Oil Drilling: Props. O and P
If Proposition O should become law, as Ellen Stern Harris advocates (Op-Ed Page, Oct. 21), the voters of Los Angeles will have repudiated the master plan of the city and the efforts of those having administered it for 40 years.
The Comprehensive Zoning Plan for Los Angeles was adopted in 1948. Part of the plan is a provision for the establishment of special districts to accommodate special land uses. One of these is oil well drilling and production.
One hundred seventy-three urbanized oil drilling districts have been established in the city since 1948. These districts have been located from downtown Los Angeles westerly to the beach at Venice and in selected locations in the San Fernando Valley.
Oil drilling serves the best interests of the city and its citizens. Property owners including the city at Rancho Park, for instance, benefit from oil and gas royalties. The city collects taxes and fees from oil operations. These payments alone amount to millions of dollars per year.
A Yes vote on Proposition O will deny property owners and the city substantial income. But far more significant, a Yes vote on O will be a vote of no confidence in a system which has proven itself effective for 40 years.
ARTHUR O. SPAULDING
Former Petroleum Administrator
City of Los Angeles
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