STEVE SMITH -- What’s Up?

The Daily Pilot recently published a letter from John Heffernan, who

announced his candidacy for a seat on the Newport Beach City Council from

the 7th District. Heffernan gave his opinion why there weren’t more

candidates running for office.

Heffernan’s letter started out fine, then he complained about the

paperwork, the disclosures and the scrutiny. Oh, great, I thought,

another candidate who doesn’t get it.

Those elements -- paperwork, disclosure and scrutiny -- are the three

plagues of any candidate and, eventually, any officeholder. I’ve got bad

news for Heffernan: The paperwork, disclosure and scrutiny are just

beginning.

But as I was finishing Heffernan’s letter, it occurred to me that this

guy may just have what it takes after all. Here is a fellow who spelled

out a big problem with the election process, point by point, in a most

articulate fashion and then, despite all of the hurdles he outlined,

decided to go ahead with his candidacy. I like that.

So, here’s to all of the folks who have thrown their hats into the

ring. Thank you for keeping the system alive.

One of those I’m happy to see running is the amazing Jean Forbath of

Costa Mesa, who founded the local poverty lifeline known as Share Our

Selves.

Forbath has decided that she can make a difference as a member of the

Coast Community College District Board of Trustees.

In an interview with the Daily Pilot, Forbath said, “Education can

help the people that I work with break the vicious cycle of poverty. In

this day and age, [education] is critical to living a satisfied and

productive life.”

Actually, I’m sorry that Forbath is running for the college board. I

had hoped to nominate her for the new position of “Supreme Helper.” I

figure that if we can have someone in the government to head the IRS and

make sure we’re paying our taxes, and lots of people making sure we

register our motor vehicles, we could also have someone to make sure

we’re helping each other, too.

No, I’m not serious.

I’m the last person who’d ever vote to establish a new government body

to watch over us. But it seems to me that we’re so busy monitoring the

negatives in our lives that we could use someone who is encouraging us to

do some good.

Forbath is a “walker,” as opposed to a “talker,” and if she’s elected,

you can be sure that things on the board will be different.

Her contention that education makes a difference in people’s lives is

a message she should deliver to our school board. The kids on the West

Side, the ones with the very low test scores, still have no

representative in public office who is willing to help them in any

meaningful way.

Education does make a difference, and the earlier kids and parents

understand that, the better their chances for success.

Perhaps Forbath can start a “college track” program for kids in the

elementary schools on the West Side who do not have the role models to

encourage them to study and learn.

In the early grades, perhaps second or third, kids and parents can

enter a program that tells the kids specific steps they will have to

take, month by month, to get into a good college, or any college.

The program is monitored early and often to catch anyone not keeping

up and provide the help they need to get back on track. I’d rather have

these kids turned around now while they are young then to have Forbath

catch some of them at Share Our Selves later on in life.

This, to me, is a good investment and if our school board won’t

initiate it, perhaps the college board will.

Something tells me that Forbath is way ahead of me on this concept and

that we’ll hear more from her in the coming weeks.

So, filing time is over. We’ve got the new fall lineup and now it’s

time to hear what the candidates have to say. Inspired, perhaps, by the

two recent presidential nominating conventions, we seem to have an eager

group of people ready to make their mark on the local landscape.

In my opinion, these offices are more important than most of the work

that gets done in Washington. Right here is where we can make a direct,

immediate and positive difference in the lives of our children, without

relying on politicians 3,000 miles away who seem more and more to have

lost touch with regular folks.

This local group of candidates has already survived what may be their

biggest challenge: They managed to file all of that paperwork on time.

* STEVE SMITH is a Costa Mesa resident and freelance writer. Readers

can leave a message for him on the Daily Pilot hotline at (949) 642-6086.