Readers Respond

AT ISSUE: Last week’s story, “Council pursues buying out some

Downtown homes” prompted a few readers to send us their thoughts on the

city’s move to reinstate eminent domain authority in some Downtown areas.

Let me give you the scenario of city government for the people and by

the people. The people, or the electorate in this case, elect the City

Council to run their city. In turn, they hire a city administrator, who

hires the department heads, who hires the staff and employees that work

for the people of the city.

So why is it that one or two of these employees can say to you, a

Huntington Beach resident, that you have some property that you own and

have paid some good, hard-earned money for and that they are going to

take that property from you and give it to someone else to develop for

their own gain?

It is called eminent domain. They call it a development tool. The word

“tool” is a pretty broad word; it could mean a lot of things. By my

definition of eminent domain, it is legalized theft of private property

for private developers.

Over the years, I have heard many council members and planning

commissioners say, in reference to the Koll Co. and other developers in

Orange County, that they have the right to develop their property and I

guess yours, too.

So at what point do the little guy’s private property rights in

Huntington Beach kick in? And why buy property in Huntington Beach if

somewhere down the road some elected official is going to take it away

from you (for the good of the community)?

Even Robin Hood wouldn’t touch eminent domain with a 10-foot pole. He did it in reverse, he took from the rich and gave to the poor.

I think it is time again by referendum to take away some more “tools”

from our elected officials and bring more control to the people, and

maybe change some employees.

DEAN ALBRIGHT

Huntington Beach

It’s the eminent domain train again. Remember that ride in the early

80s? Eminent domain means like it or not your property is going to be

what we want it to be -- very much like the rezoning technique.

All this is done to a) get rid of the undesirables (Who are the

undesirables? Will all the undesirables please stand up and kindly exit

Huntington Beach in an orderly manner?); b) To make the Downtown part of

the city prettier (If you don’t know what “prettier” is, ask anyone of

the council members -- except Dave Sullivan, he’s the only true

representative we have -- and they will inform you of exactly what

“pretty” looks like); and c) to just possibly make some of us (can you

guess who?) a tad richer.

Our “representatives” will not listen to you. Go to a council meeting

concerning any facet of change in the city and prepare to be outright

ignored, given three minutes to speak an hour’s worth of your feelings

and suggestions, get council jargon you can’t understand as answers, and

in all cases to be ultimately humiliated as a person.

What to do? It’s time to be an Israelite. It’s time, honestly to pray

to God to be delivered from the all-powerful council members who are

enslaving the people of Huntington Beach to their “picture” of Huntington

Beach.

SUE DOMINGUEZ

Huntington Beach

CITY’S EMINENT DOMAIN PROCEEDINGS DISGRACED THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS

I attended the redevelopment agency meeting at City Hall and witnessed

one of the most deplorable exercises in community democracy I’ve ever

seen! (“Council pursues buying out some Downtown homes,” Aug. 19.)

After the public hearing on reinstating eminent domain on residential

property in the Downtown area, I observed a total abuse of the democratic

system of government. After 25 of 26 speakers spoke against the

reinstatement of eminent domain and the clerk read a similar number of

letters opposing the amendment and a petition with more than 1,200

signatures opposing the plan was presented, the agency, in an utter

disregard for the citizens of the community, voted to approve this

un-American land grab.

One council member asked the city staff to point out where “blight”

existed. The answer from staff was that each of the blighted properties

had various things wrong, ranging from no paint to needing new roofs to

lot size being too small!

How many Huntington Beach homes are in need of new roofs or painting? And

what does lot size have to do with blight?

Later, Mayor Peter Green admitted to the audience that the city needs

more revenue and needs to broaden its tax base. I can only assume that he

means to force property owners of up to 50 years and more, with ocean

views, to hand over their homes and lives to out-of-town developers that

are currently bulldozing through our city.

Mayor Green also stated that this amendment would only affect a few

property owners. Is this what Huntington Beach has become, when only a

few residents are expendable?

RALPH PECK

Downtown property owner