Look for real reasons for election...

Look for real reasons for election outcome

The elections are over, and the time has come for changes to be

made.

Mayor Linda Dixon lost in her bid for a second term to Allan

Mansoor, a first-time candidate. Both should be pleased with their

campaign efforts and both should take the outcome with dignity.

Unfortunately, it was somewhat disturbing to read in Thursday’s

Daily Pilot that the soon-to-be ex-mayor was quick to place blame

based on silly arguments:

For one thing, she made comments suggesting that somehow Katrina

Foley may have cost her the election by splitting the vote. While

this may have been true on a limited scale, how does that compare

with Gary Monahan splitting votes with both Mansoor and Perkins?

Wouldn’t a three-way split in a two-seat race be worse than a two-way

split? Mansoor and Foley both received a lot of votes because they

both ran intelligent and well-articulated campaigns. I believe

Mansoor’s commitment to putting Costa Mesa first in regard to John

Wayne Airport, traffic and crime garnered him the widespread support

he needed.

Dixon also called the practice of voting for only one person

“unscrupulous.” Well, with her and Foley a “team” and Monahan and

Perkins a “team,” why wouldn’t one expect some people to only cast

one vote for Mansoor. How is that dishonest? Would you expect people

to vote for two candidates just because there are two open slots?

Anyway, I really doubt the practice was that wide-spread.

The voters of Costa Mesa have spoken. We have proved that money,

while a big help in getting a message out, does not always beat the

hard work of active citizens from all corners of our city in electing

our leaders. I urge Dixon to take a cue from how Mansoor and Foley

accepted their outcomes.

They both earned my respect through both their actions and words.

JOEL FARIS

Costa Mesa

* Joel Faris is a former Costa Mesa City Council candidate.

Election brings good news for airport issues

Last March, everything that could possibly go wrong for El Toro

supporters did. Measure W passed, Measure V passed, and Supervisor

Cynthia Coad lost. Then, there was more subsequent bad news in

September, when a judge upheld Measure W.

However, this recent election was a pretty good outcome for El

Toro supporters. For starters, Proposition 51 went down in flames. It

lost in every single county in the state. In Orange County, it lost

very badly 65% to 35%. It looks like people gagged when they actually

saw the price tag for the “tax-free” Great Park that they voted for.

Proposition B passed 60% to 40%. This was despite a pro-airport

statement submitted by “V Plan” creator and Newport Beach resident

Charles Griffith, followed by anti-airport activist and Monarch Beach

resident Len Kranser countering with an editorial and mass e-mail

urging a “No” vote.

Measure B states that no land can be transferred at El Toro until

Base cleanup is complete, which will stop an immediate Irvine land

grab. With the Navy’s horrible past cleanup record with Hunter’s

Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco, it’s a good thing this measure

passed.

Maybe people do want to take a look at the V plan. Beforehand, it

was just that this wonderful “tax-free” park sounded so great, until

the voters got the invoice in the form of Proposition 51.

In the past, it was widely believed that being pro-El Toro was

politically risky, while being anti-El Toro was politically

enhancing. Let’s look at the results for pro- and anti-El Toro city

council candidates.

In Costa Mesa, newcomer Allan Mansoor defeated incumbent Linda

Dixon. I guarantee you this upset happened because Dixon refused to

fight for El Toro and protect her constituents from the double threat

of John Wayne and Long Beach expansion. Mansoor came out swinging for

El Toro, and will now provide Costa Mesa the 3-2 majority needed to

fight for El Toro. Attention, Karen Robinson and Lobby Cowan, you had

better take notice, or you will also be toast when you are up for

reelection in 2004.

In addition, the following Orange County Regional Airport

Authority board members were reelected: Council members Lydia Sondhi

of Cypress, Steve Simonian of La Habra, Harry Dotson of Stanton, Jack

Paris of Westminster, and Patsy Marshall of Buena Park. Also, Garden

Grove has been a very strong supporter of El Toro, and all three

incumbents, Bruce Broadwater, William Dalton, and Mark Leyes were

reelected. Finally, Anaheim Mayor Tom Daly has more to celebrate

besides a hometown World Series victory. He was elected to become the

county clerk recorder.

Let’s look at some anti-El Toro candidates. The Great Park

visionary, Irvine Mayor Larry Agran, was re-elected by less than a

mere 54%. So much for any ambitions of higher office. Where’s the

love and gratitude by all those Great Park supporters? Sure, it would

have been nice to see Agran go down in defeat. But, I think it will

be even more torture for him to have to deal with newly elected

councilwoman and longtime adversary Christina Shea! That will sure be

fun to watch.

Over in Mission Viejo, incumbents Susan Withrow and Sherri

Butterfield were badly defeated and will not return. Both were

outspoken El Toro airport opponents, and look how much that helped

them.

As one can see, being pro-El Toro is not so politically risky and

can even be very helpful, as was the case in Costa Mesa. On the other

hand, being anti-El Toro guarantees nobody any loyalty. It looks like

the tide has turned in our favor. We must seize on this and keep the

momentum going.

However, let’s not make the mistake of reviving the flawed and

widely hated county plan, which was inefficient and would send jets

over residential areas. It is high time to take a good look at the V

Plan, which can be a win-win for all and, best of all, not stick us

with a nasty tax bill like Agran and his Great Pork attempted to do

via Proposition 51.

REX RICKS

Huntington Beach

Time to get down to business on Westside

Surprise, surprise. Once again the Westside activists,

underestimated by this writer and much of the remaining populace of

our fair city, have mounted a successful campaign to get their

candidate elected. This time they managed to unseat a popular

incumbent mayor with another untried newcomer -- an astounding feat.

Congratulations to them all for a job well done.

Now the real work begins. Assuming Allan Mansoor’s success in the

election will provide a very different power base on the City

Council, this certainly looks like the time for the Westside

activists to tighten their focus and make some real progress on those

issues they feel are critical to the improvement of their part of

town. We can only hope that Mansoor follows through on his campaign

pledge to work for all the people of Costa Mesa, not just those who

got him elected.

GEOFF WEST

Costa Mesa