Meddling by Council

Is it time to rein in the City Council? To teach them why they were elected? And, to remind them that their whimsical games are both costly and wasteful?

The City Council’s demagogic interference in the Ogden Environmental Systems toxic-waste experiments has cost the public $1.25 million. Despite a total lack of jurisdiction and a complete record of adequate EPA oversight, the City Council chose to intrude repeatedly into a fully legitimate enterprise far beyond their knowledge and expertise.

Then, the City Council intruded into the arena of the nuclear safety of San Onofre Unit 1, another field of specialization where they have no credibility. Again, a federal institution (the Nuclear Regulatory Commission) has the matter under advisement, is thoroughly qualified and statutorily empowered to mandate such actions as it deems in the interest of public safety, and cannot possibly benefit from ignorant demagogism.

Finally, the City Council continues daily to beat the drums for the municipalization of San Diego Gas & Electric, another area of woeful ignorance. Instead of fighting the merger with Southern California Edison on a sound base of long-term community concerns, our elected representatives fantasize new empires of social power for themselves, and, again at our expense, waste tax dollars on lobbying. Clearly, this effort is premature and presumes that the regulatory agencies, legally responsible for resolving such issues, cannot be relied upon to do their duty.

Why don’t the members of the City Council address the city’s problems, e.g. crime, sewage, traffic, education, health, etc.? That’s what we elected them to do--not to go on “fishing expeditions” for issues for future political plums!

LOUIS BERNATH

San Diego