Mailbag - Jan. 10, 2002

I am calling about your question, “Will you shop at Wal-Mart when it

opens?” There is no way on earth I will go near that cheap store. We do

not need it in Huntington Beach, we have all the other cheap discount

stores. We wouldn’t have had it if it hadn’t been for Dave Garofalo. I

think that Wal-Mart is like a cancer that is spreading throughout the

country and it is destroying all other businesses.

MAUREEN SHRUBSOLE

Huntington Beach

I shop at Target, therefore I have no reason to shopat Wal-Mart. If

Target doesn’t have what I want thenI go to K-Mart. I think it was

ridiculousto tear down a school and take away the grass field for

adiscount store that we don’t need.

Someone told me that Wal-Mart can’t open until theyfinish building the

hideous wall up the side of thehill on Newland Street (between Ellis and

Talbert). Is thattrue? If so, what a stupid decision to wait until

therainy season to start building it. I think it’s atravesty to replace

nature with concrete under theguise of providing more park space for

public use.

I will not shop at Wal-Mart.

MICHELLE MILLER

Huntington Beach

I do not plan to shop at the new Huntington Beach Wal-Mart.

I think Wal-Mart stores in general attract a low-rent clientele and do

nothing to upgrade the image of the area in which they reside. It is well

known that Wal-Mart has offered below-cost prices so as to drive away

competition, especially with respect to family-owned businesses who

cannot compete with a superstore. If Huntington Beach is in pursuit of a

more upscale reputation, the addition of Wal-Mart is a big step backward.

It is my opinion that the Ocean View School District made a distinctly

unwise decision to lease their land to Wal-Mart. I heard more than a few

rumors that the district could have made more money by selling the land

or leasing it to another party, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that were

true. No doubt Wal-Mart will do fine without my patronage, but

withholding it will make me feel just a little bit better.

LESLIE SELDER

Huntington Beach

I will not be shopping at Wal-Mart and I hope nobody else does either.

Let’s see how much tax revenue it brings the city then! It does not

belong there.

JAMES H. BRIDGES

Huntington Beach

Wal-Mart here we come...

I am looking forward to shopping at Wal-Mart.

AARON EDEWARDS

Huntington Harbour

I will be shopping at Wal-Mart.

TERESA IRVIN

Huntington Beach

Yes, we will be shopping at Wal-Mart -- we can’t wait for it to open.

PEGGY MEIER

LINDA MEIER

Huntington Beach

Who say’s I’m not righteous?

With regard to the letter from a Richard McGrath, I am somewhat

puzzled by his logic and cannot help being offended by his charge that I

am not a “righteous” man.

It has been my good fortune to earn, make and keep the good friendship

of hundreds of men and women in the City of Huntington Beach. Numbered

among them are active members of my church, fellow board members serving

local charities, firefighters, police officers, city officials, clergymen

and women of every cloth, and yes, even Dave Garofalo and Ed Laird.

I extend the hand of friendship to all men and women who, like me,

want to make this a better city. It is beyond my comprehension how

McGrath can have the audacity to question my righteousness without ever

having met me or spent five minutes in conversation with me.

I’m sure that he’s just a nice guy who is a little confused about the

very complex business of politics in Huntington Beach.

BILL BORDEN

Huntington Beach

Appointment process a good one

The City Council got it just right in working out the process to

appoint a replacement for Dave Garofalo. Rather than making a knee-jerk

appointment of some political crony, they opened up the selection process

so that the widest variety of candidates could be considered.

They also sought to avoid a costly and disruptive special election

that would further deny us an active and involved member of the council

for possibly months during a critical period of decision-making for our

city.

Kudos to the mayor for proposing this open process that hopefully will

bring new blood and new ideas to make our City Council the

forward-looking body we need it to be.

TIM GEDDES

Huntington Beach