Council Spends Citizens’ Taxes to Silence Them

Re “City Conduct of Legal Battle Condemned” (Aug. 28): I just can’t believe that the city of Irvine is trying to sneak one past the electorate. We have been residents of Irvine for three years, and this is the first time I have been really angry.

We keep hearing about the budget problems, and recently we were sent a questionnaire asking whether we would be willing to pay a special assessment of $74 per year for five years to fund a new linear park. Now I read an article that informs me that a tidy chunk of our tax money has been spent to keep the residents from voting on an issue which I consider major. I myself signed the referendum to place the matter on the ballot.

I consider it the obligation of the city to place items, especially those of considerable monetary expenditure, on the council agenda if requested. I definitely want to know why this council approved this unwarranted expense since the only beneficiary is the Irvine Co.

ED STADELMAN, Irvine