Condo debate brings shades of Garofalo

Tim Geddes

The spate of letters to the editor calling for City Councilwoman Pam

Julien Houchen to resign (Mailbag, May 20), and the public outcry

over the condo conversion controversy brings with it the inevitable

comparison with the Dave Garofalo scandal that forced another local

businessperson from a position of public trust.

With local elections less than six months away, it also raises the

question of what kind of leaders we should be looking for and what

standards of conduct we should demand from our elected and appointed

officials.

While the city councils surrounding both Garofalo and Houchen

featured retired professionals, professors, teachers, and community

activists, Garofalo and Houchen were voices of the local business

community. Garofalo was also out to make a buck, and rarely missed an

opportunity to use his position of influence to benefit his business

activities.

Plenty of candidates for public office run on the promise to

“manage the city like a business.” But what does that mean?

Businesses are run with an eye toward the bottom line. The main

idea is to make money, get a return on investment for your

shareholders, and influence or control markets to your advantage. In

many cases, business experience and decision-making is geared not to

solve civic problems or to benefit the community but to create and

extend private power and profits.

Public interest is rarely part of the equation. Is that the kind

of leadership we should be looking for?

The current controversy surrounding Councilwoman Houchen should

bring a sharper focus on the integrity and values of our local

leaders. We know from all of the recent corporate scandals that many

business practices may not demand the highest ethical standards. It

should also bring a sharper focus on the conduct of our local leaders

while in office, particularly in the decisions made that benefit the

leaders’ support base.

Above all, we must have trust and confidence in our leaders and

decision-makers, that they are acting in our best interest and not

merely their own. That is a test that I believe Councilwoman Houchen

has failed, however her situation is resolved.

The lesson learned is that we must demand this test from our

current and future leaders in our pursuit of good government in

Huntington Beach.

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

“Sounding Off” e-mail us at [email protected] or fax us at (714)

965-7174.