Steve Ray: City should be better for residents

RACE FOR CITY COUNCIL

Name: Steve Ray

Age: 53

Occupation: Business owner

Family: Wife Shan; daughter Tiffany; son Stephen.

Community Activities: Current member of the Huntington Beach

Citizen Participation Advisory Board; member of the Bolsa Chica Land

Trust; member of the Ocean Outfall Group.

Education: Studied government and classical civilization at the

University of Texas in Austin; degree from Alice Lloyd College.

Favorite leader: Cesar Chavez and Lech Walesa.

Contact information: (714) 848-0333;

steveray4surfcity@hotmail.com.

RAY ON:

* CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS:

I oppose the districting initiative for five reasons. Less

representation for residents. Currently, we can vote for all seven

council members. Under this plan, we only get to vote for one,

meaning less choice and less representation. Currently, any resident

can approach any of the seven council members and expect to get a

hearing because he can actually vote for or against them. Under this

plan, if a resident can’t get a hearing with the district member, he

will have very little chance of getting one with any other council

member.

It will result in “pork barrel” politics and make it more

difficult to get things done, costing the taxpayers more money.

Council members will start trading favors and votes to bring

something home for their districts. I questions the motives of the

outside special interests who are behind this initiative, who want to

allow for unchecked development of our coastal and environ-

mental resources.

* PROPOSITION 50:

I support Proposition 50. As a longtime supporter of saving all of

the Bolsa Chica, I support the fair-market price acquisition of the

mesa from the private and public owners using Proposition 50 funds. I

also support Proposition 50 because it will protect and enhance

critical water systems and supply clean water for all areas of

California.

* DEVELOPMENT:

Huntington Beach needs to address development and redevelopment

needs. The “development at any cost” (to the taxpayers) strategy of

past City Councils must be abandoned -- permanently. The abuse of

“eminent domain” for commercial redevelopment must end. I propose a

“smart development” approach, with full citizen input, that will

place emphasis on the quality of life of our residents, enhance our

tax base, and provide good paying jobs to enable our residents to

work and live here.

That approach includes: Appointing a Citizens Task Force to draft

a “strategic plan” to define our growth and development objectives

and limitations. Appointing a Business Development Task Force to

identify future growth industries with good paying jobs, to entice

those companies to locate/relocate here, and to streamline the

regularity and permitting the processes for them. Assuring affordable

housing opportunities for seniors and young families who live here.

Finishing the Huntington Center Mall project. Renovating, upgrading,

and/or redeveloping aging strip malls. And fixing and repairing our

aging infrastructure.

* WATER QUALITY:

We have two major water quality problems -- beach and ocean

contamination and and salt water intrusion in the depleted

underground water aquifer. We need to address both.

Pressure the Orange County Sanitation District to go to full

secondary treatment without delay and even proceed to tertiary level.

Repair our infrastructure to reduce possible contamination, work

with inland cities directly and through reginal groups to reduce

urban runoff and address the issues (like development) that create

it.

For the aquifer problem: Propose a regional task force to study

the extent and time frame of salt water intrusion into the aquifer

and its impact, city by city. Require water conservation in the

city’s public works water usage and encourage conservation by

residents. Evaluate proposed desalination plant and other

alternatives to determine best method to insure future water supply

for the city.

* BIGGEST ISSUE FACING HUNTINGTON BEACH:

The biggest issue in Huntington Beach is, “How do we protect and

enhance the quality of life of our residents?” Huntington Beach is a

wonderful place to live. It can and will be even better. We must

change our direction from growth and development to focus on the

people who already live here. Huntington Beach must continue to

provide the best police, fire, emergency and marine safety services

to protect our lives and property. We need to repair the

infrastructure, clean the ocean and beaches, attract quality

businesses with good paying jobs, ensure affordable living for

seniors and others, have safe water, provide for recreation, the arts

and social services, protect the environment, plan for land use and

open spaces, and do it all within the city’s budget constraints,

without any tax increases -- and be sensible about it.