Letters to the Editor: Effort to recall Councilman Scott Peotter is a solution in search of a problem

Groucho Marx was right when he famously said, “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.”

The Scott Peotter recall is the wrong remedy.

Defeated City Council candidate Michael Toerge and recall proponent Lynn Swain have driveled out a stream of letters accusing Peotter of everything but causing malaria.

Peotter is one of those rare politicians who does what he’s promised — a novel concept to Toerge, Swain and former Councilman Keith Curry (a Peotter critic).

Peotter led the charge to repeal the dock tax, return wood to our beach fire rings, audit the Taj Mahal (Civic Center), respect private property rights and kill unnecessary projects like the $25-million West Newport community center.

Newport’s finances are solid, home values continue to rise and we are one of the safest communities in the state. The council is working to reduce our massive, unfunded pension debt, despite having little control over the abysmal investment performance of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERs).

Swain and Toerge want Peotter recalled simply because they don’t like him. He’s not “their kind of guy” because he speaks his mind and advocates for taxpayers.

Bob McCaffrey

Volunteer Chairman, Residents for Reform

Balboa Island

Huntington Beach boardwalk needs maintenance

During my recent bike ride from Fountain Valley to Newport Beach, I was saddened to find that Huntington Beach’s boardwalk is no longer well-maintained or safe for cyclists. I’d like to ask the city and state, who share responsibility, why this is the case?

Huntington Beach has had a windfall of tax profits from hotels, Pacific City and new business. In addition, fee-paying groups use the facilities for races, fun runs and sporting events. Failing to maintain the boardwalk has economic consequences.

The blacktop itself is in a state of disrepair, with large cracks, bumps and fissures that cause damage to bikes riding through or skaters and young kids to fall.

Worse, the yellow bike racks have been removed from the previous near-to-water location, in clear view of beachgoers, to a location far from the watchful eyes of bike owners. I did not feel safe in any way leaving my bike out of sight by the parking lot. It would be a prime target for a quick “clip and run” job, accomplished from the near-empty parking lot., where the bike racks are now stationed.

My cycling friends normally spend between $150 and $200 when we ride through Huntington Beach, stopping at Pacific City or Main Street for lunch or snacks. This time, due to recently relocated bike racks, we continued on to Newport, where we found bike racks within our eye’s reach.

In the spirit of keeping up with new trends in healthy living, outdoor sports and the myriad multi-sport users (runners, skaters, moms with strollers, small kids) who use the boardwalk, let’s start discussing sprucing up the area and making it encouraging, rather than deterring outdoor enthusiasts who would like to stay and spend money in Huntington Beach.

Can anyone give answers about plans to update the sad shape of the blacktop? Have other cyclists had problems with flat tires or movement of bike racks? I’d like to hear from others and begin focusing on ways to make our beach community attractive for users of all kinds.

Roseanne Greenfield

Fountain Valley

Foley’s time will come again

Congratulations to certain City Council members for bringing Costa Mesa city politics back to the bad old days of bitter partisan council battles and the wasted energy those battles bring.

Recently, as has been well-documented, these council members — Sandy Genis, Jim Righeimer and Allan Mansoor — have instituted a palace coup to engineer the replacement of Katrina Foley as mayor.

It has never been a secret that the angry duo of Mansoor and Righeimer have not gotten along with Foley and oftentimes voted as a minority block against the previous majority headed by her. It is understandable that people have differences of opinion and position with regard to their personal vision for the direction of the city.

However, to bring about an engineered ousting of the sitting mayor is such a waste of the council members’ time that could have been devoted to reaching compromise on the differences within the council.

Instead, the duo and their new, unwitting foil and ally, have engineered a deal to once again throw the council into turmoil as they try to degrade and embarrass the hardworking and civic minded former, and rightfully appointed, mayor, just because she demonstrated that she would not bow down.

All of this maneuvering is designed to discredit Foley in her bid to be elected mayor next fall. The real battle will come in the upcoming mayoral elections when residents get a chance to elect the mayor. I can’t wait for the good guys to win — again.

Michael Wo

Costa Mesa

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