MAILBAG - Oct. 6, 2006

Venezia has character, integrity for councilI am saddened that Barbara Venezia is withdrawing from the race for Newport Beach City Council. I support her because I think she is intelligent; has integrity and character; has done a terrific job for Santa Ana Heights Project Advisory Committee on our behalf; has a great personality; is gorgeous; and has the business background for the position. She also was not appointed by the Orange County Republican Party, and is not an extreme right-wing Republican.

Since I am a proud Democrat, the only other Republican I voted for was Dist. Atty. Michael Caprizi, who actually did his job. He also had integrity and went after Scott Baugh, a lemming Republican. The Orange County Republican Party, as usual, played dirty politics with the same smear campaign. Michael Caprizi’s opponent won with big money and dirty tactics.

I am proud that I am still supporting Venezia and will vote for her in the election. She is a great representative for Newport Beach (Santa Ana Heights) and we need more people like her in government

PEGGY CALHOUN

Santa Ana Heights

Venezia would have communicated issuesI am saddened to hear Barbara Venezia has withdrawn. I live in Costa Mesa and couldn’t vote, but if I lived in Newport Beach, snob city, I surely would have. She is an honest, decent person and has done a lot of things for the community. Her television years of experience would have given her great depth to communicate and represent the Newport Beach City Council.

I wish her well in her decision. It will be Newport’s loss.

LA VONN LARSEN

Costa Mesa

Dirty politics will get reward it’s dueI love Barbara Venezia, and I hate the dirty politics at the City Hall, which always is protecting big companies and special services for their own interest.

We are intelligent people and we know how to react to these situations.

LEONARDO FLORES

Newport Coast

Paper should have been more sensitive with storyI was deeply saddened by the story I read on the front page of the Pilot on Sept. 13, 2006, “Man’s dead after he’s hit by truck.” After all, this was the son of a very close friend of mine. However I was more upset by the insensitive paragraph at the end of the article stating that he “had been previously arrested for public drunkenness in Newport Beach.” Unless he had been arrested earlier that evening or alcohol had played a factor in the accident, I believe that paragraph could have and should have been left out. Airing of hurtful and unfortunate facts concerning the deceased, but irrelevant to the fatal accident, should have been omitted. God forbid we spare the family additional heartache.

JANE OWEN

Newport Beach