Costa Mesa council targeted for change

A political action group opposed to the way some of the Costa Mesa City Council members are conducting the city’s business has formed to change the make-up of the council in the November elections.

The group, “Return to Reason,” is made up of more than 50 former and current council and school board members, business owners and residents. Among the group’s underwriters are C.J. Segerstrom and Sons, owners of the South Coast Plaza. Among its members are former mayors Joe Erickson and Arlene Scheaffer, former police chief Dave Snowden and Manfredo Lespier.

The group will raise money and endorse candidates ? yet to be named.

Supporters of the group are concerned residents who have grown increasingly impatient with the direction the city is heading, said Steve Dzida, the group’s spokesman.

Councilwoman Katrina Foley, who is part of the group, said it is not just about immigration.

“It’s about getting our city back on track to make the council more community minded,” Foley said.

An example Dzida cites as bad city government is the proposal to have city police trained in immigration enforcement. The proposal was approved in December with Councilwomen Foley and Linda Dixon, who also is a member of the new group, voting against it.

Dzida, an attorney and a 19-year Costa Mesa resident, said he was inspired by the council’s actions to become involved in the group.

Dzida said the council should have had a study session on the immigration proposal before approving it and should have consulted with Costa Mesa Police Chief John Hensley, who retired Friday.

“We are never going to be able to do the federal government’s job. We should be able to focus on things that we can actually do,” Dzida said. “Whether you’re talking about filling potholes or building a park ? this is not the way that you do business.”

The group wants to elect people on the council that will do business in a professional and reasonable way, he added.

Not everyone thinks the group is being reasonable, however.

“It sounds to me like it’s a return to unreasonableness by not wanting to uphold the laws,” Mayor Allan Mansoor said when he was told of the group. Mansoor’s seat is up for reelection this November.

“It seems to me that (Dzida) is going to support a candidate that does not want to uphold the law through the Immigration Customs Enforcement proposal that was put forward by this council,” Mansoor added.

The mayor said most of the Costa Mesa residents who have contacted him have been supportive of upholding illegal immigration laws.

“Three of the illegal immigrants that ICE arrested in Costa Mesa were sex offenders, so it’s very reasonable to want to uphold the law,” Mansoor said.

Councilman Gary Monahan, who is termed out of his seat this fall, said he has not heard of the new group.

When told of the group’s list of supporters, including former mayors Erickson and Schaeffer, Snowden and school board members Dana Black and Dave Brooks, he said he knew some of them and had a good relationship with them.

Monahan said he believes the city is heading in the right direction with the improvement to the city’s Westside.

He said if members of the group have a problem with the way the city is being run, they should give him a call.

He said the group needs to define itself better on the issues.

“If they think the city is heading in the wrong direction, they need to get off their butts,” Monahan said. “Put up or shut up and run a candidate and see if that person can win. If they can’t, they’re obviously not in the majority.”

“Return to Reason” will hold its first event this month.

Dzida pointed out the group is a broad cross-section of the city, with both Republican and Democratic members.

“We’re not a hippie radical movement,” Dzida said. “We consider ourselves a mainstream movement looking for representation on the council who will get us back on track.”

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