Upon reflection of her contributions to the state of California, three impressions come to mind. The first is her memorable visit to Orange County in 2010, to my then-Second Supervisorial District.
The County of Orange and the city of Newport Beach were near the completion of a 10-year dredging project, known as the Upper Newport Bay Ecosystem Restoration Project, when the economy went south.
During the height of the Great Recession, the city of Newport Beach lobbied for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funding to complete the dredging. The effort was successful, with the original authorization for the granting of $17.3 million in funding being accomplished by Ms. Feinstein. Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) successfully authored the House version.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, under the direction of Col. Thomas Magness, IV, then-Commander of the Los Angeles Region, successfully moved 2.35 million cubic yards of sediment that had been trapped in the Back Bay. Nearby residents may remember that the operators of tugboats, barges and cranes worked day and night. Two catch-basins were freed up to collect material before it reached the harbor, and moats were installed to protect rare and endangered birds.
With gratitude for local and federal funding, totaling $47 million, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Nov. 6, 2010, to celebrate the conclusion of this significant public-works project. It was held at Orange County’s Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center and included representatives from the city of Newport Beach, the Army Corps of Engineers, the California Department of Fish and Game, and the Coastal Conservancy.
As Master of Ceremonies, it was an honor to also have Ms. Feinstein and Mr. Royce in attendance. The local media had fun with their sitting side-by-side that Saturday.
“‘Part of this is an earmark,’ Feinstein said of her shepherding federal money for the project into legislation. ‘And I am very proud of this earmark.’
“‘We didn’t hear the word earmark,’ said Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach, a fiscally conservative Republican. ‘But you’re forgiven, baby!’”
The second impression was an observation I made as a result of Orange County’s filing for Chapter 9 bankruptcy. Two of the five long-time serving Supervisors at the time were in their 70s and 80s. It made me think that an elected official should not hang on to their position one term too long.
I’ve served in public office during the time Ms. Feinstein served in the United States Senate. I thought for sure I would personally know her replacement. Ms. Feinstein deserved a better tribute. An individual like her, with significant stature, should have been followed by someone of similar repute and standing.
Ms. Feinstein, thanks for assisting Orange County during an economic downturn. Thanks for joining us at our celebratory event. And thanks for being a classy lady throughout your career.
