Mailbag: Not sold on mayor’s workload

I’m referring to the article in the Jan. 6 issue of the Independent (“Mayor could increase stipend”) that details Mayor Joe Carchio adding more job responsibilities to his agenda than a world-class spinner of plates on poles could handle…even if they had a dozen sets of hands.

Carchio states, “If you see me on a lot of boards, it’s because I have a lot of time.” Carchio also states that “my main concern is that the city of Huntington Beach is well represented.” Carchio may indeed “have a lot of time”; however, it is absolutely impossible for one person to even remotely devote equal attention to 24 committee positions and be a mayor, too, unless they’ve had a computer installed in their brain. Carchio’s claim that his “main concern is that the city of Huntington Beach is well represented,” is a myth and fantasy that only exists in Carchio’s vivid imagination.

Carchio can best serve the citizens of Huntington Beach and Orange County by concentrating his attention and focus on just a few committee positions, rather than spreading himself thinner than a sheet of paper.

With summer just six months away, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Carchio is in training to add two more positions to his agenda – becoming a lifeguard and heading up the nightly trash pick-up at the beach.

With the ink still wet regarding the stories about the politicians in Bell lining their pockets with “committee cash,” in my opinion, Carchio is several giant steps from living in reality. Where will the checks and balances come from to make sure that Carchio isn’t paid for meetings that do not take place, or last less than two minutes? Or is Carchio heading up that committee, too?

A precedent must be put into place – no politician should be allowed to serve on more than a set number of committees. That will serve the citizens of Huntington Beach and Orange County best.

Howard George

Huntington Beach

Is Bell tolling in Surf City?

Joe Carchio is not the mayor of Huntington Beach taxpayers (“Mayor could increase stipend,” Jan. 6). He is the mayor of the special interests and is demonstrating his arrogance by appointing himself to four boards that pay him to attend. Now when two paying boards meet at the same time, does the mayor of special interests claim two paychecks?

Where are the checks and balances in government? Who audits the payments and attendance? Is the city of Bell beginning to clang?

Milt Dardis

Huntington Beach

Two ‘top stories’ that weren’t

It seems ironic that two of the biggest stories in the Independent’s Top 10 list for 2010 (“2010 full of big stories,” Dec. 30), No. 2 (“Poseidon stays afloat”) and No. 3 (“Senior center a go – again”), feature “green lights” being given to these very controversial projects. Neither of these projects are funded yet, and many questions still remain unanswered (especially environmental ones). Opposition to the city’s handling of both these projects has been intense and sustained ever since they were approved by the City Council majority. Many feel those “green” lights should be cautionary “yellow” ones at best. 2011 may yet see both of them turn “red.”

Tim Geddes

Huntington Beach

Dwyer’s roof perfect for panels

Aesthetics aside, the site selected for installation of the solar panels at Dwyer Middle School (“Parents protest solar panel site,” Dec. 23) is a questionable choice since it’s right on the grass field where students play soccer, kickball, football, volleyball, etc., and visitors play softball, baseball, lacrosse and occasionally golf. That means the panels are bound to be bombarded by a wide variety of balls on a regular basis. Additionally, the solar panels will be next to Dwyer’s skateboard park, aka the amphitheater, so it won’t be long before skaters are doing ollies and kickflips on top of them. How much power can perpetually broken solar panels produce?

I know that the main building at Dwyer is old, but is its roof really too weak to support the relatively light and evenly distributed weight of some solar panels? If it is, then how about using the new part of the school which was constructed less than 10 years ago? Why not put the panels up on that roof so they’ll be out of harm’s way and mainly out of sight?

Chris Borg

Huntington Beach