New city hall is a cockamamie idea...

New city hall is a cockamamie idea

I am distressed by the cockamamie proposal to build a new city

hall for Newport Beach.

If I am not mistaken, the old one is paid for and has worked just

fine over the years -- and could continue to work in the future just

fine, too.

I have lived in this community for more than 35 years and have

interacted with personnel in various departments of City Hall and

have never seen any need for any change in the facility. Bigger

buildings and bigger government just translate to more expense for

the city and its residents.

If those people on the City Council who favor the new buildings

really think they need to blow almost $50 million, then they should

allow this issue to be put to a vote by the residents, who will

ultimately pay the tab. This is way too much money with which to

trust the City Council alone.

For a minute, in a sort of fairy tale way, let’s assume the city

of Newport Beach is faced with the dilemma of spending $50 million as

fast as possible. You know, it’s just burning a hole in the city’s

pockets, and it needs to be spent. Here is a quick list of how I

would prioritize the spending, starting with the most important:

* Help out the schools in Newport Beach. Start with Newport

Elementary and Newport Heights Elementary. If the city is going to

get into the monument-building business, schools would be a great

choice. Invest in the kids and subsidize the teachers’ salaries.

* Help the fire and police departments by increasing the benefits

and pay for our fine police officers and firefighters. When was the

last time you saw a building respond to the emergency needs of its

residents? Police and firefighters do it every day!* Help our less

fortunate seniors and children.

* Provide day care for single mothers and single parents.

* Pay the existing city workers more money for the fine services

they provide.

* Landscape the ocean-front sidewalks and streets, which are

currently landscaped only with weeds growing up though the cracks in

the sidewalks.

* Reduce or eliminate parking fees to Newport Beach residents.

* Enforce the litter laws against tourists -- and everybody.

* Clean up the bay.

* Provide a communitywide shuttle service for free.

And where would a new city hall be on the list? Maybe at the

bottom of a much longer list.

Any City Council member who votes for such an outlandish expense

as a new city hall should be forced to resign immediately, followed

by incarceration in a mental facility, at their expense, for

psychiatric evaluation, for a minimum of 60 days. If found insane,

then that would be the end of them, and they could be retired out to

bureaucratic pasture somewhere, forever banned from serving in any

capacity as a servant of the people. If found sane, they should be

prosecuted for attempting to financially sack the city of Newport

Beach.

I appeal to all residents of this fine city to wake up and legally

protest -- with all legal means possible -- this incredibly stupid,

irresponsible and once again cockamamie idea of building a new city

hall.

JIM GRISET

Newport Beach