A picture that was worth a few...

A picture that was worth a few words

My first thought on seeing the artist’s rendering of the proposed

Newport Beach city hall was that it looked like an industrial

warehouse. My second thought was that it looked like an ugly

industrial warehouse.

They can’t be serious about this, can they?

MATT MATTEUCCI

Newport Beach

Reason should prevail in city hall debate

Once again the self-proclaimed members of the no-city-hall group

have proven that they rely on rhetoric, exaggeration and inflammatory

remarks rather than facts in expressing opposition to proposed

actions of our City Council (“Newport council should scale back plans

for city hall,” Sept. 1). The response in the Daily Pilot to Mayor

Heffernan’s quite factual article is full of inaccuracies and ignores

reality in the name of persuading folks to believe his point of view.

While perhaps well meaning, this brand of commentary needs to be

answered.

The massive indebtedness mentioned to build a Taj Mahal is an

exaggeration. There are not excessively large rooms or extra

facilities, just enough room to house our city staff and adequately

serve the public. Adequate space is provided for the staff and

residents to park. A proper fire station is included, which most of

us would support. These are all in one project, at one time, which is

why the cost is what it is.

The higher rate of interest and cost for the financing method is

minuscule compared with bonds. Bonds would also raise the cost to

residents because it would be added to their tax bills. If we wait to

replace City Hall it will just cost more at a later date, and it can

easily be afforded now because the cost fits into our city budget.

And we would avoid the costs of keeping the old building maintained.

This financing method also has less risk to the city in case of a

future calamity which might damage the building.

Opponents want to control excessive government expenditures. What

are these excessive expenditures? Opponents refer to oversized

bureaucracy in our city government. This is another unfounded and

unsubstantiated remark. We don’t believe that our city government is

overly large, and it is doubtful that opponents could find waste or

inappropriate activities that currently exist. They just want to

criticize everyone and suggest that all is not well. Our city

government is certainly not out of control. No one really believes

that.

Perhaps the reason for the continued criticism without facts is

that opponents are just unhappy that their candidates did not get

elected and that they do not want our City Council to move forward to

continually improve our city.

By carefully reading the facts and figures presented in the Daily

Pilot by our mayor, a reasonable person can see what is being

considered and might conclude that it may be good for the council to

decide to replace City Hall at this time.

We should all take the time to understand the situation. As for

me, a member of the sometimes-silent majority, I support the

carefully considered decision that the City Council will make.

ALAN OLESON

Newport Beach

Civic center decision makes reader queasy

Years ago my adopted Nepalese daughters taught me a simple test to

perform when making a big decision. They said to bring the proposal

into your stomach and see how it feels. If your stomach is calm and

relaxed, chances are the proposal is a good one and you should move

forward. On the other hand, if it gives you indigestion, you should

probably reject the idea.

Right now the proposal for a new civic center is making me queasy.

Maybe its just jitters over hurricanes, gas prices or the war in

Iraq, but the idea of spending $50 million isn’t sitting well with

this Newport Beach resident. My gut is telling me that now is the

time to reach out to others who are less fortunate, ride bikes more

often, drive SUVs less, and put money in the bank instead of spending

what we don’t have.

I know it’s not scientific, but maybe it’s time we listen to our

stomachs, if for no other reason than to prevent a big ulcer later

on.

MIKE BUETTELL

Balboa Island

Gilchrist carries

Reagan mantle in race

Thus far, President Bush has rubber-stamped every piece of budget

legislation pushed through Congress and has failed to reign in all

the pork spending that adds billions to our federal deficit. Didn’t

he claim to be a fiscal conservative during the election campaign?

What ever happened to the ideals of limited, frugal government

championed by Republican leaders like Ronald Reagan? Reagan wielded

the veto pen 78 times during his administration, with only 9 vetoes

overridden. The president’s father, Bush Sr., vetoed 44 times.

In contrast, in 2004 Bush threatened to veto any highway bill

exceeding $256 billion; but in 2005 he raised his line in the sand to

avoid a veto to $284 billion. What did he get from Congress and sign

into law? A bill costing $286.5 billion.

So for the upcoming congressional election to fill former Rep.

Christopher Cox’s seat, I’m supporting a true fiscal conservative,

Jim Gilchrist. If it means going outside the Republican Party to find

a true leader in the tradition of Reagan, then so be it.

By the way, did I happen to mention that Gilchrist, as the

Minuteman Project founder, also has impeccable credentials fighting

illegal immigration?

RAYMOND KREISEL

Aliso Viejo

Sea lions, Marines and the sounds of freedom

Steve Smith wrote a great column about sea lions in Newport Harbor

(“Sea lion barking beats trash trucks,” Sept. 21). This is a story

more about life in general than simply the sea lions. The underlining

philosophy of this story can be applied anytime to anything, even the

garbage trucks in Manhattan.

I lived and worked in Newport Beach for 10 years. Now I live in

San Clemente, high up on a hill overlooking Camp Pendleton Marine

Corps Base.

Not too distant from my patio, on the Marine base, is a practice

and firing range with very live ammunition.

Many people I encounter around here complain about daily intrusive

noise produced by machine guns and other heavy guns.

The way I view this noise is similar to how Smith views perceived

noise created by the sea lions.

I view the Marine firing range matter as follows: “Is it not great

to hear those wonderful sounds of freedom emitting from the firing

ranges of Camp Pendleton? Yes.”

I am one who loves the sounds of our Marines preparing to protect

my freedom, anywhere. Steve Smith and those on Balboa Island love the

sound of sea lions, underscoring the true culture of living on and

near Newport Harbor, I say.

DONALD GLASGOW

San Clemente