Letters to the Editor: Trustee Karen Yelsey brings experience, deep familiarity to the race

In the Sept. 16 Daily Pilot, former Councilwoman and school board member Wendy Leece wrote an insightful commentary, “It matters greatly who serves on the school board.” This rings true more than many may know. Our “NMUSD schools are hubs for educating our community’s future.” Everyone needs to pay attention, whether we have kids in the district or not.

I too like the idea of fresh ideas and looking closely at the challengers who seek to serve our 22,000 students and manage our $300 million budget. It is not for the faint of heart, the inexperienced or the out of touch. For these reasons, those of us in Area 4 feel so strongly that the experience, commitment, tenacity and school/community engagement of incumbent Karen Yelsey overshadow her challenger.

Our kids don’t need political endorsements from folks who don’t live here, who don’t have kids in our schools or have no knowledge of how our district works. Here’s what our kids need: exceptional teachers who care for them as human beings, prepare them for their next academic stage and prepare them for life. They need school leaders who dive into the the most effective professional development, mental health/wellness programs, school safety strategies and make smart decisions to make those a reality.

They need leaders who know their schools inside and out and who listen to the community who they know from longstanding, meaningful relationships within that community. Most of all, they need teachers and academic leaders who serve for the sake of the kids — nothing more.

Ruth Sanchez Kobayashi

Newport Beach

Rohrabacher was smart to skip debate

I have to hand it to Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa). It’s not often that I have any praise for the decisions he makes, but he made a good one when he declined to show up for the 48th District candidates forum at Mesa Verde United Methodist Church in Costa Mesa. Had he been there, the standing room-only crowd would have spent 90 minutes noticing how poorly he compared to his challenger, Harley Rouda, who spoke intelligently and compassionately on a wide slate of issues, and who reaffirmed to many in attendance that there’s really no question who’s the better, smarter, kinder choice for our district. Let’s right a 30-year wrong, friends and neighbors, by sending a good and honest man to represent us in Washington.

Eliza Rubenstein

Costa Mesa

Mayor should debate opponent

As a Newport Beach resident, I am very troubled by the fact Mayor Marshall “Duffy” Duffield has skipped the recent Speak Up Newport candidates forum and, along with the other incumbent council members, the Feet to the Fire Forum as well. If they will not appear publicly and answer the public’s questions, they should not be reelected.

Craig B. Smith

Newport Beach

Line in the Sand’s horrible record

Political Action Committee Line in the Sand is supporting Joy Brenner, Roy Englebrecht and Tim Stoaks for Newport Beach City Council, which Brenner, Englebrecht and Stoaks tout on their websites. Stoaks was, in fact, a spokesman for Line in the Sand when it endorsed Phil Greer and Jeff Herdman. That says all we need to know about the ethics of these candidates.

Therese Loutherback

Corona Del Mar

Be water-wise, Laguna Beach

It’s great City Council candidates like Judie Mancuso and others are reaching out to knowledgeable locals for sustainable solutions to ocean pollution. As a first step, let’s up-cycle Laguna Beach’s wasted wastewater discharged just 1.2 miles offshore for perimeter wildfire protection and routine irrigation to also increase regional water conservation. Now that’s being genuinely water-wise while respecting the health of the ocean — Laguna’s foremost economic driver.

Mike Beanan

Laguna Beach

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How to get published: Email us at dailypilot@latimes.com. All correspondence must include full name, hometown and phone number (for verification purposes). The Pilot reserves the right to edit all submissions for clarity and length.