What is the biggest issue facing the...

What is the biggest issue facing the city?

Money. We must specifically address what my opponents describe as

the budget crisis and what I properly describe as our spending

crisis. Nearly 50% of every dollar we earn is consumed in cumulative

taxes. Our government is addicted to money. As your representative, I

will “just say no” to new taxes, increases, fees, fines or any other

scheme to increase government revenue. I am the only council

candidate to have signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge

(www.atr.org). Government already confiscates enough of our money.

The size of our government must be reduced to relieve our unrealistic

revenue requirements.

Considering such issues as the sports complex lawsuit and

improperly converted condominiums, do you agree with criticism that

the city has been mismanaged? How would you run the city better?

Blame and responsibility for the ongoing problems continually

arising at City Hall can all be traced back to a single source. You

and me, “We the people.” The government is us and we are the

government. If we continue to elect the same people supported by the

same political action committees and other “big government”

organizations year after year, it should be no surprise to anyone

that we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over. There

is an old saying in politics. “Follow the money.” Money is the

mother’s milk of politics. This money inevitably causes politicians

to become beholden to contributors. It is for this reason I have

refused to accept even one dime of financial support. Admittedly this

makes my campaign much more difficult, but clearly I am no one’s

puppet. No one pulls my strings. There will be no quid quo pro. I am

free to raise the spending issues the other candidates won’t touch

with a 10-foot pole. If we expect government to behave differently,

we must learn to elect representatives who demonstrate an ability to

perform differently. An example of doing things differently: All of

my campaign signs were recycled from Measure E signs from the March

primary election and were repainted with spray paint realizing, a

savings of over $4,000. Send a Firecracker to City Hall and get more

bang for your tax bucks.

Given that the future of the Bolsa Chica still is unclear, what is

your position on development on the upper portion of the mesa and

other environmental issues facing the city?

Any city government discussion about Bolsa Chica issues are

irrelevant. We might as well talk about development in Disneyland or

China. Let me be clear on this subject: The Bolsa Chica is not within

the city limits of Huntington Beach! We have wasted vast amounts of

time, money and staff resources on a geographic location which is not

in our city. I will not peruse any further actions on property which

is not in our city. The environmentalists in our community are to be

commended for their efforts to preserve and restore that area.

However our precious tax dollars must not be spent on projects

outside our boarders. It is irresponsible. The biggest environmental

issue we face is the cleanup of the Ascon-Nessi toxic waste dump. I

am in favor of beginning the cleanup at once. We can squabble over

any trace amounts remaining after the tons of top layer sludge is

scooped out and removed! This site will never be cleaned up if we

never get started. The time has come to get started.

What direction do you think development -- such as the Strand,

Pacific City, Bella Terra and a third hotel proposed between the

Hilton Waterfront and Hyatt -- should be headed in the city?

No one likes changes which are not in their control. But change is

inevitable. I miss the old Huntington Beach. I miss the Golden Bear,

Surf Theater and the old wooden pier. Time marches on. No city can be

allowed to atrophy and decay. While I treasure the days of old and

repeatedly say, “it will never be the same,” the reality is our city

is a better place because of the modernization. Huntington Beach has

long ago set a course for our modernization and we must see it

though. We have gone too far to reverse course at this time. It would

be a huge mistake. As we approach build out, we must remain focused

on the redevelopment and modernization of our aging parts of town. We

are clearly moving in the correct direction.