Term Limits

Karen Yelsey pulled off an upset victory four months ago in the Newport-Mesa school board race, toppling a longtime incumbent with an aggressive grass-roots campaign. Now, the newly elected trustee hopes to shake things up in the future. Yelsey, who advocated setting term limits for Newport-Mesa trustees during her campaign last year, has submitted a proposal to the board asking that members be limited to 12 years or less. Newport-Mesa, like most school districts in the area, imposes no limits on how long trustees can stay in office.

Deirdre Newman What can a leading liberal mayor and a powerful conservative Republican agree on about how legislators can navigate California through its horrendous state budget crisis? Not much, except that term limits severely restrict legislators' ability to lead the state through a crisis of this magnitude. "The challenge of the budget crisis for legislators are handicapped because of an absence of stability," said Willie Brown, mayor of San Francisco.

Deirdre Newman At the last community forum for school board candidates, challenger Ed Loyd said enacting term limits for trustees would be one of his three priorities if elected. Loyd has been the most vocal advocate for an infusion of new ideas to the school board. He has repeatedly chastised current president Judy Franco for serving on the board for more than two decades, even though he is not running directly against her. His opponent is incumbent Serene Stokes, an eight-year board member.

Danette Goulet NEWPORT-MESA -- An informal poll of school board members found some are divided on whether they should be subject to term limits. "New blood is always good -- new eyes," said school board member Wendy Leece. "I think we have a history in this district of many terms for school board members and I feel that has contributed to the criticism of mismanagement." This time, Leece is not alone in her beliefs. Board member Serene Stokes has joined her camp with a desire to see a limit of three terms placed on board members.

Danette Goulet NEWPORT-MESA -- The notion of creating term limits for school board members to help improve the public's faith in the district was momentarily considered as school supporters thought of ways to successfully pitch a bond measure to local residents. The idea was one of several from facilities committee member Scott Anderson as a means of emphasizing the board's dedication to educational accountability -- including its own. "It was part of a larger effort put forth that the future would not be business as usual," Anderson said.

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District board doesn't appear to have term limits in its near future, as the trustees turned back a proposal by school board member Karen Yelsey to hold officials to 12 years of service or less. Yelsey, who scored an upset victory over incumbent Serene Stokes in November, proposed a system in which trustees could serve no more than three consecutive four-year terms. Yelsey's plan would have started in January 2009. On Tuesday, however, her motion died without a second.

Term limits, vocational education and helping low-achieving students were among the topics discussed at a Newport-Mesa school board candidates forum Thursday at the Costa Mesa Neighborhood Community Center. The two-hour forum, hosted by the League of Women Voters and the Harbor Council Parent Teachers Assn., drew about 100 people. The questions posed to the seven candidates were written by members of the audience. Among the Nov. 7 election candidates are longtime board members Judy Franco and Serene Stokes, who respectively are facing challengers Sandy Asper and Karen Yelsey.

With the state's presidential primary now set for February 2008, the ballot also is expected to include a measure changing term limits so state legislators could serve up to 12 years in either chamber, rather than a total of six years in the Assembly and eight years in the Senate. Have term limits been good or bad for California, and do you think they should be changed? I believe that term limits have been good for California. It forced career politicians like Willie Brown out of office and out of power.

AT ISSUE: The idea of establishing term limits for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District board of trustees. Your front-page story regarding term limits for the Newport-Mesa Unified school board begs a response of essay proportions ("Bond supporters consider board term limits," Feb. 2). Briefly, however, for the school board or for any of our public leaders, we have "term limits" enough in the form of limited terms and majority rule. If the majority of the electorate want to limit a person's term, they can vote for someone else who is up for election.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently said he changed his mind on term limits and supports Proposition 93, which would allow lawmakers to serve longer in the Legislature. What do you think of the governor’s change of heart and the proposition?   I remain opposed to this initiative. In 1990, the voters passed Proposition 140 by a narrow margin of 52% in favor of mandatory term limits to rid Sacramento of career politicians. As a result, new faces and ideas arrived in Sacramento to better represent Californians.

Supervisor John Moorlach, who gained political recognition in 1994 when he raised concerns about the vulnerability of Orange County's investment pool during his campaign for county treasurer, announced Wednesday that he plans to run for Congress. The county declared bankruptcy in December of that year. The former county treasurer-tax collector said he will seek the 45th Congressional District seat being vacated next year by U.S. Rep. John Campbell (R-Irvine), who plans to retire.

Voters might notice that Costa Mesa Mayor Mayor Allan Mansoor lists his occupation as “Mayor/Deputy Sheriff” on the sample ballot mailed to their homes ahead of the June 8 GOP primary. In fact, the mayor quit the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in December as a sheriff’s deputy at the county’s Central Men’s Jail in Santa Ana. Election rules allow candidates to list the job they held within the last 12 months, said Neal Kelley, Orange County Registrar of Voters.

Longtime Newport Beach resident and real estate advisor Rush Hill has entered the fight for the open District 3 Newport Beach City Council seat, making it a race among three political veterans. Hill, who on Tuesday filed papers with the city to run for the open seat, said he is running on a platform of “fiscal responsibility and really finding a solid financial continuation in the city.” A Newport Beach resident since 1975, Hill has extensive political experience.

Five days into his bid for the Newport Beach District 3 City Council seat, candidate Steve Young has already labeled his opponent Ed Reno as a lobbyist for big business. Reno answered back by calling Young two words that some consider the equivalent of political cooties this election year: “Obama delegate.” With two candidates now vying for outgoing Councilman Don Webb’s seat, the race is officially on. Young, an attorney with a practice in Irvine, said Tuesday that, if elected, he would help create jobs by making Newport a more inviting place for small-business owners.

Newport Beach attorney and former congressional candidate Steve Young has filed papers to run for Newport Beach City Council this fall, according to public records. Young filed papers on Thursday showing he intends to run for outgoing Councilman Don Webb’s District 3 seat in November. Webb is being forced out due to term limits. Young will do battle with political veteran Ed Reno in November for the vacant seat. An avowed fiscal conservative, Reno declared his candidacy in December flanked by Orange County Republican Chairman Scott Baugh and several members of the Newport Beach City Council.

Newport Beach resident and political veteran Ed Reno announced Monday night that he is throwing his well-financed, well-connected hat into the ring for Councilman Don Webb’s seat in 2010. At a $100-per-ticket fundraiser reception at the Newport Beach office of Scott Baugh, chairman of the Orange County Republican Party, Reno was surrounded by the likes of Newport Beach Mayor Ed Selich, Mayor Pro Tem Keith Curry and an honored guest, former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota, as he kicked off his campaign.

The Newport Beach City Council is expected to vote unanimously at tonight’s regularly scheduled meeting in favor of an ordinance that would close a loophole on term limits. The ordinance, which passed the seven-member council unanimously Sept. 22, is coming up for a second reading. It closes a loophole created by a 1992 ordinance that left open the possibility of a council member resigning his or her seat before their four-year term had expired, but running again for two more terms.

Former Newport Beach Mayor Tod Ridgeway confirmed Wednesday he owns the building that houses a popular sushi restaurant police allege is operating as an illegal nightclub. Police claim the restaurant Fury Rok & Rol Sushi Lounge, 4221 Dolphin Striker Way, generates a high number of drunk driving arrests in the neighborhood and that its parking lot is a haven for illicit activity including the possible use of illegal drugs. Ridgeway said he expected the clash between the city and his tenant to be resolved soon, but declined to comment further.