Local students need college improvements measure...

Local students need college improvements measure

Frankly, many of my fellow students either have no intention of

voting this November, or feel completely turned off by the negative

campaigns. I don’t blame them.

However, I plan on voting on Measure C, which affects local

community college students.

Measure C improves classrooms, labs and law enforcement and nurse

training facilities for our local community colleges -- Orange Coast,

Golden West and Coastline community colleges.

As the student trustee for the Coast Community College District, I

have visited all three of our district’s campuses. Without exception,

the faculty and staff are always helpful, and I find my coursework

challenging.

Several of my classmates are applying to four-year universities.

Others are preparing for local jobs in the workforce, including

business, nursing, health and public safety professions.

However, our classrooms, labs and lecture halls are not equipped

to meet current student needs. Many of my classes are overcrowded due

to lack of sections and classroom space. Most were constructed before

I was born and have not been updated since, which means that they do

not have the wiring and technology to support computers and other

modern educational equipment.

Students, faculty members and community members have been involved

in a lengthy effort to improve our local colleges. Essential upgrades

needed include:

* Building more classrooms, laboratories and lecture halls for

student instruction

* Replacing old portable buildings

* Upgrading and improving overcrowded and outdated libraries

* Expanding law enforcement and health training centers for police

and nursing students

I’m voting on Measure C and I hope that you do so as well. Your

vote on Measure C this November is critical to me and my fellow

students in the Coast Community College District.

DEREK SHELLY

Student Trustee

Coast Community College District

Greenlight shoots themselves in the foot with campaign info

A recent Allan Beek/Greenlight campaign flier implies that the

four non-Greenlight candidates whose contribution sources have been

broadly summarized in the flier will not fairly represent the

residents of Newport Beach because they have received more campaign

contributions from “real estate development industry contributors”

and “out-of-town contributors” than have the Greenlight candidates.

Applying a little bit of arithmetic to the numbers supplied in the

flier shows that Don Webb, Tod Ridgeway, Bernie Svalstad and Gary

Adams combined have received approximately 75% more contributions

from “pro-residents” sources than the Greenlight candidates.

By their own logic, it would seem that Greenlight has proven that

the non-Greenlight candidates will be the better representatives of

the residents of Newport Beach.

DAVE GOFF

Newport Beach

Attack on Foley is reason enough for support

I wasn’t sure whether I would vote for Katrina Foley for Costa

Mesa City Council until I learned from the Pilot that slum landlords

are afraid of her getting on the council. Now she has my vote.

PAUL EKLOF

Costa Mesa

Zippi deserves support for stance on finances

Your newspaper has been running a series of articles on the

alleged impropriety of Mayor Tod Ridgeway and those on the Newport

Beach City Council who vote with him giving away more than $400,000

without competitive bidding to their campaign consultant, Dave Ellis.

You own editorial page has questioned that the pseudo-audit the

city did on this money wasn’t thorough enough. Therefore, I read with

disbelief your endorsement of Tod Ridgeway in the Newport Beach City

Council race. How can you endorse someone embroiled in this kind of

scandal?

Only one council member, John Heffernan, voted “no” to giving away

the money and only he, of the current council, has demanded some

accountability.

From all the campaign forums I have watched, only one candidate

has consistently opposed this kind of shoddy fiscal behavior, and

that is Ridgeway’s opponent, Marianne Zippi. We need people like

Zippi on that council, who will join with Heffernan in opposition to

scandalous actions like these. We don’t need another four years of

fiscal irresponsibility.

BARBARA WALTERS

Balboa