Gotch and the Plunge

About your story “Did Gotch Take the Wrong Plunge?” (April 19).

Mission Beach is not all there is in Mike Gotch’s district. As former chairwoman of the Pacific Beach Community Planning Committee, I have had many years of dealing with the City Council. Most of the time, Mike has been supportive of the desires of the community, and his office has always been accessible. In the few instances when his opinion diverged from the planning committee’s, his position was well-articulated and understandable. That doesn’t mean that he necessarily convinced us (nor we him)--just that we dealt with each other with respect.

It seems to me that people who are opposed, especially when there is a large group of them, tend to get angry, which clouds their judgment. That is, I believe, the problem with Mission Beach. People are irate; they have indulged themselves in name-calling and baseless accusations, and have found compromise unacceptable. There are times when there is no easy ground, when both sides have to give way a bit in order to continue to live in harmony. That time seems past as regards the Plunge and Mission Beach Park.

We should, however, take look at Mike Gotch’s entire record: Efforts at preserving the beach, exemplified by the sandbagging during the big storm and the remodeling of the Pacific Beach “boardwalk” into a life-enhancing park.

In Clairemont, he has responded responsibly to community concerns over low-cost housing and Montgomery Field. He has faced thorny zoning issues with aplomb. He is actively dealing with the school board amid the acrimony of sale of former school properties, an issue of extreme importance in San Diego.

Mike’s compromise of the Mission Bay Bridge plan to bring the least disruption and most benefit to Crown Point was a masterpiece of negotiation. His conduct of several meetings of angry residents was an object lesson of how to draw sensible information from a sometimes rowdy, always emotionally involved neighborhood. One could not help but admire his skill.

The move to impeach Gotch, orchestrated by a group of former friends in Mission Beach, is unwarranted and thoughtless. Why destroy a long, usually amicable relationship over one issue? Who would return to days past when we saw our councilman only at election time? When phone calls were not returned? When we felt truly unrepresented? Mike Gotch is of our community, a friend, someone we can talk to.

I have heard some Mission Beach people argue that their phone calls are not returned any more. I suspect that is because they are abusive. From a purely human standpoint, it is not pleasant to speak to someone, even a voter, who is not willing to listen to an opposing viewpoint. Gotch and his staff are human and are not paid to take abuse.

We have in Mike Gotch a thoughtful, bright and experienced councilman who has done a lot for our community, as well as for the rest of San Diego. He is concerned for our environment, for its livability.

Mike Gotch isn’t perfect, but he’s done a fine job as councilman and I thank him for it.

CATHERINE A. STROHLEIN

San Diego