Quite a post for Newport’s mayor
It’s easy to imagine the call Newport Beach Mayor Steve Bromberg
received: “Steve,” comes the heavy Austrian accent, “I need your
help.”
Perhaps nothing so dramatic or cinematic happened, but that
doesn’t lessen the importance of the city’s mayor being appointed to
a statewide water policy task force by Gov.-elect Arnold
Schwarzenegger. The Water Policy Advisory Task Force, a group of
local and regional water-quality advocates, has been charged with
drafting a comprehensive statewide water plan for the new
administration.
First off, the appointment is important for Newport Beach (and all
of Orange County) because it gives the city a voice on matters of
critical importance to residents. From the Back Bay, through the
harbor to the ocean, the cleanliness of water here is vital to the
economy and to quality of life. One need only look at the economic
and general social turmoil that occurred when Huntington Beach’s
sands were off-limits during the summer of 1999.
Bob Caustin, founder of Defend the Bay, rightly summed up what
Bromberg’s appointment means for the city:
“He will be influencing state policy to protect Newport Bay, for
its future,” Caustin said. “The problem has been in the past that we
haven’t had enough of that type of proactive involvement and we get
left out when new rules are created. ... You have to reach beyond
Orange County to protect our bay and the ocean.”
Bromberg now will have that chance. And he already is doing right
by the city, bringing up at the group’s first meeting the importance
of recreational water quality.
The appointment also would seem to bode well for Bromberg, putting
him into the influential circles peopled by the likes of Marian
Bergeson and Paul Folino. While there is no telling what plans
Bromberg has -- he hasn’t even said he’s running for reelection --
rubbing shoulders with California bigwigs can only increase his
stature across the state. It also comes as a fine reward for his hard
work on water-quality and other issues.
And it’s not bad for one of Balboa Island’s Keystone Kops.
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