Hermosa Beach, CA
90254
November 19, 1976
This is in response to Joe McCosker's column regarding the DPS meeting place. There is no political difference in meeting in the City of Los Angeles Department of Parks & Recreation facility at the Youth Services Center or the City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power auditorium or Orange Room. Presumably both facilities have been designated (by their Boards of Directors?) as public group meeting places in recognition that the City of Los Angeles should provide certain services for its residents. Both are owned and operated by the City - opening up the otherwise unused City facilities for public use is just a good utilization of resources. Presumably if demand for public meeting places exceeds availabi1ity the City would construct or rent additional recreational facilities or do what they are doing and utilize unused space.
So, what I'm saying is that it's all the same ball of wax - as tax payers of the City of Los Angeles (Angels Chapter HQ is located in the City) we are entitled to use facilities designated for public use - whether that facility be Griffith Park or the Orange Room located in the Water & Power building. The fact that Water & Power often acts as an independent agency doesn't detract from the reality that it is ultimately responsible to the residents of the City, is accountable to the people for their actions, including those which affect the environment, and. shouldn't retaliate against someone who disagrees with them. Neither should the Sierra Club hesitate to criticize actions by any City Department just because the Club happens to use the public facilities of that Department.
John Tenero
( Is It a conflict of interest to buy and drink DWP water?) Ed.
