Cook isn’t even a good representative...

Cook isn’t even a good representative

Enough already with the organized letter writing campaign to place

the obnoxious Debbie Cook on the California Costal Commission. Did

the Independent create this campaign? You always seem to have the

same five or six people in the letters section, always agreeing on

the same things you promote.

Debbie Cook was a terrible mayor and a horrible representative for

our city. She promoted a personal agenda above the best interests of

the citizens and her legendary abrasiveness and cynicism gave

Huntington Beach a black eye in the rest of the county. She’s rude,

self-centered and doesn’t listen to anyone but those who agree with

her. On second thought, she’d fit right in with the current Coastal

Commission.

RICK TORRES

Huntington Beach

An airport is sorely needed at El Toro

Huntington Beach residents take overflights of airplanes

seriously. The only thing that keeps the transport planes from

running into each other is the different altitudes of their

approaches to Long Beach and John Wayne airports. Long Beach

approaches from the East Coast are the lowest. They let down over

Cota de Caza and Irvine, cross John Wayne airspace and turn to final

over Costa Mesa’s Mesa Verde. John Wayne flights come ashore at the

Huntington Beach Pier and then go over Orange and Santa Ana, doing a

hair pin turn before landing at John Wayne. The banner planes are

flying at a lower altitude than the others.

When the planned El Toro International Airport is opened, most of

the Huntington Beach overflights will stop. Long Beach will not have

to grow, John Wayne will contract, and the banner planes will

concentrate on South County, where population is exploding.

In Sounding Off, Jan. 9, Rex Rick wisely points out that Measure W

weakens open space protection in Orange County, particularly Bolsa

Chica and the El Toro military buffer zone. Currently, the state has

kept this buffer zone intact. Yes, we need the El Toro Airport as

soon as possible. No one is in the noise zone at El Toro. The

landings are over industrial tracts and golf courses. The takeoffs

are over open spaces and tollways. It’s time to turn on the lights at

El Toro.

DONALD NYRE

Newport Beach

City Council is scared of having districts

The actions by the City Council are absolute proof that the small,

well-organized groups that have been meeting behind closed doors to

establish the strategy to maintain political control of Huntington

Beach are “running scared.”

The bad taste it leaves in my mouth is that they are using city

funds against the majority that want City Council district

representation.

It is a shame that while they are “running” we can’t assure that

they run beyond our city limits.

BOB POLKOW

Huntington Beach

Polkow’s nasty attacks are unfounded

Once more, we are subjected to the noxious blathering of “Mr.

Negative,” Bob Polkow (Sounding Off, Jan. 2.) As usual, it is his

reasoning that is unsound.

First, the districting initiative is going nowhere. Even if it

passed, it would never survive the single-subject challenge that

would prevent it from changing our charter. Period. It is totally

specious to compare this issue with Measure I, by the way. Except

that both the Measure I campaign and the districting campaign were

riddled with misleading and deceitful arguments.

Second, Polkow should not confuse the mayor’s personal priorities

with her civic duties on the Huntington Beach City Council. Connie

Boardman is one of the most ethical and conscientious individuals

ever to serve on the City Council, and she is much more attuned to

the wishes of the majority of our citizens than naysayers like Polkow

would have you believe.

Her correspondence regarding the Bolsa Chica Mesa purchase issue

was prudent and proper. It appears that it is Polkow that is running

amok with his specious view of democracy, and the public would be

well-served to ignore him.

TIM GEDDES

Huntington Beach

Costal commission is unconstitutional

There is really no question as to whether or not the Coastal

Commission should be stripped of its powers. The courts have ruled it

to be unconstitutional in its makeup and that should be the final

statement.

If Sen. John Burton and fellow Democrats now attempt to manipulate

the law so that they can pardon this agency, they are participating

in an illegal act and should also be held accountable.

Voters should have been suspicious when the drafter of the costal

act, Peter Douglas, crafted a permanent job for himself free of any

control by voters. Most dictators have not held their positions as

long as executive director Douglas has held his. This has led to an

out-of-control commission with absolute control, making decisions

that affect every aspect of life in California.

Every coastal city that does not currently have a local coastal

plan should be allowed a grace period to develop one, based on the

guidelines in the coastal act. This would return control to the

cities and counties most impacted by the tyranny of the Coastal

Commission and Peter Douglas and make them answerable to the voters.

The court rulings present a good opportunity to take a long hard

look at the commission, fire the executive director, and return

control of our future to the people of California.

RAE ROBINSON

Huntington Beach