Hearthside should take a hint and...

Hearthside should take a hint and sell

Memo to Hearthside Homes: Look at the writing on the wall. Read

the tea leaves. You just lost in court trying to sue the California

Coastal Commission over Bolsa Chica development. However, Proposition

50 just passed, which earmarks funds to purchase the Bolsa Chica

mesa. Turn in your chips and cash in now. Please quit while you are

still ahead.

To pursue a lawsuit that you may not win (appeals fail more often

than they succeed) will cost you additional money. Even if you get a

favorable ruling, it will be several years before you can turn a

shovel and recover your costs, let alone turn a profit. Do yourselves

a favor, your shareholders a favor, the wildlife a favor and

Huntington Beach a favor. Take the easy money from Proposition 50 and

run.

Orange County is already one of the densest counties in the

nation. Is it necessary to have it become another New Jersey? I hope

not. Open space does not equal open sore. Most of us appreciate Bolsa

Chica for its intrinsic value. Now you can appreciate it for its

economic value. Finally, we can put this long battle to bed, and

everyone will come out winners.

REX RICKS

Huntington Beach

Circus bans should not be top priority

As I watched the animal protection activists parading to the

public microphone for their barrage of three-minute prepared,

itinerated and orchestrated speeches, I felt the helplessness of a

city overwhelmed by outsiders. Not one of the speakers, by their own

word, was from Huntington Beach. There was a video of one woman they

showed to be from Huntington Beach, but how can I be assured of that

fact? And just how much weight is one to give to one voice in our

town?

All the activists had a title of some sort, all connected with

animal protection activism. Now, I love animals, just like the best

of animal lovers, and I am absolutely in favor of humane treatment of

people and animals; but this was absolutely overwhelming, underhanded

and overplayed.

Although there was one presentation of an opposing viewpoint, the

fact that this was allowed without much opportunity to respond for

balance of viewpoints, is why I feel compelled to write this

response.

As a teacher of history, I am very aware of persuasive techniques

of propaganda, overstating, false-stating, villainizing, target

speeches, finger pointing, diatribes, misappropriating statements of

ideas, etc. but this was so blatant, I’m stunned.

Councilman Ralph Bauer stated there hasn’t been a circus in

Huntington Beach since 1975. That says it in a nutshell. Just where

does this urgency to pass an ordinance to ban circuses come from? Are

these the kinds of issues our current council think are so important,

they must fulfill these agenda items before their terms end? We are

facing numerous serious crises in Huntington Beach, and our council

has chosen to highlight this issue. That sends a very poignant

message to me. I am so disheartened, disconcerted and appalled by the

current council’s agenda, it causes me grave concern about our

future.

If the council is so concerned about the proper treatment of

animals, it seems much more logical and appropriate to me to compile

guidelines for proper treatment of animals within our city. Even

that, however, is best an educational item among families and

community groups. If every city in the U.S. decided to ban animals

and circuses, just where would it all end? We will soon become so

overly governmentally regulated, we won’t be able to blow our nose in

public for fear someone may catch a cold.

It is not the appropriate forum for our City Council to make

regulations in this regard. This parade of extremists parading

through our council forum is embarrassing to all of us.

DIANE LENNING

Huntington Beach

I grew up around circuses. I’m 48 years old and it was never a big

problem or issue. I don’t know why the council is wasting our

taxpayers’ money on minutia like this. Who do they think they are?

Are they God? What are they going to ban next?

With all the critical issues that are there in the city to

address, they’re going off on these self-gratifying “ban” standing

items and I don’t say that for all the council members. There’s

certain ones that are doing this and, unfortunately, I was in favor

of those council people coming in because of other issues they

supported.

But if this council has now become a grandstanding thing for

private issues and basically ignoring the real needs of the city,

then I’m all in favor of a special election to vote them out because

I’m sorry I made the votes in the election that I did.

DREW KOVACS

Huntington Beach