Ballots are out in Huntington Beach for a June 10 election over the city’s libraries.
Measure A asks voters if they want to repeal the city’s community review board, which is tasked by the city with reviewing books in the city’s libraries. A Yes vote would repeal the board, while a No vote would preserve it.
Measure B asks voters if they favor restricting the city’s ability to outsource management of the city’s libraries. A Yes vote would impose limitations on the city’s ability to do so, while a No vote would reject such restrictions.
Below are arguments in support and opposition to the measures from community members.
Vote YES on Measures A and B to protect Huntington Beach public libraries
Most Surf City residents agree: public libraries are essential pillars of community and culture. But they are threatened – and we can protect their future.
As parents, proud library patrons, and school board trustees contributing to the educational oversight of over eleven thousand elementary and middle school students, we’ve sworn to protect Huntington Beach children’s access to opportunity in and beyond our schools.
That is why we strongly urge Huntington Beach voters to protect our public libraries by voting YES on both Measures A and B on or before June 10.
Since its founding in 1909, the Huntington Beach Public Library system has offered countless programs to everyone, without exception, at no cost. An estimated 800,000 patrons utilize the award-winning public libraries in Surf City every year.
However, anti-library extremists are utilizing disinformation and scare tactics to take away these vital public resources and to strip families of the freedom to choose what their children read.
They are lying about the upcoming special election in an attempt to divide and distract us from their goal: banning books and materials they decide are inappropriate, instead of allowing parents to choose for their own families what to read.
This is why YES votes on Measures A and B are so important to prevent government overreach and protect parental choice
A YES vote on Measure A ensures parents, not politicians, have the power to decide what books they and their family can read.
A YES vote on Measure B ensures WE the people have the final say over what happens to our public libraries.
Together, by voting YES, we will protect the freedom to read. And we will protect our public libraries.
We humbly ask that you join thousands of parents, educators, librarians, and community members to vote YES on Measure A and YES on Measure B by June 10.
To learn more about the measures, visit OurLibraryMatters.org.
Patricia Singer is a trustee and president of the Ocean View School Board of Trustees. Diana Marks is a trustee and president of the Huntington Beach City School District.
No on Measures A and B to protect children from age-inappropriate material
Both Measures A and B in the Huntington Beach special election are about one question and one question only: Should Huntington Beach be required to include age-inappropriate sexual material in the children and teen section of the city library or should Huntington Beach be allowed to move them to the appropriate adult section?
A “Yes” vote on these Measures requires age-inappropriate sexual material in the children and teen sections. A “No” vote allows the city to place them in the proper section.
Measure A not only strips the 21-person Parent Guardian Review Board of the ability to move inappropriate books to the adult section, transferring this power to a single government employee, but even prevents that person from moving any book, however objectionable, to the adult section. It also renders the procedure for any member of the public to challenge a book’s location powerless.
What books are we talking about? I cannot publish the pictures or quote the text of some of these books in this newspaper, but if you are 18 or over, you can see them for yourself at calhomeowners.com/no_a_b/ or www.protecthbkids.com/. I think you will agree that calling these books “pornography” does not go too far.
Measure B prevents the city from outsourcing library management services as a possible way to evade the child damaging impact of Measure A. It also provides this special protection against outsourcing to one group of city employees while leaving all others exposed to it. Many city services, including some library services are already outsourced. By stripping the elected City Council of its budget management powers Measure B may even be illegal. Taxpayers need to be able to hold elected officials accountable for how their money is spent. Pieces of spending cannot be put on autopilot.
Current City policy allows parents to check out any book they want for their children or to give their children an unlimited access card if they want. Parents, not “politicians,” are already empowered.
Measures A and B would disempower parents, voters, the city council, and even the librarians when it comes to what books can be placed where. It enacts law that “requires” material with all “moral ideas,” including immoral ones, to be available to “all people,” including children.
What can explain the motives behind Measures A and B? Who could want to expose other people’s children to this kind of age-inappropriate sexual material? All I know is that there are a lot of people who do want to do this, in the entertainment industry, in advertising, in media, and in government. Perhaps some want to change our existing culture to a more libertine one in which they would be more comfortable. Perhaps some want to undermine the moral foundation of our country for political reasons. Perhaps some have even darker motives. I do not know. I only know that I and many others intend to resist them.
Parents and all adults have a responsibility to protect children in their formative years from destructive influences of all types. Children do not have a right to access alcohol, tobacco, drugs, firearms, automobiles, pornography, obscenity or any other dangerous material and public libraries have no obligation to provide it to them.
Do not be fooled by false rhetoric about “Parents, not Politicians,” or “Save our Library” or whatever other scare talk you may hear. A “No” vote keeps library functions the way they are now. No one wants to do anything to the library except make sure books are in the appropriate section and keep it a safe place for all children. Measures A and B are opposed by the Republican Party and the Huntington Beach Firefighters Association. Vote “No” on both Measures A and B.
Russ Neal is president of the Huntington Beach Republican Assembly, a Vice President of the California Republican Assembly, an alternate to the Orange County Republican Central Committee, a retired engineer and twenty-one-year resident of Huntington Beach.
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