Column: Newport incumbents refuse to let us hold their Feet to the Fire

Friday’s Feet to the Fire Forum at Orange Coast College will tackle issues facing Newport Beach.

The candidates running for council are: Tim Stoaks facing Mayor Marshall “Duffy” Duffield; Joy Brenner opposing Councilman Scott Peotter; Roy Englebrecht challenging Councilman Kevin Muldoon; and Mike Glenn running against Councilwoman Diane Dixon.

Unlike Costa Mesa’s Feet to the Fire on Monday, where every candidate welcomed the opportunity to appear, incumbents Dixon, Muldoon, Peotter and Duffield declined.

This isn’t surprising since they didn’t show in 2014 either. (Dixon ran unopposed, so she wasn’t asked to participate.)

This time around Dixon initially wrote she had “a conflict on the 21st but I’m trying to work that out.”

“The community has abundant opportunity to hear me answer their questions, which I love to do,” she later wrote. “F2F is really not a debate — if the other candidates are not facing their opponents. If the other incumbents would agree to participate that would be compelling for me to reluctantly change my plans.

“If not, I could possibly attend the meet and greet but I need to depart at 7.”

Showing up for the meet and greet portion of the evening, and not facing her opponent on stage, makes even less sense than not showing up at all.

Dixon’s opponent had his own thoughts on the issue.

“If they do not respect the public enough to be held accountable at a most widely publicized public forum during election, then hopefully they will be held accountable at the polls,” Glenn said.

The last four years have been riddled with controversies, including former City Manager Dave Kiff’s early exit, as well as resident lawsuits, complaints to the Fair Political Practices Commission, the Museum House referendum initiative and a failed bid to recall Peotter.

You’d think this group would welcome any opportunity to win over voters explaining their actions.

But no.

Stoaks, my friend and neighbor, has volunteered at and attended every F2F since 2010.

“In all the years I’ve watched Feet to the Fire forums I’ve seen races change because of it,” Stoaks says. “More than one candidate, who I thought had no shot at winning, got elected because they did well at Feet to the Fire, changing voters’ opinion of them.”

“How can anyone vote for candidates that won’t show up for a community forum to give the voters a chance to listen to where they stand on important issues?” Englebrecht said.

He had some strong words for the incumbents.

“Unless you have a real legitimate reason for not attending the Feet to the Fire Forum you should drop out of the campaign now, because real candidates show up and face the voters!” he exclaimed.

Will we miss the incumbents on stage?

Not at all.

Feet to the Fire’s unique political talk show format is about delving into candidate’s belief systems and personalities. It works no matter who is there.

And from the looks of it, the people confident in sharing their vision for Newport will grace our stage.

The evening starts at 6 p.m. with a candidate meet and greet on the patio of Orange Coast College’s Robert B. Moore Theatre, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. That’s the time voters can ask candidates their own questions.

The forum begins inside the theater at 7 p.m. It’s free to attend and all are welcome. Visit feet2thefireforum.com

Barbara Venezia is an opinion columnist writing political and social commentary since 2007. She can be reached at bvontv1@gmail.com