Mayor condemns letter

Costa Mesa City Council members and November election candidates reacted Friday to a letter written by Councilwoman Linda Dixon about Mayor Allan Mansoor.

In the letter to the editor published Friday in the Daily Pilot, Dixon expressed dismay about comments Mansoor made in reaction to the Aug. 2 drive-by shooting death of 23-year-old Israel Maciel at an apartment complex on West Baker Street.

In her letter, Dixon called Mansoor a “Minuteman” and wrote that “his string of puppets are on a mission to divide Costa Mesa and pit neighbor against neighbor, and they will not be happy until we are one big ‘lily white’ community.”

The letter also reads: “Beware of Allan Mansoor! I recommend residents monitor the following issues because if he can figure out a way to win his reelection and manage to get his wanna-be sidekick, Wendy Leece, elected, he’ll have the three votes he needs to close the golf course; not allow our children to play ball in our neighborhood parks; end any intramural sports now being played on elementary school campuses; charge for concerts in the park; and get his plan to make every Costa Mesa Police officer an immigration agent passed.”

Dixon said what she wrote was a reaction to the mayor’s lack of sympathy for the victims.

“I don’t want anybody to think this is a setup,” Dixon said in a phone interview about why she wrote the letter. “As a mom, I am devastated that a child in my city is dead. I think that you should be compassionate for people when they are suffering. I wrote it because that’s how I felt.”

Mansoor, who is running for reelection in November, said he was disappointed at “the desperate name calling” and defended Leece, a parks commissioner who also is seeking election to the council.

“Is this really what Return to Reason supporters and their candidates are about?” Mansoor said, referring to a group of past and present community leaders — Dixon among them — who hope to unseat Mansoor in the upcoming election. “She [Linda Dixon] took a cheap shot at Wendy Leece because we want to uphold our laws and revitalize our neighborhoods.”

Leece echoed Mansoor’s remarks.

“I hope we all can rise above name calling in this campaign,” Leece said. “It was a cheap shot for no reason. I won’t be changing my positions to uphold our laws and present ideas to make Costa Mesa a better place to live and work. I just signed an ethics agreement in turning in my [election] statement, and I intend to abide by my agreement to engage in an honest debate and to maintain high ethical standards throughout the campaign.”

Planning Commissioner Bruce Garlich, who is running for one of the two open council seats, said that Dixon’s letter “was very strong” and that she is entitled to her opinion as a member of the City Council.

“The issues that she raises are legitimate issues, such as the parks,” Garlich said. “I didn’t write a letter to the Daily Pilot because I didn’t think it was appropriate. I didn’t want to be seen as taking advantage of the situation for political gain. I felt sorry for the family and the other victims. I think his [Mansoor’s] comments were unfortunate.”

Councilwoman Katrina Foley said: “I think she [Dixon], like many others, are just fed up, and the last incident was the straw that pushed her over.”

When asked if he wanted to comment to Dixon’s letter, Councilman Eric Bever said he would be writing a letter to the Daily Pilot editors.

City Council candidate Mirna Burciaga did not want to comment. “The letter Linda Dixon wrote seems to be personal, between she and the mayor, and I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to comment,” Burciaga said.

Councilman Gary Monahan, who is termed out, could not be reached Friday.