The Dredge Mobile is coming to town!

How many years has it been now? Seems
like ever since Congressman Chris Cox left us
to go to the Securities and Exchange Commission
...Newport Beach has been without a voice for a
Dredge in the bay! We never knew what magic
that Chris was able to conjure up.....but for
all his many years serving the 48th District...
we always got our Dredge money..every year.

Then came Congressman Campbell. Another handsome
and seemingly together vestige of responsibility.
John said he was Conservative fiscally and socially.
John said he was going to continue the Chris Cox
tradition of the "highest and best use" for each
and everything. Well, for about five years things
have not lived up to expectations and have been
bleak. No Dredge money from the Federal Government.
Maybe it was just because John Campbell was just a
junior Congressman and had little clout. Maybe it
was because of his single minded desire not use
"carve outs", "ear marks" or "special projects"
Federal money for anything but basics. He had very
little trepidation giving BailOut money to US
Automakers however! Along with trillions to those
Investment Banks.....oh well. Who cares about a
Dredge...when you can have lunch with Bankers?

In any event, Campbell didn't quite get the idea of
how important "The Dredge Money" was to Newport Beach.
We needed new sand too. The Feds could always help
there too. But did they? Hey, it got so bad that we
had to bring in the bench players: Congressman Ed
Royce(who has plenty to do for the Fullerton area),
Loretta Sanchez(who has plenty to do for Garden Grove),
Ken Calvert and even Senator Diane Feinstein...too!

Good grief....Chris Cox must have been some sort of
Congressional Studly Doright to need that many players
to replace him....on Dredging.

Today, Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff announced
that the Feds had awarded the City of Newport Beach
...not the $13 million dollars they needed, but $17
million dollars so that we could even water test for
ocean and bay pollution occasionally. We officially
thank all concerned for their efforts...so that our
bay can have tidal flush, our docked yachts enough
water under them..not to go aground, removing the
excess sand bars which are navigational hazards and
keeping the Newport Harbor the vital waterway that
it must remain.

An election is coming next year for Congress in the
48th District. Debbie Cook of Huntington Beach may
run, Steve Young, the perennial candidate will run
and hopefully someone will challenge John Campbell
to raise the bar. Whoever is chosen must resolve
without equivocation...that Newport Beach will get
Dredge Money.....each and every year...we need it.