Youth program axed

COSTA MESA — What started as a program to learn about city government abruptly became a hard lesson in politics for 18 Costa Mesa high school students.

The Costa Mesa City Council late Tuesday axed a first-time youth-in-government program, after Mayor Allan Mansoor complained about how the program was created and said he wanted more input on it.

The program was proposed in 2005 by Councilwoman Katrina Foley and developed by city staffers. All 18 students who applied were accepted, and the group held its first meeting in December. A second meeting scheduled for Monday has been canceled.

Students who were part of the program said Wednesday they don’t think the council’s decision was fair.

“It was a chance to make Costa Mesa better for teenagers,” said Katie Brumbaugh, a 16-year-old junior at Costa Mesa High School. “It’s really sad because it’s basically telling us that we can’t do anything to help our community.”

The decision didn’t make sense to Ryan Esfahani, 16, a junior at Estancia High School, either.

“I didn’t think they had a good reason for doing that,” he said. “I just don’t think it’s right.”

Students would have learned about how government works and participated in a discussion of topics they considered important to Costa Mesa.

“I thought it was a cool thing to do because I’m interested in politics, and also [it’s] a good thing to put on my resume for college,” Esfahani said. He was hoping to discuss global warming, how to revitalize Triangle Square and other issues with his peers, he said.

The program had the blessing of the city parks and recreation commission and was approved by the council in the 2006-07 budget, but Mansoor and two other council members said they thought the council should have voted on it separately.

“It has never come before council before in any way, shape or form, other than hidden in the budget,” Mansoor said Wednesday. “It was never brought out as a new item for us to discuss, and I think that was completely inappropriate.”

Foley said Tuesday that the council received several memos on the program during the year it was being developed, and it was offered to the council for review as all parks and recreation commission decisions are.

Councilwoman Wendy Leece said she was concerned about what the program would teach students ideologically, though Foley explained that it wasn’t a partisan program.

The council voted, 3-2, not to continue the program for now, with Foley and Councilwoman Linda Dixon dissenting. Dixon asked that it be discussed at a study session so council members can make suggestions and air concerns.

The students said they’ll try to get the program brought back, but they weren’t the only ones who felt let down.

“These kids are going to be voting in a few years. We need kids to want to be interested in government,” said Kathy Esfahani, Ryan’s mother. “This program was getting them excited.”

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