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The City of
Moreno Valley has a pretty good council. That
doesn't mean that it is of one mind in dealing with
city issues. It isn't. Council members differ but
they often do so with respect for one another's
views that allows fair compromise to emerge. It is
collegial. Those not
initiated to Moreno Valley politics might say: So
what? Collegiality is to be expected of a city
council. It's true, but collegiality hasn't always
been a hallmark of Moreno Valley politics
(consider, for example, some recent school boards).
That this
council functions well isn't by accident. There are
reasons for it. Two of them are Richard Stewart and
Bonnie Flickinger, long-time members of the
council, who are seeking re-election, from the
second and fourth districts, respectively, and they
deserve additional terms. Another reason is a
stable source of revenue for the city that has
allowed it to keep up with growth and work on
making the city the kind of the community we
suspect most residents want. A chief
source of revenue is the utility tax, whose repeal
is sought as Measure F. on the Nov. 5 ballot.
It should be
continued. The utility tax raises $9.4 million for
the general fund. That amounts in one in every five
dollars going into the fund. Its repeal would
brutalize city services. According to a city
report, 28 police officers, about a quarter of the
force, and 18 support personnel would be
terminated. Similarly, 21 of 55 firefighter
positions would be eliminated, and cuts would
spread through other departments -- animal
services, code enforcement, public works, planning
-- too. The cuts are
disputed by proponents of the measure, who believe
that public safety reductions can be avoided with
careful budget planning by the time the repeal
takes effect, next July. Not a chance.
It may be true that cuts can be altered, shifted or
juggled, but it is sheer fantasy to believe that
such a large and thus important source of revenue
can be eliminated without deep cuts to city
services that will retard if not halt progress in
the development of the city. Richard
Stewart is facing one of the proponents of the
repeal and Bonnie Flickinger faces a measure
supporter. Both challengers are occasionally worthy
critics of city government, but neither's criticism
of the city carries with it a program for doing
better. Besides both incumbents are enthusiastic,
knowledgeable and articulate members of the
council. In Moreno
Valley, we recommend Richard Stewart and Bonnie
Flickinger for City Council, and a vote against the
utility tax repeal, Measure F. |
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