Committee of Self-servers

Despite an abundance of private-sector activities in Mission Viejo, some residents rely on City Hall for entertainment. Acting as City Hall’s Character Committee’s Subcommittee, a group of teenagers have thrown catered parties for themselves, treated themselves to banquets and watched movies at City Hall – all at taxpayer expense.

The character program isn’t the most egregious example of waste, but it demonstrates the council majority either doesn’t understand the purpose of government or doesn’t care enough to stay focused.

For months, the character committee has been placing ads in the PennySaver, with the headline “FREE MOVIE!” The movie isn’t “free,” and government isn’t any more qualified to teach character lessons than it is to teach economics. No one needs examples of the city’s failed economic policies, but the city should encourage its citizens to patronize a theater if they want to see a movie. Instead, City Hall uses tax dollars to compete with private enterprise.

Councilwoman Trish Kelley foisted the character program on city taxpayers in 2003. Despite her claim the program would use no city funds, the illogical basis of her proposal should have been challenged. Character development is a responsibility of parents, and a child’s value system is theoretically established by the age of eight. Kelley’s claim of no public funding was false, and city staffers were soon diving into inane activities of coloring “character” posters and illustrating “character” words.

Recent online character committee minutes indicate that two of the attendees are paid by taxpayers to participate, and only a handful of others are attending the meetings. Instead of directing teenagers to become engaged in genuine community service as volunteers, the city absorbs them with “free” movies, “free” food and “free” crafts projects. The minutes describe teenagers wanting polo shirts for participating in the program.

The endless giveaways are hastening the day when the government at all levels will run out of money for programs, including essential public services.