Newport Beach, CA 4th of July House Parties Threatened

City Is Way Out Of Line With Plans to Shut Down the Fun and Fine Owners $4,000

I’m ticked off at Newport Beach.

What gall the city has to tell people they can’t have house parties on the 4th of July. It’s ridiculous, childish behavior and has no place in a free society like America. Yet that is what the city has done, having instructed the police to break up any gathering along the Newport Strand with more than eight people. Heck in the past, there were more than eight people waiting to use the bathroom at any given time.

Home owners have been told they will be fined $4,000 – for a first offense. Now that is offensive!

Most of the people who are in the houses are not the owners anyway. The places are summer or year-round rentals. Some people who live there may not have ever met the owners, instead paying rent and dealing with any maintenance items with a property manager.

Any number of the lawyers who live there and like to enjoy these parties should take this thing to court and threaten enough litigation that would make Frank McCourt look like a stranger to a judge. The United States Constitution allows for the right of assembly, yet Newport Beach says having more than eight people in a house is illegal?

The 4th of July in Newport Beach is a part of the Orange County coastal culture as much as backyard BBQs in the Midwest, fireworks shows in New York City, Boston Pops in Beantown and NASCAR in Daytona. Having house parties is what people do, how they celebrate the freedoms available in this country.

Except Newport Beach is trying to take away this simple freedom.

This isn’t a rave at the Coliseum. It’s largely professional and responsible adults having a little harmless fun. Collect business cards of people from those house parties and note the number of real estate executives, sales reps, advertising and marketing professionals and doctors in the crowd. And yes, attorneys.

That the city would even consider such a move in this economic situation is not only inconceivable it’s irresponsible. People come into town for these parties, they spend money in Newport Beach, and lots of it.

They won’t quit partying, they will just do it elsewhere. And people who rent those houses will vacate them faster than closing time at Sharkeez.

Remember this the next time someone complains about the city not being able to afford extra lifeguards, police and schoolteachers.