Leave it to the geniuses on the Santa Ana City Council to install televisions “in order to keep the public informed,” in the age of the Internet. What a bunch of ding dongs!
“Flat-screen television monitors will be appearing at 10 locations around town in the next few weeks, all courtesy of the city. The monitors will scroll through city news and promotions most of the time; but in an emergency, they could switch to as-it-happens information from police or firefighters,” according to the O.C. Register.
I opposed this dumb idea months ago – please don’t forget it was Councilman Carlos Bustamante’s dumb idea – and now it appears to have arrived. And the idea is STILL idiotic.
Let’s break down how inane this concept is.
Santa Ana has close to half a million residents. This system entails ten televisions. You do the math. Even if there is an emergency, this system will barely matter. Did the victims of 9/11 run to find a city T.V. to tell them what to do? I truly doubt it.
According to the Register, “They can also dispense weather updates or traffic alerts.” Sure. So can most of our cell phones.
Are these people serious? The City of Santa Ana is “spending more than $240,000” on this boondoggle. That’s a quarter million they COULD HAVE spent on the many needs facing this city. I understand that there were strings attached to the money, which came from a cable T.V. settlement. How about spending it on a public information officer? Our city doesn’t have one, which is pathetic.
My favorite quote comes from the vendor who is selling this waste of money to the City of Santa Ana, “Government has a responsibility to communicate with its citizens. It’s something they must do.” Really? Then why does city do such a poor job of communicating with residents?
Recently the city mailed 90,000 notices to residents regarding a significant water rate increase. There is evidence that many of the mailers were empty – people even wrote in to ask what was supposed to be in the envelope they received. The notices did not get sent out in Spanish to residents who cannot read English – at least not consistently. And they did not include the protest form that the City Clerk made available ONLY at the City Council meeting.
Even worse, when various city commissions make important documents available to the public, they advertise them ONLY in the legal notice sections of three local newspapers. But who the heck reads those? They don’t issue formal press releases informing the public that the documents in question are available for review.
And they do a HORRIBLE job when it comes to communicating with Latino residents who do not speak English. They do not make documents available in Spanish. They don’t distribute information to the many local newspapers that cater to Latinos. It is a complete joke.
Anyone want to venture a guess as to how much of the programming on these ridiculous T.V.’s will be in Spanish? That’s what I thought…
By the way, the T.V. vendor also said that the T.V. locations “will include such high-traffic locations as the train station, Western Medical Center and the Discovery Science Center. Also on the list: a coffee bar at Crevier BMW, a senior center, Knowlwood restaurant and a McDonald’s on Bristol Street.” Is it just me or are they trying to put these T.V.’s in places that, for the most part, don’t cater to Latinos? What a joke.
You are being too kind on this one Art! This has to be one of the if not the dumbest ideas voted for by this City Council. And one giant Plasma screen T.V. is going in the waiting area of the BMW dealership? Other than Carlos and Claudia how many S.A. residents expect to get emergency information while wait to pick up their Beemers? Why didn’t they spend the money to improve Cable T.V. service or provide wireless internet service citywide like in Anaheim? I hope voter’s remember Bustamonte’s Big Screen’s (B.S.) when it’s time for him to run for re-election. It’s things like this that make me ashamed to live in Santa Ana. We have the worst city council in Orange County.
Bienvenidos a “hermano grande”!
Too bad this wasn’t Michele Martinez’s idea. Then Art would be hailing it as genius!
I saw a study about 5 years back that showed that SA residents lagged far behind in internet connectivity. Relax, TV’s might be the way to go for now, it is not as dumb as you might think.
Poster 3,
As of right now, that would be 467 deaf ears – those are our visits today. Just check out our Sitemeter link on the bottom of our web page for verification.
And yes, we are currently rated #4 in political influence amongst California blogs – higher than Red County and the Flash Report.
You might want to check your facts next time you post here…
I thought the Queen of Mean passed on, but she apparently has resurfaced as poster #3.
OMG … why is Crevier’s coffee bar the receiptient of one of these monitors? You’d think the city’s action to approve eminent domain for the benefit of their recent renovation was sufficient.
At least Clownia and Metzler can sip their designer coffee and watch the monitor as their BMW’s are being serviced.
If these monitors are meant for the majority of SA residents, then place them in locations that serve the majority.
Good post.
If you have to have this dumb idea -What about the bus station/hub?
Someone needs to take the helm of this laugh factory of a city and steer it into sanity.
“And yes, we are currently rated #4 in political influence amongst California blogs – higher than Red County and the Flash Report.”
You must b the only one who believes that means anything.
Art,
#9 is upset because he/she really understands it means alot and is a Art P. hater.Keep up the good work.
Aren’t you technologically savvy enough to know that instant messages can also be sent via these monitors? The City could send instant messages to tell people where to go in an emergency wherever the monitors are installed. What’s the matter with you?
Poster 11,
So the city spent a quarter million to send instant messages? Couldn’t they do so without buying ten flat screen TV’s?
No matter how you slice it, this deal sucks.
I can only imagine…the big one strikes and we all run to Crevier to see what the monitor says we ought to do…and God help you if you don’t understand English…
Art,
You comment that if you don’t speak english, you are SOL. Don’t you think its time that the residents took the responsibility to learn English? This isn’t Mexico..even though it looks that way.
#11
OK, let’s go with your theory of instant messaging in an emergency.
How many SA residents will be seated at Don Crevier’s coffee bar when this disaster strikes?
This isn’t a matter of being tekky savvy; placing a monitor at a BMW dealership is snobbish with a hint of rewarding a fellow crony.
lets see. those who would be at the bmw dealer would be claudia,carlos and michelle. miguel is too cheap to buy a car and drives a free one from aqmd.david took a job that miguel set him up with and he drive a family car.sal drives a family car as well.
This morning’s Register article on this subject gave a statements by the City manager and Councilman Bustamante.The statements in effect said that the additional purpose of the project besides giving emergency inf. and such was to inform people in general at the sites about attractions,current and future developements within the city.This is to enhance the negative picture many,in particular non residents have of the city.In effect then this project is a marketing tool to attract new residents to the city at the tune of $240,00.The marketing is directed at those that frequent the proposed sites – upper middle class.Many I believe understand it’s true purpose and therefore the support in silence.In the mean time others debate the non intended reasons that were presented to misdirect the critisism.