Given that all five city councilmembers attended Monday’s offshore oil press conference, it’s no surprise the council voted Tuesday evening to officially adopt a resolution calling for an end to all oil operations off the California coast.
When former mayor Bob Gentry and I were organizing public opposition to President Ronald Reagan’s offshore oil drilling plan 36 years ago, our first strategy was to secure pledges of support from local elected officials throughout Orange County, not just the neighboring beach cities of San Clemente, Newport Beach, and Huntington Beach. In the end, 22 Republican mayors from one end of the county to the other signed on. Our second strategy was to encourage major businesses to publicly oppose drilling off the coast. When the Irvine Co. announced it was taking a stand against oil drilling, Bob and I knew we had a winning formula.
They say the more things change the more they stay the same. What was true in 1985 still is true in 2021. I applaud the Laguna City Council for its opposition to offshore oil drilling. My hope is Mayor Bob Whalen or Mayor Pro Tem Sue Kempf will try to encourage the Irvine Co. to renew its opposition as well. I am confident that if Bob Gentry still lived in town, he would agree.
Denny Freidenrich, Laguna Beach
