The people need more options

DANETTE GOULET

A small group of residents has hired an independent firm to poll the

people of Surf City about council districts. While that study has not

been officially released, or its existence even acknowledged, the

results reportedly showed a 58% majority in favor of creating

districts.

Less than 40% of those polled opposed districts, and the remainder

just aren’t sure.

People are divided -- about 51% to 49% -- however, on the issue of

electing members at large or casting only one vote.

The results, which an anonymous source shared with me, confirmed

the group’s worst fears.

It is also what I expected after some conversations I had this

week with “average” residents. By average I mean they live, work,

play and pay taxes in Huntington but aren’t active in any political

groups.

What I gathered from these people was that districts seemed like a

good idea. Like myself, however, they wanted seven districts, not

five.

So what does this survey mean? Maybe nothing, but it may answer a

question no one seemed to have the answer to: Where do people stand

on the issue? It has seemed to be a fuzzy issue, which is not the

norm with Huntington. People are usually clearly in one camp or

another. Not so with this. People, it seems, are not content with the

current local government. This may or may not be the change they are

looking for, but residents are willing to entertain notions of a new

way of doing things.

Last week, Councilman Dave Sullivan asked the council to put an

alternative to Scott Baugh’s Fair District Initiative on the ballot.

He was of a mind that with an uncertain amount of support and hefty

financial backing, Baugh’s five-district plan was a very real danger

to democracy in Surf City.

While Councilwoman Debbie Cook adamantly and vocally disagreed

with that notion, it does seem possible, perhaps even likely, that

local politics may change come November.

These polls and surveys, however, offer just a mere inkling. For

instance, there was a poll done in 2002 when Measure HH, which would

have repealed the gas tax exclusion for electric power plants from

the city’s municipal code, was on the ballot. In that poll, a

majority of Surf City residents said yes, AES should be taxed for the

gas it uses. When election day came, however, tides had turned, and

Measure HH was defeated.

My point is that 58% is hardly overwhelming. I use this example,

however, because of the interesting questions it brings up.

Districting opponents are worried about Baugh’s measure because it

has money behind it -- just as the successful opposition to Measure

HH did.

“The difficulty is the Baugh folks have a lot of money and they

can make statements that may be badly false, but they can make them

-- and with glossy mailers,” said former Councilman Ralph Bauer, who

is opposed to districts. “The people who oppose Baugh, they don’t

have a lot of money.”

Baugh uses the Wal-Mart issue as an example. Being on the

pro-Wal-Mart side, he said, he was confident in victory, because in

that instance his side had the backing to win.

But I’d like to remain idealistic.

Forget money and mailers. Forget accusations of either side

wanting to control local government. Residents need to take control

by listening to both camps, researching facts and deciding for

themselves.

What the City Council needs to do Monday night is offer residents

the true middle of the road choice on the November ballot, which

would be seven districts elected at large. Offer the three different

models and let voters decide.

* DANETTE GOULET is the city editor. She can be reached at (714)

965-7170 or by e-mail at danette.goulet@latimes.com.