The mayor’s bully pulpit

I was baptized by fire into the Newport Beach political scene in at

what Mayor Steve Bromberg called the “schmooze fest of the year:” the

Mayor’s Dinner, hosted by Speak Up Newport.

Hundreds of beautiful people got out of their luxury cars and

sauntered their designer-dressed selves into a grand ballroom at the

Newport Beach Marriott. Representatives from the offices of state and

federal politicians were all there, but none of the leaders

themselves. (We heard Rep. Chris Cox was snowed in on the East Coast

and couldn’t make it.)

Conversations were lively, drinks were abundant and the mood was

cheerful. After an hour of cocktails, smiles widened, ties loosened

and the boisterous crowd was herded into the dining room for the

formal program.

I don’t know if it was the wine or sheer charm, but emcee and

Daily Pilot columnist Peter Buffa was especially funny.

When I first saw his name on the program, I was a puzzled. Why is

a former Costa Mesa mayor speaking at a Newport Beach event? I knew

Buffa was a sought-after speaker in his own neighborhood (how many

candidate forums did he moderate?) but I had no idea his popularity

spread across city borders.

Turns out, I had a lot to learn about my neighboring city. But

that comes later.

As soon as Buffa took the microphone, I knew why he was there. He

wowed the audience with his New York wit and sarcastic sense of

humor. Even when he made fun of them, they loved him. He could do no

wrong in their eyes.

He ridiculed their cheerleaders, and they laughed. He told them to

stop whining about the ficus trees, and they howled. I was waiting

for him to tell a momma joke so they would give him the key to the

city, but it didn’t happen.

More jeers at his audience, a session of name-dropping, another

award presented to football legend Paul Salata, and the food was

served.

While the wine was still plentiful, the steak definitely countered

the effects of the alcohol when it hit the bottom of empty stomachs.

Red cheeks paled to a lighter shade of rose, and people became a

little more articulate. By the time keynote speaker Orange County

Sheriff Mike Carona finished his stirring speech about Homeland

Security, the mood in the dining room was downright somber.

Even Buffa, whose task it was to introduce the next speaker, did

not follow Carona’s speech with a comedic jab.

Servers had stopped pouring wine about 15 minutes earlier and cups

were brimming with piping hot coffee. Clear eyes, just above normally

pigmented cheeks, were fixed on the stage, waiting for the mayor’s

State of the City address.

Bromberg addressed his constituents in a bold and forthright

manner. Like Buffa, Bromberg exuded a tough Bronx attitude and began

his speech with some zingers, designed to evoke a few chuckles. Maybe

it was because Bromberg was from a rougher part of the Bronx or

because he had had enough chardonnay to loosen his tongue, but the

mayor plowed right through the Greenlight minefield that Buffa had so

carefully avoided.

While never addressing the steering committee by name, Bromberg

alluded to a certain group’s suggestion that city officials are

trying to manipulate the general plan procedure -- a plan designed to

outline development until 2025.

“This is just not so,” Bromberg said. “It’s not the case, has

never been the case, and the absurdity of such a comment is beyond my

imagination.”

Bromberg defended his council, saying the majority of residents

feel their elected officials are doing a great job. The voters spoke

loudly in the recent City Council election, he said, in which only

one Greenlight-backed candidate was successful. People in Newport

Beach deserved the best and they were willing to pay for it.

His austerity did not stop there. At one point during the speech,

he told complainers to “Put up or” -- slight pause -- “stop talking

about it.”

You would think after covering Costa Mesa, nothing would shock me,

but I was really surprised at Bromberg’s candidness. Afterward, he

told me that he had said what he felt and didn’t sugarcoat it for

anyone.

Perhaps it was a good thing the booze had stopped flowing. Despite

the stereo-type that Greenlighters are more, um, mature, I could

imagine a passionate, alcohol-induced rumble in response to such

comments.

That didn’t happen, but Bromberg delivered his message. And sure

enough, Greenlight Spokesman Phil Arst got it.

“It’s all just part of the game,” Arst said in a phone interview

Wednesday.

Arst countered Bromberg’s suggestion that residents are willing to

“pay for the best” by saying money could be saved by privatizing

certain services. Arst said he and Bromberg had debated

privatization, and the Greenlight spokesman realized the obvious jab

at his argument during the speech.

“He was contending the government is perfect at everything, and I

find that hard to believe,” Arst said.

Arst said he took offense at Bromberg’s chastised the

“malcontents” for challenging local government.

“I thought that was the American system,” he said.

It will be very interesting to watch these two colorful characters

duke it out in the public eye as the growth debate flourishes.

Welcome to Newport Beach politics.