A surprising interest in the city
EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK
I now know why so many people are active in this city -- it sucks
you in.
Never in a million years would I have believed you, if you had
told me even a couple years ago that I would be interested in the
inner workings of a community.
What brings this to mind is the Huntington Beach Chamber of
Commerce’s 16th annual Economic Conference, which was held Friday. It
was well done and ... interesting.
The first speaker after welcomes was Assemblyman Tom Harman, who
stood in for Sen. Joe Dunn. Although terribly depressing, Harman was
honest and interesting as he told us what a sad economic state
California is in.
It was bad news, and then more bad news.
A projection of economic trends in Orange County by Wells Fargo
Bank Associate Matt Healy was much more optimistic as was City
Administrator Ray Silver’s state of economic development update for
the city. It did leave one wondering two things: Are we better off in
Orange County due to high property taxes? And are we kidding
ourselves, because if California is in such dire straights, how can
we not be?
The discussion quickly turned to public transportation, a hot
topic these days that we will all be hearing more about. Many see
metro links and high speed rails as the savior of Orange County and
California. Others don’t want the rails in their “back yard.”
I would lean toward those who see public mass transportation as
important for the future. It is, however, something that needs to be
done carefully and in moderation. This topic is one that I think
needs to be explored.
* * *
I don’t think it’s possible to live in Huntington Beach and not
know a Boeing employee. I know the number of engineers I know has
more than quadrupled since moving here. So it is with interest that
many of us watch the Delta IV rocket attempts.
I went to Boeing on Tuesday to watch the launch that had been
delayed from Saturday. Hundreds of people -- well, engineers, really
-- and their families gathered on the lawn in front of a huge screen.
While Tuesday’s launch was delayed due to a software glitch, the
rocket went up Wednesday without a hitch. Congratulations to all
those at Boeing Huntington Beach who had a part in that success.
* DANETTE GOULET is the city editor. She can be reached at (714)
965-7170 or by e-mail at danette.goulet@latimes.com.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.