Lets talk about the real issues I...

Lets talk about the real issues

I was surprised, even appalled, after reviewing the bios for each

potential Huntington Beach City Council candidate on a local

newspaper’s website. The No. 1 question asked was regarding RV

parking in Huntington Beach. I thought, how sad that no one really

cares about the real issues facing our ever-so crowded city by the

sea.

Just pickup the Huntington Beach Independent and each page offers

a gamut of issues facing residence today. How about the funds lost on

the Huntington Beach sports center? Did we even need the sports

center? Probably not! Or the recently filed lawsuit regarding the

pipeline expansion, council members stepping down to avoid

prosecution, the Orange County Humane Society of arguments for over

medicating and limited space for the true victims of the four-legged

species, police investigation of the PTA, the ongoing battle over the

Huntington Beach wetlands, poor conditions of our public streets,

overcrowding on Main Street and Huntington Beach beaches during the

summer, lack of parking and increasing issues that go along with

crime and drugs. But, let’s not forget the catch all issue called

“infrastructure.”

These are merely a few issues that don’t even begin to deal with

the homeland security issues resulting from Sept. 11, 2001. Yet, RV parking is the No. 1 question to ask our potential candidates. It

sickens me to think RV parking is now becoming an issue for our

police force. Then why do we need policemen? Why don’t we just let

them all go and hire a bunch of parking control employees to run

around in all the housing tracks and issue tickets to RV owners? That

would make the ever so few happy, end the pettiness of the covert

neighbors calling the Police Department and turn our much oversold,

overcrowded city into another Irvine where homeowners cannot even

park on the street in front of their home.

I say get rid of the current RV parking law on the books, forget

about creating another law to create more paperwork, stop utilizing

our limited resources for a handful of petty, controlling few and

focus on the issues that would add quality to all our lives.

BEVERLY ELLIS

Huntington Beach

Green’s Republican flier appalling

Mayor Cathy Green’s flier blasting Debbie Cook and Democrats is

inappropriate at best.

A City Council must never espouse their party affiliations,

especially to denounce it’s own members. Green owes the citizens of

Huntington Beach and Debbie Cook an apology in lieu of her

resignation from the City Council. Congratulations to Debbie Cook,

Keith Bohr and Don Hansen!

ANTHONY OUREN

Huntington Beach

Grace Winchell is owed an apology

The “Sounding Off” by Tim Geddes (“Appointment Process is a

debacle,” Nov. 4) was right on the money. The councilwoman who

resigned because of the condo conversion mess left a vacancy for four

meetings. Then the debacle started.

Grace Winchell agreed to fill out the term.

Mayor Cathy Green for some unknown reason blocked the appointment

of Winchell, claiming that the appointment made in a rush smacked of

cronyism.

Rather than the council having seven members for voting purposes

Winchell was finally selected to serve for two meetings.

Then Councilman Dave Sullivan suggested since the councilwoman

resigned so late her replacement should only be appointed for one

full meeting.

I’m sorry, but I find these actions by the Green and Sullivan.

unconscionable.

Winchell is owed an apology.

EILEEN MURPHY

Huntington Beach

We can only hope shelter is better

I read the article from Rhonda Belcher (“Humane practices at

Humane Society,” Sounding Off, Oct. 21) several times. I, too, am an

Huntington Beach resident and teacher. I volunteered two years ago

for the shelter on Newland Street and recently e-mailed the

Independent on Steve Bolton’s rather tacky cartoon concerning the on

going saga between volunteers and veterinarian Samir Botros.

I applaud Belcher’s dedication and I am very happy that someone is

there that does really care about the animals. She is a new

volunteer, and I have a feeling she has never volunteered for an

animal shelter before. She talks about walking the dogs, yes, that

too makes me sing. Those animals need to be exercised once, better

twice, a day. However, there is no way Belcher can get all those dogs

out every day. Even with the much larger number of volunteers who

loved those animals too, we were only able to walk them about every

four days. I also pray that finally those dogs are being fed food

according to their size and need. I have talked to two Huntington

Beach residents at the Magnolia Street greenbelt just recently. Funny

thing, both had gotten their dogs from the shelter on Newland, and

both said what terrible condition their dogs were in when they

adopted them. both were very skinny, one so filthy the owner didn’t

even realize his dog was brown. One was very sick with pneumonia and

the other had a severe skin condition. I wonder if Belcher has ever

visited a shelter like Seal Beach, if she would still think any

amount of cleaning could make those incredibly dilapidated, unsafe,

small cement slabs those dogs are stuck on day after day are really

acceptable. When it pours those dogs have no place to retreat to. I

felt sick thinking about them wet and cold during the recent rain

storms. Even the Orange County shelter has a big enough run so the

animals can retreat to the back where it is now heated.

Do people really believe it is OK to keep a dog penned up in such

a small cage for months into a year? I have seen dogs literally go

insane from boredom.

I’m glad Belcher loves being there. I still have sad dreams

whenever I think about the cats in tiny cages for months, the bunnies

that never go home, dogs that are most definitely bored and I hope

not still medically ignored.

I left the shelter when I was extremely upset over seeing three

large kittens in a cage in the back room with no food, water or

litter. The workers had gone home, so I went to the front to inquire

and I guess demand that we get the kittens settled before I leave. I

was told the next day by Botros to mind my own business, if I don’t

like the way things are done, don’t come back. I didn’t.

Will things really change? Will they change for good? Will Botros

ever put some money into this antiquated shelter? Will Huntington

Beach ever have a shelter in its own backyard that it can be proud

of? I really do hope so.

CLAUDIE FREEMAN

Huntington Beach