Yes on Parks and Water Bonds

Orange County’s parks and beaches were hit hard by the bankruptcy five years ago as the supervisors reduced allocations for them in an effort to restore fiscal health. Although private donations, some of them sizable, have brightened the picture for recreation in the county, the passage of Proposition 12 would bring needed money to attractions including the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve and the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.

Proposition 13, a water bond that would finance projects like a Huntington Beach pollution study and flood control improvements, is also worthy of passage. Both propositions are on the ballot throughout California; both would benefit Orange County as well as other areas.

California unfortunately has not passed a park bond since 1988. Two attempts in the 1990s failed.

Proposition 12 would provide $2.1 billion for a variety of state and urban parks, recreation facilities, wild lands and wildlife projects. The bonds would be paid off from the state’s general fund over 25 years and would not increase taxes.

Proposition 13 would finance $1.97 billion worth of projects, including drinking water facilities, flood protection, pollution control and water recycling. The Santa Ana River watershed would be allocated $250 million, including funds for a ground water replenishment system. Much of that money would be spent outside Orange County, but because the river flows through the county and empties into the ocean near Huntington State Beach, there would be a clear local benefit.

The bond money could work wonders for the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, which now has more than 5,000 acres of coastal sage scrub and groves of oak and sycamore.

A lack of county funding has meant visitors are restricted in the times they can use the park. Also needed are paved parking areas and restrooms. The bond proceeds would put the finishing touches on the park and also could be used to increase its size through the purchase of property.

Orange County, like all of California, has benefited greatly from good economic times in recent years. The state surplus keeps swelling, and the county emerged from bankruptcy quicker than expected. Using bond money to improve parks that have been neglected and to improve the quality of the water we drink is a sensible method of financing. Propositions 12 and 13 should be passed.