Mailbag

Police and fire unions are 'public interest' groupsI take issue with anyone willing to call public safety unions and local newspapers special interest groups as Mr. Knipp did.

I was always under the impression that fire and police organizations as well as local newspapers were public interest groups, not special interest groups. There must be some confusion.

Josh Aden

Costa Mesa

Backing from firefighters and police is specialI find it highly amusing that Alan Mansoor's supporters are complaining about "special interests" supporting Mansoor's opponents. When it comes to special interest groups, I definitely prefer firemen and policemen to Minutemen. And I also prefer the Costa Mesa-based and Costa Mesa-enriching Segerstroms over out-of-town developer William Lyons, who supports Mansoor. All candidates represent a variety of interests, special or otherwise. Arnold Schwarzenegger learned a year ago that most voters do indeed think teachers, firefighters, and police officers are pretty special, far more special than narrow and divisive politicians.

Mark Gleason

Costa Mesa

Condo project votes were not reasonableBesides ball fields and public safety, other issues matter to the people of Costa Mesa. Put over-development and traffic at the top of my list. All Costa Mesa City Council candidates say they are against increased traffic congestion, support careful growth and respect our General Plan, but look at their voting records.

The 1901 Newport condo project is one example. Mike Schaefer, Bruce Garlich and Return to Reason member Katrina Foley enthusiastically backed this project. Garlich recently claimed the project "met all the requirements of our code." Did it? The property was fully built out under the General Plan and zoning in place. How is it that 145 condominiums are now being built on what was the parking lot for the Pacific Federal Building, poised to dump about a thousand new car trips daily onto the intersection of Newport, Harbor and Nineteenth?