MAILBAG: Kinsman takes the bows, but did nothing

“I’m proud I’ve helped our city by sponsoring the Mayor’s Climate Protection Act in Laguna Beach.”

This bold statement, misleading in the extreme, appears on Cheryl Kinsman’s ballot statement. My dictionary defines a sponsor as “a person or organization that pays for or plans and carries out a project or activity.”

Kinsman neither planned nor carried out the hard slogging work of implementing the U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement. That did not stop her, however, from claiming credit for the work of others.

I know because I served on the Climate Protection Work Group (CPWG) of the city of Laguna Beach.

This group of citizens planned and carried out the work for which Kinsman wishes to be recognized, work that took 14 laborious months and resulted in the drafting of the Climate Protection Action Plan.

What precisely did Kinsman do, of which she is so proud, on behalf of addressing global warming in Laguna Beach? During those 14 months I did not see her at a single meeting of the CPWG. I did not see her at the UC Irvine conference on global warming last year, nor at the talks on climate change given by UCI scientists at the Newport Beach Library. She played no role in the drafting of the Action Plan.

In fact, can anyone find a single utterance from her in print where she spoke out about the dangers of climate change and the imperative of addressing it?

I doubt it.

What she did do was to sense which way public opinion was moving. Then she quickly prepared an agenda bill that, when passed unanimously by the council Feb. 6, 2007, would put our city on record as having adopted the U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement. In doing so, she better positioned herself for reelection. If we really want good government in Laguna Beach, this type of cynical, shameless politicking must not be rewarded at the polls. It must end.

When it comes to climate protection in Laguna Beach Kinsman’s record is shallow at best and deceiving at worst.

Don’t be fooled.

Too much is at stake this November.

TOM OSBORNE

Laguna Beach

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Kinsman shows leadership

Some people talk a good game, while others take action.

A vote for Cheryl Kinsman for Laguna Beach City Council is a vote for action, as her record proves.

She has been at the forefront of many vital issues in our town, and has proven time and time again that she is a leader, a doer, not a talker.

JUDY JOSEPHSON

Laguna Beach

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Prop. 8 in lead to end same-sex marriage

Proposition 8 is a very important proposition with direct impact on hundreds of same-sex couples in Laguna Beach and their families. The neighborhoods have always enjoyed many gay couples on every block and most Laguna residents include these gay couples among their family and friends. Over the last several months many of these same-sex couples have exchanged their marriage vows, after 20, 30, 40 years together. With Proposition 8 looking like it was heading for defeat, everything seemed hopeful. Before television and radio ads began in support of Proposition 8, the polls indicated that the citizens of California supported the civil marriage rights of their same-sex couple friends, neighbors and family and would vote “no” on Proposition 8. Now polls indicate that some of these fair-minded Californian’s have reversed course and want to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry by amending the California constitution to ban same-sex marriage.

There have always been people who believe that homosexual “behavior” and same-sex marriage are an abomination. Then there are the folks who feel that regardless of how they might feel about same-sex marriage, it should be equally available to all California citizens. You would have thought that Proposition 8 would have been fought on the truth of these convictions. From the “no” side, you have heard on television and radio that marriage equality is important to them and their families and to ban one group of citizens from civil marriage is unfair. Have you heard from the “yes on 8” that same sex marriage and homosexuality is an abomination that should be outlawed?

This would be the equally honest counter viewpoint “” but you have not heard this honesty.

Instead what you have heard from Proposition 8 ads are scare tactics that have no truth to them at all. I received one at my home in Laguna Beach with the outer envelope disguised with “your Laguna neighbor” with no return address. They have tried to manipulate you with false concerns for “children” and “protection of marriage.”

You have heard that: “Churches will be sued if they refuse to allow same-sex marriages. Ministers who preach against same sex marriages will be sued for hate speech and fined by government. Churches will lose their tax exempt status if they refuse to perform weddings for same sex couples.” These quotes are directly from their media ads and pamphlets that have been mailed to your homes. The truth is that nothing in Proposition 8 would force churches to do anything.

In fact, the court decision regarding marriage specifically says “no religion will be required to change its religious policies or practices with regard to same-sex couples, and no religious officiant will be required to solemnize a marriage in contravention of his or her religious beliefs.”

