Election Day has come and gone, and what have we learned?
Things are good in California. Things are good in Orange County. Most of all, things are good in Newport Beach.
Change happens when people are not happy and look at how things changed (not the Obama kind of change mind you…) across our Country.
The US Senate Democrats lost a slew of seats and are down to a bare majority.
The US House Democrats lost altogether, and the Republican Revolution Part Deux has started.
Even the Nation’s Governors majority switched from Democrat to Republican.
Things in America were bad, Americans wanted change, and they surely got it.
But California? Not so much. People must be happy here.
Democrats stayed in charge where there were supposed to stay in charge. Republicans kept their seats where they were supposed to.
Gov. Jerry Brown kept the Mansion in Democratic hands (you think Arnold was a Republican?) and all the major offices remained in Democratic hands.
US Sen. Barbara Boxer kept her seat, beating Agent-of-Change Carly Fiorina.
In Orange County, Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez retained her seat, as did all the Republican Congressmen and County Supervisors on the ballot.
Yawn. Nothing to see here.
The same applies to Newport Beach, only moreso.
The City Council race to replace Don Webb featured Change vs. No-Change. New blood vs. old blood. Not Union supported vs. Union supported.
One of the School Board seats featured that, too, with a 30-year incumbent vs. a second-time challenger.
In both cases, Status Quo won, the establishment won, and Newport Beach is happy.
Even Measure V, supported by all the Newport Beach powers that be, passed overwhelmingly.
Why? As the Newport Beach Citizen survey told us, the people are happy here.
In Newport Beach, the streets are clean, the schools are good, home values are high, Styrofoam is banned from the beach, waves are good, young girls feel safe jogging at night along Seashore, the weather is beautiful, and city employees are plentiful.
Why change anything?
Better question: Why RISK changing anything?
If Ed Reno had won, what might have happened? How much change would he have initiated, how many Union members would have had their WONDERFUL pensions threatened, how many extra accoutrements would the new City Hall/Civic Center/Taj Mahal/White Elephant have lost?
New Councilmember Rush Hill, with his “Eighth Councilman” moniker, represents status quo, more of the same direction for the City Council, a big new City Hall, and more of the same WONDERFUL benefits for the Union members.
The United States of America can handle change, but obviously Newport Beach cannot.
But why should Newport Beach change?
I love living here, you love living here, and tourists love visiting here.
Congratulations go out to Rush Hill and Judy Franco for keeping it that way.
