City should back off smoking ban I...

City should back off smoking ban

I think the city should back away from it and work with the people

and provide proper receptacles for the people, if they are smokers,

rather than passing more and more laws.

There was a city councilman down in San Clemente and he voted

against banning smoking on the beach, and his last comment was, “I

refuse to use the power of the government for something that I

dislike.” And that’s my opinion also.

BOB FIOIPEK

Huntington Beach

Smoking may be nasty, also a freedom

I don’t smoke myself, but I think people should be able to smoke

and we’re getting all of our freedoms taken away and I hope you guys

realize that, too. You can’t do anything anymore. I remember when you

could do everything, and I didn’t smoke, but there was smoke on the

airplanes, there was smoke everywhere, in the restaurants, you know.

And you would go to the beach and you couldn’t see in front of you

because there was smoke in the air, it was freedom, though. It was a

good feeling even though it inconvenienced people. Still, there were

so many freedoms. And now we have nothing. Nothing’s free anymore and

I think that’s a shame. I’m meeting more and more people that are

leaving this country and going back to other countries. And I thought

we were all about liberty, but I guess not.

LINDA URBAN

Huntington Beach

Smoking ban on beach ridiculous idea

I say, no, it’s ridiculous. If you want to ban something, why

don’t you ban the carbon monoxide on Main Street? It’s worse than

smoking. I don’t smoke, so, you know, that’s a ridiculous thing to

do.

STEVE M. SMITH

Huntington Beach

Smoking should be banned in all places

Regarding the controversy over smoking bans, smoking should be

prohibited in any public place, regardless whether it is indoors or

outdoors.

Cigarette smoke is putrid smelling and causes me to lose my voice

and become short of breath and agitated.

I had to leave the aerospace industry 30 years ago because of the

smoking problem. Also, my daughter and granddaughter both have asthma

and cannot tolerate cigarette smoke.

Being outside doesn’t mitigate the problem, as the smoke drifts

with the wind into our faces.

Some people just don’t get it, they think smokers have a right to

inflict their filthy addiction on others -- are they the same people

that think they have a right to play their car stereos as loud as

they want to? They only have a right to do what doesn’t cause harm,

discomfort or expense to others.

WAYNE FORD

Huntington Beach

I think absolutely, that smoking should be banned on the beaches.

It’s so sad when my 2-year-old walks on the beach and picks up a

cigarette butt. And it’s also one of the biggest pollutants to our

beautiful beaches. So my answer is, absolutely yes, please ban

smoking in Huntington Beach and Sunset Beach.

EILEEN HARRIS

Huntington Beach

I’m a Huntington Beach resident for 20 plus years and I definitely

think that Huntington Beach should ban cigarette smoking on the

beaches; no question about it.

PAUL HOFFMAN

Huntington Beach

Sellers should pay conversion fines

Condo owners should absolutely not pay for the conversions. The

real estate agents and sellers should shoulder the entire financial

burden, plus reimburse the innocent victims for any additional costs

incurred now or in the future. Let this serve as a lesson to often

uneducated, greedy real estate agents who already are gouging sellers

an exceedingly high 6% sales commission, which is astronomical in

today’s over-inflated real estate market.

CON BLISS

Huntington Beach

Residents should definitely not have to pay for the conversion.

They relied on realtors and title/escrow people to handle their

transactions in a professional and legal manner, so why should the

realtors/title companies profit and the buyers suffer financial

hardship?

The realtors and/or title companies should pick up the entire tab

for all costs involved.

By the way, I still don’t know why the city was in the dark about

all these conversions occurring if the city passed an ordinance, it

should have established some controls so the ordinance would be

enforced.

RUTHE GORMAN

Huntington Beach

I don’t think I am alone in thinking that the folks who duped

these homeowners in the first place should step forward with a goodly

amount of compensation for the wrong that they have done. They knew

better, the condo owners did not.

MERLE MOSHIRI

Huntington Beach

Some title companies are helping out

It is unfortunate that the article about the illegal condominium

conversions did not mention that several residents at the meeting

reported that they had contacted their title companies, and the title

companies were assisting the residents by paying the costs of the

required permits as well as helping them through the process.

