Community will be better off with Moorlach

Newport-Mesa residents have much to cheer about following Tuesday’s elections, but no result should have a better ripple effect here than county Treasurer John Moorlach’s win for the Orange County supervisor seat that includes both of our cities.

The most obvious reason why Moorlach’s win is a big victory for Newport-Mesa is that he lives here. Moorlach is a longtime Costa Mesa resident who has raised a family in this community. He understands its needs, what makes it tick and the political and economic currents that drive it. He’ll be the first Newport-Mesa resident to sit on the board since Marian Bergeson left office ? back when the 5th District included Newport Beach ? in 1996 to become state secretary of child development and education.

Those unconvinced that having a native on the board is important need look no further than a single county issue ? with Newport Beach and Costa Mesa coming out on the losing end ? that was decided in those intervening 10 years. Though the El Toro airport might have never flown, given the changing demographics of Orange County, not having a person on the board who woke up to John Wayne Airport flights every morning could not have helped the pro-airport cause.

Moorlach brings more than just a proper ZIP Code. Still most famous for predicting the county’s bankruptcy in 1994, Moorlach’s continued fiscal conservatism fits neatly into the mainstream of this community. His skepticism of spending, not to mention of public employee unions, will mirror many of his constituents in Newport-Mesa. When he tries to rein in spending, he will be following the wishes and beliefs of those same supporters.

What more can voters ask of the politicians they send to office?