Council should reconsider tax And the answer...

Council should reconsider tax

And the answer is yes, the council should reconsider the override

tax it passed on Huntington Beach taxpayers. I am a former federal

employee and now retired and I paid out of my salary a certain

amount, plus my regular taxes. The city employees of Huntington Beach

should do the same out of their own paychecks.

STEWART H. MACKENZIE

Huntington Beach

Yes the City Council should reconsider the tax. I am furious with

all of them except [Councilman Dave] Sullivan, who seems to be the

only one looking out for the taxpayer. I hope they are listening to

the people and reading the newspaper editorials. If so, they will

reconsider their votes and vote against the override tax.

JO ANNE KESSELL

Huntington Beach

City completely ignores taxpayers

For months now I have been following the news and reading letters

to the editors and know that I am not the only person who is

disgusted with the way the city of Huntington Beach has handled its

latest problem, the collection of illegal taxes.

I have applied for my refund, written letters to my council

members telling them to reconsider their decision of yet another tax

and discussed the issue with many of my fellow citizens. And yet I

cannot help but wonder who, if anybody, is listening.

The city employees and the City Council are completely

unresponsive to the wants, needs or concerns of the citizens they

represent. Issue after issue is brought before them and yet they

continue to act as an independent entity with no accountability

whatsoever. What can we do to bring democracy back into this city and

make the employees of Huntington Beach realize that they work for us

and not the other way around? Too much of my income is going to

paying the inflated salaries and benefits packages of these very

people who don’t seem to know that I, the taxpayer, even exists.

DEBBIE LOEHNER

Huntington Beach

Council didn’t properly justify fees

Councilwoman [Jill] Hardy’s quote [“City fees increase by $3

million” Sept. 4] of that the fee increases being reasonable because

there have not been increases in 10 years and that the fees can still

be justified if not an appropriate argument. Time does not justify

increases.

What was the cost of computers 10 year ago? There are many common

use items that cost less today than 10 years ago. Interest rates are

less today than 10 years ago. In today’s market, time can also be

used as an argument for cost decreases.

“The fees can be justified.” Is she justifying this compared to

other cities fee rates? This has nothing to do with price

competition. The services provided by city programs are meant to

serve the community. I can understand charging a fee that makes the

community center of a lifeguard program self sufficient. A council

person can say fees are reasonable. Or even be so closed-minded as to

say $5 more for a room rental or $45 more for Jr. Lifeguards is

reasonable based on their own financial status.

The question needs to be at what cost to our community does this

fee increase have. Survey the participants and see how many (if any)

would drop out of Jr. Lifeguards when the fee increase. You can still

increase the fees, but you will know at what cost. If you raise the

fees and participation drops, you end up decreasing revenues.

Finally, Councilman [Dave] Sullivan being unable to vote because

he does not understand the report is ridiculous. If the reports are

too complicated, why are they voting based on it? That is giving

Sullivan the benefit of the doubt because either the reports are too

complicated or he is not complicated enough. In any case, the people

that the voted him into office were not represented on this vote.

TOD MINATO

Huntington Beach

Council doesn’t vote like residents would

I have lived in Huntington Beach since 1962 and have seen severe

changes in the city. I have never been able to understand how our

council can go the direct opposite way that the average resident

thinks.

In reference to pay schedules, the standard answer is “to get good

people we have to pay the prevailing wage as private industry.” The

last I heard, private industry had a product to sell in order to

rectify their wages. Bad job, out the door. High wages, bad job, wait

25 years for a high pension and great job security. How can you

loose? Go to work for the city.

What is the connection between the City Council and this thinking?

Let’s get real and have them get by like most of us. I’ve always

said, give government workers the same benefits private citizens have

and you would see massive changes. Enough said. Keep up the good

work. It is a joy to read your comments.

TOM RASMUSSEN

Huntington Beach

We should support Schwarzenegger

We should all rally around and support Arnold Schwarzenegger for

Governor. A vote for anyone else is a vote for the tax and spend

policies of Cruz Bustamante. Please vote for Schwarzenegger to rescue

California.

MARK COHEN

Huntington Beach

Hearthside should sell Bolsa to state

Barring a Davis recall, yes I think Hearthside Homes should accept

an offer from the state. I believe they should, due to the massive

disappearance of habitat in Orange County. In fact, it’s disappearing

faster than any other place in the United States. It’s one of our

only open spaces left and due to its environmental significance, it

should be preserved. I’m also a science teacher working in the Ocean

View School District and this is one of the places I can take my kids

to learn about science and all sorts of other important things that

kids should learn.

GAE TREECE

Huntington Beach