Councilman Steel should take initiative and step down
Geoff West
OK, Costa Mesa Councilman Chris Steel has proven his point. After
running unsuccessfully for a position on the Costa Mesa City Council
for many, many years, he finally accomplished his goal. While he
certainly must be given credit for his tenacity, what he managed to
prove is that, by running on a platform of fear coupled with alleged
election fraud and clever manipulation of the voting process, anyone
can be elected to our City Council.
However, in the nearly two years since his election, he has also
proven the wisdom of previous electorates, which soundly rejected his
candidacy in years past. For whatever the reasons, he has shown
himself to be incapable of effectively participating in City Council
matters and providing leadership for this city.
As an observer and a very concerned Costa Mesa citizen, I feel an
obligation to our community to state my disappointment in his
performance. It appears to me that he consistently shows up at
council meetings woefully unprepared for the proceedings. I’ve
watched as he seldom comments on issues before the council and, when
he does choose to participate, his presentations are ill-prepared,
garbled and difficult to follow. This even includes those times when
his own actions -- an appeal, for example -- has precipitated the
council review.
I’ve watched as, perhaps distracted by his pending legal
difficulties, his attention wandered and he appeared to be out of
touch with the proceedings. I’ve been chagrined those many times when
he cast his vote on an issue before the question had even been called
and, at other times, when the clerk had to remind him to vote. Of
course, I’ve also seen him so befuddled by an issue that he voted the
opposite of what he actually intended, requiring the council to
revote the question.
He’s demonstrated only the slightest understanding of the
political and administrative process and has no visible alliances
with his fellow council members. As a result, he has been ineffective
almost to the point of incompetence and an embarrassment to our city.
Instead of becoming an articulate voice of reason and unity on the
council, he continues to be a lightning rod for disharmony and
division.
I imagine he feels he has been doing his very best as a City
Council member, and I am also sure there are a few citizens who are
still glad they supported him. Certainly, he has made significant
personal sacrifices to serve this city but, as the November elections
approach, the time has come for him to do the right and honorable
thing.
To spare the city the turmoil and trauma that his impending trial
will almost certainly generate, and to spare himself further
humiliation and a possible conviction, I beseech him to instruct his
attorney to work out a deal with the district attorney and then
resign his council seat. If he does this in advance of the elections,
it will provide the remaining council members the opportunity to
appoint someone to finish his term. It will also give his core
constituency -- that group of sincere, dedicated folks who got him
elected -- a chance to put their full support behind candidates who
share their positions and have a better chance of affecting change in
this community.
So Councilman Steel should put aside his ego and do the right
thing for himself and the city of Costa Mesa -- step down.
* GEOFF WEST is a Costa Mesa resident.
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