Saving Neighborhoods in Santa Ana

Santa Ana City Councilman Dan Young (Commentary, Jan. 26) apparently does not comprehend how the redevelopment process works. The $5 million of “new” city taxes (the developments he outlined will raise) will be returned to the developers--not to the city tax coffers.

This fiscal naivete is part of the reason Young is seeing so many “blaring headlines” recently. The learning process about citizen participation Young refers to came about only after the Ace Muffler and 4th and French streets incidents and the lawsuits coupled with the eruption of concerned citizens, now called Santa Ana Merged Society of Neighbors, and their proposed recall.

Young’s pleas for voters’ support will continue to go unheeded until the council understands the underlying problems.

We are tired of staff members cramming programs down our throats, of giveaway sweetheart developer deals, of the city manager’s arrogance, of “too-slick” television and magazine propaganda and of the inability of citizens’ to be heard and their rights respected.

Clean up your house, Mr. Young. Get staff members who will live in and love this community. Get a fiscal handle on your runaway redevelopment programs. And have the council take a lesson in reporting honestly.

Do it before the citizens’ group does it for you. Maybe then you will exhibit the leadership the voters expect.

F. FREEMAN

Santa Ana