New group emerges in Newport

June Casagrande

The Newport Beach Taxpayers Assn. appeared this month as the

newest player on the local political scene. But a mailer announcing

the group’s formation has left some residents wondering about its

goals and allegiances, especially because the letter was sent with

the help of Airport Working Group spokesman Dave Ellis’ bulk-rate

postal code.

Both Ellis and Don Regan, who is president of the fledgling group,

emphasize that the association is based on their mutual commitment to

taxpayers’ rights and that the group has no hidden agenda on airport

politics.

“I’m a firm believer in taxpayer rights, and I happen to have a

bulk-rate postal code,” said Ellis, who said he supports the new

group but is neither a member nor receives money from the group.

“Taxpayers are one of the most underrepresented groups in the

country. I’ve always felt that the community of Newport might be

interested in this type of thing.”

Ellis is on the board of directors of the Orange County Taxpayers

Assn. and is a past president of the Laguna Beach Taxpayers Assn.

Regan described the group as an alternative to current

organizations that represents residents on only specific sets of

issues or on one side of an issue.

“There hasn’t been a private citizens group of taxpayers to

analyze issues -- taxpayers who work, who create jobs, who raise

their families in Newport Beach,” Regan said.

The group will fill that void, he explained, by striving to

represent the viewpoints of the majority of residents on various

issues.

The Newport Beach Taxpayers Assn. has no official position on the

city’s Greenlight movement, Regan said, but it’s likely the new group

will dissent from the slow-growth movement at least some of the time.

“I think that there has been a concerted effort to keep any kind

of advantageous commercial growth out of the city,” Regan said.

“There’s a group of people dedicated to seeing that nothing happens:

no change, period, not in my backyard.”

He said the new taxpayers’ association hopes to provide a reasoned

alternative position to growth and other issues on a case-by-case

basis, balancing the negative and positive effects of development.

The new taxpayers association is asking people to become charter

members by making contributions. As of last week, about $2,000 in

contributions had been received. So far, the largest contributions

have been $50. The group’s introductory letter, dated July 10 and

sent out to residents, stated, “Our plan is to monitor, research and

analyze topical issues and report findings to you in concise,

quarterly newsletters.”

Regan said the association will be devoted to ensuring that the

city is using taxpayer money as wisely and efficiently as possible.

“We hope it will be highly participatory,” Regan said.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.