Tony Dodero -- From the Newsroom

Please bear with me as I engage in a bit of punditry after soaking in

the latest news that Jim Silva will soon become the new county supervisor

for all of Newport Beach.

That news of course was welcomed with great joy by enemies of Tom

Wilson, who believe the supervisor hurt his Newport Beach constituency

with his strident opposition to an airport at the closed El Toro Marine

base.

With Wilson out of the picture, what does it all mean? Will Newport

forces now press for a congressman who also shares their passion for

building an airport at El Toro?

Plainly stated, would Dana Rohrabacher, a strident pro-El Toro

congressman who already represents part of Newport Beach be better suited

taking over the whole town from Rep. Christopher Cox, the Eastbluff

resident who has stayed fairly neutral on the airport issue?

Cox’s neutrality is for good reason. Taking a stand one way or another

most likely would send his constituents, who unfortunately for him live

in pro-El Toro Newport Beach and anti-El Toro South County, into a

ballot box rage.

Still, the answer to my question seems to be “no.” At least that’s the

response I got from local officials. Sure, some will talk privately about

Cox’s considerable influence in Washington and Rohrabacher’s considerable

acerbity, but no one really wanted to answer my question, which is

probably moot anyway.

The Democrats who control the state Legislature, and likewise the

future redistricting that will take place with the new 2000 census

figures, don’t care one iota about strengthening either Cox or

Rohrabacher’s base.

Which is kind of what a move like that would do. In fact as one

high-placed Newport official said confidentially, “I’d rather have a

Chris Cox straddling the fence than Chris Cox working against me.”

So, not having much luck with local officials, I tried to reach the

congressmen for their thoughts.

After a phone call and an early morning surf trek to one of

Rohrabacher’s favorite beach hangouts, I failed to get ahold of the

Surfing Congressman.

But Cox, reached by phone in Washington last week, insisted that

having two members of Congress represent Newport Beach is a good thing,

not a bad one.

“Anaheim actually has four representatives in Congress,” Cox said,

noting that he, Gary Miller, Ed Royce and Loretta Sanchez all represent

portions of that city.

“What we have found is it’s far easier to get the job done for

Anaheim,” he said. “We’re four votes for these things and though

sometimes we have to lean harder on one or another, it’s definitely

benefited Anaheim to have a larger delegation in Congress.”

Still, Cox points out that before redistricting in the 1990s, he

represented the entire city, but despite the change, his work on behalf

of his hometown continues to be strong.

He cites the federal support for shoreline restoration and anti-beach

erosion projects, ongoing improvements to the Back Bay and dredging,

equaling about $4.7 million for environmental support for the city.

He notes that he fights for a continued moratorium on offshore oil

drilling and has secured a grant for the Newport Beach Police Department.

Indeed, Councilman Dennis O’Neil said he isn’t sure that in Newport

Beach El Toro is “the issue” anymore, anyway.

Therefore, he wonders how beneficial it would be to lose someone like

Cox who is so attuned to city problems.

“Some people look at bay water quality as ‘the issue,”’ O’Neil said.

“To Greenlight, traffic is ‘the issue.’ I don’t know there is a single

issue in our community that is paramount.”

And O’Neil, who praised Tom Wilson for being a good supervisor for

Newport Beach, said he wasn’t convinced a new congressman would be much

help anyway.

“Whether or not Newport Beach is represented by Chris Cox or

Rohrabacher, it doesn’t change things.”

Instead, getting support for the extension of the settlement agreement

at John Wayne Airport and keeping the noise restrictions intact are what

council members are devoting most of their time and effort to and Cox has

been very helpful in that regard, O’Neil said.

So unless Cox is bound for some judgeship or a cabinet post any time

soon, it looks like he’ll continue to be the man for Newport Beach

residents on the east end of town.

And most would agree that is a good thing.

***

My how a Greenlight can change things.

Just two years ago, a couple of us from this newspaper were having

lunch with Tim Quinn and some folks at the Dunes. Quinn had given us a

sneak preview of the resort’s plans to build a five-star hotel and

conference center a few days before the proposal became public.

From what we could tell, the plan was stunning and the architecture

beautiful. We left that day pretty sure the project would be a slam dunk.

I don’t have to tell you how wrong we were.

Greenlight forces zeroed in on the Dunes project and made it the

whipping boy for the evil forces of development that they alleged were

ruining the town.

The plan was put in mothballs just before November’s election and most

thought then that the move spelled doom for any hotel or resort there.

Greenlight of course sailed to victory, and now we have learned that

the Evans family, proprietors of the Dunes since the early 1970s, has put

the resort up for sale.

What’s too bad is that the Evans family and Tim and Annie Quinn got

dragged into the muck that floated about the Greenlight debate.

They are good people who have done good things for the community and

no matter how anyone feels about overdevelopment or traffic, that fact

should never be lost.

If they indeed sell the Dunes, Newport suffers a loss.

***

From the staff news department.

As some of you may know, Costa Mesa reporter Jennifer Kho has departed

our newspaper to accept a full scholarship in the journalism master’s

degree program at UC Berkeley. And we wish her the best.

In her replacement, starting today, is reporter Lolita Harper. Harper

comes to us from our sister paper in Burbank, where she has been covering

the crime and courts beat.

A graduate of the USC school of journalism, she is originally from

Orange County and is happy to return to her home. If you see her around

town or at City Hall, please say hello.

* TONY DODERO is the editor. His column appears on Mondays. If you

have story ideas or concerns about news coverage please send messages

either via e-mail to o7 tony.dodero@latimes.comf7 or by phone at

949-574-4258.