Mailbag: Civic Center project shows poor planning

Former Newport Beach Mayor John Heffernan is wondering how the city of Newport Beach is going to finance its new “low-cost” $150 million Civic Center project since the money isn’t there (“Sounding Off: Letter left questions unanswered,” Aug. 7).

In other words, poor planning at the best. May I also suggest that, if any City Council person suggests a special assessment to cover this cost, we quickly plan a recall.

This is a shining example of leaders in our society who love to spend other people’s money. The Taj Mahal was cheaper.

Don Williams

Newport Heights

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Campaign mailers expense ‘out of control’

In today’s mail, I received an oversized, four-color mailer from our congressman, Rep. John Campbell, deriding the federal health care reform bill, which was signed into law last March.

I skimmed the content, which was just more Republican rabble about big government. Surely it was a campaign piece designed to appeal to conservative voters who hate taxes and are oblivious to the horribly broken health care system in our country. It was signed “Congressman John Campbell — FIGHTING HIGHER TAXES & OUT-OF-CONTROL SPENDING.”

Oh well, I thought, everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, as I went to toss the mailer in the trash. Then, out of the corner of my eye, in incredibly fine print, I noticed these words: “Public Document - Official Business - This mailing was prepared, published and mailed at taxpayer expense.”

The irony hit me immediately. We taxpayers are funding John Campbell’s campaign mailings! If this is not the sickest example of out-of-control spending, I don’t know what is!

Mr. Campbell, please raise your own campaign funds. Don’t charge your campaign mailers to the taxpayers (Especially those of us who are Democrats).

Steve Koch

Newport Beach