Here is another roundup of some of the most thought-provoking reader comments of the week. Comments are selected by our editors and subject to editing for grammar, spelling, clarity and length.
Click on each topic’s headline to see the article in question.
Anaheim’s Hotel Subsidy Overturned
I am not wholeheartedly opposed to private-public partnerships as long as they have some community benefits locked in like LA Live. This deal was just a money grab for the greedy folks connected to [former Mayor] Pringle and [Councilwoman Kris] Murray.
Anaheim has too many public-private partnerships that generate no benefits to the community, such as the Honda Center ($0 revenue to the city of Anaheim) and Angel Stadium ($1 million to 3 million a year, which is outrageous).
— SaveAnaheim
The cities around Disneyland need to get together and work out an agreement whereby all the cities can “just say no” to tax incentives for these companies. Put an end to the playing of the cities off each other.
— Kburgoyne
Without commenting on the tax subsidy issue, I applaud the court’s upholding of the intent of the Brown Act to bring openness and transparency to the work of legislative bodies such as the Anaheim City Council.
From the Brown Act:
The people of this State do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created.
— Junior
Banning Sex Offenders From Parks
The backstory is that the DA wants to appeal to all the idiots that think that a ban will stop a sexual pervert from visiting a county park. Really, are people that dumb?
County Counsel probably said “no can do,” but this is political drama — knowing it will not fly but worth the political goodwill to attempt to “try.” So the DA looks like a solid family-values guy making the citizens safe from perverts.
In my view, if you want to protect yourself and kids, have a buddy system at all times and be careful. A true opportunistic sexual predator will look and wait for a unprotected victim. All the “bans” in the world will not stop a sick person intent oh harming an innocent victim. Watch your kids, watch your back and watch out for each other.
— Insider2
Well, once again they leaped before they looked and got themselves and the taxpayers into another pickle, didn’t they?
And the cities that followed the leader are starting to get cold feet, aren’t they?
Folks, these are your taxdollars at work: dumb, dumber and dumbest paving the road with more good intentions that wind up leading to the village of idiots saturated with unintended entanglements and financial disaster.
Are constitutional experts ever consulted before these harebrained ideas are put into effect? Or do they all just take [District Attorney] Tony [Rackauckas’] word for it?
What Hollyweird writer could make this stuff up?
— Beelzebub
Toll Road Bonds
On a regular basis, I get on Interstate 405 near Route 22 and take it down to the I-5, then down to San Diego County for business purposes.
I’m a born-and-raised Californian. It is strictly against my religion to get on the toll portion of the 73. It’s easy to tell from the lack of use that there are plenty of people who agree with me.
The lack of use of the toll 73 means it is a massive waste of land resources.
— Kburgoyne
Westminster’s Ambulance Contract
This article isn’t a piece about the Orange County Fire Authority hazmat fees (which is indeed a story that deserves to be written), it’s about the Westminster City Council.
Follow the money on this one and the answer to why Shoreline [Ambulance Co.] was given this contract will suddenly appear.
— Tonto