REBUTTAL

The Greenlight Initiative sponsors believe in more regulation

designed by them to control others. Yet, when their initiative is

questioned as to legality under state election laws, their first response

is, “if the [City Council] is going to make Greenlight jump through hoops

for no good reason, We’ll rewrite it and make it tougher” (“Future of

Greenlight Initiative unclear,” Jan 6).

The hoops are whether the initiative has adequate disclosure of the

changes it makes to our city charter -- not a small issue and plenty of

good reason. It is appropriate to meet the state election guidelines --

and redo the petition if necessary. These supporters have been quick to

criticize other people’s work they felt was inadequate (see Bob Caustin’s

letter commenting on the Dunes traffic studies), yet they do not want to

meet the same standards themselves.

Being asked to do it right should not be seized as an opportunity to make

it tougher in retribution. Either the changes proposed went far enough

the first time or they did not -- but it should not be about threatening

punishment for being asked to follow the election rules. That’s called

taking it personally.

If you don’t want to live by the rules, please, don’t try and make more

rules for others to live by.

CHRIS A. WELSH

Newport Beach