Environmentalist is ahead of his time...

Environmentalist

is ahead of his time

On Aug. 10 (“Survey reveals mixed opinion of commission”), the

Daily Pilot quoted environmentalist Susan Jordan -- repeating after

California Coastal Commissioner Pedro Nava, her husband -- that by

putting man-made items on the ocean floor, Rodolphe Streichenberger

“has created a garbage dump.”

Yet, the following day, the Los Angeles Times ran an article

(“Paradise of Sunken Junk Pleases All Sides in Spain,” Aug. 15) that

gave a description of the new technique accepted and praised by

fishermen, divers, environmentalists and government agents. This was

confirming that the recycling of man-made items to create new marine

habitats is already a science recognized all over the world.

Regretfully, the California Coastal Commission has been incapable

of understanding the value of the small, simple and very successful

innovation of the volunteers of the Marine Forests Society, offshore

from Newport Beach. With lack of knowledge and plenty of arrogance,

the coastal commission remains backward.

It is akin to the church wanting to kill Galileo because his

experiments did not agree with what the ignorant wanted to believe.

RICHARD HIGBIE

Newport Beach

Investigation needed after election loss

I welcome the investigation of the money spent by Newport Beach in

the Measure W election. Let’s clear that up once and for all

(“Airport spending questioned,” Aug. 14).

There are several questions that require answers, however.

1. Would there be an investigation if we had defeated Measure W?

2. Would we have defeated W if the citizens of Newport Beach had

been more generously involved in the campaign?

3. Will there be an investigation of the Airport Working Group

volunteers, who worked evening and weekends to establish an

alternative airport to keep John Wayne Airport from bloating up and

swallowing Newport Beach and Costa Mesa?

4. Who cares what El Toro Reuse Planning Authority spokeswoman Meg

Waters thinks? Does she have anything to do with anything in Newport

Beach? Or is that just the long fingers of Irvine scrambling and

creeping into matters that are none of their business, as usual.

FLORENCE STASCH

Newport Beach

Westside needs no more charitygroups

School district trustee Wendy Leece is right in her Community

Commentary (“CHOC clinic has no place in school district or on

Westside,” Aug. 13). Westside Costa Mesa residents are sick and tired

of having every charitable organization known to the region end up in

our neighborhoods.

For those “well-meaning” school and city officials who live in

other parts of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach and continue voting to

dump welfare centers on the Westside, I say “if you think they are so

badly needed -- put a few in your own neighborhood, and stop

saturating mine.”

PAT BAKER

Costa Mesa