MAILBAG - Nov. 5, 2006

Sheriff: O.C. Jail immigration check is enough

Last month, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department received approval for approximately 20 sworn sheriff’s deputies who work in the Orange County Jail to perform immigration investigations. Some know this plan as the Cross-Designation Program.

Once these deputies are trained, we plan to check the immigration status of all foreign nationals who are booked into our jail.

This means that every foreign national arrested anywhere in Orange County and sent to our O.C. Jail will be screened for deportation, including every previously deported felon apprehended anywhere in Orange County.

While I am proud of our efforts, I am aware that similar plans are underway in other Orange County cities to duplicate this program and, while I appreciate the efforts of some local politicians to assist my department, I believe duplicating this program is not in our best interests at this time. Local taxpayer dollars are better spent developing crime prevention and intervention programs for at-risk youth.

I am very proud of the work done by my department to put this program together, and I look forward to improving public safety for all Orange County residents, businesses and visitors as we implement this program in jail.

MIKE CARONA

Orange County Sheriff

Harbor columnist Whitehead is a hit in the backyard, too

Mike Whitehead consistently writes one of the best and most important columns for our community. I don’t even own a boat, but considering that we have this huge, spectacular harbor as our “backyard,” I make it a point to read his column regularly. He addresses issues that are important to all of us fortunate enough to live on or near this fragile marine environment.

CAROLYN CLARK

Newport Beach

Keeping Costa Mesa clean is everyone’s responsibility

I am responding to a letter in the Oct. 20 Mailbag, “Costa Mesa has a few too many broken windows.”

What a great letter. I agree with Mark Les about residents being partly responsible for keeping Costa Mesa clear. People need to get out and walk the town. My 72-year-old mom and I go out all over. I am in a wheelchair; besides the graffiti and rundown homes and buildings, there is the trash — and lots of it. It is not noticeable from a car. My mom and I pick up a lot of trash every day. We make calls to the city’s graffiti hotline and, yes, they do respond quickly. If everyone picked up one piece of trash a day, we’d be litter-free.

Let’s start cleaning up our wonderful city.

CONNIE CARLSON

Costa Mesa

Delaying a new city hall costs money as well as time

It’s been exactly six months since we’ve heard anything regarding our new city hall here in lovely Newport Beach. The question is will we ever have a new city hall, and when?

I’ve lived in Newport Beach for 45 years, and personally I’d like to keep it right where it is.

Our first city hall was on the oceanfront, just east of the Newport Pier, back in 1905.

The city hall we have now was built in the late ‘40s, which, of course, again is down here by the beach.

The point I’m trying to make is this is where Newport Beach started, and this is where the headquarters should stay.

So just for a moment, think how beautiful it would look on all that land they can build on, especially if they were to go two stories.

It would in enrich the city and catch your eye as you drive down Newport Boulevard. Or should we just turn it into a park for a tourist campground?

This whole thing has given me a ulcer.

It’s too bad we didn’t do this a few years ago, to have a nice new city hall for our city’s 100th birthday.

Now the longer we wait, the more it’s going to cost.

There, we just wasted another day.

BOB RENO

Newport Beach