Underdogs go on the offensive

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- The Riverboat Restaurant’s paddle wheel didn’t move

an inch. But inside the ship’s restaurant, the campaign for three seats

on the City Council picked up steam with the underdogs in each district

lashing out at their opponents.

“The one issue that’s going to differentiate [candidates] is the

slow-growth measure,” said Robert Shoonmaker, a candidate for District 5,

in his closing statement. He referred to Measures S and T, two opposing

ballot initiatives that address growth control in the city.

“As far as Ms. Beek is concerned, I don’t think that she has the

education or the background to handle the issue after the election,”

Schoonmaker continued, referring to his opponent Patricia M. Beek. “Steve

Bromberg [the third District 5 candidate] is on the fence. At best, he

doesn’t want to commit. At worst, he is in line with the developers. Look

at his endorsements, and make up your mind.”

Beek supports Measure S and has been endorsed by proponents of the

initiative. Bromberg has said he supports neither measure and instead

favors fixing the city’s existing traffic ordinance.

District 7 candidate John Heffernan and District 2 candidate Steven

Rosansky followed suit in criticizing their opponents.

“This is the old guard,” said Heffernan, pointing to his opponents,

former City Manager Bob Wynn and incumbent Tom Thomson. “I’m a little

blunt for this job and probably won’t get elected because I am.”

Rosansky told the more than 100 people in attendance that, unlike his

opponents, he’d deal with all issues the city faces. Gary L. Proctor has

made the airport issue his priority, and Dennis P. Lahey is concerned

about keeping the American Legion Post in its current location at Marina

park, Rosansky said.

“These are two issues, there’s hundreds of others,” he said.

Members and guests of Speak up Newport, the nonprofit organization

that organized the event, audibly gasped at the attacks. With the

candidates all supporting three separate projects -- a proposed bridge at

19th Street, the revitalization of Balboa Peninsula and a proposed Orange

County Regional Park in West Newport Beach -- their stands on the

growth-control measures remained the evening’s only question that

resulted in different answers.

As the only candidate who declined to offer a straightforward answer

to the question, Thomson caused a brief moment of uproar in the room.

“I am on the City Council and have one out of seven votes,” he said,

adding that he’d support expansion plans for the Connexant and Koll

Center and deny a proposal for a hotel and convention center at the

Newport Dunes Resort. “If all the City Council people voted like me, we

wouldn’t have the problem.”

Candidates’ votes on the slow-growth ballot measures:

Lahey: Yes on S, No on T

Proctor: No on S, No on T

Rosansky: No on S, No on T

Beek: Yes on S, No on T

Bromberg: No on S, No on T

Schoonmaker: Yes on S, No on T

Heffernan: Yes on S, No on T

Thomson: Declined to comment

Wynn: No on S, Yes on T

Measure S proposes to put before a citywide vote any development that

allows an increase of more than 100 peak-hour car trips or dwelling

units, or 40,000 square feet more than the general plan allowance.

Measure T would add parts of the city’s traffic phasing ordinance to

the city charter and nullify S, if voters approve both measures.

FYI:

Another candidates forum will take place at 10:30 a.m. today at the

OASIS Senior Center, 800 Marguerite Ave., Corona del Mar.

Broadcast times on the local cable channel for the Sept. 27 forum at

Newport Beach City Hall, sponsored by the West Newport Beach Assn., will

be at 9 to 11 p.m. today, 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, 9 to 11 p.m. Oct. 13, 4

to 6 p.m. Oct. 14, 9 to 11 p.m. Oct. 20, 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 21, 9 to 11

p.m. Oct. 27, 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 28, 9 to 11 p.m. Nov. 3, and 4 to 6 p.m.

Nov. 4.