Irate activists deliver demands

NEWPORT BEACH — Angered activist residents have blamed officials for what they call a city inundated with drug-recovery homes.

They’ve accused former City Atty. Bob Burnham and Mayor Steve Rosansky of profiting from drug rehab, and they’ve suggested the city manager and current city attorney are covering up for past malfeasance.

They told the council this week they believe residents have suffered damages of more than $250 million because of inadequate regulations.

Officials have been largely defensive, but now some community leaders are battling back.

Airport activists, arguably one of Newport’s oldest activist groups, were upset last week when Burnham ended his contract as a consultant on John Wayne Airport issues, citing attacks from residents.

“I’m just amazed that anybody would be attacking him,” resident Nancy Skinner told the council Tuesday. “He’s done so much for the city, and we really need him for the airport.”

Rehab-home activist Bob Rush has charged that while Burnham was advising the city on rehab-home regulations, he also was operating a related business.

Burnham has said his wife works for drug courts but has nothing to do with rehab homes.

Rehab-home activists said their goal was only to get Burnham to file financial disclosure forms with the city, not to resign.

“They [airport activists] are free to work with whoever thy want to, but Bob Burnham’s track record with respect to group homes showed very poor judgment and they should be careful,” Rush said Wednesday.

Even before Burnham’s departure, City Attorney Robin Clauson asked to hand over all group-home issues to a new outside law firm because residents also have questioned her agenda.

With accusations of conflicts and cover-ups flying about, at least one resident wonders why city officials haven’t defended their own from the attacks.

“I’ve never seen a board or a City Council sit back and let somebody spew mistruths and degrade and tear apart staff,” resident Bob Caustin said. “If you remain silent, I believe that’s the same thing as tacit endorsement.”

City officials maintain that Rush and other residents haven’t produced any credible evidence of the conflicts they allege.

On Tuesday when Rush challenged Rosansky to explain whether he’d ever had a financial interest in rehab homes, the mayor asked Rush several times to produce evidence. None was produced.

“As far as I’m concerned he’s grandstanding,” Rosansky said Wednesday. “He makes these statements, he makes these allegations, and he never provides proof.”

Rush countered that he has given the city numerous documents showing Burnham’s conflict and no one has responded.

And as to his allegations about Rosansky, Rush said, “it’s clear from his responses he’s apparently hiding something and he needs to be honest and open.”

To some council members, the residents are understandably frustrated with the slow process of creating new regulations to rein in an issue they already think is out of control.

Other officials say they’re hurting their own cause by being abrasive.

But Rosansky said the council may have partly brought on itself the current fever pitch of accusations.

“We’ve emboldened them to do that by not saying anything, by not speaking up and by letting them push us around,” he said.

A meeting is not yet scheduled for the council to consider proposed new group home rules, but residents on Tuesday gave the city a list of demands signed by their attorney.

The demand letter calls for a probe of Rosansky’s alleged rehab involvement, reiterates that Burnham should file financial disclosure forms, describes the group-home rules residents want to see and states the city must comply with all demands in 45 days.

ALICIA ROBINSON may be reached at (714) 966-4626 or at [email protected].