At the Newport Beach City Council candidate forum at the Oasis Senior Center, Erik Weigand was asked a question that started me thinking.
He was asked if his active participation in the OC GOP would influence how he governed as a councilman. Since he respected the nonpartisanship of a council candidate, i did not associate him with the GOP. Up until then, he had not advertised his connection to the GOP.
But after that question, mailers started appearing in my mailbox where both Joe Stapleton and Lauren Kleiman, candidates for City Council, a nonpartisan position, had wrapped themselves in the GOP endorsement big time, and had the endorsements of many GOP candidates and organizations.
So I read the complete platform of the OC GOP and realized that a majority on the council could impose policies and city ordinances in line with it.
I encourage everyone to read that published document, and not simply say it could not happen here.
Consider the San Clemente City Council which wanted to make San Clemente a sanctuary for life city preventing all abortions in the city by changing its zoning ordinances, and the Temecula City Council which is considering how to circumvent state law and make Temecula a city for the unborn.
We have a noted hospital and wonderful doctors in Newport Beach. The GOP platform states “life begins at conception” so could there be an ordinance forbidding sales of birth control in Newport Beach? Or forbidding in vitro fertilization? Or preventing doctors from providing reproductive procedures?
We have firearm sales here. The GOP platform is in favor of carrying concealed weapons, but is against waiting periods.so could a policy pass that allows Newport Beach residents to carry concealed weapons, but eliminate all waiting periods? How does the NBPD feel about that?
Our city clerk is hired by the council. The GOP platform says a marriage is between a man and woman, so could an ordinance forbid the clerk from issuing same sex marriage licenses?
The GOP platform says “short term rentals…improve lives” so will we have a council that encourages that?
The GOP platform says all public employee pension plans should be replaced with 401(k) style plans with payouts tied to only what has been contributed, and that services currently provided by the government be privatized.
How do police, fire, and city employees feel about that possibility when contracts reopen?
These candidates for nonpartisan council positions have opened up these questions by strongly tying themselves to the GOP, so i think this requires consideration when voting.
Kathy Frazer / Newport Beach
