The Newport Beach City Council on Tuesday upped the city's ante for
Hurricane Katrina relief, voting to give $10,000 to two cities,
Biloxi, Miss., and New Orleans.
The city already sent four firefighters to the Gulf Coast to
assist the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The firefighters
weren't sure where they'd be deployed when they left last week, but
they expected to stay up to 30 days.
Costa Mesa officials are ready to send four people from the city's
fire department, but FEMA has asked that no one be deployed right
now, Costa Mesa Fire Department spokeswoman Barbara Marcosa said.
"Costa Mesa firefighters are very eager to assist with this
effort," she said.
Candidates collect their endorsements
The campaign for the 48th District Congressional seat is rolling
inexorably forward, with endorsements still coming in. Last week,
Democrat Steve Young -- a Newport Beach attorney -- captured the
endorsement of an Orange County chapter of Democracy for America, the
outgrowth of former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean's grass-roots
presidential campaign. The national group recruits and backs
progressive candidates.
The national organization is expected to follow the local
endorsement and also contribute $5,000 to Young, said Melahat Khwaja,
a local meet-up organizer for Democracy for America. Young is one of
four Democrats vying to succeed former Rep. Chris Cox. Also running
are 10 Republicans and three minor-party candidates.
"Steve Young won by a landslide," Khwaja said. "A lot of people
running in that district have a defeatist mentality because it's a
Republican district, and Steve Young doesn't have that mentality."
Over the weekend, Republican candidate Marilyn Brewer brought
former New Jersey Gov. Christie Todd Whitman to the Back Bay for a
fundraiser. Brewer campaign manager James Vaughn said Wednesday he
doesn't know how much money was raised, but about 70 people came.
She also announced her latest endorsements, which included Dana
Point Mayor Wayne Redfield and Councilwoman Lara Anderson, and the
Tustin Peace Officers Assn.
In an e-mail, Vaughn took a humorous jab at some of the
endorsements nabbed by state Sen. John Campbell, Brewer's leading GOP
opponent.
"And I can tell you we're devastated to see the endorsements of
officials from Cypress, Villa Park and Fountain Valley. We know how
much influence they have over the voters of this district. We hope to
counter soon with the endorsements of officials from Needles, Modesto
and Cucamonga," Vaughn wrote.
