Cutting in the right places

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

At the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce Planning Conference last

week, Assemblyman Tom Harman spoke of wasteful spending in

Sacramento. We all know things aren’t right up there. How could they

be, when the state is in such dire straits? But some of what I heard

really threw me for a loop.

In the last four years, spending has gone up about 37%, Harman

said, and the gap between spending and revenue is between $26 billion

and $38 billion.

I was disgusted by the waste he described.

It costs $18,000 for a bill to move through the legislative

process. In the 2001-02 session, 7,000 bills were introduced. So far

this year, 1,782 bills have been introduced in the Assembly and 1,076

in the Senate. Many of them, he pointed out, are a tremendous waste

of taxpayer money.

One bill would ban hunting dogs. Another, out of West Hollywood,

would prohibit anyone from de-clawing cats. Is that really worth

$18,000 in taxpayer money when funding is being cut to schools?

I can’t tell you how many press releases I receive from

legislators statewide touting new legislation that wouldn’t be worth

that kind of money. Even if they are for a good cause, many are

relatively inconsequential.

As I fumed about the waste at the state level, I thought about the

crisis right here in Huntington Beach.

At this same conference, City Administrator Ray Silver talked of

the $10 million to $15 million in cuts that need to be made to the

city’s budget. He is asking each department to cut 15%.

As promised, I have been looking over the city’s budget in my

spare time.

As we talk about slashing programs and services, there are a

several things that I would say, from a cursory look, can be cut back

or eliminated during this crisis. There is a $73,386 line item for

awards and presentations. Can we do without this for now? The city

administration has budgeted $172,500 for the BEST program. This is a

city employee morale boosting program, I’m told. Morale might be

better if there weren’t talk of layoffs -- just a thought.

HBTV-3 is budgeted for $527,050 -- enough said on that one.

The Art Center is budgeted for $272,540. Perhaps we should think

about looking into other funding for this.

There are multiple line items for conferences and training

totaling at least $796,840, with more than $4,000 for airfare.

Training is necessary, but could we skip a few conferences this year.

It all adds up.

I’m happy to say that at least one City Council member sounds like

she’s ready to get tough.

Pam Julien Houchen warned a group at the conference that while we

have a great city that offers a lot in the way of community services,

it is a city’s job to provide core services, not social services.

She went on to say that cutting Project Self Sufficiency, senior

programs and other social services may not be popular, but core

services are more important.

I applaud her brave and honest stance. These are tough times and

problems need to be solved at the top. But for the meantime, this is

what we have to deal with.

* DANETTE GOULET is the city editor. She can be reached at (714)

965-7170 or by e-mail at [email protected].