Liquor Isn’t What City Needs

In a recent well-publicized report involving the city of Placentia, it was pointed out that the 7 1/2-square-mile city with only 2% of Orange County’s population has one-fifth of its teen-age gang members (“One-Fifth of O.C. Gang Members Reside in Placentia,” Feb. 6).

Certainly a frightening statistic for people living in the city and raising their families here. Yet, the City Council members, including two well-known educators, did not hesitate to vote hard liquor into another outlet in the city’s Santa Fe barrio--a scene of stabbings, drive-by shootings and all other forms of mayhem.

Ordinary citizens wonder just what the august City Council had in mind.

With the recent City Council vote, alcohol is available at 35 different outlets in a one-mile radius in the city’s Santa Fe barrio area. However, with such extensive “gang” activity, there has been no mention of the fact that this city no longer has any theater (it used to have one years ago), no organized sports complex, no place for barrio teen-agers to buy a soft drink, watch television and socialize. Only the street corners.

Many of us find this an extremely poor solution to the city’s gang problem and commend Councilwoman Maria Moreno for being the one City Council member to vote no on the additional alcohol availability.

Our teen-agers deserve something more constructive to do than standing on street corners with the ensuing problems. Surely, this City Council with its $21-million-a-year government can come up with something better!

BETTY MEAD, Placentia