Robinson and Steel an unlikely pair...
Robinson and Steel an unlikely pair to lead Costa Mesa
Tony Dodero’s “From the Newsroom” column on Monday, “Costa Mesa’s
new leader -- surprise or set-up?” addresses the recent elections of
Karen Robinson and Chris Steel to the two leadership positions on the
City Council and possible Brown Act violations involved. His column
brings into focus just what an interesting situation we, the
residents of Costa Mesa, now have facing us. This duo is truly Costa
Mesa’s version of “The Odd Couple.”
On the one hand, we have Mayor Robinson, a well-educated, highly
successful lawyer and judge pro tem whose biography on the city Web
site is long and illustrious. She is an unexpectedly politically
savvy young woman who appears to have a bright future -- barring any
major gaffes while in office. The next few weeks will show us if she
has what it takes to control the council meetings -- to keep them
from degenerating into undisciplined gab-fests -- and to provide the
leadership necessary for this council to actually make decisions on
issues facing them.
Her sidekick Chris Steel, on the other hand, is a politically
inept throwback, so out of tune with the times that he apparently saw
nothing wrong with his clumsy, sexist attempt at a testimonial for
outgoing Mayor Linda Dixon. His biography on the Web site continues
to be, appropriately, a blank page.
After reading Dodero’s column, I went to the Internet to review
the Brown Act myself. Based on my review of the text, it does,
indeed, appear that Council members Libby Cowan, Robinson and Steel
may have violated the law. There certainly seems to be enough
fuzziness to this situation to warrant an assessment by the district
attorney’s office. Although it didn’t seem possible, it looks as
though Steel -- for the second consecutive election -- may have again
“stepped in it.” I have this nagging feeling that he, along with his
two compatriots, may be re-introduced to the term “misdemeanor” in
the near future.
Councilman Gary Monahan, whose experience and leadership as mayor
was anticipated by so many of his constituents to be a bridge of
stability between the old council and the new, has been punitively
relegated to a position of virtual irrelevance on the dais. Unless he
finds a way to rebuild those bridges apparently burned over the last
few weeks, he will find himself -- his voice muffled by a vindictive
majority -- on the short end of many votes. This will not serve our
city well.
Into this bubbling cauldron, we drop neophyte Councilman Allan
Mansoor without so much as a lifejacket, hoping he can tread water,
get his bearings quickly, and become the new voice for change the
voters of this city thought they were electing.
In the meantime, those citizens who make it a practice to observe
our City Council must be more vigilant than ever. If this council’s
actions during the leadership elections are a bellwether of things to
come, we can’t take our eyes off them for a second. So far, they have
not shown us that the city’s best interests come before their own
political aspirations.
Stay alert, Costa Mesa.
GEOFF WEST
Eastside
Demand for air passengers and cargo will only grow
“Let me see if I have this straight” is a quote from the opening
paragraph of a letter from Douglas K. Blaul in the Tuesday Daily
Pilot “Mailbag.”
As I read through the maze of Blaul’s letter, it occurs to me that
the details in this letter may not be exactly straight. It is not
obvious what his point is, but his intent seems to be to show an
inconsistency in the Newport Beach position on the airport issue. I
hope he had the opportunity to read the front-page article on this
subject in the same issue of the Pilot.
The city’s position that there will be a constant increase in the
demand for air passengers and cargo is consistent. Their attempt to
convert the military airport at El Toro to a civilian one is quite
understandable, since it would have prevented the need to continually
increase the load at John Wayne.
The first increase in John Wayne traffic is already here. When the
John Wayne traffic reaches its maximum capacity, future increases in
demand will have to be spread to other airports. It’s a simple
concept. It’s “straight,” and the consistent growth of population and
industry in Orange County will cause it to happen.
CONRAD T. TIMPE
Corona del Mar
Don’t even joke about removing caps on JWA
In our local newspaper, Douglas K. Blaul writes from Trabuco
Canyon in the Tuesday “Mailbag” that Newport Beach and Costa Mesa
should open up John Wayne Airport to handle all the flights they’ve
been saying they need for El Toro, or else they should lower the
estimates. They can’t have it both ways, he argues.
Only someone with a callous disregard for human suffering would
make such a statement. There are people in the noise zone at John
Wayne Airport.
When the planned El Toro International Airport opens, and its
30-million annual passengers are served, John Wayne Airport will drop
to 5-million annual passengers, which it should, to get people out of
the noise zone.
The beauty of opening El Toro, which basically is ready to go, is
that no longer will housing developers control the agenda. They’ve
wasted enough taxpayer money trying to build houses on toxic waste
sites and unexploded munitions. They lost on Proposition 51 and
Measure B. Their Measure W is a flimsy argument. It’s time to turn on
the lights and start the flights at El Toro.
DONALD NYRE
Newport Beach
Thanks to Newport Beach Police Department
I would like to express my appreciation to the Newport Beach
Police Department. I live in New England, my daughter is in Newport
Beach. Because she has some health problems, I recently became
alarmed when I was unable to reach her at a prearranged time. In
desperation, I called the police and asked them to check on her. They
responded with efficient, empathetic professionalism. Within 30
minutes, they had called me back.
Those of you who live in Newport Beach are fortunate to have them.
JACQUELINE CROSS
Famington, Conn.
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