Forum focuses on Westside

Lolita Harper

Latino business leaders at a forum Thursday asked City Council

candidates to explain how they would tackle city issues resulting

from a surging Latino population.

About 60 people gathered at the forum at Harbor Christian

Fellowship church -- in a portion of the city each candidate has

vowed to improve. The Latino Business Council and the Latino

Community Network hosted the forum -- the third in this council race.

The moderator was David Calderon, president of the Latino Business

Council.

Mayor Linda Dixon, Councilman Gary Monahan, Planning Commission

Chairwoman Katrina Foley, Planning Commissioner Bill Perkins and

Human Relations Committee member Allan Mansoor were quizzed on their

ideas for better education, increased safety, affordable housing,

redevelopment, after school programs and their “vision” for 19th

Street.

When confronted with questions about programs and services for

Latinos, the candidates treaded very carefully. For the most part,

each council hopeful gave very general answers.

Dixon and Mansoor seemed most adamantly opposed to any outreach

that would favor one ethnic group over another. Mansoor said Costa

Mesa needed to be careful not to embrace one group over another

because it fragments the city and encourages divisiveness.

“We need to work as one city and not be divided by special

interests,” Mansoor said.

Calderon referred to financial reports that show Hispanics are

spending about $1 billion every three weeks and asked the candidates

what they would do to attract high-quality Latino businesses to Costa

Mesa to cash in on that spending trend.

Foley was the only candidate who said she would take measures

specifically to recruit a specific demographic by formulating an

economic development plan. With a large population of Latinos in

Costa Mesa, Foley said, it only made sense to pursue targeted

businesses and benefit from the sales tax.

“I think this is something we should capitalize on,” Foley said.

“Why not? We can turn that sales tax [revenue] into money for

infrastructure, programs and services that are currently lacking.”

Monahan outlined a more general approach, saying the city should

create a more business-friendly environment to attract all

high-quality businesses while continuously working with groups such

as the Latino Business Council to address the specific needs of

potential proprietors.

“We need to reach out and let people know that Costa Mesa is the

best place to do business and the rest will take care of itself,”

Monahan said.

Perkins, Mansoor and Dixon agreed with the open-arms approach to

all businesses, including, but not limited to, Latino businesses.

Dixon bluntly opposed any ethnicity-based recruitment.

“If they are interested in Costa Mesa, they have every opportunity

to come here,” Dixon said. “I don’t think there should be specific

incentives.”