process and ambiguous options for electeds! Demagoguery comes
when "the people" are not informed fully....or are occluded
from the process of Representative Government.
Newport Beach has a 20th Century process which has served the
people (those that really don't care much) well for now over
100 years! It is very much like watching Fess Parker as Davy
Crockett when he ran for Congress from Tennessee. "Hey, have
a drink on Davy and send him to Congress!". Those were great
days...when we elected concerned veterans from World War II,
dedicated and caring people ran for office that loved their
community and wanted to keep it a lovely place to live. It was
a time when perhaps the biggest issue to be faced was a defaced
Pulic Restroom or an errant tree growing in front of someone's
ocean view plain!
But today is today and the great Irvine Company, as well as
the various Sons and Madam's of the Irvine Company have all
taken it upon themselves to guide and direct the fortunes of
Newport Beach. Allowing groups like Greenlight, Stop Polluting
Our Newport or even the Airport Working Group are certainly
not worth considering in any regard. Those groups have seen
their day....done their work for the power structure and are
no longer viable. "Concerned Citizens of Newport Beach" is a
newbie. CCNB is looking to protect our community from the
rabid influx of Rehab Homes and Drug Rehab facilities in Newport
Beach. They follow on the heels of the group of daring do
environmentalists and concerned citizens that fought changing
the location of the new City Hall to Fashion Island. So far,
both groups haven't won much yet. CCNB has been fighting the
Rehab issue for several years and found that lots of people we
would not expect..were deeply involved ..one way or the other.
The truth is: We have no City Leader that "the people" can go
to and ask for a "policy decision" or vote out if they are
insensitive to our needs. Lord knows that our City Manager
Homer Bludau..has been doing his best to fill the void, but
the problems are even bigger than what the designated Newport
Beach Bureaucracy can handle fairly or logically. We need as
a citizenry to find Leadership that can in fact Lead. Right
now, there is a sloppy configuration of 7 individuals all or
mostly supported by a back room group and power structure, all
with their own back pocket considerations which makes finding
the direct leadership we seek - rather unconvincing!
Those presently elected would be the first to argue that they
have a wonderful group of people that work together and that
this loose and relaxed oligarchy does everything either almost
perfectly or in the best way possible! Odd..that this basic
theme has been ongoing for just about 35 years. Remember the
great upheaval the election of Dick Nichols caused? They acted
as if the end days had come. One lone voice had them beside
themselves!
The issue is plain: We need someone willing to offer policy
choices to the electorate! We need someone that actually can
run "for something" rather than just because they know someone!
Ed Selich couldn't even get anyone to run against him in this
last election! Ed, by the way is a very nice guy but not
exactly Mr. Excitement!
To the point...we need to elect a Mayor! Irvine does so...and
has not fallen off the San Andreas fault! Why can't Newport
Beach have an elected Mayor too?
How about two things: "Vote for a Mayor!" and let's also "Vote
for Restricting Rehab Homes!" Oh, we have to change the Charter?
Great! Then let's do it! Time for Newport Beach to become the
City that it is - with all the warts and an elected leader!
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