Mailbag: Encourage young adults to participate in local politics

Re. “#citygovernment …not so much,” by David Hansen (March 6): Last week Stop Polluting Our Newport (SPON) hired a twentysomething Orange Coast College student videographer to record the Newport Beach Planning Commission meetings, which SPON is posting to YouTube. This is being done because of the Newport Beach City Council’s decision refusing to video record the commission’s proceedings.

When collecting the video files from the student after his first meeting last week, I commented that he must have found the proceedings tedious and boring, assuming what is implied in Hansen’s article. To the contrary, he said he found it interesting, not just the subject matter, but the human interaction of the various players. Granted, this young man is a moviemaker, who may be able to see the drama in what can be a long (in this case, four hours) tedious proceeding, but I wouldn’t be too quick to write off young people regarding local politics.

Young people need to be made aware of the nexus between their lives and what happens in government, especially local government. Local government is where an individual can have the most impact. This individual impact diminishes as you move up the government chain. Young people need to be invited into advocacy and taking action, whether for a clean ocean (think Surfrider Foundation) or health issues, such as the recently opened Orange County needle exchange put together by UC Irvine students.

Dennis Baker

Treasurer, SPON

Newport Beach

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Show leadership on low-income housing

I

read “City to consider housing measure” (March 3), and was encouraged that Councilman Jim Righeimer is looking toward low-income housing in Costa Mesa. However, his questioning attitude belies his leadership about the issue. In the article he challenges whether residents want low-income housing.

“If the people of the community want to do this, they’ll vote for it,” he said. “And if people in the community don’t want to do this the won’t vote for it.”

He is not listening to a large part of the community, and he is not offering leadership to secure low-income housing or permanent supportive housing in Costa Mesa. This is a “prove it” attitude.

The entire council quickly dropped any plans for supportive housing units on city-owned property several years ago. Where is the leadership in educating, compromising with nearby neighborhoods that objected to the plans?

Where is the leadership to use any other city-owned property?

Where is the leadership to partner with federal Housing and Urban Development programs and funding? Where is the leadership to partner with private agencies, such as Mercy House?

Where is the leadership to purchase the Fairview Development Center and announce and plan that permanent supportive housing and/or low-income housing will be built on the property? Where is the leadership, the advocacy for this type of housing as much as there is for the high-end housing planned for the property?

The council majority has promoted much development in the city, despite the comments and concerns from the public. Why is the proposal for low-income housing to be put to a vote? I doubt that it is only the need for funding?

Margaret Mooney

Costa Mesa