Putting in their two cents regarding Nichols

The truth is the truth. What Newport Beach Councilman Dick Nichols

said is “blatantly true.” One just has to go to Big Corona on any

given weekend to see this. Have we become so fearful of not being

“politically correct” that we must avoid the truth? A public beach

belongs to all voting, taxpaying citizens.

In my opinion, Steve Smith’s comments in his Family Time column

are “dramatically pathetic.” Is he running for office? Talk about

adding fuel to the fire. I take offense of his reference to Orange

County as having been a haven for rich white Republicans. Chill out

Mr. Smith.

FRED W. ARNOLD

Costa Mesa

I always enjoy Steve Smith’s articles, so I did not miss his take

on my Councilman Nichols’s discriminatory comments about the Mexicans

taking over his beach.

As a longtime resident of Newport Beach, I am inflamed by this

man’s attitude and remarks, especially as a representative of our

community. These are the kinds of comments and attitude that inspired

the Hitlers and the Saddams and many others in our history. I am

embarrassed for myself, my friends and neighbors to have him

representing us. I applaud Smith’s sensitivity, the other council

members and the many other citizens that are demanding his removal

from the council immediately and let him return to that hole he came

from. Please, Smith and your newspaper, the media, the other council

members and the public keep intense heat on this guy and have him

disappear into oblivion. Thanks for your work and keep it up.

C.S. CHAVEZ

Newport Beach

Three strikes, you’re out. One thing Dick Nichols has shown us is

that he is not a politician. No real politician would so consistently

drop verbal weapons of mass destruction.

First, it was the Distinguished Speakers Lecture Series presented

jointly by the Newport Beach Public Library and Newport Beach Public

Library Foundation: Nichols accused the committee that produces the

series of having a political agenda, of only presenting “left-wing”

speakers and wanted the council to monitor the committee’s speaker

selection. In the interests of free speech, he was resoundingly

admonished by the rest of the City Council. As co-chair of the

series, I wrote a letter-to-the-editor detailing the unbiased speaker

selection process.

Secondly, it was the Planning Commission, whom he essentially

accused of taking bribes when it came to approving variances. This

demanded an editorial by Mayor Bromberg and another round of

admonishments.

Thirdly, his remark that he doesn’t support increased grassy areas

at Corona del Mar state beach because “the Mexicans camp out on the

grassy areas all day.” This remark, with its veneer of racism, has

put Nichols squarely in the court of public opinion: Do the citizens

of Newport Beach want to be represented by a man whose pattern of

tongue-wagging belies common sense and any precise intellectual

activity? What happened to think before you speak?

Nichols should have attended the May 17, library lecture by Ray

Suarez, PBS senior correspondent, who spoke on the impact of

immigration and the changing demographics in California, however, one

cannot force thought on a turnip. As a constituency we should expect

our elected leaders to continually be self-educating, to be involved,

to be paying attention and investigating; Nichols’ remarks reveal a

mental wallowing in preconceived thought indicative of a closed mind.

Based on Sandy Nichols’ letter-to-the-editor published Saturday,

June 21, Nichols could easily have made his point without ever

mentioning “Mexicans” or any other specific group of people. The fact

that he targeted Latinos in his interview with Daily Pilot reporter

June Casagrande clearly indicates that Nichols is, at the very least,

a somewhat bigoted man.

He is obviously ignorant of the ramifications of his speech as an

elected representative of Newport Beach as well as not possessing any

talent in how to handle the press and press interviews. This is not a

free speech issue but a common sense issue.

I am not suggesting he be dishonest regarding his opinions but

that he be circumspect; there are ways to phrase unpalatable opinions

without being insulting as well as to framing issues for debate.

Nichols is apparently incapable of expressing his ideas without

ruffling feathers or sinking to the lowest denominator. His actions

waste official time needed to attend to City Council business; he

should resign by June 30, the end of the city’s fiscal year. The

umpire has spoken: You’re out!

JACQUELYN BEAUREGARD DILLMAN

Newport Beach

Dick Nichols should not resign because of any bigoted remarks he

might have made. After all, he represents a city that lives and

breathes bigotry and elitism. Not true? Ask yourself this: What is

the purpose of a Newport Beach? The brutal answer: keep the hoi

polloi and riffraff out.

The sudden burst of political correctness (largely due to the

sudden burst of media interest) goes against everything Newport Beach

stood for 10 days ago -- and has all the honesty of a bust pad.

One has to face the truth. Newport Beach, this city of

multimillion-dollar homes surrounded by water unfit for swimming, is

in a state of denial. Newspaper columnists have come out of the

woodwork pontificating on the meaning of it all. Steve Smith, a

“freelance writer” even gets the lead in the Daily Pilot. He carries

the meaning of political correctness to a new level. I won’t bore you

with his silliness.

If you want to be bored you can read it yourself. Letters to the

Editor (“Readers Respond” in the Daily Pilot) are almost unanimous in

their demand for the head of Nichols for his “racial” remarks.

Perhaps the writers are just hedging their bets. In 20 years the last

name of their congressman won’t be Cox. More likely it will be

Garcia.

HENRY OSTERMILLER

Costa Mesa

Yes, this creature that goes by the name of Dick Nichols should

definitely resign.

M. NARRO

Newport Beach

I am first generation from another country.

And if someone made some remark about me or where I am from, I

don’t think you need to be that sensitive. I think you need to stand

up and have a little more backbone. We’ve got too many people running

around here that are bleeding heart liberals, complaining about

things that don’t even matter. They should worry about the world

situation, if you really want to worry about something, and about our

failure to be able to recover.

TOM THOMPSON

Newport Beach