Readers Respond -- How should Costa Mesa deal with affordable

housing?

I’m glad that Steve Smith and other people are speaking out against

the xenophobia and wrong thinking of Chris Steel and his ilk (“Negative

headlines, not crime rate, is what hurts Costa Mesa,” March 31).

And now we know his ilk has a name and a group, Citizens to Improve

Costa Mesa. So we can now organize another group, Citizens Who Really

Want to Improve Costa Mesa. Smith’s comments were right on the bull’s

eye. People need to support Costa Mesa as it is and encourage people to

talk up the good things. Steel is speaking all the negatives, and I think

it’s sad that a person like Steel has been elected to the City Council

with only 15% of the vote.

That means 85% of the people in Costa Mesa didn’t agree with him. I

hope the people who voted for him because of his name was on every single

Republican mailer will think a little more seriously before they give a

vote to someone like him. I would like to work right now to join any

group that’s working against his re-election or possibly for his recall.

So city-bashers, take note. Those of us that support Costa Mesa will be

joining a group to oust Steel from City Council.

SHARON BOUDREAU

Costa Mesa

* EDITOR’S NOTE: Chris Steel earned 14.4% of the vote in the November

election, more than than his fellow council members -- incumbent Libby

Cowan and newcomer Karen Robinson.

I have been a teacher on the Westside of Costa Mesa for 38 years and

have watched our school population change from nearly 100% white to 96%

Latino.

If Chris Steel is concerned about people who live in Costa Mesa, he

should visit the homes of those on the Westside. I have visited 14 of my

20 students’ homes and have found them to be neat and immaculate.

I also have found the parents of my students to be very hard workers,

sometimes working two to three jobs just to make ends meet. In spite of

this, they manage to make sure their children complete their homework

each night and arrive clean and on time to school each day.

Many also attend English language classes to improve their English

skills. In my eyes, they are model citizens and Costa Mesa is lucky to

have them living within our borders.

PEGGY ENGARD

Costa Mesa

* EDITOR’S NOTE: Peggy Engard is a teacher at Pomona Elementary

School.