Cox is no friend to Newport Beach...

Cox is no friend

to Newport Beach

Your articles about Rep. Chris Cox’s appointment to head the

Securities and Exchange Commission lead me to hope that his decisions

there are more in the public interest than they were in Newport

Beach.

Cox opposed the conversion of the former Marine Corps air station

at El Toro to a commercial airport on the grounds that the land at El

Toro was too valuable to be used that way and that the government

should realize a profit.

However, with Cox’s participation, the city of Irvine granted the

Lennar Corp. the right to buy all four parcels at El Toro. Instead of

a profit, the Navy will lose between $350 million and $600 million

after cleanup and closing costs are included. Moreover, in 2002 the

closed Tustin military facility was sold at an average cost of

$887,000 per acre to Lennar. For the El Toro sale, in a more valuable

location, the average sale price per acre was $173,630. During this

period, the cost of land rose 50% so that the loss at this sale is

more than $1 million per acre. Cox pronounced the sale a huge benefit

to the public!

Cox professed his concern about restoration of the Back Bay, yet

did little to improve conditions. As a consequence of his opposing an

airport at El Toro, he failed to consider its effect of a

corresponding increase in air traffic out of John Wayne Airport, now

approaching 10 million passengers. What has been needed is a

scientific study of the effect of air traffic on the ecology of the

bay. Cox had no such vision.

Chris Cox has been no friend to Newport Beach. Yet, with his

departure from Congress, we may yet be able to rescue the needed El

Toro airport and open it soon.

SHIRLEY A. CONGER

Corona del Mar

Private doesn’t necessarily mean better service

In Alicia Robinson’s article, “Private vs. public argued in

Newport Beach” (May 28), she quotes Phil Arst, of the Greenlight

committee, who says that the city’s cost to trim trees dropped from

$89 a tree to $39 ... when the service was hired out. Yes, that is

quite a savings. But at what aesthetic cost? Many (most?) of the

trees topped in Corona del Mar are chopped off flat at the top,

presenting a very ugly tree for many months until it is all grown

out. When I’ve mentioned this to people living in Harbor View Hills,

there is always the comment that it has to be done that way in order

to preserve the view for those on the hill. Well, these trees can be

artistically shaped and still achieve that result.

Another instance of improper trimming concerns the majestic palms

on Marguerite. After many years of hanging dead fronds, finally these

palms were trimmed with the appropriate “ball” cutting of dead fronds

just below the green fronds. However, if you look at them, a few are

trimmed artistically -- nicely rounded, while others are not even

rounded but look like a beginner did the shaping.

I am a 43-year resident of Corona del Mar and am concerned with

the beauty of the city. It is not worth the savings to have improper

care of these trees. When the city took care of it, they did a fine

job. I am for Greenlight, but, surely, if services have to be hired

out, private companies could be found that could do a proper job

instead of giving the contract to the lowest bidder. If tree trimming

is an example of what we can expect with private service, then heaven

help us if the city contracts other services to the private sector.

Private does not equal better or even the same.

BETTYE BUTTERWORTH

Corona del Mar

City-run trash service isn’t throwing money away

I understand that there have been persistent calls for

privatization of Newport Beach services, and I hope that my story

illustrating the diligence and concern of the trash department would

make us stop and reconsider the wisdom of such an action.

I recently returned from a trip and unloaded my suitcase and some

additional items near the street. I then realized that our outside

gate was locked, and I would need to go to my friend’s house to get a

key. When I returned, my things were gone, and at first, it didn’t

register that the trash people may have dumped them, since Friday

isn’t our usual trash day. However, last week, our trash day moved

back one day because of the holiday.

I was understandably frantic and called the police department

immediately, since by then the trash people were long gone, and the

offices were closed. The police officer convinced me that my things

were probably stolen by people who patrol neighborhoods looking for

items to sell. Even if the trash people had picked them up by

mistake, she felt it was hopeless to expect a return since the things

were probably buried in the dump by then.

The next morning, I received a phone call from a supervisor at the

trash department. One of his men had looked inside the suitcase,

realized that this wasn’t trash, and put my things aside thinking

someone would call about them. I was beyond grateful and relieved.

Before you blame the trash people for dumping the things in the first

place, as I might have, the supervisor added that it’s often hard for

the trash people to determine if something really is trash, since

people in Newport Beach often throw away new stuff, a commentary on

the affluence of our community.

I am sure that an outside company would not show such concern for

the residents they serve, and I for one would be against

privatization of this critical community service.

MARY JEANNE HAWES

Newport Beach