Letters to the Editor

Residents have a right to know their candidates

In last Friday’s edition of Stu News, a letter was published from Will O’Neill, Duffy Duffield, Rush Hill and Keith Curry regarding the controversy around Joe Stapleton’s candidate forms. I live in District One on the Balboa Peninsula so I have been following the two candidates and this issue surrounding Joe Stapleton. 

The two candidates running for the District One City Council seat are Joe Stapleton and Tom Miller. I have not decided which candidate I feel will best represent the interests of District One residents so I attempt to read as much as possible about each person. 

I found the recent letter published on Friday by these four former mayors to be very disturbing as it appeared to be a demeaning hit letter against Tom Miller. The authors of the letter accuse Tom Miller of using his “surrogates to try to keep the story alive in increasingly shrill and mudslinging letters.” The authors further write that Tom Miller “recently sold his auto detailing business, moved to town and decided it would be fun to be on the city council.” I found the entire tone of the letter alarming in its attack. I don’t know if we are to assume that the auto detailing business is unworthy or why that reference was even placed in the letter. Not everyone wears a suit and tie to their daily job but that does not indicate they are less capable, caring, dedicated or informed than a person who does wear a suit. Please do not demean a labor-oriented job as if it is beneath you.

Joe Stapleton took out his candidate paperwork and apparently made the decision to not tell the truth on his paperwork regarding his past legal issues. That was his choice and now he is being questioned regarding that choice. To viciously attack anyone questioning that decision is not acceptable. I believe he would be questioned even if he were running uncontested. 

Residents need to feel comfortable that the person they select as their representative will honestly listen to their concerns and make good, informed decisions. We need to know that our representatives will not mislead us or not tell us the truth because it is just simpler for them.

I will continue to watch these two candidates and I truly hope that we can restore some dignity to our election process.

Nancy Arrache

Balboa Peninsula

The truth behind the “alleged” Miller attacks on Stapleton

I read a letter to the editor in last week’s edition alleging an attack by Tom Miller against Joe Stapleton at the OCGOP endorsement committee meeting. I happen to know exactly how the meeting went down and it’s far from how it’s been depicted in this letter from four former Newport Beach mayors.

The true story is Tom Miller asked the committee if truth and integrity plays a part in their endorsement process. When the committee chair asked why such a question was being presented, Mr. Miller mentioned his opponent lied on the official endorsement questionnaire and felt the committee should be made aware of such an egregious error and should eliminate Joe from any such endorsement.

The attack on Mr. Miller for speaking the truth is one of the many reasons politics has become so toxic. He was NOT attacking Mr. Stapleton’s arrest record, in fact, he was questioning how a candidate can run a campaign in our city and get away with lying to cover up his shaky past indiscretions. It’s about the LIE, not his indiscretions. 

Mr. Miller has no agenda other than to continue to make our great city even greater and all “TEAM NEWPORT” wants to do is discredit him because they realize he is a threat to their attempt to take total control.

It’s time for us all to stand up and put our local government back in the hands of the people…SAY NO MORE TO TEAM NEWPORT!

My vote is going to TOM MILLER!

Frank Cammarata

Lido Peninsula

Jim Mosher’s apolitical position presents a rare quality in these divisive times

Most people who run for city council in Newport Beach seem to have a political agenda in mind. Consequently, it is refreshing to see someone like Jim Mosher step forward who only wants to fulfill what he perceives as a civic duty.

First of all, there is no one in the entire city who knows more about city government than Jim Mosher. Most questions that you pose to him can be answered immediately or he will refer you to the specific source where you can find the answer. He also frequently comes forward to offer helpful advice to the council because it is of utmost importance to him that our city and councilmembers abide by the rules and regulations set for them. 

How valuable it would be to council, as well as the community, to have someone with such valuable information in an official position!

Unlike any other candidate in Newport Beach, Jim regularly attends every meeting, not only of council, but of every other official meeting of the city. Which other candidates of Jim’s area have attended council on a regular basis? And yet, you would think that frequent council attendance would be a major prerequisite to running for that body as well as of personal interest to the other candidates.

Jim Mosher’s information and insight are beyond reproach. This is primarily because Jim is apolitical, a rare quality in these intensely divisive times. And after the intensely political environment set up by our current council, wouldn’t it be nice to have a councilmember who has only the betterment of the city in mind?
It is not often that we get to vote for someone with Jim’s level of experience and knowledge of city hall. And how often do we get a candidate with a Ph.D. from Caltech running for city council?

Jim Mosher’s incomparable level of intellect, humility and dedication to the betterment of Newport Beach make him a stellar candidate for that position.

Lynn Lorenz

Newport Beach

Water from rainstorm runoff needs to be captured

As recently reported, the residents of Newport, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach and Laguna are doing their part to conserve water. I’m sure this trend will continue in the months ahead. 

What’s not so certain is our ability to capture the runoff after a rain. Because water sustains both the OC and state economies, we can’t afford to lose a drop. If it’s true nearly 40% of runoff ends up in the ocean, then there is much work that needs to be done. We need to quickly solve this problem.

Judie Mancuso 

Candidate for Assembly District 72

Laguna Beach