LA HABRA : Naysayers Challenged to Help Out

Tired of hearing from residents who regularly bash the city, a few La Habra supporters are challenging the critics to find something helpful to do with their time.

“I’m getting really tired of finding out how bad the city is,” resident Richard Glassell announced at a recent City Council meeting. “Nobody ever talks about the hundreds of volunteers and thousands of hours they spend making it good. . . . I’d like to see these [complainers] show up to give us a hand cleaning up the town, making it better.”

Police said gang activity and graffiti have both decreased in the past five years, largely due to volunteer programs that aim to prevent those problems.

“I’ve been in the city 33 years and it’s never been better,” Glassell said.

But La Habra’s newest gadfly, Merceline La Porte, said she criticizes the city because it deserves to be criticized.

La Porte, who questions every action the City Council takes, wants it to repeal La Habra’s 6% utility tax and cut police, fire and maintenance services. She said residents are “overprotected” by police and firefighters, and calls services such as youth programs unnecessary.

But the fire and police departments are not overstaffed and most of the city’s social programs are run by volunteers, Planning Commissioner Mark Handler said.

In fact, 500 volunteers will be honored for their work at a special ceremony tonight, he said.

Handler, who coordinates a large-scale, volunteer effort to wipe out graffiti, said: “I was a naysayer until I realized five years ago everybody can do something for themselves and the community. You just have to decide whether you want to burn the city or build it.”