RON DAVIS -- Through My Eyes

Did you hear the one about the guy who lived in a house where the walls

were falling down, the driveway was buckling, the sinks were backing up

and the toilets wouldn’t flush?

The guy constantly complained that he didn’t have enough money to pay for

locks on his front and back doors to protect him or his family. He

professed worry that his phone would be disconnected and he wouldn’t be

able to call 911 in the event of a medical emergency.

In response to his dilemma, a good-hearted soul ponied up some money so

the guy could address some of these problems.

A week later, the good Samaritan went by the guy’s house to check out the

progress. He found the guy in the throes of hanging on his crumbling wall

an expensive painting he’d just purchased with some of the money.

Really humorous, huh? Well, the joke’s on us.

Huntington Beach is looking down the barrel of a $1.3-billion price tag

to repair our infrastructure -- our falling walls, broken sewers and

buckling sidewalks. After obtaining matching funds from the state, the

city’s share of the cost is expected to be $700 million, according to

figures from Infrastructure Advisory Committee.

We were told that we’re in such bad financial shape that without the

anticipated sales tax revenue from Wal-Mart, the city wouldn’t be able to

maintain the current levels of police and paramedic services.

So, at the very first City Council meeting after the approval of

Wal-Mart, how did the majority of our City Council begin spending your

money? They did what any fiscally conscious person would do under the

circumstances -- they bought art. Almost $52,000 worth of art.

The art in question consists of two 25-foot tile panels depicting

seabirds at the soon-to-be demolished Albertsons in the Seacliff shopping

center.

Oh, I can hear them now as they read this column, saying that this art

was different. That it was important or valuable or irreplaceable. That

it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

I’m willing to assume all of that, but it doesn’t change my opinion that

spending money on art, even important and valuable art, isn’t warranted

in the face of our $700-million infrastructure bill and the claim that we

don’t have sufficient funds to maintain the current public safety levels.

I give credit to ardent supporter of Wal-Mart Mayor Dave Garofalo, who

recognized that such an expenditure in the face of the city’s need was

silly, unlike five other council members. (The other council member to

vote against spending the money was Dave Sullivan.)

I’m getting weary of the it’s-just-a-drop-in-the-bucket defense, where

$52,000 is measured against $700 million and deemed to be insignificant.

Let’s face it, if $52,000 were spent on the infrastructure, then that’s

$52,000 less the residents will have to pay by way of a bond measure.

That $52,000 spent repairing buckling sidewalks not only means they’re

repaired, but we also save the money associated with any legal liability

for people who trip and fall on our walkways.

But the majority decided it was better to preserve some tiles of birds

rather than preserving the health of those who walk on our sidewalks.

They elected to save replicas of birds, rather than protect the real

ocean birds from our decaying sewers.

That was their priority, and it certainly isn’t mine.

Despite my respect and appreciation for those people who have worked so

long and hard on the infrastructure committee, I won’t be supporting any

bond measure to repair the infrastructure given the current priorities of

our City Council.

Moreover, given their past history, I put little stock in any of their

claims that it won’t happen again. I’ve heard it before.

If the five council members who voted to spend $52,000 for art want to

see birds, may I suggest they step outside into the real world and chat

with some of us -- the pigeons in the community.

* RON DAVIS is a private attorney who lives in Huntington Beach. He can

be reached by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .