Editorial

On the national and international stage, 2000 certainly didn’t live up

to the tumultuous and dire predictions that preceded it.

No giant computer crashes. No planes falling from the sky. No ATM

machines spitting out money.

But while the much-anticipated world drama didn’t pan out, there was

no shortage of it here, with the fight over the anti-El Toro Measure F,

the squabbles between library trustees and the foundation, the

contentious and costly battles over the Greenlight Initiative and, of

course, the surprise additions to the Costa Mesa City Council.

Newport Beach in particular had a raucous year with the anti-growth

battle that pitted friends and family members against each other in the

debate over the city’s future developments.

And Costa Mesa is already showing that with the addition of council

members Chris Steel and Karen Robinson, there could be more rancor on the

council than accord.

So just as President-elect George W. Bush has promised a new spirit of

compromise and bipartisanship, we’d like to propose the same for our

local leaders and residents.

Let’s make 2001 the year that petty differences are set aside and

goals are reached in a number of quarters.

There’s much to accomplish.

Top on the list should be a new set of flight restrictions and

passenger caps for John Wayne Airport that will put to rest any ideas of

expansion and ensure some semblance of tranquillityfor our residents.

In Newport Beach, city leaders need to face the new reality of

Greenlight and develop new guidelines that will allow developers and

residents to live in harmony once again.

But most of all, we propose that we all get better at communication.

Not only should local council members make every effort to hear the

concerns of their constituents, but those same constituents need to

become more involved with local government so that they will always feel

that their voices are heard.

If we can all adhere to this final goal, the rest will be easy to

attain.

Happy new year.