All input is important to government

Tim Geddes

Focusing on the proposals (Sounding Off, “City should lose boards

and commissions,” Jan. 16) and not the warm and wonderful lady who

wrote them, I find that Diane Lenning’s arguments lack the thorough

critical analysis that one might expect from a former City Council

candidate and a high school social sciences teacher.

Our city’s boards, commissions, and committees are indeed set up

to advise our council members in an organized and deliberative

manner.

These volunteer bodies are tasked to review and respond regarding

our city’s need in a variety of ways that provide a valuable resource

to our elected officials. Sometimes they complement other sources of

input from inside and outside City Hall, and sometimes they provide

original thought and guidance involving the decision-making process.

It is cynical and supercilious to assert that “whenever the

council does not agree with the findings or recommendations of a

commission, they are simply disregarded.” If input from boards and

commissions has played a part in the decision-making process, those

groups have done their job.

A recent example of an advisory body doing its job is the Planning

Commission’s decision to study the specific and long-term

consequences of its meeting responsibilities rather than knuckle

under to the rushed and ill-considered attempt by either staff or the

council itself to restrict its service to the community out of hand.

A more rational and reasoned solution to both budgetary demands and

commission meeting requirements is bound to be the result.

I don’t know what the proposed Citizens Review Commission would do

in relation to the tasks of the current boards and commissions. It’s

apples and oranges. Does Lenning expect this body to communicate

citizen input to the City Council? Why not have citizens go directly

to staff or the City Council? Would there be a service delivery

attached to this process? I was excoriated for proposing a city

ombudsman service where the city would come to the citizens instead

of the other way around. Exactly what kind of offsets would there be

in savings to the city budget? None of this is spelled out.

Unlike other civic critics, I would never characterize this

proposal as hare-brained,” or even “DARE-brained,” if the proposed

savings were to be allocated as the author seemed to intend. We all

should be entitled to share our ideas without fear of ridicule or

scorn. After all, this is our government.

* TIM GEDDES is vice chairman of the Finance Board and a

Huntington Beach resident. To contribute to “Sounding Off,” e-mail us

at [email protected] or fax us at (714) 965-7174.