For Winner, Raffle Was a Prize Idea

When the City of Anaheim found itself the winner of four free vacations to Hawaii, officials had a tough time trying to decide whether to keep the prizes.

On Wednesday, Leena Kanal, a senior word processing operator, had no problem deciding: “I’m going to go. For sure. I’m positive.”

Kanal and a second city employee, Dennis Urschel of the Public Utilities Department, each won Memorial Day weekend trips for two to Maui that the city unexpectedly received. Officials initially did not know what to do with the gifts.

The trips--a prize for being a good customer of an electrical supply company--stirred controversy among City Council members, who finally voted to raffle off the vacations. It also caused a bit of agitation among some city workers, who said the council should not have restricted the raffle to the 200 or so employees who contributed in the last year to the Employee Involvement Program. That program rewards employees who make useful suggestions.

Fairness Questioned

“There are a lot of good employees who deserved it,” said Walter Kuchler, a maintenance pipe fitter who has worked for Anaheim for about 10 years. “I just think the city does things that are unfair.”

Kuchler said the council should have opened the raffle to all 2,000 or so employees or “given it to the public.”

Councilman Lew Overholt, who along with Councilman Ben Bay voted against accepting the trips for a raffle, said sales-incentive programs like free trips have “the makings of some problems.” For example, he said, they may increase the costs of materials to the city and may place the Purchasing Department, which seeks and recommends low bidders, in a conflict of interest.

Overholt said one resident called him to say that “taxpayers should have the prize because taxes paid for the materials.”

Trips From Amfac

The city won the vacations--including chartered air fare, hotel rooms, meals and drinks--from Amfac Electrical Supply Co., a company Anaheim did about $100,000 worth of business with last year.

Mayor Pro Tem Irv Pickler said the raffle “was a way of getting rid of four tickets” and giving “a little boost” to employees who contributed suggestions to the city. The reaction by some employees, Pickler said, was “just sour grapes.”

Ted A. Casler, a utilities meter reader, disagreed. He said some employees thought the tickets should have have been raffled and the money given to charity.

“I really didn’t care one way or another, but there may have better ways to handle it,” said Casler, who has worked for the city for 14 years.

But Kanal said she is “thrilled.”

“I didn’t believe it, because this was the first time that I’ve won something,” she said.