Costa Mesa laws should be upheld

There’s little point in a law that can’t be upheld.

Thus, laws are created to be upheld.

But when they’re broken, they need to be upheld.

This didn’t happen earlier this month when Costa Mesa City

Councilman Allan Mansoor and Planning Commissioner Joel Faris

apparently violated the city’s conflict of interest code. Faris gave

Mansoor $300 to help him win the 2002 City Council election. In

February, Mansoor chose Faris as his planning commissioner.

The conflict arises because city code basically says that anyone

contributing more than $249 to a campaign cannot benefit on the city

level within a year of the contribution. Had Faris given $249, the

case would be moot. It may just be a question of $51, but it

nonetheless proves to be a violation of the code created to avoid

this type of conflict of interest.

While it may not have been purposeful, nor is it when the driver

changing his radio dial accidentally runs a red light. Is it still

wrong? Of course.

So it came as a surprise when Acting City Atty. Tom Wood decided

that he can’t rule on past decisions involving a conflict of

interest. It seems this wouldn’t have been the case had the city

attorney’s office discovered the indiscretion as it occurred back in

February.

Wood should have at least been more decisive in his ruling. To a

certain extent, he did. He said that, though he would not make a

ruling, it would be a conflict in the future. However vague, it

sounds as though he’s admitting blame for having not caught it

earlier -- or on time to make a decision.

But Wood should have said, flatly, that this is clearly a conflict

according to the code that previous council members created. If he

couldn’t do something at that point, he should have admitted that he

made a mistake. After all, mistakes happen. But those who created the

law and those who abide by it deserve a clear explanation.

The snafu also could have been avoided if Mansoor and Faris knew

the code. But, again, mistakes happen.

The day after the ruling, Mansoor wrote Faris a check for $100. It

could have been $51, but it wasn’t. Perhaps it was just an extra $49

to ensure that, yes, a mistake was made and, yes, a lesson has been

learned.

Now, it can only be hoped that everyone has learned that lesson.