MAILBAG:Support for torture more disturbing than insensitivity

Athough it may have been intemperate if not mean-spirited for Rep. Dana Rohrbacher to suggest that the family members of those who disagree with him should suffer death or grievous injury at the hands of terrorists, I am more troubled by his position that it is OK for our government to capture and torture a few innocent people in its efforts to win the war on terror (The Political Landscape, “Local Rep. lambasted over comments,” April 26).

The first is nothing more than the type of thing you hear immature, junior high school kids mutter to one another fairly frequently. The latter condones an actual policy of our government that is morally repugnant and contrary to our ideals as a constitutional democracy. Such policies diminish our stature in the world community, and ultimately make the world a far more dangerous place.

CHRIS BLANK

Costa Mesa

Two suggestions for airport planners

Here are two suggestions for the airport officials regarding their need for additional parking (“Back nine may become JWA parking lot,” April 18). First, let’s not expand John Wayne Airport. Second, if you must, build the additional needed parking at the closed El Toro Marine Corps air station. It certainly has enough room and would accommodate the Irvine and south county residents who use John Wayne. (Local residents could have a spouse, friend or cab drop them at the airport.) We could call it the Great Parking Lot. It is ironic that we are considering losing part of a recreational facility in the Newport-Mesa area while a massive park is being planned. We seem to be taking it on the chin here.

MARY FOX

Newport Beach

Publisher’s column was insensitive

Tom Johnson’s bragging about the “changed” Pilot was completely lost in the boorish, insensitive remarks about a fellow journalist (Fair Game, “You may notice a changed Pilot,” April 27). If Johnson’s “wink, wink, nudge, nudge” humor is the sign of the new Pilot, then it is taking a step back into the dark ages.

SUSAN PASKERIAN

Costa Mesa

Cheers to the Pilot for new-look paper

Applause for the updated look, layout and content of the Daily Pilot. Barbara Venezia’s column is a breath of spring. Her piece on the costs of patrolling our harbors shed much-needed light on an important topic we should all consider (Recipe for Success, “Financial shortfall if city of Newport Beach takes over harbor,” May 3).

Tom Titus and Joe Bell are as insightful as ever; their reviews of “Piazza” (thanks, Tom, I’ll skip it) and the speaker series (thanks, Joe, I’ll make it a point to attend) were excellent and informative. And it’s fun to see their new mug shots.

The color photos with The Crowd are an enormous improvement over the previous black-and-whites featuring all those shiny, stretched faces — at least the shine is gone. Columnist Steve Smith’s new emphasis on youth is well overdue and certainly pertinent.

Thanks to all involved in the metamorphosis, the result is most welcome.

JANE LOWRY

Newport Beach

City hall at park site is the best option

I read your letter to the editor (Mailbag, “We have better options than park land for new city hall,” May 2) from Jan Vandersloot taking former Mayor Lucille Kuehn to task for her letter referring to the city hall fiasco, and the writer is in error. The land adjacent to the library had not been dedicated for a park until political factions made it so in recent years. The city’s own studies show that a park is not needed there and that we have no need for another park in the immediate future.

The problem with this issue is that neither the City Council nor the public have the hard facts concerning the options. They have refused to even to listen to the results of the comprehensive study undertaken by Bill Ficker and his supporters. Our mayor has attested to that fact. Speak Up Newport wouldn’t even give Ficker an opportunity to make a presentation. The council recently authorized staff to come up with a feasibility study for the Orange County Transportation Authority property to compare with the presently approved location.

Why doesn’t the council expand the report to include the library site? That way the citizens can compare all three proposals side-by-side and make an informed decision based on facts, not the emotional table-pounding that has gone on based on ignorance of hard reality.

To that end, 15 former recipients of the Newport Beach citizen of the year award signed a petition to the council to request that the Ficker plan be heard. It fell on deaf ears for all except our mayor. Why?

Let’s get all the facts and then make the right call for the benefit of all the city’s residents, not just a few who are operating on ill-placed emotions.

RICHARD S. STEVENS

Newport Beach

EDITOR’S NOTE: Richard S. Stevens was the 1975 Newport Beach citizen of the year.