Council Meetings in Santa Ana

The city of Tustin recently announced hat it will televise its council meetings in the very near future.

Residents of Santa Ana were also promised that they too would be able to watch City Council meetings from the comfort of their living rooms, via cable Channel 3, KCTY, as soon as the cable facility installations were completed. It happened. Cable subscribers were ecstatic. Our cable crews won several coveted awards for outstanding programs. Santa Ana residents were proud.

Our present cable operator, Comcast, purchased a franchise which provides that the City Council meetings be televised.

On April 4, apparently without proper council action, television coverage of Santa Ana City Council meetings was discontinued--on the very night some 350 irate residents packed the council chambers to protest other irresponsible council actions.

Now, months later, cable subscribers are still without council meeting TV coverage. Residents are upset, as they should be. We are paying for something we are not receiving.

Is it because our city is on the brink of financial chaos and truly cannot afford to provide the service prior administrations promised? Is it because our present City Council members are in fear cable viewers will observe their ridiculous and unresponsive actions, afraid they will not be reelected in November? Are the incumbents waiting for Comcast to come across with satisfactory campaign contributions?

Or is it because of some other secret agenda? Must the electorate wait until after the November elections to watch our City Council meetings from the comfort of our living rooms again?

JIM TUCKER

Santa Ana