Charges against Leece are unfair and...

Charges against Leece are unfair and unfounded

Standing on the moral high ground seems the easy way out for

Charlotte Alexander as she blasts former Newport-Mesa School Board

trustee Wendy Leece as “obstructionist” in her letter to the editor

on Jan. 4 (Mailbag, Saturday).

What was laughable was Alexander’s contention that there was “no

liberal representing Orange Countians in local or state government.”

Her assertion that “arch-conservatives” run everything represents the

portion of the electorate that virtually hasn’t got a clue. Instead

of dealing directly with the issues -- social engineering; taxes;

application of funds for non-educational concepts; free condom

distribution; political peer correctness; social curriculum dictated

by the teachers’ union; zero tolerance policies; lack of emphasis on

student excellence; and bureaucratic pay raises or use of state funds

for building classrooms rather than dedicated to increasing student

test scores -- what might be her opinions here? Arch what?

Suggesting that anyone with “fundamentalist” religious leanings

offers no logical position on the issues is bigotry and unfounded

accusation at best. Leece served eight years on the school board --

she has a track record. Name calling her as the “obstructionist”

seems a weak argument against her suggested policies. Reading between

the lines, Alexander should have just said: “Values don’t matter.

Reality doesn’t matter, and I don’t like people who have religious

beliefs.” While Alexander is certainly entitled to her opinions --

she should probably run for school board the next time -- there is no

doubt she would fit right in with the current administration and get

the support of the teachers’ union.

RON AND ANNA WINSHIP

Newport Beach

Thanks goes out to the Newport Beach Fire Department

In the early hours of New Year’s Day there was a fire in my

neighborhood, the Bluffs. I was standing next to the owner of the

burning home when a member of the Newport Beach Fire Department came

to ask her about her cat which was trapped inside. He wanted to know

where the cat was last seen. Someone went in and retrieved the cat,

which had been overcome with smoke. The fireman reported that they

had found the cat and were giving it oxygen. He then had to report

the sad news that the cat did not make it. He said it had not been

burned but death was due to the smoke inhalation. He was so caring

and so kind in a tough situation. I do not know his name, but I was

extremely impressed with his concern and approach.

JOYCE DUNIGAN

Newport Beach

An investigation is imperative in Newport Beach

Re: The Newport Beach City Council elections.

I really need to ask the question, whether or not you were paying

attention in your high school and college U.S. History and government

classes. Did you miss the chapters on muckrakers and reformers of the

progressive era ... all of those things? I think our founding fathers

and these people would turn over in their graves if there wasn’t an

investigation into this kind of thing. We have censure, impeachment,

certain things like that written into our constitution. So, of

course, an investigation into Newport Beach’s City Council is

warranted.

When the Daily Pilot reports that the calls would not have

affected the race, take a look at the total amount cast in Ridgeway’s

race, of all the candidates, and then take a look at the total amount

cast in Adams’ race. You’ll find that about 500 people chose not to

vote for anyone at all. How come? They all had the same ballots. Why

did they leave that one blank, when it came to the Adams’ race,

whereas they made some decisions in the Ridgeway race.

Because your newspaper endorsed these candidates, is this why

you’re trying to throw off and discourage the District Attorney’s

investigation? There is no excuse for this kind of government. If we

do excuse this than we’re no better than the governments in the

Middle East, Latin America and Africa. The ends do not justify the

means. That’s very important to America and it’s the freedom that we

enjoy.

So it’s important that we have honest representatives and it’s

important that they be above board. Maybe there’s a reason why the

18-year-olds don’t go out to vote. Maybe they just don’t trust

anybody in office.

We can’t give up on democracy. We’ve got to go ahead and make sure

that we have the best representatives possible and they should be

above board and their investigation must go on so that we have honest

representatives and they get into office honestly.

I just wanted to go on record that I think that an investigation

is warranted.

NANCY GANNON

Newport Beach