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.