Letters to the Editor: Donation to OCC is a win for humanities (though STEM remains critical)

I’m delighted to learn that philosophy studies have been given a boost at Orange Coast College (“Record $1.8-million donation to OCC Foundation will fund philosophy scholarship”). It’s especially sweet that the $1.8 million gift from former philosophy professor David Johnston’s estate is also the largest donation ever received by the OCC Foundation. Take that, STEM!

Seriously, I’m a STEM kind of guy, having majored in aerospace engineering, and worked in that industry until retirement. So it’s not that I am down on science, technology, engineering and math. In fact, I love them. But I also love the humanities, and I’m glad to see a philosophy scholarship getting such strong support. I am gratified, because I’ve seen support for humanities wither for decades while employment-oriented studies, such as finance, business administration, and, yes, STEM, flourish.

Vital as earning a living is, people need more in their lives. One person’s experience: After graduating from college, I was thirsty for all that was not engineering. So, for years thereafter, during my lunch hour at work, I read books about philosophy, history and psychology. I went so far to quench my thirst for knowledge, that I was perhaps the only human on the planet who read through a dictionary on his lunch hours. (The plot was, of course, nonexistent, but the worlds that were suggested by new words were fascinating.)

Has this been useful to me? It didn’t affect my salary that I know of, but I’m wealthy in the understanding of life I’ve gained. I feel more in control, knowing more about how life works.

We have, nominally, 72 hours out of the week when we’re not working and sleeping. It can be rewarding to use some of those hours to sample the delights of the many rooms of the “mansions of philosophy,” as historian and philosopher Will Durant characterized it.

This gift to OCC has the potential to enrich many lives. Consequently, it is a gift to us all.

Tom Egan

Costa Mesa

Conservatives, settle your differences with unions

Thank you, Costa Mesa Councilman John Stephens for the detailed explanation of the recent agreement Costa Mesa reached with the Costa Mesa Fire Authority.

When have we ever seen such a cogent and detailed layout of such an agreement with the city’s first responders? Certainly not from the previous majority. Instead they were only interested in tearing down and exterminating the union, given their battles with them over the last 10 years or so when Councilman Jim Righeimer and company were in the majority.

It’s always amazed me that the previous council majority was always seemingly at war with our firefighters and police officers but then again this was always about trying to crush the union. It probably wasn’t because the unions didn’t align with their political beliefs; surely there must be some supporters within the first-responder ranks?

No, instead it was most likely because they weren’t on the receiving end of the union’s political contributions. You watch; should reality suddenly turn upside down and unions suddenly start giving money to conservatives, you bet they could count on conservative support.

It’s always about the money. Conservatives have proven time and time again that they will sell their souls for money, and it’s refreshing to finally see a council that’s more interested in our first responders being adequately compensated for laying their lives on the line to protect life and property. When did that get political?

And lastly, I believe we don’t compensate these brave individuals enough, given the threat to their lives they regularly face. Maybe some day conservatives will finally lay down their arms over their union battles.

Nationally, conservatives have already shown that their claims of deficit control are nothing but a bunch of hooey. I’ll wager we can probably count on the exact same mindset down at the local level as well.

Mike Aguilar

Costa Mesa

Mesa Water District rate increases far outpace cost-of-living expenses

The Mesa Water District is planning water rate adjustments. That translates to chocolate-coating a bitter pill. I protest.

My water bill in 2013 showed a charge of $3.15 per unit. The charge increased gradually in 2017 to $3.62 per unit. That is a 15% increase in four years.

The incremental adjustment will be $3.86 for 2018 to $4.72 in 2022. The total increase from 2013 to 2021 would be $1.57 per unit, or 27%.

I wish my Social Security benefits or my teacher’s pension showed the same percentage increase.

The district’s board of directors get big bucks for their time and effort. In fiscal year 2016, their per diem reimbursements ranged between $20,160 and $28,800. The cost of their health insurance ranged between $10,740 and $16,800.

The cost of the Mesa Water general manager (salary, other pay, insurance premiums, pension costs) totals $347,476 for fiscal year 2017. The executive office includes two people. Payroll expenses were $516,598 in 2014, $575,645 in 2015, no data for 2016 and budgeted $603,008 in 2017.

The public hearing, 6 p.m. Nov. 9 in the Board Room of 1965 Placentia Ave., will be a showdown. Please attend and voice your concerns.

Flo Martin

Costa Mesa

Peotter should be recalled

Councilman Scott Peotter moved back into Newport Beach in March 2014, just in time for the November election where he was supported as part of Team Newport in an effort to take over the city government. Narrowly winning, he is a sure vote for high-rise projects like the Museum House and he now wants to take the lead in giving us a General Plan that will lock his high-rise vision into our laws for the future. I have had enough. It’s time to recall Scott Peotter and elect someone with real community roots and connections, a new council member who will work to improve our quality of life and not be just a partisan, political hack.

Paul Blank

Corona del Mar

Spending city funds on preventing transparency isn’t responsible

Team Newport campaigned on a platform of fiscal responsibility, so why did it allow the city manager and city attorney to waste about $450,000 of taxpayer money trying to prevent me, a Newport resident, from obtaining documents through the California Public Records Act? How many other Newport residents have been similarly harassed and how much more taxpayer money has been wasted?

Kent Moore

Corona Del Mar

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