City Hall Must Be Better, Not Bigger

In his rambling critique (Orange County Voices, Nov. 17), Gerald Brown blames City Hall downsizing for Fullerton’s allegedly sliding quality of life.

Yes, an economic slump and the county bankruptcy have impacted local government, but they have also forced long-overdue reforms. Fullerton has contracted the city attorney’s office, for example, saving money and improving legal services. We’ve contracted the Muckenthaler Cultural Center to its citizen board, giving it real responsibility for operations and fund-raising. Purely volunteer efforts have raised private money for the purchase of a new library site on Bastanchury Road. We’ve improved graffiti cleanup and our crime rate has shown a drop. A private tree-trimming company offered to save the city money while hiring all existing personnel faced with layoffs.

Yes, infrastructure is a concern. State gas tax monies can and should be used to maintain existing streets, not unpopular new capital projects (such as the six-lane Bastanchury widening or the proposed Highland underpass).

Available federal grants should be used for street maintenance, not diverted into costly housing programs. Recent hikes for ratepayers must be used to upgrade our water system.

Brown chastises both vapid politicians and stingy citizens for opposing new bonds and tax assessments.

The fact is voters will approve new bonds (two out of three on the statewide November ballot), but only if convinced they’re needed. Fullerton’s new 1993 utility tax was neither justified to our citizens nor put up for a public vote. The resulting controversy led to its inevitable repeal and much lingering divisiveness.

The total individual American tax burden has never been higher. Government has plenty of money. The problem is its priorities. The federal budget is increasingly consumed by old-age entitlements that few in office have the courage to reform. The state diverts revenues away from cities to benefit schools. Cities themselves divert redevelopment money (now $1.5 billion statewide) away from schools and public services and into auto malls, hotels and stadiums.

Too much money is salted away into “categorical funds” controlled by special interests and unavailable for general needs.

Rather than raising taxes and public debt, we in government at all levels should make better use of what we have.

Rather than intergovernmental fiscal bickering, we should recognize that we all serve the same public.

CHRIS NORBY

Mayor, Fullerton