Mailbag: O.C. Climate Action Plan has promise

The Orange County Board of Supervisors is to be lauded for taking on the overdue task of making changes to minimize climate change by developing an Orange County Climate Action Plan. In particular Supervisor Katrina Foley deserves major credit for making this task one of her top priorities. The draft plan may not be perfect, but it goes a long way in moving Orange County in the right direction. The proof will be, after it is adopted, will we see major changes as a result of the plan.

Larry Kramer
San Juan Capistrano

H.B.’s city clerk race is easy choice

While Matt Szabo’s insightful article (“Heated contest for city clerk in H.B.,” Daily Pilot, Aug. 24) hints at this, the struggle for another elected position in Surf City’s local government goes much deeper. Ever since our outstanding city clerk, Robin Estanislau, announced her retirement earlier in the year, partisan special interests have been eyeing this office to further control our city.

First, it was partisan City Atty. Michael Gates, who was prepared to foist his wife, Kelly, on our local government despite her lack of municipal government experience. When that didn’t work out, those partisan special interests (especially the Republican Party of Orange County) have now settled on another “pro-business” candidate without municipal government experience, Lisa Lane Barnes, to be their designated hitter. Despite her alleged “business” credentials, Barnes’ qualifications seem purely political. This is why she has quickly received endorsements (and no doubt big money contributions) from not only the previously mentioned partisan special interests but the right-wing City Council majority members and their appointed minions. It was no accident that her sole civic connection has been her appointment to the city’s Community and Library Services Commission in 2022 by Councilman Tony Strickland despite no background for that position, either.

This contrasts with her opponent, Regina Blankenhorn, who has a long and distinguished career of municipal government service and is well-qualified to represent our city in this position. All the opposition can do is try and tear her down and discredit her accomplishments from another city. They should be ashamed! Who would our outgoing city clerk rather see take her place? Go ahead, ask her!

Pushing a political puppet into an elected position is further evidence of the council majority serving themselves and not the citizenry. Robin Estanislau has reliably represented the community and not the powers that be during her entire length of service. Under her, the city clerk’s office has been fair, honest and competent. It would be a disgrace to lose this important office to the vagaries and vicissitudes of partisan politics.

Tim Geddes
Huntington Beach

The question is who do you want as a city clerk? Google Lisa Lane Barnes and Regina Blakenhorn. Barnes comes up as a real estate agent and as a library commissioner appointed by Tony Strickland. Regina Blakenhorn comes up as a senior executive coordinator for the city of Tustin. I don’t know how much experience one gets from being a real estate agent and an appointed library commissioner who did absolutely nothing when our Huntington Beach Library was under threat of being privatized. Compared that to someone who has actual experience working with city management and protocols. No wonder Barnes and company hired an attorney to challenge Blankenhorn’s ballot designation. Barnes knows that besides being endorsed by the MAGA council members and city attorney, she has no background or real qualifications to be a city clerk well versed in city policies and procedures, and of course, being neutral when it comes to city politics.

Barbara Richardson
Huntington Beach

It’s common sense! Huntington Beach has a choice in the election of city clerk. We can vote for Regina Blankenhorn, a longtime Huntington Beach resident successfully employed for 11 years by Tustin in a similar position who will be ready on day one to serve. Or we can vote for Lisa Barnes, a local Realtor with no municipal government experience. Barnes was appointed to the Huntington Beach Library Commission last year with the sole purpose of destroying our public libraries through book banning, privatization and culling of professional librarians. While it is not common that election choices are so clear, it is common sense to vigorously support the best qualified candidate for our city’s future.

Nora Pedersen
Huntington Beach

Low voter turnout puts H.B. at risk

If you want a continuation of intolerance, hatred and MAGA-style conservatism, you have three Huntington Beach City Council candidates who will give you a full house of deuces and jokers: Chad Williams, Butch Twining and Don Kennedy. Unfortunately those choices will assure the joke is on us, namely in the expectation of four solid years of good government, integrity, responsible spending, and inclusion — all qualities we could easily sacrifice as well on the national scene this November. The selection seems to hinge on the number of people who follow governing decisions and cast votes accordingly. A good example is our lack of awareness regarding Huntington Beach’s effort to replace “Surf City, USA” with “The Soul of SoCal.” Most of us also lack awareness that in 2016 we spent $65,000 for a Texas-based advertising agency to provide it. Turns out a poll of H.B. residents revealed over 90% hate the new slogan. The abysmal voter turnout in H.B. last June gives cause to expect poorly vetted choices in the next election as well.

Jim Hoover
Huntington Beach

Trump support a turnoff

According to the Aug. 29 Daily Pilot article “7 make bids in Costa Mesa election,” Adam C. Ereth and Mike Buley are the two candidates running for the Costa Mesa District 1 council seat.

I live in District 1 and have a real interest in this election because the previous councilman was not a very good representative. In contrast, I am confident that Ereth will be a much better councilman.

The Daily Pilot article did a good job of describing the background of each candidate, particularly Ereth’s experience and involvement in Costa Mesa’s city governing functions.

However, the article did not describe Buley’s most concerning trait. Even though City Council positions are nonpartisan, Buley confirmed to me by email that he supports Donald Trump. To me this is a statement that he doesn’t care about truth, morality or legality. We don’t need this on the Costa Mesa City Council.

As a result, I will be voting for Adam Ereth for Costa Mesa’s District 1 Councilman, and I hope all District 1 voters will do the same.

Charles Mooney
Costa Mesa