MAILBAG - July 10, 2006

Law-abiding mayor gets support

As a Costa Mesa resident for more than 30 years, I am glad that we finally have a mayor who is a problem-solver and who has taken a stand for us, the law-abiding people of Costa Mesa. I was very hopeful when Mayor Allan Mansoor proposed to train Costa Mesa police in immigration enforcement, which was approved in December 2005. The only change is now it’s time for the training to be implemented and make our community safe and sound again.

I well definitely support and vote for the reelection of our honorable, law-abiding mayor.

VICTORIA PHELPS

Costa Mesa

With eminent domain looming, who’s in charge?

It seems eminently more reasonable for the city to lease the Corporate Plaza property for City Hall purposes than any other idea that has been propounded so far.

It seemed to me the height of arrogance for the Irvine Co. to say “we won’t sell” when eminent domain is clearly available. The City Council’s apparent meekness in response sounded like its members think the Irvine Co. is the decider here!

IRYNE BLACK

Newport Beach

Technology should be key to new city hall

I think that Newport Beach should lease whatever additional office and meeting space the city needs from whichever landlords give us the best deal.

In this Internet age there’s no need to consolidate all or even most functions in one “city hall” location. The city has far-flung operations in various locations, many of which could provide needed office space.

One would hope that our city fathers would embrace the concept of higher productivity via technology, and, like many businesses, reduce their reliance on, and expenditure for, bricks and mortar.

ED VAN DEN BOSSCHE

Newport Beach

Councilman should be careful when he writes

I would suggest that in the future Newport Beach City Councilman Tod Ridgeway reserve his lectures about a councilman’s “fiduciary duties” for another venue rather than using his position as a councilman, and wasting valuable ink, to shove his biased opinion down our collective throats on the same front page (above the fold, no less) he complains about (“Community Commentary,” June 27).

Ridgeway does not necessarily speak for the entire community. Based on the percentage of letters that the Daily Pilot has printed (approximately 8 to 1 in favor of relocating City Hall to the proposed park situs, according to my tally) he seems to be in the minority. What concerns me is that it appears that Ridgeway is more concerned in protecting a council member’s pride rather than respecting principles by suggesting that “a councilman’s word is his bond. Anything less betrays the trust placed in their individual elected position.” No one is suggesting that Ridgeway, or any other council member for that matter, “betray that trust.” All the people who have voiced their opinions publicly are asking is that the council revisits a decision that might not necessarily be in the city’s best interests.

And while there are those who might argue that the issues that Ridgeway raises in defense of leaving City Hall where it is are valid, I would suggest that they, along with Ridgeway and those who share his mind set, should take their collective heads out of the sand on the peninsula and move their thinking into the 21st century and face the fact that the center of the city has moved off the overcrowded peninsula and onto higher ground.

What Ridgeway fails to comprehend is that the priorities of the city have changed with the times and what was best for the city 100 years ago may not hold true by today’s standards. I seriously doubt that the peninsula will suffer any such decline as he has suggested. There is plenty of room for both a new fire department and more than enough land to generate positive change to a parcel of land that the council has allowed to fall into a state of disrepair for far too long, which speaks to the very issue of the council shirking their fiduciary duties in allowing the City Hall, which Ridgeway purports to have so much respect for, to deteriorate to such a state of decline and disrepair and remain in an antiquated location.

The salient fact that Ridgeway refuses to accept is this: presently the city has enough parks, some of which (the newer ones) appear to have been a waste of both land and taxpayers dollars as they remain virtually unusable and unused, and only one City Hall.

PAUL DRAKE

Newport Beach