CORRESPONDENCE

It appears that Ron Davis is just as wacko as I had always thought. Now

he’s not only talking to a bird, he’s agreeing with its ideas. [“Getting

the ‘straight poop’ from Bobo,” April 6].

In his last two columns, Davis has blasted the city for spending $52,000

on art. He puts the word art in quotes. Obviously he thinks he knows what

art is, and he believes that the historic tiles are not art.

His little bird friend then explains in true birdbrained logic that

politicians like to spend money on “everything else” so that they will

not have to spend money on infrastructure. Then when the politicians do

fix the infrastructure, they look like heroes.

Davis believes this. He presumably also believes the government is hiding

UFOs at City Hall.

Davis is missing the point. A city is just that. A city is not just a

grid of perfect sidewalks, sewers and streets. A city is a collection of

people and ideas and restaurants and recreation and -- yes, I know it

sounds horrifying -- art.

I am by no means a supporter of the City Council, but for once it appears

they did right by preserving this small part of Huntington Beach history.

I do see Davis’ point, and I absolutely agree that we should have

“sidewalks you don’t trip on, toilets that flush, and sewers that don’t

pollute.” But we should also have all those other things that make a city

an enjoyable place to live, such as a few works of public art.

The city of Huntington Beach does have a lot of problems (like a City

Council in the back pocket of Wal-Mart). The artwork at City Hall, the

Huntington Beach Art Center and HBTV-3 are not liabilities, they’re

assets.

Spending $52,000 on preserving and moving these historic and artistic

objects in the face of a $1.3-billion infrastructure is indeed “chicken

feed.” If we follow Davis’ logic, I shouldn’t be able to go out to a $6

movie once in a while because that money is better used for my mortgage,

car payment and credit card bills.

Davis, keep it in perspective.