Lets get started off on the right foot

It has been a few weeks since the local elections, with the new City

Council members just installed, and already the drumbeat of suspicion

has started over the background, motivations, allegiances, and even

the integrity of Don Hansen and Keith Bohr. This is unfair.

Hansen has been portrayed as a pro-business tool of the right-wing

who would plunge our city into mindless anti-environmentalism,

questionable economic development schemes and partisan posturing.

Bohr has been portrayed a pro-development lackey who would roll

over for any project that came down the chute, and who would also

stand idly by while environmental concerns were swept under the

carpet.

Both business-sector candidates were portrayed as conflict of

interest nightmares waiting to happen, ala Dave Garofalo and Pam

Houchen. Both Huntington Beach Police Officer Assn.-backed candidates

were portrayed as easy marks for concessions to powerful public

safety lobbies in our city. Both City Hall-connected candidates were

portrayed as “staff-huggers” who lacked the will and the independence

to lead rather than follow the city’s bureaucracy.

Again, these characterizations are completely unfair and betray

the qualifications and the commitment that each of the new

decision-makers will bring to the City Council.

Whether any of these suspicions have any foundation, we owe it to

our new leaders to give them the support and respect that their

offices deserve as we enter another difficult and challenging year of

governance.

Critics of pro-business, pro-development candidates should be

somewhat assuaged by the fact that conflict of interest laws are

tighter than ever, and even small missteps will bring barrages of

condemnation. In the wake of previous scandals, both new council

members and those they appoint to important boards and commissions

will be under the civic microscope from day one. They will no doubt

work diligently to dispel any hint that they are politically bought

and paid for.

Both new council members deserve a blank slate and a fresh chance

to establish their own independent images.

They actually might surprise their critics by taking a balanced

and responsible approach to addressing the needs of our community.

We must put aside the divisions and suspicions of the campaign and

focus on the kind of collaborative leadership that will bring

progress and prosperity to Huntington Beach.

However, in the rush to improve our economic well-being, we must

not forget about our social well-being and quality-of-life issues

affecting our citizens.

All of our City Council members need to start the new year with a

renewed sense of commitment and purpose as we face the opportunities

and challenges ahead. We should cheer them on in this effort.

* TIM GEDDES is a Huntington Beach resident. To contribute to

“Sounding Off” e-mail us at hbindy@latimes.com or fax us at (714)

966-4667.