Mailbag - June 11, 2002

I really can’t believe that some Costa Mesa City Council members

wanted to get rid of the swap meet at OCC on Saturdays. That must be a

real pain for them, not being able to go to the mall on Saturdays because

of the traffic on Fairview Road. Give me a break.

These vendors at the OCC swap meet depended on that business on

Saturdays in order to survive and support their families. If you ask me,

we should get rid of City Council members who are too selfish to

recognize the needs of their constituents.

ANDREW LEE

Costa Mesa

City Council has treated Westside unfairly

I live on the Westside.

Who made the Westside the dumping ground and why must we stay that

way? It’s so unfair for all of the residents who are forced to stay here

because we haven’t kept up with the rest of Orange County, all because

the past and present City Council has that leave it alone mentality.

What’s in it for them? There’s something rotten in Denmark. I have

never in all my lifetime’s 35 to 40 moves, been faced with a city council

that didn’t try to improve all of their city. Something is very, very

strange.

CARA FRYE

Westside

Children may some day stop sewage

As a field naturalist from Inside the Outdoors, I teach children about

the importance of water and the significance of our ocean every day.

I ask the kids to name some ways that the ocean gets polluted, and

they invariably tell me that the sewer empties into it. Of course I

explain to them that our sewer waste goes to a treatment plant, but

lately I’ve been letting them know that, in fact, 240 million gallons of

partially treated sewage is dumped into the ocean each day.

After the chorus of ews and ughs has subsided, I like to remind them

that in a few years, they will be old enough to vote. I just hope it’s

not too late.

LORI WHALEN

Costa Mesa

Race often serves as an unnecessary descriptor

I agree wholeheartedly with Editor Tony Dodero’s column as to when and

when not to identify an individual’s ethnicity (From the Newsroom,

“Healthy newsroom debates help the readers,” April 1). What was left

unsaid, however, is the media’s penchant for using a person’s racial

identity when describing a significant achievement or award such as the

first “black” actor or author or politician or athlete, etc.

Denzel Washington hit the nail on the head when at the Academy Awards

he challenged a reporter to leave out his or any other person’s ethnicity

when reporting a story.

Only when we stop isolating and identifying ethnicity (when

unnecessary) will we take the first step to racial equality and harmony.

DONALD RAMSAY

Newport Beach

Pilot provides food and a laugh

The Daily Pilot gave me food for thought and a good laugh. Though I

seldom agree with columnist Byron de Arakal, I share his opinion of the

recent about-face by the Newport Beach police in the paint-ball incident

(Between the Lines, “Wet paint on the confusing canvas of the Holdren

case,” April 17).

I said to myself, “OK, somebody with clout is pulling strings.” I

would be delighted to be proved wrong and await developments.

The laugh was supplied inadvertently by our brave, brilliant and

globe-trotting at our expense congressman Dana Rohrabacher (“Rohrabacher

‘sick’ of El Toro fight,” April 10). He actually is quoted as saying:

“I’m trying to win a war in Afghanistan.” I can just see the pudgy

politician in camouflage, guitar slung over his backpack, striding

manfully in his flip-flops as an aid pants after carrying a surf board

just in case the maps are wrong and Afghanistan has a coast with sets.

Thank you, congressman.

WALLACE WOOD

Costa Mesa