Planning Commission is just a waste Congratulations...

Planning Commission is just a waste

Congratulations to the Huntington Beach Planning Commission for

shifting their responsibility to the City Council after nearly a year

of hearings on the desalination project. After dissecting the

proposed Poseidon project for 10 months and requiring hours of public

hearings and debate on the project, costing thousands upon thousands

of dollars in taxes, the city’s Planning Commission voted to send the

issue to the council without a recommendation. Why do we bother with

appointments to the Planning Commission?

While the city conducts layoffs in the Public Works department,

closes library branches and lets street maintenance and repairs go

undone, the Planning Commission actively tried to discourage Poseidon

from building a desalination facility, which would bring the city

tens of thousands of dollars annually through sales tax revenue.

The City Council acted appropriately in shaking up the commission

and should take note of the lack of leadership so they don’t repeat

it at the council level. This project is necessary for future water

resources for all of Orange County. Don’t delay -- approve this

project.

MICHELE REVELLE

Huntington Beach

Goulet should not trash city officials

I have been considering the column which appeared in the Oct. 2

issue of the Independent, “There are some worse than city

politicians.” It is difficult for me to understand the rationale for

such an article given the dedicated people we have on our City

Council and Planning Commission. It is true that I do not always

agree with them but I certainly respect their hard work and concern

for the city.

If Danette Goulet wants to write a column about a personal event

in her life, so be it. However, the tendency to trash our elected

representatives is not all right. Constructive criticism is all

right!

NANCY DONAVEN

Huntington Beach

Cabrillo folks should be allowed to buy

I have a couple really good friends who live in the Cabrillo

mobile home park, and I think that the homeowners there should

definitely be able to purchase that property instead of it being sold

elsewhere.

DENISE DAUNCH

Costa Mesa

National powers join station debate

I am writing on behalf of Citizens for Independent Public

Broadcasting.

Ours is an organization of national membership, dedicated to

putting the public interest back into public broadcasting.

Nationally, our group contributes research and analysis to inform

government policy. This includes Federal Communication Commission

filings in support of, or opposition to, rulings and applications. We

also support chapter initiatives to democratize governance and

programming at local public broadcasting stations. The group has

chapters in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

We have been following closely the prospective sale of public TV

station KOCE in Huntington Beach. We are committed to preserving as

much spectrum as possible for public broadcasters to serve the public

interest in localism and diversity. This mission is critical to the

democratic process, especially in view of the increasing

concentration of commercial media.

Accordingly, CIPB has opposed license transfer applications in

Pittsburgh and Buffalo. In both cases, we recruited attorneys and

solicited thousands of letters from groups and individuals. In 1996,

we influenced the FCC to reject WQED’s application for de-reservation

of sister station WQEX, also known as Channel 16. From 1998-2000, we

opposed the transfer of Channel 16 to a conservative religious

broadcaster, causing the FCC to elaborate new educational guidelines

for public broadcasters. After seven years, WQED still has not been

able to sell its second station.

We sympathize with the financial problems of the Coast College

District. The problem is widespread. Fortunately, the KOCE Foundation

is in a position to help you to do both well and good. We consider

their offer most generous and sincerely hope that your board will

approve it. This also would be in keeping with the considerable

financial assistance rendered to you over the years by the

Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

If, on the other hand, you should choose to reject the KOCE

Foundation’s bid in favor of one of the televangelist stations

featuring syndicated programming that is not educational for the

diverse population of Orange County, we would feel compelled to

actively oppose your license transfer application to the FCC. Given

the current climate in Congress, we feel confident that such decision

would be given considerable scrutiny. And, given the timing of the

Presidential election, the composition of the FCC that finally would

rule is very much in doubt.

As educators, we both hope and expect that your board will come to

agreement with the KOCE Foundation, keeping the good name of your

college and public broadcasting in the region intact. Thank you for

your consideration.

JEROLD M. STARR

Pittsburgh

* Starr is a Ph. D. and director of the Citizens for Independent

Public Broadcasting.