The only light ahead looks red

Just two weeks ago, we wrote an editorial urging leaders of Newport

Beach’s controlled-growth Greenlight Committee to reassess their

mission or risk alienating residents and squandering their

opportunity to act as a voice for concerned community members. Given

the events of the past few days, that message seems in need of

repeating and amplification.

From the outside peering in, Greenlight looks to be in disarray.

Leaders of the movement almost certainly would disagree, but what

began as an effort to combat increased traffic and large development

has changed -- for the worse. Instead of maintaining and even

building on the support it had following the 2000 election, the group

has morphed into an all-too shrill, all-too antagonistic, anti-City

Hall cause. This change is most recently illustrated by the filling

of a lawsuit against the city and a political flier with enough

untruths that Newport Beach City Councilman John Heffernan has

distanced himself from the Greenlight mantle. Although Greenlight and

Heffernan, who was elected as a supporter of the cause in 2000, have

had a tense, changing relationship, his decision can only illustrate

the problems with Greenlight’s direction.

The loss of that direction is nothing to celebrate. Although we

did not support Greenlight in 2000, and are often chastised by its

supporters and opponents for being either too pro-Greenlight or too

pro-development, we do emphatically support members of the community

being involved with their own governance. Healthy, open debate on the

issues invariably leads to better decisions by more fully informed

city leaders.

For a time, it seemed that members of the Greenlight movement

would fill this role, especially on issues of traffic and

development. But for whatever reason -- it is obvious that Greenlight

would blame City Hall and city leaders would blame Greenlight, though

we see culpability on both sides -- the healthy debate is in critical

condition. Even in the pages of this newspaper one can see the

yelling that is going on and the lack of much necessary listening.

One also is unlikely to see much hope of a cooling of this

confrontation. Emotions are frayed, minds are set and, perhaps worst

of all, an election season looms. Given the vitriol that accompanied

the last City Council race, we can only await with trepidation the

guns that will be loaded this time around.

Certainly none of those involved in this debate, whether

Greenlight leaders or officials in City Hall, believe that such a war

will be good for Newport Beach. If they can, indeed, agree on that,

perhaps one person on one side of this divide will come forward with

other points where agreement can be reached. Can it really be that

difficult?