MAILBAG - Dec. 1, 2006

Lawyer joke is on county residents

A front page article in the Daily Pilot on Nov. 17, 2006, notes that UC Irvine has obtained permission for a law school. To some this means kudos are in order. While this may add “prestige” to the university — do the people in Newport-Mesa and Orange County really want or need more law schools and lawyers?

Orange County already is at the top of the list for being one of the most litigious counties in the nation and in our state. California has 1.2 billion new lawsuits filed yearly. It also has the highest per capita number of lawyers in the nation. More law schools and lawyers means more creative and inventive lawyering, squabbling, abusive or frivolous lawsuits, and redistribution of your hard-earned money to the legal profession.

Orange County residents need more law schools and lawyers about as much as we need a tornado, a hurricane, a tsunami and an attack all in the same week.

MICHAEL ARNOLD GLUECK

Newport Beach

Low-income housing lacking in condo plan

The beautiful project for 1,200 high-rise condominiums in the South Coast Metro area would certainly enhance Costa Mesa’s image and add luster to an already upscale area. It would provide elegant housing for our upper-income residents. The only problem is, once again , if approved, Costa Mesa would be providing housing opportunities for the more affluent without any requirement for housing affordable to low- and very-low-income people.

State law requires that cities provide adequate housing for all economic segments of our population. Each city is given a goal of the number of units it should build for each economic segment. In 1998 the Southern California Association of Governments, through its Regional Housing Needs Assessment, gave Costa Mesa a goal of 445 new low- and very-low-income units that needed to be built. Low income is defined as $34,000 to $54,000 and very low as $34,000 and below. (How many of our adult children looking for housing fall into those categories?) In eight years, we have built only 39 new units of affordable housing. That is just 9% of the goal.

Our city is fast being built out, and we must start to do something now if we are to meet our legal obligations and certainly our moral obligations to a large and valuable segment of our community. The condo project being considered with its changes in zoning and huge density increases will greatly raise the value of the properties for the developers. Surely they should be asked to give something of value back to the community, such as providing some affordable units off site, or contributing in-lieu fees to the city to start a housing trust fund to build some affordable units.

To answer the Pilot’s question posed to readers, yes, the City Council should approve the project but demand some movement toward affordable housing in return.

JEAN FORBATH

Chairwoman, Costa Mesa

Housing Coalition