A story in the June 18 edition of the Daily Pilot failed to give a
complete version of the budget approval process ("Costa Mesa adopts
$112-million budget for 2003-04"). It was not an inaccurate story,
just very incomplete. It mentioned that I tried to stop funding for
the mobile recreation and day camp.
This was true. Also true was that I wanted more funding for code
enforcement and bike patrol. But it did not report the ever-important
"why" that I went to great lengths to explain. Why did I want to cut
funding from some programs? Why did I want to increase funding for
code enforcement?
The mobile recreation program consists of a few games, a small
basketball net, a truck for transportation and staff time. It costs
us almost $90,000 a year and, in my opinion, is used relatively
little in comparison to what it costs us. We have parks and other
programs, which include recreation activities.
The next item is day camp. It includes trips to Disneyland and the
movies. It costs us about $165,000 dollars a year and takes in about
$120,000 a year. This means that your tax dollars subsidize this in
the amount of about $45,000 a year. We have other activities
available for children, but to me there is something fundamentally
wrong with our tax dollars subsidizing trips to Disneyland and the
movies.
Additionally, we could increase the fees so that the program pays
for itself. This would be a more fair use of public funds. We
currently fund 23 different programs costing more than $3 million
annually. My suggestions would have resulted in relatively small cuts
where funds are not used efficiently.
I fully support sports for kids, and we have many programs that
cover that. As a city councilman, it is my job to ensure that our
expenditures are efficient and appropriate.
Yes, I also wanted more funding for code enforcement and bike
patrol on the Westside. We have a continuing problem with vending
trucks and push cart vendors in some specific locations. These
vehicles constantly honk their horns to notify their customers of
their presence, and their customers routinely discard a great deal of
trash in residential neighborhoods. This would not be tolerated in
other parts of the city.
Additional bike patrol in specific areas would be very effective
in decreasing crime and the negative headlines that result. The whole
city should have the expectation of a clean, safe, quiet place to
live.
Another thing that was interestingly not mentioned in the article
