Mailbag: Book committee, voter ID measure rile readers

The conservative four have created another solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. The panel of 21 citizens to review books for us is their dumbest idea yet, and that is saying something for these political lightweights! How about actually serving the citizens of Huntington Beach and stop laying your personal political agenda on us? Get out and fix a pothole or do something that actually moves Surf City forward, instead of this type of thing.

I have lived in this wonderful city for over 40 years, and this is the first time I have been embarrassed for my city. Stop finding solutions to problems that don’t exist!

Thomas Barry
Huntington Beach

I am mystified that the Huntington Beach City Council has placed Amendment A, the voter ID measure, on the ballot without a cost analysis. City Atty. Michael Gates has stated that adoption of this measure may result in additional, currently undetermined costs to the city because the city does not currently perform the election activities. But then he goes on to contradict himself and say that if adopted it will increase the city’s election-related costs in an amount that cannot be precisely determined at this time. Can costs be estimated to the nearest $500,000 or $1,000,000? Can Gates put a range on it? Initial estimates by the city to implement Measure A were in excess of $1M but did not include all the costs. And what about potential litigation costs? We know that this measure violates state voting laws.

Is Gates unwilling to estimate the costs for fear that the residents will be unwilling to vote for this unnecessary, ill-conceived idea? Estimating the costs cannot be that difficult.

This City Council needs to get about the business of running the city, one that has a growing deficit that will require cuts to services. The council should stop spending money we don’t have. It is bad city governance.

Tony Daus
Huntington Beach