Mailbag: Anti-growth initiative will stall improvements

Nearly 7,000 Costa Mesa residents signed Costa Mesa’s death warrant (“6,900 petition signatures turned in for ballot initiative requiring voters’ OK of ‘major’ developments,” Jan. 4). They were tricked into it by Costa Mesa First, a group that puts the real needs of Costa Mesa last.

They argue that the beautiful new housing that is making Costa Mesa a safer, nicer place, is high-density development. It’s not. It’s medium-density development.

Their second argument is that the beautiful medium-density housing is increasing traffic. Actually, it’s decreasing traffic, while revitalizing neighborhoods, because it gets rid of places where 10 or more twenty-somethings, with 10 or more cars, crowd into a single-family dwelling, and instead bring only one or two adults with only one or two cars.

The majority of traffic, in my estimation, is from people who live in Newport Beach and Huntington Beach going home. You will never see a traffic decrease by stopping new homes and businesses.

Slow growth to them means no growth. They want no new houses, no new businesses. They want decay and crime, and for Costa Mesa to die a slow and painful death. Their initiative is nothing but a cancer that will kill this city, if it passes.

They must not win in their bid to murder Costa Mesa. You may have been tricked into signing their document, but you can vote against them come November.

Jami JoAnne Russell

Costa Mesa

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What will replace our newspapers?

I could not agree more with the article about the decline of newspapers (“Commentary: Decline of newspapers could give rise to ignorance,” Jan. 5). We subscribe daily to three papers — the Orange County Register, the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times — to get different takes on what is happening.

We find many of our friends and acquaintances are completely in the dark about what is happening in our communities, our state, our nation and around the world. Granted we are concerned that ignorance about what is going on is going to be a big problem, however, what will replace newspapers?

Clearly, not TV, which is being taken over by advertising. What can we do to renew an interest in newspaper reading? What are the consequences of ignorance of government and its impact on our lives?

Judy B. Rosener

Newport Beach

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Do not develop Fairview Park

Can’t we please just leave some natural, open space for our children to enjoy years from now? Why do we think we are entitled to screw up every last piece of natural landscape? Without the clutter of human beings, open space is like an endangered species.

Terry Albrecht

Costa Mesa