They go on to claim that, “Children in public schools as early as kindergarten will be taught about homosexuals and same-sex marriage from a book about ‘two mommies and two daddies.’” Not one word in Proposition 8 mentions education, and no child can be forced, against the will of their parents, to be taught anything about health and family issues at school. California law prohibits it.

Many more than 10,000 same-sex couples have been married, and have you heard of a single news report where any of these claims have actually occurred?

California’s Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger does not support Proposition 8 and has campaigned against it. Do you think he would be doing that if any of these lies had even a shred of truth to them?

The so-called “activist judges” of the California Supreme Court were majority Republicans. Do you think they would have enacted a civil rights marriage law with these religious and child education demands in it?

If you’ve been fooled by the lies of the promoters of Proposition 8, you owe it to yourself to do some fact checking.

The Yes on 8 messages you’ve been hearing are financed predominantly by the Mormon church, which has raised millions of dollars and enlisted more than 150,000 volunteers to come to California for this mission. ?

Same-sex couples simply want the same right to marry as all other couples.

The more than 10,000 couples who have married want to stay married. Their mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers want their family members to have equal availability to the same securities, commitments, rights and responsibilities of marriage that others have.

Please do not take it away this fundamental right with your “yes” vote if it is based on the lies of the Proposition 8 backers.

Laguna Beach

? Osborne should have been reappointed

As an original member of the city of Laguna Beach Environmental Committee and a clean ocean activist, I was shocked at the news that Tom Osborne was not reappointed to the Environmental Committee by the current City Council. ??

Osborne was the moving force behind the city becoming part of the many cities, nationally, who joined the Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement. Osborne created the committee which developed the climate protection plan which was presented to the City Council, after many hours of preparation and discussion.

This project was completed without any help or involvement of those on the City Council who have attempted to take credit for the formation of the report that was presented to the city. I had the opportunity while on the Environmental Committee to attend the initial meetings of the working group and observed Osborne’s control and management of the project. The involvement of the city in the Protection Agreement would not have taken place if it was without Osborne’s efforts. The decision of the current council is an indication that they were, apparently, not aware of this.

This is just one of the areas where this Environmental Committee member contributed to the committee’s monthly meetings and discussions in and out of the regular meetings.

The vote not to renew Osborne’s tenure is evidence that the persons involved in the decision were not aware of the qualifications of Osborne, and made their decision on personal bias, not for the good of the city, and one of its appointed committees. There has been no action taken on the report presented by the Environmental Committee which is unusual in view of those who are striving to take credit for the city’s adoption of the Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement. It is further evidence of a lack of knowledge on the part of the voting members of the council. Public record indicates that there was one vote to renew Osborne and we thank Councilwoman Toni Iseman for that one vote of sanity. The other four voting members should hang their heads in shame for the vote. Anyone who followed the progress of the agreement would be very aware of Osborne’s contribution.

We should hang our heads in shame for the loss of this individual in providing services to the city in an area that is so important to not only the current citizens of the city but more importantly to the future generations of the city. The need for change in our leaders becomes more and more apparent when decisions such as this are made.

TOM GIRVIN

Laguna Beach

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Kinsman voted against BID

The Business Improvement District (BID) created a revenue stream to support the Laguna Beach Visitors Bureau and the Laguna Beach Arts community. The Laguna Playhouse, Laguna Art Museum, the Laguna College of Art and Design and our Arts Commission received more than $850,000 for 2007. This money comes from an increase in the bed tax that was agreed upon by Laguna hotels and motels.

In order for this benefit to go into effect it had to be approved by the City Council. The BID squeaked by on a 3 to 2 vote of the Laguna Beach City Council.

If you go the Cheryl Kinsman’s website, she sings the praise of the BID.

Cheryl was one of the two votes against it.

SALLY WILDE

Laguna Beach

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Giving ‘Palooza’ credit where due

I was happy to see your coverage of the SchoolPowerPalooza, a great family event that I hope will become Laguna tradition. With success should come proper recognition, and in this case, all credit should be given to Robin Rounaghi, the vice president of the organization.

The Palooza was Robin’s brainchild “” not mine, as your paper stated “” born of her belief that every single member of our school community should feel ownership in SchoolPower.

As a volunteer, I witnessed the impressive effort she put into making the event a reality, and I am a true believer in what she has set out to accomplish.

KRISTIN WINTER