Meryl Schwartz

The decision of the Irvine City Council to withhold information in the review of city staffs' role in the Orange County investment pool is reprehensible. It only bolsters allegations that there has been a concerted effort to hide the fact that City Manager Paul O. Brady Jr. and Finance Director Jeff Niven made an egregious error when they advised the council to borrow $62 million for an additional investment in the now-defunct pool. The secretive nature of this entire episode is a disgrace.

The decision of the Irvine City Council to withhold information in the review of city staffs' role in the Orange County investment pool is reprehensible. It only bolsters allegations that there has been a concerted effort to hide the fact that City Manager Paul O. Brady Jr. and Finance Director Jeff Niven made an egregious error when they advised the council to borrow $62 million for an additional investment in the now-defunct pool. The secretive nature of this entire episode is a disgrace.

What would make someone feel that they have the right to deny the residents of Irvine their right to the democratic process of placing an issue of major importance an the ballot? We, of Irvine Citizens Against Overdevelopment, have encountered Irvine You volunteers at the shopping centers attempting to intimidate residents into not signing the referendum opposing the Northwood 5 project, which was recently approved by the majority council. This is an issue of significance to all of us who reside in this city.

Regarding your article "Irvine Co. Will Offer the Public Part of Holdings" (Sept. 16), historically real estate investment trusts, or REITs, have been a fairly decent, albeit higher risk, venture for the investor who may enjoy considerable return of their investment through profits from rentals. However, in the case of the recently announced offering by one of Orange County's largest landowners, the Irvine Co., this may be an investment that should be carefully studied before taking the plunge.

Regarding your article "Irvine Co. Will Offer the Public Part of Holdings" (Sept. 16), historically real estate investment trusts, or REITs, have been a fairly decent, albeit higher risk, venture for the investor who may enjoy considerable return of their investment through profits from rentals. However, in the case of the recently announced offering by one of Orange County's largest landowners, the Irvine Co., this may be an investment that should be carefully studied before taking the plunge.

I am in complete agreement with your editorial "Tollway Lawsuit Has a Chilling Effect" (July 26). My group, Irvine Citizens Against Overdevelopment, has just recently been dragged through the overburdened court system by the city of Irvine and the Irvine Co. in their effort to overturn a referendum signed by more than 7,500 concerned citizens. The signers of the referendum wished to have the proposed development, which lies adjacent to the northernmost section of our city in its sphere of influence, placed on the ballot in order that they, the residents of Irvine, could be afforded the opportunity to voice their deep concern regarding the future direction of their city.

I applaud the piece of investigative reporting on developers' contributions to the various members of the Orange County Board of Supervisors ("O.C. Supervisors Rely on Developers to Win," Oct. 27). While I've always suspected there was a definite relationship between the two groups, I was appalled at the percentage of contributions they have received from the developers for their campaigns. An Oct. 28 story ("Irvine Is at Crossroads on Continued Growth") was another story. It was a piece that could well have been written by the Irvine Co. and our Irvine City Council.

Re "Billionaire's Matching Grant Program to Benefit Legal Aid Services," June 3: What a pleasure to see billionaire George Soros using his wealth for something other than self-aggrandizement. It's a shame that others of enormous wealth such as Michael Huffington, Darrell Issa and Al Checchi don't follow suit. MERYL SCHWARTZ Irvine

Re "Affair dims Republican's ambitions," June 18 Rising GOP star Sen. John Ensign has an affair but won't resign; yet he called for the resignation of President Clinton and chastised Sen. Larry Craig. How do you spell "hypocrite"? Meryl Schwartz Irvine -- I am certain that Ensign, who demanded the impeachment of a president over his infidelity, will do the honorable thing and impeach himself (that is, resign) after his own affair, during which he apparently had this woman and her husband on the payroll.

The picture and article from your June 20 front page presented juxtaposition. There is Robert Dole, nominee presumptive of the Republican Party, standing between George Argyros and Donald Bren, two of the wealthiest men in the state. Their millions (billions?) stem from manipulating land deals--not exactly by the sweat of their brows. The accompanying story recounts a speech earlier in the day wherein Mr. Dole decried the cost of educating the children of illegal immigrants. These children, whose only crime is that they were born in poor country, are to be denied the opportunity of an education which might enable them to better their lives.

I am in complete agreement with your editorial "Tollway Lawsuit Has a Chilling Effect" (July 26). My group, Irvine Citizens Against Overdevelopment, has just recently been dragged through the overburdened court system by the city of Irvine and the Irvine Co. in their effort to overturn a referendum signed by more than 7,500 concerned citizens. The signers of the referendum wished to have the proposed development, which lies adjacent to the northernmost section of our city in its sphere of influence, placed on the ballot in order that they, the residents of Irvine, could be afforded the opportunity to voice their deep concern regarding the future direction of their city.

What would make someone feel that they have the right to deny the residents of Irvine their right to the democratic process of placing an issue of major importance an the ballot? We, of Irvine Citizens Against Overdevelopment, have encountered Irvine You volunteers at the shopping centers attempting to intimidate residents into not signing the referendum opposing the Northwood 5 project, which was recently approved by the majority council. This is an issue of significance to all of us who reside in this city.

I applaud the piece of investigative reporting on developers' contributions to the various members of the Orange County Board of Supervisors ("O.C. Supervisors Rely on Developers to Win," Oct. 27). While I've always suspected there was a definite relationship between the two groups, I was appalled at the percentage of contributions they have received from the developers for their campaigns. An Oct. 28 story ("Irvine Is at Crossroads on Continued Growth") was another story. It was a piece that could well have been written by the Irvine Co. and our Irvine City Council.

A residents' group delivered three boxes of petitions to the city clerk's office Wednesday containing signatures of voters opposed to the Irvine Co.'s recently approved Northwood 5 development. The submission of about 7,600 signatures marks the second time this year that Irvine residents have used the referendum process in an attempt to halt Irvine Co. projects. In January, residents collected enough signatures to place the Irvine Co.'s proposed 3,850-home Westpark II project on the ballot.

A referendum to delay development of a large Irvine Co. community is illegal and should be kept off the Nov. 3 ballot, a judge ruled Friday. However, Superior Court Judge Mason L. Fenton called his decision "tentative" and gave a citizens group until Wednesday to file legal arguments to persuade him to change his mind. After hearing those arguments, Fenton said, he will make his final ruling July 27.