Renting makes more sense than buying new...

Renting makes more sense than buying new

I am concerned about the price tag of the proposed Newport Beach

civic center project. I believe the city could rent a huge office

building for its city hall.

We’ve got lots in the area, and if the city leases one out, they

don’t need to build a new city hall. That would leave money to expand

the fire station and a parking garage.

LINDA NELLEN

Balboa Peninsula

Council should foot civic center bill

Add my name to the list of Newport Beach residents who are

appalled at the way the government can absolutely waste our money.

The necessity of a new city hall in the first instance is totally

wrong, and the amount of money for it is outrageous.

But as any elected official believes, it is quite easy to spend

other people’s money. Let the members of the City Council finance the

improvements through their own funds, and I’ll bet you would see an

entirely different approach.

ALAN WHITE

Newport Beach

A busy council, but it isn’t doing well

Well, the Newport Beach City Council certainly has been busy

lately. First, they make a dog’s breakfast of the decision on St.

Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, coming up with an untenable and

unworkable “solution” that only a politician could love.

Now, they’re hearing about plans to redo City Hall, to the tune of

$50 million.

Fifty million dollars!

And that doesn’t include financing costs, which, as Dolores Otting

correctly points out, could double the price tag.

Anybody want to lay bets on when the recall petitions will start

circulating?

STEVE JOSLIN

Newport Beach

After Measure A, vote no on Measure F

I don’t think that Measure A has adequately served our schools.

I’m stunned that our taxpayer dollars were spent so carelessly.

The work, I think, legally has to go to the lowest qualified

bidder, and the work that was done at the school, I wouldn’t call it

done by qualified people at all.

At “my local school” walls and ceilings have huge cracks in them,

a lot of outlets don’t work, ceilings leak, cabinets were installed

and they cracked -- it’s like when things went wrong they just did a

quick fix.

This type of construction wouldn’t be allowed in our houses, so

why do we allow it in our schools?

Nobody ever claims to have control over these situations at the

time that it’s going on. It’s very frustrating.

Work was not adequately completed, and when Measure A was over,

the district was left with a lot of cleaning up to do, and those

things have still not gotten done.

I vote no on Measure F this time -- it has been a poorly managed

project.

SUZANNE AYNES

Costa Mesa