Mailbag: Stop running commentaries from political candidates

I am sick and tired of the Daily Pilot printing commentaries written by candidates for public office. The Pilot and, I assume, its sister newspapers are providing free campaign platforms to these candidates.

Newport Beach Councilman Keith Curry has written many times. His latest piece seemed to be an attack on a plan to add toll lanes on the 405 (“Commentary: Setting the record straight on toll lanes,” Aug. 13), while it actually targeted his Assembly opponent, Huntington Beach Mayor Matthew Harper. Of course, if the Pilot accommodates Curry, it is obligated to do the same for Harper and anyone else running for public office.

That is what we got in today’s newspaper. This free publicity for candidates has got to stop. If something they say is newsworthy, it should be written by one of the paper’s employees, not by the candidate.

Jane Hilgendorf

Corona del Mar

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Give Civic Center artwork a chance

The critics of the sculptures at the Newport Beach Civic Center are off the mark.

It’s foolish to ask for a vote on the pieces, as one reader suggested.

Bear in mind that the Eiffel Tower in Paris was reviled when it was built. Also, the impressionist paintings, which are beloved by so many, were once considered bad art.

People may not love all the sculptures, but they were chosen by a committee of knowledgeable people and represent a variety of styles that reflect the artists’ vision and sensibilities.

And please don’t get steamed up about the bunnies. Kids love ‘em.

Alice Remer

Corona del Mar

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Keep up fight against coastal drilling

I never thought I would hear that President Obama is considering offshore oil drilling in the Pacific, but I did in a recent video produced by The Hill.

The last time I heard something similar coming out of Washington was in 1985. I was defending the cities of San Clemente, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach and the Orange County Board of Supervisors from a Ronald Reagan administration plan to do just that.

Thankfully, after numerous local GOP business titans quietly expressed their displeasure to the White House, and 22 Republican mayors emphatically opposed the idea during a public hearing in Newport, Donald Hodel — then the secretary of the interior — gave up the notion of opening Orange County’s coastline to massive oil drilling.

As I understand it, the Obama strategy calls for drilling in the Atlantic first, then the Arctic and finally in the Pacific. The good news is if any of this actually happens, it won’t begin until 2017.

Energy development and consumption is very different from what it was 30 years ago. The U.S. is now allowing companies to export crude oil for the first time in four decades. My hope is this trend will continue without the need for new oil drilling along Orange County’s coastline.

Denny Freidenrich

Laguna Beach