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Pilot endorsements:A quick voter’s guide

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As a reminder to readers, the following is a recap of the endorsements made by the Daily Pilot in the past month regarding Newport-Mesa’s city elections.

Costa Mesa

Voters should choose Bruce Garlich and Mike Scheafer. Costa Mesa for the past few years has been headed in the wrong direction. Focusing attention on enforcing immigration laws as a panacea for the city’s problems has done nothing to improve the community. Garlich and Scheafer have more reasoned approaches to immigration enforcement as well as more complete ideas about how to improve the city. Their ideas about a “downtown” development on the Westside are innovative and promising. Their focus on the Police Department, including increasing recruitment, are more compelling. They are more in step with a majority of Costa Mesa residents when it comes to solving problems of lack of playing fields, and they have the deep ties and community involvement that demonstrates their commitment to making Costa Mesa a better place to live.

Bruce Garlich and Mike Scheafer deserve Costa Mesa’s votes.

Newport Beach

From the unprecedented number of choices Newport voters have, they should pick Michael Henn in District 1; Don Webb in District 3; Barbara Venezia in District 4; Ed Selich in District 5; Nancy Gardner in District 6; and Keith Curry in District 7.

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Henn’s business background will enable him to quickly learn the details of City Hall business. Webb, who is running unopposed, has proven that he can reach out to all sides of the debate and bring a friendlier demeanor to the council. Selich, a longtime planning commissioner, has shown himself willing to make tough decisions but has done so without alienating residents. The choice of Venezia remains a protest vote, as she has pulled herself from the race. But a protest of dirty politics is needed in Newport. Gardner has impressively diverse backing that suggests she will be able to work with all members of the community, including those divided by slow-growth politics. And Curry has combined his deep knowledge of city financial issues with a responsiveness to his constituents’ needs that bodes well for the council’s future.

Newport voters also have two important choices when it comes to the city’s future development. They should vote yes on Measure V, the update to the city’s General Plan, and no on Measure X, an overtly restrictive growth-control initiative. Measure V will provide a rational way of handling the unstoppable growth in the city and across the county. It is based on the input of hundreds of residents and truly reflects what Newport residents want their city to be. Measure X, by contrast, limits development too severely and easily could stifle the business climate in Newport Beach and potentially keep homeowners from adding onto their homes. It puts the city at risk of lawsuits from those whose developments it shuts down, and it fails to realize that traffic and growth cannot be stopped by fiat.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District

For the school board, voters should cast their ballots for incumbent Judy Franco in District 5 and newcomer Karen Yelsey in District 4. Franco’s knowledge of school issues and connections with education officials up and down the state will continue to benefit the district, students, teachers, administrators and parents. And Franco has fresh ideas about how to improve schools on the Westside. Yelsey impressed us, as well, with new ideas and has a credible background built over years as a PTA president, director of the Spirit Run and a member of two principal-search committees. The Pilot made no endorsement in the open District 2 race or in the uncontested race for District 7.

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