Comments on: Our History in the Hands of City Council? http://sduptownnews.com/?p=490 news and information about the heart of San Diego Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:31:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Jaye Furlonger http://sduptownnews.com/?p=490&cpage=1#comment-49 Jaye Furlonger Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:27:37 +0000 http://sduptownnews.com/?p=490#comment-49 Fantastic piece! Thank you for spelling out this issue so clearly, and for your obvious understanding of the importance of strong historic preservation policy. Fantastic piece! Thank you for spelling out this issue so clearly, and for your obvious understanding of the importance of strong historic preservation policy.

]]> By: erik http://sduptownnews.com/?p=490&cpage=1#comment-42 erik Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:07:48 +0000 http://sduptownnews.com/?p=490#comment-42 The anti-preservation lawyers and "historians" are just dying to have someone that they can bribe for their side. The trouble with volunteer professionals is that they don't need contributions for their State Senate campaigns, like the Councilmembers do. <br>Do you really think that, for example, a councilperson from Sabre Springs is going to go down and personally inspect a small historic site in San Ysidro? No, they are most likely going to see it the way their moneyed friends tell them to. <br>This new plan is sort of like letting Congress vote up or down on every book in the Library of Congress; more of a bog-down than anything else. The anti-preservation lawyers and “historians” are just dying to have someone that they can bribe for their side. The trouble with volunteer professionals is that they don't need contributions for their State Senate campaigns, like the Councilmembers do.
Do you really think that, for example, a councilperson from Sabre Springs is going to go down and personally inspect a small historic site in San Ysidro? No, they are most likely going to see it the way their moneyed friends tell them to.
This new plan is sort of like letting Congress vote up or down on every book in the Library of Congress; more of a bog-down than anything else.

]]> By: dansoderberg http://sduptownnews.com/?p=490&cpage=1#comment-39 dansoderberg Tue, 07 Jul 2009 05:17:50 +0000 http://sduptownnews.com/?p=490#comment-39 It is interesting that "faith" in our elected representatives is part of this discussion. I happen to think the current city council--and my own representative--is the best I've seen in years. But this city council and my own council member will one day be replaced by others. Those people may be in love with the wrecking ball under all circumstances. Or the opposite could be true.<br><br>The point is we currently have a system relying on professional and academic disciplines-- the Historic Resources Board. Their vision and standards remain constant and long term no matter what the popular politics are. Our community is served very well by their wisdom, training, and expertise.<br><br>Elected officials--as much as we may love them or have "faith" in them--come and go. They and their staff members have varying degrees of ability--and their strong points might not include knowledge of history, design, art, architecture, or culture. Why roll the dice about the future of our cultural heritage?<br><br>And doesn't our city council and staff support have enough work to? Why should we be piling up countless additional tasks and political battles for them to sort through? No question that is what this is about. There are special interests that rationalize in the political realm the destruction of any historic site.<br><br>Over the past forty years nearly every landmark in San Diego recognized by people from all over the world were the center of such political battles at one time or another. The Historic Resources Board has gone a long way to prevent these difficulties.. To now diminish their role and make city council the defacto historic resource "experts' only makes city government more dysfunctional. Isn't the cost of government already high enough? Citizens and tax payers deserve the best use of our representatives time and ability. Let them do their job. Let the Historic Resources Board do theirs. It make sense as process and function.<br><br>Dan Soderberg It is interesting that “faith” in our elected representatives is part of this discussion. I happen to think the current city council–and my own representative–is the best I've seen in years. But this city council and my own council member will one day be replaced by others. Those people may be in love with the wrecking ball under all circumstances. Or the opposite could be true.

The point is we currently have a system relying on professional and academic disciplines– the Historic Resources Board. Their vision and standards remain constant and long term no matter what the popular politics are. Our community is served very well by their wisdom, training, and expertise.

Elected officials–as much as we may love them or have “faith” in them–come and go. They and their staff members have varying degrees of ability–and their strong points might not include knowledge of history, design, art, architecture, or culture. Why roll the dice about the future of our cultural heritage?

And doesn't our city council and staff support have enough work to? Why should we be piling up countless additional tasks and political battles for them to sort through? No question that is what this is about. There are special interests that rationalize in the political realm the destruction of any historic site.

Over the past forty years nearly every landmark in San Diego recognized by people from all over the world were the center of such political battles at one time or another. The Historic Resources Board has gone a long way to prevent these difficulties.. To now diminish their role and make city council the defacto historic resource “experts' only makes city government more dysfunctional. Isn't the cost of government already high enough? Citizens and tax payers deserve the best use of our representatives time and ability. Let them do their job. Let the Historic Resources Board do theirs. It make sense as process and function.

Dan Soderberg

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