Mailbag: Voters, do your research

Please, please, please, research the candidates running for the school board. Party affiliation should have nothing to do with the most capable candidate! Unfortunately each party only interviews candidates from their party, picks a candidate and advertises for them. Wrong system and often the worst candidate is chosen. Choose wisely, please!

Martie OMeara,
retired educator
Costa Mesa

Who’s best to help lead Laguna Beach?

In this year’s election residents of Laguna Beach have seven candidates to choose from to fill three open seats on the City Council.

Running for reelection are two incumbents. One is the mayor who in the last year has proven she is unable to hold a council meeting without it turning into a circus of incivility, the cause of which is the other incumbent running who feels it’s his right to insult and bully all those who disagree with him including fellow council members.

Then there is the young man who has lived in Laguna all of his 24 years, but most of those years he was a child and for some he was away at college. He wasn’t born yet when we had the Walk the Canyon or the 1993 Wildfire. He lacks personal knowledge of much of Laguna Beach’s recent history or its politics.

Next, there is the real estate agent and stay at home dad.

Next, we have Village Laguna’s two endorsed candidates, Mark Orgill and Jerome Pudwill. They are both mature longtime residents with families and responsible careers. They both have experience and common sense the city has been lacking and are dedicated to preserving Laguna’s charm and unique environment.

And last but not least is the longtime resident, businessman and landscape architect who has spoken at many City Council meetings about the care and preservation of Laguna’s trees and environment. His opposition, the newest Political Action Committee started by Michael Rey, has sent out the vilest mailer of this election. There has been such outrage in the community over this despicable mailer that the result has been to encourage voting for any of the candidates running for City Council except Peter Blake.

Johanna Felder
Laguna Beach

Porter’s stance on police is worrying

The recent disclosure of U.S. Rep. Katie Porter’s leaked texts to Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan in which she unjustly attacks the Irvine police force as a “disgrace,” is truly disturbing and reminds us of Porter’s very public attitude toward law enforcement.

Back in June of 2020, Porter vociferously supported resolutions to vet police officers, citing “an epidemic of police brutality.” As of March 2021, she began accepting campaign contributions from “Courage to Change,” a left-wing PAC organized by fellow progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, to defund the police.

In an interview for CBS News, Seema Mehta of the Los Angeles Times, who covered Porter’s town hall meeting last summer, stated that Irvine police “quickly stepped in” to separate Porter supporters from nonsupporters and that it was difficult to discern who threw the first punch. Thereafter, the police arrested a man who lived with Porter at the time.

It is curious why Porter was so compelled to express contempt for the Irvine police to Mayor Khan just before Porter was to meet with the chief of police over the incident. As a U.S. representative holding a Congressional townhall meeting, she was aware that such events are open to the public, a fertile environment for that delicate balance between protected and unprotected speech.

Irvine is one of the safest cities in the country because of the mutual trust and respect between the police and the community, and yet Porter cast dispersions on the department. Moreover, she demonstrated very questionable judgment, texting provocative and gratuitous language out of unjustified indignation.

One can only conclude that Rep. Porter’s behavior is at the very least consistent. This is how she conducts herself here in Orange County and in Congress. As a resident and former mayor of Costa Mesa, I remain shocked and saddened.

Stephen Mensinger
Costa Mesa

Thoughts on Stapleton

Joe Stapleton is what it means to be a “citizen” — he is an earnest volunteer, a servant, a dedicated leader and someone I first served with on the charter commission many years ago. We have stayed in close touch over the years, and I know him to be a selfless and intelligent professional. Newport Beach would be blessed to have him on the council.

I can’t say anything negative about his opponent, Tom Miller, because I have never met him, seen him at a single city event, served with him, observed him in any capacity as a part of city or community life, or anything else.

Newport Beach will be well-served by its fellow citizen, Joe Stapleton.

