COMMUNITY COMMENTARY:Setting the record straight on mayor

I completely expected that the Pilot would once again anoint two people for the Costa Mesa City Council who have no track record and no vision for fighting crime or beautifying the city; nothing new there (“In Costa Mesa: Philosophy change,” Oct. 8). What I did not expect was the fabrication and distortion of the mayor’s record.

In contradiction to the accusations made regarding council actions of the last two years, Mayor Allan Mansoor has been very accessible to all members of the community and has strived to address the concerns of his constituents. He became involved as a citizen activist many years ago to address quality-of-life issues for one reason only: He was concerned that the beautiful city he had grown up in was going downhill and wanted to get it back on the right track.

The terms “fear, divisiveness and discord” were featured in reference to our mayor, and, quite frankly, the fear, divisiveness and discord, if any exists in our community, are a direct result of past councils’ actions that made Costa Mesa a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants. It is disingenuous for the Pilot to blame the mayor for attempting to address the results of others’ actions. His constituents elected him to deal with the problems of our city, as he promised he would.

Despite the Pilot’s ignorance or refusal to acknowledge the situation, the majority of Costa Mesans who are also American citizens are fed up with the overcrowding, underperforming schools, traffic congestion and gang activity to which illegal immigrants contribute in a very real way. The mayor has heard the community speak and has acted bravely, as federal law currently permits him to do.

But that is not enough; no, the Pilot consistently paints the mayor as a one-issue guy, but this simply not the case. Mansoor has steadfastly worked to double the number of residential streets that are repaired and rebuilt each year, and has supported our police and fire departments at every turn.

The much-maligned council majority has consistently funded our budgets for a fully staffed police department, including an increased gang unit. All positions are fully funded, and until just recently there has been no request for additional funding for recruitment. When it came up, it was funded.

The Pilot’s comment that “that majority cares about more playing fields, a strong police force and construction of skater parks” in reference to the issues the mayor’s opponents support also falls flat. The current council, including Mansoor, has clearly supported all three. In fact, we recently voted to add a second skate park in the near future and have been in pursuit of agreements that will put more lighted fields on line as well. I must emphasize that the new fields will not be adjacent to, nor negatively affect, any of our neighborhoods.

Mansoor has strongly supported programs such as the popular “residential remodeling incentive program,” which helps Costa Mesa homeowners cut the red tape and save on fees for their remodeling projects. Our homeowners responded to the first program, which we spearheaded in 2005, by investing a whopping $14.8 million in their properties.

Mansoor has also supported substantial increases to the “first-time home-buyer program,” which helps folks purchase their first home in Costa Mesa. The city’s funds are repaid at the time the home is resold, and as an equity share, the city’s investment grows along with the market. As an example: if the city loans $100,000 to help buy a $500,000 home and that home is later sold for $750,000, the city’s share on the sale would be $150,000, or a $50,000 return on the loan.

The Westside overlay plans were supported by the mayor as a free-market solution to the vexing issue of Westside revitalization. This approach does not force anyone to do anything, but offers opportunities should the property owner wish to take advantage of them. This plan has already resulted in several projects being proposed to replace rundown industrial and apartment properties with new “for sale” housing. This plan intentionally eliminates any need for redevelopment or eminent domain.

The mayor also supported a resolution to OCTA and Caltrans to extend the Costa Mesa (55) freeway underground to 16th or 15th street to address the major traffic congestion that clogs our downtown with Newport’s commuter and beach traffic. He has also consistently supported anti-gang initiatives and has taken a tough enforcement stance against violent crime.

Like the mayor, I firmly believe that Costa Mesa is a fantastic city, with many enviable attributes and opportunities. For that reason, I also believe that our city is worth fighting for. We must acknowledge the issues of our failing schools, overcrowding and gangs, and take decisive action to solve them. Ironically, the mayor’s opponents claim that by his acknowledging the issues, he is hurting the city’s image, and they blame his desire to fix these problems for the exodus of families. Would his supporters be happy if he ignored the problems? I highly doubt it.

Passively standing by, as Planning Commissioner Bruce Garlich and his running mate, former Councilman Mike Scheafer advocate are doing, will not suffice. It will only exacerbate the problems that are currently driving our middle-class families to greener pastures. Supporting their “philosophy change” can only hurt our city’s prospects for a full recovery, as they wish to return to the permissive, denial-laden “moderate” approach to city government.

I support Mansoor and Parks Commissioner Wendy Leece because they both clearly understand that Costa Mesa has great assets and potential. Both also agree that firm, decisive leadership — including strong efforts to get a handle on our illegal immigration, gang and crime problems — is necessary if our good city intends to become a great city.