The “mega city” proposal by Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach appears to not be popular. It calls for two thriving cities of Seal Beach and Los Alamitos, and unincorporated Rossmoor to merge into one super city.
This solution doesn’t seem to be the solution that makes sense to anyone involved and for good reasons. Some crucial history left out in recent letters and articles to the paper could help define why it doesn’t make sense for this merger since the fact is that there are two cities that have always paid their county taxes.
Seal Beach has already formerly voted to not annex unincorporated Rossmoor in the past. Los Alamitos is still thinking about partially annexing, and Rossmoor just wants to be independent.
The key is that independence doesn’t pay taxes to the county. The clincher is that the county can’t afford Rossmoor anymore. The solution isn’t so simple in the eyes of Rossmoor residents. They keep voting off taxes and you can’t do that if you want to remain on your own.
It’s just like when a parent tells their kid that they are going to need to pay their own car insurance once they begin working and they will also pay more later when they continue living at home longer. It’s just a perfectly natural course to maturity and that’s called being responsible.
Letters I have recently read were about some Rossmoor residents who felt ripped off in the fact that Rossmoor doesn’t own the parcel of land that sits underneath The Shops at Rossmoor, Seal Beach (formerly known as The Rossmoor Center). This is false information at best. What many do not know is that Seal Beach acquired the land way before it became commercial. This parcel was also mapped out by the county, not by the city of Seal Beach. Anyhow, what Rossmoor failed to understand then was that they had good commercial land right there.
What I have found is that what the government wants, it usually gets. If San Clemente could eliminate their police department and contract with the Orange County Sheriff for police services then so could Rossmoor.
Instead, they mope and say they are poor. Do you realize that Rossmoor has more mega mansions than any other area in Orange County other than Villa Park? Who are they trying to fool? They are just trying to get something for nothing. If they were so poor then how come several Rossmoor residents lobbied so successfully for the Measure K, the Los Alamitos School Bond? That takes money and lots of time. So I say if you can do it for the schools we have here, then you can do it for yourselves.
No worries, you don’t have to elect Mr. Moorlach again but there will be someone to replace him that feels just like he does. These county supervisors are numbers people and if you don’t pay they make you pay one way or another. Thanks Rossmoor, for not understanding that.
Now everyone else in the county has to be burdened with your bills.
Now if these three become a “mega city” as Honorable Moorlach hopes for—what then? The fact is that the population would equal about 46,000. Next, and hypothetically, we can imagine what the elections would be like. Rossmoor, or “Bossmoor” would try for some spots on the council. The campaign would get ugly just like some of the letters have in the paper lately.
They would get close to being voted in but no dice—they would not be placed on the council because everyone knows their end game. If voters hate anything more than dishonesty it has to be someone who feeds off of everyone else. Seal Beach and Los Alamitos would have some good choices in council and would get their spots because they pay their bills.
Hopefully Rossmoor residents will see the light. If they want to remain independent they have to tax themselves in order to provide services to the community like everyone else does. If not, the three separate entities we know today could very well get gulped up into one super city, much like the wolf does its prey when it’s hungry. This is not a test—this is reality.
Wake up Rossmoor, for you don’t get a second chance to think about this—just like you didn’t get a second chance to think about that precious parcel of land long ago you didn’t realize could be so valuable. If you have to blame anyone for that blame Ross W. Cortese, the founder and builder and namesake of Rossmoor. He is responsible for not developing that precious land and gave it up.
Then again, listen up all of you involved, for we need to find a better way to not let this “mega city” happen. Remember Rossmoor residents, Mr. Moorlach stated in his article that he knows he doesn’t have fans in any of these three places but his job is to find a better way to economical relief to the county.
The ball is in your court.
Enea Ostrich is a resident of College Park East in Seal Beach