David Bahnsen
Newport Beach

Fresh options emerge for N.B. leadership

Those of us in Newport Beach who want to see our City Council become independent again after years of Team Newport dominance are going to be able to vote for three very independent candidates: Tom Miller, Joy Brenner and Jim Mosher. Along with Robyn Grant who is running uncontested, the success of these four individuals will deprive Team Newport of a majority on the council.

Although Will O’Neill, who is often considered the leader of Team Newport, would like you to believe that the candidates he promotes have considerable experience, the fact that most of that experience comes under his tutelage, means that it has not been necessarily positive. The question has also been raised that if he believes experience in governance is crucial for a candidate, why did he work so hard to get Noah Blom, a restaurateur, elected to council two years ago?

Voting for Miller, Mosher and Brenner means that we will have people with positive experience and positive attitudes to share with the residents of Newport Beach.

Tom Miller is a very successful businessman who turned his auto detailing company into the largest one in the county with 850 employees. His reputation as a “people person” with an open door policy to his employees has become evident on the campaign trail where he has highly impressed residents with his affability and earnest desire to improve Newport’s City Council.

I was passing out fliers the other day and came across a house where the occupant was not there. On the doorstep was a rather lengthy personal note left by Tom Miller with a pen attached. Tom is leaving no stone unturned, and his popularity is very impressive by Newport Beach standards.

Jim Mosher could not be more independent or knowledgeable of Newport Beach city governance. He has pointed out recently how his opponent has voted for what he considers to be unpopular proposals that
are not in keeping with the desire by most residents to restrict growth. He wants to protect our city from aggressive building practices that will undermine its health.

Jim has been putting out newsletters on a personal website in his name detailing the bad decisions, contrary to building and zoning codes, that have been made by members of the Planning Commission as well as by council.
If elected, he desires to change council and Planning Commission procedures to adhere to established building and zoning codes and make decisions that are mindful of the Greenlight Initiative, which was passed by popular vote. He also wants to make sure city staff does not make important decisions that should be made by the council. I can think of no better person to protect the future of Newport Beach than Jim Mosher.

There is little need to elaborate on Joy Brenner’s positive influence in the city of Newport Beach. It has unfortunately led to jealousy and less than collegial support by Team Newport. She has the most vibrant presence among the other Council Members and is the perfect example of how a city council member should be. Always polite and interested in discussions, cordial to residents and extremely energetic, Joy represents the spirit of what we envision for our esteemed city. She makes well-thought-out decisions and remains independent through four challenging years on the council. She more than deserves to be reelected and to be able to work with the three previously mentioned independent candidates.

Lynn Lorenz
Newport Beach

Vote no on Costa Mesa’s Measure K

I have served on the Costa Mesa Planning Commission since 2018. I am against Measure K and its deceptive language.

Measure K proposes one thing and one thing only … it takes away Costa Mesans right to vote and decide what’s best for the city. The council would have you believe otherwise, and if the way they cooked up Measure K is any indication, it’s pretty clear that they are already not listening to you.

The proponents of K, and even the official communications from the city offer you certain “facts” which are not really facts at all. You’re being asked believe that K is the key to prosperity, the only way we’ll be able to save Costa Mesa, and that K will guarantee that “Costa Mesa is for Everyone.” Measure K does not guarantee revitalization, nor make our schools better, nor improve affordability, nor guarantee that even a single new home will be built. What is does guarantee is that the protections in Measure Y will be gutted and stripped away.

Developers, unions and real estate owners support Measure K. I don’t work for developers, don’t receive contributions from developers, nor am I a shill for anyone. You’re being asked to hand over your voice and your vote because they don’t trust you, and they don’t like that you voted overwhelmingly to approve Measure Y several years ago.

As a long-term resident of Costa Mesa who has seen plenty of council members come and go, most good, some not so good, I’ve seen what good development and good projects look like. I’ve also seen what happens when politicians are influenced by special interests, campaign donations or their own egos — when they think they know better than the residents.

Voting no on Costa Mesa Measure K is a simple vote for me, and should be for you too.

Jon Zich
Costa Mesa
Note: Zich is the Vice Chair (District 1) of the Costa Mesa Planning Commission.

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