ORANGE COUNTY CIVIC CENTER AUTHORITY - 1966

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Janice Boer MUNICIPAL. PROCEDURES ANALYST 9 1 2 N O R T H L O W E L L S A N T A A N A, C A L I F O R N I A 543 -4808 "Be more caref u1 in lending your name than ,you would be in lending your money ". Coming from frugal Benjamin Franklin, this was a very portentous admonition. He later added that "history is often merely a record of men's mistakes ". Today you men are being asked to lend the city's name to a financing procedure which disenfranchises all of the people of Orange County. No longer will they have any say in what buildings may be built on the present and future civic center area. Inherent in this decision is the fact that it will bind future city councils and future voters, perhaps against their will; for once the county contracts with the Authority for courthouse construction the city has irrevocably committed itself to a fifty -year contract with the bond - holders. You may never implement any city buildings; but you can never forbid further county buildings. You cannot forbid the Authority to enter into a lease agreement with the state, the federal government or any other public agency if the construction is on land not belonging to the city. Not long ago the U.S, Supreme Court, twelve men who have assumed unto themselves the power to play God, silenced the voices of millions of persons living in small cities and counties. They did this by decreeing that we should have re- apportionment. For this they will be remembered by many with bitterness for many years to come, Today the city council faces a similar decision. Seven men can make a majority decision which can forever disenf ranchise the voters of Orange County in regard to the financing of public buildings in and around the Civic Center. Public buildings take a mammoth bite out of our tax dollars, but at the very beginning of the public building boom the people are quite effectively silenced by your vote. To many with whom I have spoken it appears that the establishment of this Authority is merely a means by which an uneconomical County can get its hands on the assets of a city which in the past has been noted for being thrifty. They appear to be enticing us down that "wide, wide road" with the glittering bait of "Go thou, and do likewise ". I trust that in this case the council will have the wisdom to reject the bait and recognize it for what it is. �Fy Januar � 7 , 1 X65 � � �' � .r � L ,� - ��.� _ r=�� ., __ _- - � -. -cam Santa Ana City Council City Hal l �/1� � �' �Q Ana, `��`� - Santa California �`��w_,___y. ---------------- Gentlemen: 1. ±- .�.:�� '��- t iC C��`��;� "Be more caref u1 in lending your name than ,you would be in lending your money ". Coming from frugal Benjamin Franklin, this was a very portentous admonition. He later added that "history is often merely a record of men's mistakes ". Today you men are being asked to lend the city's name to a financing procedure which disenfranchises all of the people of Orange County. No longer will they have any say in what buildings may be built on the present and future civic center area. Inherent in this decision is the fact that it will bind future city councils and future voters, perhaps against their will; for once the county contracts with the Authority for courthouse construction the city has irrevocably committed itself to a fifty -year contract with the bond - holders. You may never implement any city buildings; but you can never forbid further county buildings. You cannot forbid the Authority to enter into a lease agreement with the state, the federal government or any other public agency if the construction is on land not belonging to the city. Not long ago the U.S, Supreme Court, twelve men who have assumed unto themselves the power to play God, silenced the voices of millions of persons living in small cities and counties. They did this by decreeing that we should have re- apportionment. For this they will be remembered by many with bitterness for many years to come, Today the city council faces a similar decision. Seven men can make a majority decision which can forever disenf ranchise the voters of Orange County in regard to the financing of public buildings in and around the Civic Center. Public buildings take a mammoth bite out of our tax dollars, but at the very beginning of the public building boom the people are quite effectively silenced by your vote. To many with whom I have spoken it appears that the establishment of this Authority is merely a means by which an uneconomical County can get its hands on the assets of a city which in the past has been noted for being thrifty. They appear to be enticing us down that "wide, wide road" with the glittering bait of "Go thou, and do likewise ". I trust that in this case the council will have the wisdom to reject the bait and recognize it for what it is. �Fy