Easy targets on City Council

Well, the city of Costa Mesa is getting lots of press and notoriety these last few days. Too bad all of the attention isn’t being garnered for some really positive accomplishments -- that is unless you believe alienating an entire segment of Costa Mesa is positive.

As former Police Chief Dave Snowden might agree, I am sure the “gadflies” are raising toasts that their heroes on the council are methodically passing an agenda that will no doubt further divide and hurt this city. Claiming that their actions are taking a bite out of crime, the council majority continues to move quickly in a direction that ignores civility and common sense. Mayor Allan Mansoor and his cronies can continue to say that they are motivated only by “public safety,” but are they really so naïve to think their actions are not perceived in other ways? I don’t think so.

Several things trouble me regarding the current majority. At the Dec. 6 meeting, way too many hours were spent on the “immigration solution.” As with the dismantling of the Costa Mesa Job Center, issues were taken straight to the dais without a reasonable and logical discussion period. Why weren’t both issues taken to study session prior to being put on the agenda? I want my council to study major issues, allowing discussion with staff and the public before taking hours at a council meeting. Maybe study sessions don’t give the mayor enough press time for his agenda. Maybe the majority don’t really care what the public, except their centers of influence, think.

They continue to ignore the advice and counsel of their police chief. Maybe they know more or don’t care what staff thinks.

Take a look at what was delayed because of the cumbersome way the mayor brought this item before the city. Discussion on a more relevant, real issue was put off: The joint-use agreement affects the safety and well-being of our children. That item was sent to January because the mayor handled his issue the way he did. Thank you to Councilwoman Katrina Foley for trying to install some reason and moving to continue this item.

Unfortunately, as is becoming very obvious, there is a notion that the majority on the council has already made up its mind on what it wants to do. I guess studying the matter would only lead to them having to listen to dissenting viewpoints. That certainly doesn’t seem to sit well with the mayor.

Another issue is becoming very tiring: When are the mayor and Mayor Pro Tem Eric Bever going to get off their response to the “discretionary funds” thing? Both of them say that they feel the Daily Pilot has misconstrued everything that they have done. The mayor has even gone so far as to “cancel my subscription to the Daily Pilot.” By the way, don’t you have to cancel your subscription to the Los Angeles Times to do that?

Anyway, let it go. Enough time and resources have been spent on this trivial matter. The mayor and Bever need to refocus on the issues really affecting our citizens. The Katrina-bashing has gone way too far. If the Daily Pilot is so evil and misguided, why are both of them continuing to write long-winded, negative and defensive letters? Personally, I wish my elected officials would bother to read and subscribe to the local paper; they might read what their constituents are really thinking.

Both Mansoor and Bever continue to champion themselves as “down-to-earth” politicians who are making sure they serve their constituents and to not waste city funds. I guess that only means for their cronies and supporters. If they really want to save money, they should quit wasting staff time on issues that primarily serve their interest or direction. How much money was spent on city attorney and other staff time dealing with the discretionary funds issue? My guess is that staff time could have been much better spent on real issues and concerns.

How much police staff time has been spent on Mansoors’ immigration issue? Personally, I would prefer that Police Chief John Hensley and other officers spend their time dealing with more relevant police matters. Our two elected officials will nickel and dime the budget over things they feel are a waste of public funds -- things like recreation programs and field use -- but when it comes to working on issues that they and their band of followers want looked at, apparently price is no object. They need to start listening to a broader voice in this city. Their buddies who habitually speak at council meetings are not the only ones in this city.

Lastly, Mansoor and Bever apparently have what those of us who have umpired baseball games refer to as “rabbit ears.” Both of them overreact to criticism of themselves and their actions. Granted, some things were said at the most recent council meeting that were out of line, but the mayor was quick to strike back at several speakers who challenged his line of thinking. Both Mansoor and Bever are quick to write back to the editorial page when they are criticized. Their rationale is that they want to set the record straight. If both of them want to continue to be in the public eye, if both of them want to continue to waste city time and resources, they better get used to the critics and even the second-guessers.

Paint a target on your back and someone will shoot at it.

If both of them would get back to serving the community (the entire community), maybe the criticism would slow down. It is really sad that the community is ignored. The fact that the two leading vote-getters in the last election have no chance of getting some things done points that out.

This current majority is taking the city down a road that will be hard to return from.

* MIKE SCHEAFER is a former Costa Mesa city councilman.

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