Mailbag:

John Heffernan has usefully documented what most residents of Newport Beach already suspect (“City employee salaries remain a threat,” May 29).

The city’s costs have spun completely out of control, with salary and benefits of the chief of police rising from $166,160 in 2000 to $322,575 now and the fire chief currently earning $296,650, library director $198,795, and the city’s operating costs have increased 80% over eight years.

Heffernan didn’t even mention the ever-cost-escalating new city hall.

TOM MOULSON

Newport Beach

Measure should have restricted pay

In the May 19 election, Proposition 1F stated that elected officials’ salaries would not receive pay increases during budget deficit years.

In my opinion this should have been almost of the same wording except to leave off the word “increases.”

In fact, this should be the battle cry for the Republicans and conservative Democrats concerning all political jobs from local to the national level in the future.

Don Williams

Newport Beach

Disneyland takes good care of visitors

A place to remember is the Disneyland Hotel. I was recently at a conference held in the Grand Ballroom of the Disneyland Hotel.

I fell ill due to hurting my back, and the staff at the hotel are exemplary.

From the nurse who checked my vitals and blood sugar content to the guest services person who called for a ride for me when I missed my bus, I felt cared about, yet at arm’s length.

Professionalism and good service at the Disneyland Hotel is an everyday occurrence.

The conference went well, and, surprisingly, I discovered how unimportant I was to the conference.

We all like to think we are important to our profession, and I am an artist. It seems no one missed me, but I was always under the watchfulness of the staff of the Disneyland Hotel to make certain I was not seriously ill.

I observed carefully as children posed for pictures in front of the statue of Mickey Mouse, and was sure to remember the beginnings of Walt Disney (“It all started with a mouse”).

The staff at Disneyland is abundantly good, and the facilities make me feel at ease.

I plan to return soon to celebrate my birthday.

Sarah Moss

Costa Mesa