Letters to the Editor: South Coast Plaza won’t be the same without Sears

Living only a few miles from South Coast Plaza, that location is typically my shopping venue for gifts. In past years I usually park near the Sears store and make my way from that point to the other stores for my shopping and can always find my car just outside Sears when finished.

I still recall some old anchor tenants like May Company, Robinsons and Bullock’s — all of which are gone now. The concept of shopping as we know it has changed drastically to the extent that our beloved Sears will soon become just a memory.

I’m wondering what will be put in that vacant shell that used to sell us just about everything we ever needed. I guess I am old school and prefer to shop live at stores with other people rather than buy online. My new problem now is where will I park at South Coast Plaza after the Sears sign rides into the sunset?

Bill Spitalnick

Newport Beach

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Diane Dixon warrants reelection

As a former mayor and Citizen of the Year, and a 50-plus-year resident of Newport Beach, I urge my fellow Newporters to re-elect Councilwoman Diane Dixon in District 1. I know Dixon to be a hard worker, an excellent listener, smart and caring, and a natural leader. She has demonstrated all these qualities in her first four years in office.

I have watched with admiration as she has navigated the crosscurrents and occasional storms of city politics with balance and grace — and always with the best interests of the city as her first concern.

Her investment in the community goes well beyond the home she owns here. It includes also the hundreds of hours spent in meetings, town halls and one-on-one discussions with residents, in briefings and reading reports from the city staff and other agencies as well as non-governmental stakeholders, and the late nights in meetings of the City Council and other boards and committees she serves on.

Smart, capable, ethical and dedicated to the residents of Newport Beach and our shared quality of life, Dixon is exactly what a City Council member should be. Let’s recognize and reward her excellent work, and return her to office on Nov. 6.

Evelyn Hart

Newport Beach

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Keep parties out of city races

If the question was asked of District 6 candidate Joy Brenner whether she prefers Cheerios or Wheaties for breakfast the answer would be that it has nothing to do with the Newport Beach City Council. The same can be said if questioned about her political party affiliation. The answer again would have to be that political parties have nothing to do with the City Council. It is nonpartisan. Those who try to make the City Council race about political parties evidently did not pay attention to high school civics.

Using partisan politics to attack Joy Brenner in a nonpartisan election must mean that her opponents have nothing of critical substance to say about her record of decades of outstanding selfless, volunteer community service in many areas of Newport Beach.

I have known Joy for 33 years and worked with her as a volunteer in her earlier years. She is honest, responsible and dedicated to serving her community. She politely listens to input from all sides and objectively makes her decisions. She loves her hometown of Newport Beach, where she grew up, and is not beholden to doing the bidding of any special interest or political party.

Carol Boice

Newport Beach

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Rouda is the better choice

The Republican Party has become the party of President Trump, and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) has simply tagged along. We already know of his trips to Russia and support for Vladimir Putin. He doesn’t believe property owners should be compelled to sell to gay buyers and denies climate change.

This all may be fine in the Trump world but in no way benefits his constituents or represents the Republican Party I used to know. I’m hopeful independents and other Republicans can see through Rohrabacher and vote for Harley Rouda.

Daniel Ardell

Laguna Beach

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Rohrabacher is the better choice

Although congressional candidate Harley Rouda claims to be a champion of small business, he rails against the Trump “tax cuts for the rich.” I don’t know if this is simply a Democratic talking point he feels the need to parrot or something he truly believes. If it’s the latter, he can’t be interested in promoting small business since most private sector job creation comes from small- to medium-sized businesses. Proprietors of these small businesses are taxed at the personal level. Raising taxes will disproportionately affect those among us who have the ability and willingness to create jobs.

Steve Borowski

Laguna Beach

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