Letters to the Editor: Placing Reagan statue at Civic Center Park only drives partisan division

Once again, the tone deaf and ideologically driven members of the Newport Beach City Council used their super majority to rush through, without adequate debate or notice, one of their pet Republican agendas — to glorify one of their own. After years of plotting and conniving, they finally succeeded in sneaking in a statue of Ronald Reagan onto the grounds of City Hall.

This issue was fully debated years ago when the statue was first commissioned by the party faithful. It was conclusively agreed at the time that City Hall was not the appropriate place for partisan aggrandizement. As a generous compromise, the statue was permitted to be installed in in the Bonita Canyon sports field. It turns out that this compromise was a subterfuge, the proverbial slippery slope.

Granted, a large plurality of Newport Beach citizens will be delighted with this decision. However, others will see this as a slap in the face. What exactly was gained by this deliberately divisive move at a time when the nation is looking for ways for us to come together? I am truly baffled.

Jamshed Dastur

Balboa Island

Long-term Poseidon agreement is short-term thinking

Thanks to the Daily Pilot and staff writer Ben Brazil for the article recapping the Oct. 11 town hall meeting in Huntington Beach concerning the proposed Poseidon Water desalination plant (“Town hall meeting airs concerns about Huntington desalination plant before state hearing”).

For 15 years, Poseidon has pursued a plan to make money selling water. It was never about Huntington Beach having a dire water shortage; it has always been about making Poseidon money.

We no longer hear the refrain that Poseidon will build it, Poseidon will construct the needed network of pipelines and Poseidon will market it. Poseidon was unable to find customers. So what to do? Wine and dine water district board members.

Now Poseidon wants us to believe that those phantom water woes that they created can only be solved by its $1-billion plant, which has water districts buying Poseidon’s water under a contract that binds users of water for 50 years. In this age of rapid change who would even consider such a 50-year agreement?

John F. Scott

Huntington Beach

Do not define people by their race

Re: “I don’t see liberty and justice for all in my country,” Daily Pilot, Oct. 15. Our country has made tremendous strides over the last 100 years regarding race and equality. Do we still have room to grow? Of course we do.

I found the letter from Janice Horn part of the systematic problem facing our country today: the all-out assault on “wealthy white men.” Regardless of a person’s race or gender, some put in more effort than others, some make better choices than others.

As a Hispanic woman, I have many “wealthy” successful Hispanic men in my family, and some not so much. Today, we have to identify ourselves by race; how sad. The left identity politics has infected every area of life today.

Juli Hayden

Newport Beach

Rohrabacher is out of step with 48th District

I am a proud resident of Huntington Beach and have gleefully interacted with all the diverse activities, locales, cuisines and people that our 48th Congressional District encompasses. What I cannot understand is why we, as such a varied and dynamic constituency, continue to elect this anachronistic and obtuse man named Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) to represent us.

At one point he may have been aligned with the interests of our populace, perhaps back when he was first elected in 1988. But it is discouraging, to say the least, that his main tagline is the fact he was a special assistant and speechwriter for President Reagan, suggesting that to be his most notable accomplishment.

The only time he ever seems to make the news these days is when he is cavorting about with the Russians. Also, recall that he never organized any opportunities to engage with us during these last few tumultuous months of healthcare repeal and reform legislation.

I think this man truly represents someone who is out of touch and now just needs to be out of office. Hopefully, he will save us all the trouble and just retire, but otherwise I beseech my fellow voters to make that happen in 2018.

Atashi Mandal

Huntington Beach

I will miss OCMA if it moves from Newport Beach

Not some 20 years ago, I braved traffic on the 405 from Orange County to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to take in a once-in-a-lifetime retrospective of the greatest pop artists of the 20th century. It was amazing.

If a deal is eventually reached, our beloved Orange County Museum of Art could be forever shutting its doors and relocating. Currently outside Fashion Island, the museum is expected to one day be near the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

A few words must be said, in that this smallish building has allowed tens of thousands of people over the years to see the works of everyone from Robert Rauschenberg to Claes Oldenburg, to Andy Warhol; everything from lectures to group-participation activities.

Most of all, if they do not move with OCMA, I will miss the courteous and friendly staff, some of whom volunteer their time, as well the wheelchair they always provided free of charge (I have limited mobility). Although, you will be in a different place, my friend — you will be sorely missed.

Ralph Freda

Newport Beach

Thank you, Surfrider Foundation

I was happy to hear the Surfrider Foundation recently hosted a meeting on the perils of offshore oil drilling along Southern California’s coastline.

Having served as the coordinator of the No on Offshore Oil Drilling coalition of cities and the county in 1985, I have a deep appreciation for the task Surfrider and others might be facing.

Lest anyone forget, if O.C. beaches are closed due to an oil spill, hundreds of thousands of tourists, spending billions of dollars locally, will find another place to visit for the day or vacation for a week. As far as we were concerned in 1985, that simply wasn’t an ecological or financial risk anyone was willing to take. My hope is that same reaction still is true today.

Denny Freidenrich

Laguna Beach

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