Who’s Boss in Anaheim? Disney?

The taxpaying citizens of Anaheim were mistreated by the mayor and City Council. On a 5-0 vote they approved a $1.4-billion investment for Michael Eisner and the Walt Disney Co., a gift from the citizens of Anaheim. With the help of hotel owners and the massive media clout of Disney, the city fathers forgot who elected them and who their bosses really are--the people of Anaheim. Their boss should not be Disneyland.

The citizens will have the additional expense of policing thousands of illegal immigrants who are the low-cost workers who keep their mouths shut and handle the housekeeping and gardening for Disneyland and the other hotels. Disney executives do not have to deal with the social and criminal elements that are drawn to Anaheim. Disney even has Anaheim doing police, paramedic and legal work for Disneyland while the citizens of Anaheim receive the traffic, noise, taxes and crime that follows.

The people of Anaheim should show Disney and the hotel industry they do not want more crime, more illegal immigrants and more fiscal mismanagement from elected officials.

The citizens of Anaheim should vote no on [the hotel occupancy tax] Measure B; it’s just another tax that does not benefit the people; only the power brokers and Disneyland.

TOM STEELE

Director, We the People

Anaheim

* The new Disney Resort expansion in Anaheim is an exciting opportunity for all of Orange County.

As Disney doubles the size of the theme park, Anaheim has a chance to renovate surrounding blighted neighborhoods. It will be interesting to watch quality city planners revitalize the mistakes of the past. The true test will be to see if the urban areas adjacent to Disneyland benefit from this public and private partnership.

A major complaint of this type of scheme is the lack of benefits to the community. Like Atlantic City, it remains to be seen if private welfare pays off any better than public welfare. If all we end up with is more gridlock on the freeway, what have we gained?

This development is also a regional opportunity for innovative solutions. The county’s planners must consider long-term impacts. One such idea would be to expand the Disneyland monorail, maybe just to South Coast Plaza and John Wayne Airport at first and then to LAX in the next century.

One of America’s greatest city planners, Walt Disney, showed Orange County’s transportation planners the way 40 years ago. Why has it taken so long to implement? It certainly couldn’t be for a lack of county leadership, could it?

ROBERT DALE

La Habra

* Re: David Axelrad’s Oct. 14 letter:

Disneyland has not been the “Magic Kingdom� nor the “happiest place on Earth� since Eisner & Company took over. Eisner doesn’t care if guests can’t move, ride the rides or are hassled by security. He sits in the tower of the castle counting his millions and shouting “off with his head� to anyone who suggests he might make changes beneficial to anyone or anything other than his power or fortune.

Be considerate and “limit attendance� as the humanitarian Packard family does at the Monterey Bay Aquarium? Surely you jest!

NONA C. GIBBS

Dana Point