When County Citizens’ Clout Comes Up Too Short

I read with considerable interest your article on the two lobbyists Carmen Morinello and Frank Elfend (Dec. 22). In February of 1989, we received a letter from the Presley Corp. informing us that in order to develop the Highland Hills project it was necessary to construct a storm sewer system and a maintenance road across our property. We were told if we did not reach an agreement with them in 15 days, the Presley Corp. would ask the city of Anaheim to take eminent domain action against us.

Messrs. Morinello and Elfend were the people who handled this action for the Presley Corp. Our letters to each of the council members on three separate occasions resulted in only one response, and that from Mayor Fred Hunter, just prior to the threatened eminent domain meeting. His message to us: Get yourself a lawyer. Your article made it clear that the forces aligned against us were even stronger than we had thought. Needless to say, the Presley Corp. got its way.

The mayor would have given better advice had he said: Get yourself a lobbyist. Unfortunately, my wife and I do not have financial resources to match those of the Presley Corp.

G.R. PULLIAM, Anaheim