Polkow wrong and out of step Bob...

Polkow wrong

and out of step

Bob Polkow’s recent letter to the editor regarding funding for

purchase of wetlands property suggested that tax money is being

diverted for humanitarian needs in a tight fiscal environment. The

record needs to be set straight: Funds for purchase of wetlands,

parkland and other environmentally sensitive lands come from the sale

of bonds approved by a solid majority of voters in California. The

use of those funds is restricted by law and voter intent to natural

resource conservation. Californians have a consistent record of

approving initiatives to fund environmental protection; Polkow is not

only mistaken in his analysis of the funding, he is out of step with

the citizens of California who wish to protect rapidly disappearing

natural resources for future generations.

GORDON SMITH

Huntington Beach

Southeast members are the problem

Having read the diatribe by Tim Geddes in your Sounding Off

section, my first question is why did you give him this platform. I

was also on the board of the Southeast Huntington Beach Neighborhood

Assn. for a couple terms. The reason I left was because these big

money spending liberals like Geddes were elected by his neighborhood

area and came in like they were the world’s gift and savior. The

current City Council is one of the better ones that we have had but

we should always be diligent against the ex-mayors of Huntington

Beach who now receive income as lobbyists. I guess Geddes wants in on

that money.

As for David Guido’ letter in Mailbag, three of us sat in with the

city manager and council members three or four years ago. The city

manager asked, “What does SEHBNA want?” The question is not new and

it’s just verbal politics not action. The question is not rare, has

been asked many times but as long as people are naive, politicians

will continue to ask it.

GLENN GILBERT WOODS

Huntington Beach

Poseidon plant on coast a bad idea

Huntington Beach’s coastline is its biggest asset. Driving down

Pacific Coast Highway from the Santa River to Warner Avenue should be

pleasing to the eye, encouraging tourism and for the benefit of

residents. The land in front of both AES and the sewage treatment

plant is in great need of landscaping to disguise their presence.

Building another plant so close to the ocean is a bad idea. How about

moving it inland just a block or so? If the treated water can be

piped to Costa Mesa, surely the ocean water can be piped to a site

that is out of sight!

Another poor choice is that the citizens of Huntington Beach get

the plant and its potential problems, but Costa Mesa gets the water

to use and sell to other cities (like Huntington Beach?) Why isn’t

there a plan to sell the treated water to our very own water

department instead? Desalination is a good idea. The planned location

and intended recipients are not.

BEVERLY GARDNER

Huntington Beach

The short answer is no, we should not build a desalination plant

in Huntington Beach.

I moved to Santa Barbara after they had built and “moth-balled”

one. The reason? They needed fresh water during the drought. By the

time it was built, the rains came and operating the plant was not

economical. Now it costs the taxpayers just to keep up the plant

maintenance.

Does that mean we should not investigate the technology and do

something? No. In fact, I can’t believe we haven’t developed solar

technology to separate salt and water. There is a primitive system in

the San Francisco Bay where the sea water is isolated for the water

to evaporate leaving salt behind. Why not do the same thing and

capture the evaporating water vapor?

If it is necessary to build a plant, build it on a barge, or large

ship. That way the plant can go where the drought is. I’m sure the

city of Santa Barbara wishes they could have done that.

JACK SIART

Huntington Beach

Desalination plant

is a great idea

This (desalination plant) idea is highly recommended. As an

American dependent, I had an opportunity to live in Saudi Arabia and

Kuwait for 11 years. Both countries had desalination plants, so water

was not a problem in otherwise arid dessert areas.

Huntington Beach is actually a semi-arid area by nature, but has

been artificially greened by man. Since we are fortunate to border on

the ocean, why not take advantage of it and keep Huntington Beach

green and healthy.

GLADYS DE BARCZA

Huntington Beach

What isn’t Debbie Cook against?

I would like to know what Debbie Cook is for. She isn’t for the

same prayerful centering favored by our forefathers, that we know for

sure. And benign yellow ribbons meet with the famous Cook ire.

Driving around Huntington Beach lately, I’ve been touched by the

displays of blue stars in the windows of our families of service

people. These citizens fight, and die all-too anonymously for the

freedoms our country’s founders set forth. While this did include the

right to freely disagree with our government without fear of

persecution, it seems to me Cook is eternally itchin’ for a fight. If

my 8-year-old son’s dream of a time machine could materialize for one

lousy council meeting, I would set it for 1776, so I could learn what

would our founding fathers do? I daresay their take on Cook would

bear more “unequivocal support” for us poor old unenlightened

patriots.

DANA GAULT

Huntington Beach

Shouldn’t be a need for yellow ribbons

About the tie a yellow ribbon article, it is very nice but just

remember they went in there with absolutely no cause. It was a

massacre not a war; let’s put up red ribbons for the innocent women

children and old men who died in this war. And the insane government

that we have, it is almost fascist. Let’s remember the thousands of

people who died in their homes from our horrific weapons. Let’s not

forget there are two sides. This was a massacre, not a war. And

George Bush and his fanatical right wing religious people are

planning another. Bring the boys home. But let’s not forget the

innocent people we murdered.

MAUREEN SHRUBSOLE

Huntington Beach

Ocean View should sell property to state

I think the Ocean View property should be bought by the state to

conserve the area. I am a little confused by reading the location of

the property. I am reading the Thomas Guide and it doesn’t seem to

match up. Maybe there was an error in the printing.

BRUCE WEST

Huntington Beach

My husband Mark and I agree totally that Ocean View should sell

that property on the Bolsa Chica Mesa so that it can be purchased

with the Proposition 50 funds. I think that is an excellent idea.

CASSIE DUBOURDIEU

Huntington Beach

PCB cleanup needs to happen ASAP

I believe that the cleaning up of the PCBs in the homes

surrounding the Fieldstone property should start as soon as possible.

The money has been set aside, the testing has been done and there are

families that are waiting to do landscaping and who don’t feel it is

safe for their children to play outside right now. So I say, hurry

up, let’s get going.

FRANCES FAIN

Huntington Beach

City must have artist that could do better

I am calling about Danette Goulet’s article on Surfhenge. I think

whatever that Surfhenge thing is, its probably the ugliest thing I

have ever seen. The thought that they are actually going to do more

things like that and spend our money blows me away. I think there are

plenty of artists in Huntington Beach that could do something

appropriate for the city of Huntington Beach and I would hope they

could do something more appropriate for our city.

DIANE VALOFF

Huntington Beach

Information without help is right

Man ... I just read Jenny Marder’s article titled “Airport gives

info, not help” in the Huntington Beach Independent and agree

entirely with the title.

What the citizens here need and want is less noise not a way to

monitor who’s making it. Unless you’re clueless it’s obvious that

it’s the planes flying into Long Beach Airport.

From my own personal experience, there have been times I’m sure

that if the planes were flying just a few feet lower that I would be

able read the make and size of the tires. It amazes me that it’s

legal to fly so low over a residential neighborhood. Sometimes I

wonder if “we” Surf City residents are just too picky, but I doubt

Long Beach residents or any other cities residents would be any more

tolerant of the noise.

We need more than a way to “cite” violators. We need the violators

stopped before the noise is a problem.

CAMI LEE

Huntington Beach