PLATFORM : Sandbox Lawsuits

We’re always apprehensive when our recreation department wants to add (programs), but so far, our City Council has taken the position that just because there are a few bad apples doesn’t mean all the people have to suffer.

We currently are not curtailing activities in Huntington Beach. We just have to balance the people’s right to engage in activities against our problem of being sued. In our softball leagues, for example, we get an occasional lawsuit when someone gets hurt. But we haven’t had that many lawsuits. People fall off swings and they have to blame somebody. That’s the current state of our society, that no one feels responsible for their own actions.

What we’re hoping for is to get some relief from these bothersome lawsuits through state law. The League of Cities’ legislative committee is working on this constantly, getting us more relief so we don’t have to cut off recreation simply because of the fear of getting sued. Of course, we might have to face it sometime. We’re in a budget crunch like everybody else.