Back Bay, parks election winners

Andrew Glazer

California voters overwhelmingly approved state funding for parks and

improving water quality, but weren’t as eager to loosen the requirements

for passing school bonds, a measure designed to help local schools.

Voters approved bond measures that will set aside state money to offset

the cost of scraping muck from the Upper Newport Bay and blocking new

silt from sliding in.

“This is a huge victory for those of us working to preserve the

environment,” said Bob Caustin, founding director of pro-environment

group, Defend The Bay. “We are so pleased to see what good work will be

done with the bonds.”

Proposition 12, known as the “parks bond,” will release approximately $13

million in state money for the cleanup -- about half of what officials

say the total cost will be. In a smaller cleanup last year, Newport Beach

spent $7.4 million to dredge 900,000 cubic yards of sludge from the bay.

Caustin said he will push cities inland of Newport Beach, where much of

the silt comes from -- including Irvine, Tustin, Lake Forest and Orange

-- to foot the rest of the bill for the bay cleanup.

The parks bond also opens up approximately $1.3 million in state money

for Costa Mesa’s parks. The city’s Public Services Director, Bill Morris,

said the city will use the money to convert Fairview Park from a weedy

pasture to a natural preserve. He predicts the whole project will cost

the city $8 million.

“This will be very helpful,” he said. “We’d certainly like to tap into

some of that to develop the park.”

Voters also approved an initiative -- known as the “water bond” -- which

will free $2 billion to protect the state against floods, improve its

drinking water and ensure it has a reliable water supply.

The water bond may provide $5 million in state money to prevent more silt

from flowing into Newport Bay.

But Proposition 12 was just one of 20 measures voters in California --

known nationally as the “ballot initiative capital” -- decided on.

Late Tuesday night, it looked as though voters chose against making it

easier to approve bonds for school construction and repairs.

Proposition 26 -- which at press time was too close to call -- would

allow a simple majority of voters, just 50%, to approve the bonds.

“I’m still hoping for the best,” said Dana Black, president of the

Newport-Mesa school board, and a Prop. 26 supporter. “But I’m not really

optimistic.”

If passed, the measure would be enacted in time for a June election, when

voters will decide whether to approve a $110-million bond for school

repairs.

But Black said she will keep pushing for the bond whether or not Prop. 26

passes.

“We made a commitment as a board, even if it does pass, to try and get

two-thirds approval anyway,” she said. “We’re working real hard. We owe

it to community.”

Wendy Leece, a school board member, said she is in favor of maintaining

the two-thirds majority standard.

“If you’re going to pay the taxes, people should overwhelmingly agree

they’re justified,” she said.

Californians also decided to keep in place a tax on cigarettes, which

voters approved in 1998. State revenues from the 50-cent-per-pack tax,

which amount to about $670 million a year, go to statewide child

development programs.

Proposition 28, which was put on the ballot by tobacco retailers and

growers, threatened to repeal the tax.

“I think that’s wonderful,” said Leda M. Albright, director of

Families-Costa Mesa, a nonprofit organization that received $80,000 in

tobacco tax money earlier this month. “We got our priorities straight

here and that’s a good thing. This will benefit us all.”

California voters, especially those in Orange County, overwhelmingly

approved an initiative requiring the state to only recognize marriages

between a man and a woman.

“I’m very happy,” said Carolyn Roney of Newport Beach, who said she

campaigned with more than 200 local volunteers for Proposition 22. “

We’re sending the message to our children that we honor families. A

family consists of a mother and father and marriage between a woman and a

man. We can’t let a small percentage of homosexuals define what marriage

is.”