READERS RESPOND

AT ISSUE: The City Council has added advisory issues on the use of

possible Wal-Mart tax revenue to the referendum vote on approving

construction of a Wal-Mart at Crest View.

Once again the “Fab Four,” (Shirley Dettloff, Ralph Bauer, Pam Julien and

Dave Garofalo) are at it. Now they vote down a debate about the Crest

View/Wal-Mart project scheduled for the March ballot.

Are they afraid of freedom of speech?

Bauer’s comments about not wanting to give Wal-Mart opponents the upper

hand is an insult to every advocate of freedom of speech in Huntington

Beach.

At the council meeting, Bauer motioned, and the council voted, in favor

of having the city staff work with the League of Women Voters for the

debate format. This is curious, as Bauer obviously wants the council

members to carry the day.

To top it off, high-ranking officials on the city staff have been the

major proponents of Wal-Mart from day one. And Bauer’s wife is heavily

involved with the League of Women Voters.

RICHARD J. ADAMS

Huntington Beach

I was surprised to see that the Crest View school site’s appraised value

has gone down. As we all know, land prices in Huntington Beach have gone

up, not down, during the last two years.

Supt. James Tarwater has admitted that he selected the Wal-Mart plan at

Crest View over projects that could have earned the school district more

money, due to “city pressure.”

Could this same type of pressure be behind a report that appraised the

land at $1 million less than it was worth two years ago?

Another fact conveniently not mentioned by school district officials is

that selling the land will make the district eligible for $27 million in

state matching grant funds. Which would you rather have -- $35 million

now to use for school improvements or a lease of $400,000 a year,

starting in 2001?

CONNIE BOARDMAN

Treasurer, Save Crest View