Most Conservative City Council Member in Newport Beach - Nancy Gardner?

(Before you read this...if you read this...keep in mind that I've know Councilwoman Nancy Gardner from BEFORE she was on the dais, even before I got involved with politics in general. I also consider her a good friend.)

Councilwoman Nancy Gardner used to be registered in the Green Party. At least until she decided to run for the Newport Beach City Council in 2006, when she re-registered as a Decline to State voter.

So I ran into this article from Dana Parsons which confused the heck out of me.

1. LA Times wrote something of a somewhat Fiscal Conservative nature.

2. Councilwoman Nancy Gardner saying that Newport Beach needs to show some fiscal restraint in building it's new White Elephant.

Nancy's quote from the article,

"The interesting thing about Newport Beach," Gardner says, "is that while we have a lot of money, we also have a lot of fiscal conservatives. There were a lot of people from the beginning who said not only do we not need a new City Hall, we need fewer employees."

Very well said Nancy.

Nancy also was a proponent of keeping City Hall on the "not so glitzy site" on Newport Blvd, where it currently resides.

The article continues,

"Is it possible the costs could get out of hand?

"I'm very concerned about that," Gardner says. "I'm concerned because I didn't feel I was getting a real clear answer on what the real price is going to be.""

During this election season, I would have certainly expected to see the Councilman up for re-election Conservative Keith Curry jumping at the opportunity to show his Fiscal Conservativeness in this type of article, saying that:

• Government should be smaller
• Costs need to be watched and kept under control.

But Councilwoman Gardner beat him to the punch.

Fascinating.

Nancy's best quote?

When asked what kind of statement should the new White Elephant make?

"I don't want it to be something that goes bling, bling, bling."

Again Nancy, well said.