A red flag for Greenlight

The furor over Newport Beach City Councilman Dick Nichols’ comments

about Corona del Mar State Beach would have been dramatic enough had

they only focused attention on a lone politician.

But given Nichols’ ties to Newport’s controlled-growth group,

Greenlight, the storm whipped up by his remarks threatens to cut a

path of destruction across the city’s political landscape.

Why? Because, whether the Greenlight folk like it, they are tied

closely to the candidate they backed on a slate this past fall. And

at Tuesday’s council meeting, where more pointed debate is sure to

focus on Corona del Mar’s councilman, Greenlight seems certain to

take more abuse.

Some of that abuse is deserved. Having had a number of discussions

with Nichols, I know that he is not a man who is politically

polished. And while that is not bad, per se, it does make for a bad

representative for a relatively new political group with enemies

eager to jump on whatever mistake they can.

Any vetting--the background checks routinely done on

candidates--of Nichols should have raised a red flag about his

potential to say the wrong thing (politically speaking, and setting

aside, entirely, the rightness or wrongness of what he said). And

with Greenlight trying to get a foothold in Newport Beach’s political

power structure, an unpolished, gruff-speaking candidate should not

have made the ticket.

On the specifics of Nichols’ comments, Greenlight spokesman Phil

Arst, said: “I don’t think our vetting process would have brought

that out.”

That’s likely true, although perhaps a more thorough look,

including talks with acquaintances or business associates, would have

shed light on his penchant for speaking quickly on subjects.

Still, any vetting done of former Mayor John Noyes did not pull

his skeletons from the closet. The process is far from perfect.

“We did the best we could,” Arst added. “We’re an amateur,

volunteer group.

“People get on the council, they act on their own.”

Greenlight, then, can be blamed for poor political judgment when

they needed sparklingly clean and polished candidates. Rick Taylor,

who’d been through at least some political machinations as a member

of the Airport Working Group, comes across as a smarter choice.

(Although, of course, Nichols won and Taylor did not. Go figure.)

And, if you find Nichols’ comments abhorrent, you can blame

Greenlight for not denouncing him and calling for him to resign.

Beyond that, though, tying Greenlight to everything Nichols says is

unfair. In the initial aftermath of Nichols’ beach comment, former

Mayor Evelyn Hart, one of the original Greenlight proponents, told

the Pilot that Nichols’ comment does not and should not reflect on

Greenlight’s core issues.

“I have no idea where he’s coming from with these comments,” she

said. “Dick Nichols does not represent Greenlight when he’s talking,

and this is certainly not a Greenlight issue. ... Greenlight is about

traffic and making sure that our street system works. Any council

member who has supported that philosophy, we have supported, and I

would hope that we continue to.”

Of course, Greenlight is being tied to Nichols for what appears to

be transparently political motives, especially when one takes a look

at the drive to recall the councilman.

Initially, it appeared to be a crusade by a local businessman,

upset by comments Nichols had made, saying he had been sitting on the

recall effort for months, but now could take no more.

“Nichols does not belong on this council. If he doesn’t resign, we

will recall him,” Lloyd Ikerd said at a June council meeting.

Now, beyond being behind the potential recall effort, Ikerd is one

of two residents who are on the record as wanting to run for Nichols’

seat if he is removed or resigns. The other, Laura Dietz, ran against

Nichols in this last election.

Ikerd is also a member of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce’s

Commodores Club, a group about as opposed to Greenlight as can be.

Plus, he doesn’t live in the Corona del Mar council district and

would have to move to run for the seat.

That, as they say, is politics. All’s fair.

* S.J. CAHN is the managing editor. He can be reached at (949)

574-4233 or by e-mail at [email protected].