It’s time for Dick Nichols to go

Dick Nichols just doesn’t get it.

That is why it is time for him to go.

The rookie Newport Beach City Councilman has once again

embarrassed his city and his constituents with a shoot-from-the hip

comment, the latest of which implies he has a problem with people of

Mexican descent using the state beach at Corona del Mar.

Nichols has shown no remorse for the comment, contending he was

quoted out of context. But when asked about his opposition to

expanding the grass areas of the beach, this was his response: “With

grass, we usually get Mexicans coming in there early in the morning,

and they claim it as theirs, and it becomes their personal, private

ground all day.”

His explanation the next day was this:

“Why don’t you go down there and take a survey and see what

fraction of the people on the weekends are from where? You’re going

to see a predominance of people that don’t live in the area. My

statement was honest. It doesn’t say I’m discriminating against them.

Where the hell am I in any way discriminating or being a bigot by

making a statement that is blatantly true?”

There is a rule in the journalism business, which can also be

applied to this situation, that gender, race or nationality of an

individual or individuals doesn’t belong in a story unless it is

pertinent.

To do otherwise just feeds into racial stereotypes and fans the

flames of intolerance and hatred.

So Nichols must be asked the question. If he doesn’t have a

problem with Mexicans, as he and his wife have contended, why did he

bring up Mexicans in the first place?

Why did he not merely say “people” tend to use the grass all day?

Why is he opposed to expanding the grass area, if he has no problem

with people of Mexican descent?

The only answer we can surmise is because Nichols indeed intended

to make a point about nationality, that it was pertinent to his

point.

That is why it is time for him to go.

Nichols is speaking of a state beach, one that is paid for by the

taxpayers of California, not just Dick Nichols and his followers. It

is neither his business nor his place to attempt to deny or question

others, whether they are from Corona del Mar or Corona, to use that

state land.

That is why it is time for him to go.

There is no place on the Newport Beach City Council, or any other

city council for that matter, for someone who categorizes or points

out the faults or stereotypes of an entire group of people based on

their nationality.

There is no place on the council for someone who doesn’t represent

all of his constituents, whatever their creed or color or

nationality.

That is why it is time for him to go.

In his short time on the council, Nichols has already made his

share of questionable comments.

Just last month, he came under fire for implying at a Planning

Commission meeting that the commissioners were being paid off.

“It sure doesn’t look good. It looks like you’re taking money for

this one,” Nichols told commissioners.

Just before last fall’s election, Nichols, then a candidate, was

criticized by at least one local business leader for pointing out in

a televised council meeting that a motorist involved in a traffic

altercation was a “Mexican.”

Nichols later said he did not know the nationality of the man and

told our reporter he was concerned about illegal immigrants getting

special rights. Again, he had no knowledge of the immigration status

of the man in question.

“I have no reason to believe he was illegal,” Nichols said to our

reporter. “I was just pointing out that he was Hispanic.”

Again we have to ask the question, why does he need to point out

someone’s ethnicity except to further hurtful stereotypes?

That is why it is time for him to go.

Finally, we believe that those who supported and campaigned for

Dick Nichols last fall need to be held accountable, namely the

leadership of the slow-growth movement Greenlight.

Greenlight leaders solicited Nichols and placed him on a slate

that included Madeline Arakalian, Richard Taylor and Allan Beek, who

said this week that he counseled the Greenlight leadership against

backing Nichols.

In the name of their cause, Greenlighters stood arm-in-arm with a

man who now publicly embarrasses them.

Those very same leaders now need to join Mayor Steve Bromberg and

other members of the City Council and publicly rebuke Nichols for his

insensitive and inappropriate remarks.

They need to give Dick Nichols one simple message:

It is time for him to go.