MAILBAG:

Good grief, I am so weary of the Left. Now they are attacking Michéle Marr for her opinion. Her column (“History calls abortion murder,” Oct. 30) is an opinion piece, just in case Ira Werner and Mark Sheldon didn’t know. The thing about the Left is that its constituents believe in freedom of opinion, just as long the opinion meshes with theirs. At this time the United States of America is still a free country, so I’m glad Marr has the freedom to voice her own opinions, ones that many citizens also hold. Not everyone is pro-abortion and not everyone is pro-Obama, so I say, just deal with the right we have to disagree with one another. There is no “bad journalistic” practice in evidence here.

Linda D. Couey

Huntington Beach

Residents shouldn’t be rebuked for their questions

Is anyone but me fed up with the rather school-marmish admonishment by Councilwoman Cathy Green to the crowd gathered for the Ripcurl hearing Monday? Or for the sly, carefully worded denigration by Councilman Don Hansen of a gentleman who spoke on behalf of the Environmental Board?

How dare anyone question a city traffic engineer’s report? Mr. Hansen, this person volunteers his time to be a part of what must seem to be efforts in futility when it comes to people like to go to the board’s meetings and then gets up in front of a group of people he doesn’t know, on television, and all you can do is make derisive and belittling comments regarding his competency as opposed to the city traffic engineer. You’re not as clever as you think you are. We all caught on. If it were not for citizens questioning the City Traffic Engineering staff, we would have a Banning Bridge!

As for Green, all of you sat on your hands for months being berated and insulted by animal rights people. But let folks show up to express concerns regarding what will be life changing density changes to their homes, neighborhoods and small businesses, and in a relatively mild fashion, they get their hands smacked for not showing “proper respect.” For whom? I know the developers are all warm and fuzzy. Why shouldn’t they be?

You are the ones who to need to show proper respect to the people who elected you. Castigating the audience for having the audacity to question staff reports, or cheering on fellow neighbors for having the courage to go up against development is so self serving.

Try cutting us the break.

Merle Moshiri

Huntington Beach

Not against development, just want better plan

I just wanted to embellish and add constructive criticism to the debate regarding the Ripcurl and future projects for the Edinger Corridor.

First off I find that many people of H.B. I have spoken to have more of an issue with the density factor that is pending for the corridor versus the need to revitalize and fully utilize what is truly a under-utilized financial and aesthetic entity of the city that needs to come to fruition to meet the needs of the city.

That said many folks are not anti-development, they would just like to see a better plan that encompasses growth, financial resource utilization, yet sustains a quality of life which we are accustomed to. Why is it that The Strand and Pacific City were blessed under the current units per acre and deemed viable yet now we need go higher in density?

Drew Kovacs

Huntington Beach

Let’s hope Cook challenges Rohrabacher again

Although Debbie Cook did not defeat Rep. Dana Rohrabacher in the 46th District Congressional race, she served notice that she can be a force to be reckoned with should she continue a bid for public office in 2010. Not so for “Do Nothing Dana.”

While Rohrabacher got his usual 81,000-plus votes, his margin of victory slipped by almost 10%, and Cook got almost 10,000 more votes than the previous Democratic challenger.

After the next two years of a Democrat administration and a solid Democrat Congress, Rohrabacher will likely be exposed for the “empty suit” in Washington, D.C., that he has been for more than 20 years. He will have no clout and no credibility.

Whether he can still stay in office is more a function of knee-jerk partisanship than effective representation. In the meantime, I am pleased that more folks outside the city of Huntington Beach have been turned on to the prospect of Debbie Cook serving them on a larger stage. Let’s all hope she continues to run for office next election.

Tim Geddes