On the title insurance documents found with closing papers for

one’s property, there should be a phone number to call if one has a

claim. I suggest other homeowners who have discovered that their unit

was converted in the past without city permits or approvals contact

their title company for assistance.

CONNIE BOARDMAN

Huntington Beach

Editor’s note: Connie Boardman is a Huntington Beach City

Councilwoman.

Maybe we should follow their example

I was at first shocked by your article on improper condo

conversions and the suggestion of involvement by City Hall people.

But then I thought, “Wow, they’re helping me think outside the box.

That’s how I’m going to get ahead.” I’m going to turn our single

family dwelling into a bed and breakfast.

My wife can do all the cooking. They’re aren’t any rules against

cooking for our paying guests, are there? There’s lots of on street

parking available on our block ... I could even paint lines on the

street for slant parking. That’s probably OK, isn’t it? I could serve

rum and Cokes on the front patio, or even at little tables on the

sidewalk. Man, I’m going to get rich.

Thanks again for showing me the light!

MIKE SEYMOUR

Huntington Beach

City should not have approved Pacific City

The Huntington Beach City Council should have voted no on the

Pacific City project. Huntington Beach has enough homes, hotels,

shops, restaurants, offices, people and cars.

BEV MONTGOMERY

Huntington Beach

College district raises are too much

I don’t think that the Coast Community College District chancellor

and all of his compadres should be getting that much of a raise. The

whole state’s in a financial bind and the people under him do not

make enough money sometimes. I’m not in favor of that type of a

raise, it’s like all the CEOs of all the big corporations now are

just making too much money and the people below get nothing.

TOM HARRISON

Huntington Beach

Sports park example of city at its worst

Originally I was not going to respond to the question regarding

the sports park but the more I thought about it the more concerned I

am. This is another example of being led down the prim rose past by

underestimating the eventual cost of the facility and suddenly waking

up to realizing the $15 million dollars. The city government can find

resources for showcase projects that benefit a few but cannot find

the money to repair the streets and sidewalks that would benefit all

the citizens. It’s time the city learns to set the priorities.

PETER CLARK

Huntington Beach

Close Main Street in summer months

I believe that the Main Street should be closed to traffic for

just a few months in the summer time when it’s really unbearable with

all those cars and pollution from smog since it’s impossible to dine

and cross on Main Street. I’d say close it from June through August,

maybe September. I’d say just close it for a few months when it’s

really congested but during the winter it would e foolish to close it

since there’s not that much traffic or business there during the

winter. Thank you for listening.

FRENK RUGELL

Huntington Beach

I think the promenade possibilities are great. Close the streets

for the first three streets and I think it’d be great for Huntington

Beach. Let’s close them.

ALAN WEBB

Huntington Beach

One of last week’s letters about whether or not to close Main

Street to cars called for more research. How ‘bout 3,500 years worth?

The oldest pedestrian mall in the world is in Rome. Shopkeepers there

didn’t sell things to those driving by in chariots; they made sales

to people on foot.

The same is true today. Urban redevelopment programs all over the

country statistically support this approach. In fact, the hottest

restaurant now in San Francisco is Beldon Place -- no cars allowed.

In Laguna, the busiest retail street is the one that’s closed to

through traffic. Not surprisingly, that’s also the case in Beverly

Hills. It’s little wonder then, that Pacific City and The Strand will

be pedestrian-oriented -- they know who’ll be showing them the money.

As for the concern about parking, those three blocks have less

than a hundred meters among them -- a figure easily supported by the

structures.

The city’s always saying it wants to be more family-friendly,

trying to entire those with money Downtown. A good first step would

be to remove the Van Nuys Boulevard-type cruising and make the first

three blocks of Main Street a promenade.

Those of us who long ago tired of the car exhaust, litter and

noise are already spending out money elsewhere.

If Downtown businesses drag their feet on this one, they’ll only

have themselves to blame.

ROXANNE AND JOHN HARVEY

Huntington Beach