Mailbag: Team Newport’s proposed service cuts are a concern

Bob McCaffery’s recent commentary, “Team Newport is asking the right questions on the council” (June 10), was an interesting exercise in mental gymnastics by McCaffery to rationalize the increasingly irrational and counterproductive initiatives of Councilmen Scott Peotter, Marshall “Duffy” Duffield and Kevin Muldoon.

What services and facilities in the budget do McCaffery’s guys want to cut, exactly?

Peotter tried to reduce the vitally needed increase in police presence on the Peninsula, substituting his knowledge for that of the police chief. Mayor Pro Tem Diane Dixon wisely voted with the interests of the people and defeated this effort.

Although they voted against the budget that funded the police, even Muldoon and Duffield distanced themselves from Peotter on this when called on it during the recent public comment period at City Council.

Peotter, supported by Duffield and Muldoon, tried to delay and thus eliminate the needed remodel of the 50-year-old Corona del Mar library and fire station. Muldoon suggested eliminating the Westside Community Center.

Duffield wants to turn our beaches over to the state, eliminating our lifeguards. He is apparently unaware that the 2014 analysis of using state parks personnel at Corona del Mar found they were more expensive than our own Newport lifeguards and were strongly opposed by residents.

The three of them tried to delay completion of Marina Park. These three actually believe we have too many parks, libraries and community centers.

Their new idea is to spend tens of thousands on an “audit” so that they can continue to campaign against City Hall rather than move our city forward. The cost of this incompetence can be measured in the millions.

Residents should pay attention to the attack on city services being waged by these three. It was too much for Dixon. I think it is too much for our community.

Jeff Herdman

Newport Beach

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Front-page photo soars

Daily Pilot photographer Scott Smeltzer’s photo of a falcon soaring in the breeze is a fun photo . The detail of the feather patterns is lovely.

Thank you, Scott, for the delightful front-page photo (“Fledgling falcons that fell from Newport office tower get fresh chances to fly,” June 11).

Al Wonders

Newport Beach