MAILBAG - Oct. 14, 2006

Look at Greenlight I, II differencesIn the Daily Pilot’s many articles on the latest Greenlight measure, I have not seen a summary of the primary difference between Greenlight I (now part of the City Charter) and Greenlight II (headed for the ballot this November as Measure X).

Greenlight I says to a property owner: Before you are allowed to increase the land-use rights on your property beyond a certain level over what is allowed by the city’s general plan, you must ask the voters if that increase is OK. Greenlight II says to a property owner: Before you are allowed to use your existing property rights beyond a certain level already allowed in the city’s general plan, you must ask the voters for permission to use your property. There is a difference between adding to your property rights with a public vote (Greenlight I) and not being able to use your existing property rights absent a public vote (Greenlight II). A provision of Greenlight II requires that the city defend at its cost any legal attack on Greenlight II. If Greenlight II is passed, it is possible that requiring a property owner to submit to a public vote a project that he/she has a property right to build today without a vote, may provoke litigation. If that were to happen, the cost of the litigation would be borne by the city of Newport Beach (i.e. its taxpayers).

LARRY TUCKER

Newport Beach

Get political parties out of city electionsCosta Mesa City Councilman Gary Monahan on Sept. 27 alerted readers to examine the source of endorsements for city council races. Fine. Then he implies that, because of party endorsements, 15,378 Costa Mesa registered Democrats will vote for Mirna Burciaga, and 24,394 registered Republicans will vote for Wendy Leece and Allan Mansoor.

I doubt it. I prefer to think that Costa Mesa voters will base their choices on the candidates’ qualifications, not their party affiliations — which will not appear on the ballot, by the way. A growing concern of mine is the partisan politicization of local elective offices that, by law in California, are nonpartisan — and for good reason. The fact is, there are neither Republican nor Democratic solutions to the issues facing city councils. The job of a city council member is to be responsive to constituencies and exercise thoughtful judgment in matters of local policy while overseeing the effective conduct of the city’s business.

None of this is better performed because you happen to be a Democrat or Republican.

ROBERT SHELTON

Corona del Mar