new mayor at that time.

Councilman Hansen puts himself out there as an advocate, supporter and resident of southeast Huntington Beach. First of all, he does not live in the neighborhood. He lives in Meredith Gardens, which is not in the southeast. Southeast is below Hamilton, and if residents up to Atlanta want to join the Southeast Huntington Beach Neighborhood Assn., they can do so as nonvoting members.

Living in 92646 does not make you a resident of the southeast. That is like saying if you live in 92649, you live in Huntington Harbour. The southeast neighborhood almost unanimously voted against Measure E, districting. Councilman Hansen, along with Scott Baugh, were the biggest supporters for the passage of Measure E. Councilman Hansen uses southeast for his political purposes, but he will never speak for us or be a member of the neighborhood.

Topper Horack

Huntington Beach

Poseidon positions

Will council members’ positions on Poseidon affect my vote in future elections? It most certainly will. There are so many questionable facets to this project, it is amazing that they could have approved it.

Debbie DeMeulle

Huntington Beach

Not enough water to wash down baloney

Poseidon could probably not produce enough desal water to wash down all the baloney I heard from the City Council majority at the Feb. 27 special meeting. The “Gang of Four” did not even bother to justify their decision based upon the facts. It was straight economic and political self-interest all the way.

The council majority ignored all common-sense warnings about the deficiencies and inadequacies of the Poseidon proposal, and closed their eyes and ears to the truth cascading upon them from the Poseidon opponents.

Far from exercising the kind of leadership this city needs, these panderers to special interests showed they are incapable of making honest decisions that serve instead of harm the citizens they supposedly represent. Voters will need to remember this in both the 2006 and the 2008 elections.

Tim Geddes

Huntington Beach

Independent takes wrong stand on desal

Action by the Independent to publish the groundless whining of the Poseidon plant opponents and its editorial staff’s wails and moans to the same effect is such a far detour to the left and a departure from past policies to publish comments from both sides of a contentious issue that is shocking. It does nothing to maintain the image of a weekly citywide newspaper that has the interests of the entire city as an objective.

Our elected officials have made a decision; it is a dead issue. Let the whining continue if it must, but why does the Independent tarnish its own image by participating in ranting about a decision by the City Council that is acceptable to the majority of the constituents?

BOB POLKOW

Huntington Beach

Tribute to the legal immigrants

This is in response to the letter from Mr. Mendez. I call him “Mr.” instead of “Jose” because he deserves respect.

His letter was insightful, encouraging and right on target. Those who don’t try or desire to speak English or become “legal” should not be here.

Mr. Mendez worked hard to learn English, teach his children and do things the legal way, and I commend him for that. My hat is off to you, sir. I’m sure you have children you are very proud of.

I was born and raised in Huntington Beach, but I come from a family of immigrants. This can be confirmed easily because my grandfather’s name is on a plaque on Ellis Island in New York. His name is John Carser. He is buried in Santa Monica.

My mother’s parents are from Ireland and my father’s are from England. They had it a little easier than Mr. Mendez because they already spoke English, but they did the same as Mr. Mendez ? they did it legally.

Scotty Watson

Huntington Beach