Mailbag: School board works for students of all ethnicities and backgrounds

Re. “School board is not representative,” (Oct. 4): I am stunned by letter writer Martie O’Meara’s assertion that “there is no representation for Hispanic students” on the Newport-Mesa Unified School District board. She means that the board has no Hispanic members.

My response is, “So what”? I presume that all board members are dedicated to representing the entire student body, regardless of race, religion, ancestry or any other demographic factors.

Is she suggesting that only Hispanics can represent Hispanic students? Only blacks can represent black students? Hawaiian students need a Hawaiian on the board? Students of Arab ancestry need an Arab board member? Asian students need an Asian on the board? Where does it stop?

And if she is right, and this is how the school board works, then all board members should be dismissed immediately and replaced with people who will work for the benefit of all students, regardless of any demographic factors. I’d love to hear the board members reply to the statement that “there is no representation for Hispanic students” on the school board.

Randy Stratton

Costa Mesa

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Charter information is one-sided

The brochure titled “Answers About the Proposed Charter for Costa Mesa” seems to be a one-sided political piece financed by the taxpayers of Costa Mesa that does little to explain how the proposed charter contrasts with our current general law status.

What is needed is a side-by-side, compare-and-contrast piece that informs the electorate.

Yes, information can be found in other places, but the brochure may be the only item read by some voters, and it is sadly incomplete. As is well known in political circles, the populous, as a whole, will not look at multiple websites or even read the state ballot information that is mailed to homes.

If this little missive is it, then the residents of Costa Mesa have been poorly informed.

Judy Mader

Costa Mesa

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Stop partisan city politics

In the mail this morning there appeared an elaborate flier titled “G.O.P. Official Newport Beach Slate,” endorsing four of the candidates running for seats on the Newport Beach City Council.

For years I’ve been under the impression that those running for a City Council seat would at least make an effort to appear nonpartisan. Well, silly me, that apparently is no longer true in the political world we live in nowadays.

Nora Lehman

Newport Beach