AT ISSUE: The City Council has added advisory issues on the use of
possible Wal-Mart tax revenue to the referendum vote on approving
construction of a Wal-Mart at Crest View.
Once again the "Fab Four," (Shirley Dettloff, Ralph Bauer, Pam Julien and
Dave Garofalo) are at it. Now they vote down a debate about the Crest
View/Wal-Mart project scheduled for the March ballot.
Are they afraid of freedom of speech?
Bauer's comments about not wanting to give Wal-Mart opponents the upper
hand is an insult to every advocate of freedom of speech in Huntington
Beach.
At the council meeting, Bauer motioned, and the council voted, in favor
of having the city staff work with the League of Women Voters for the
debate format. This is curious, as Bauer obviously wants the council
members to carry the day.
To top it off, high-ranking officials on the city staff have been the
major proponents of Wal-Mart from day one. And Bauer's wife is heavily
involved with the League of Women Voters.
RICHARD J. ADAMS
Huntington Beach
I was surprised to see that the Crest View school site's appraised value
has gone down. As we all know, land prices in Huntington Beach have gone
up, not down, during the last two years.
Supt. James Tarwater has admitted that he selected the Wal-Mart plan at
Crest View over projects that could have earned the school district more
money, due to "city pressure."
Could this same type of pressure be behind a report that appraised the
land at $1 million less than it was worth two years ago?
Another fact conveniently not mentioned by school district officials is
that selling the land will make the district eligible for $27 million in
state matching grant funds. Which would you rather have -- $35 million
now to use for school improvements or a lease of $400,000 a year,
starting in 2001?
CONNIE BOARDMAN
Treasurer, Save Crest View
