MAILBAG:Council responding to citizens’ requests

I continue to be disappointed in the double standard put forward by the Daily Pilot.

At the July 17 council meeting, the issue of making Paularino Park a passive park was on the agenda. Although I was not at this meeting, I support the leadership Mayor Pro Tem Eric Bever showed in his motion to be accountable and responsive to the need for improved quality of life in our city.

I later watched the meeting, and it seemed clear to me the only intent was to eliminate large organized team sports from this small pocket park due to intimidation of other park users and things like urinating in the park by some of the players.

This will not keep anyone from tossing a ball or throwing a Frisbee with their kids. There is no way the public wants that or even asked for such a thing. The over-the-top antics of Linda Dixon, suggesting this would be the result, were clearly intentional.

Then the Daily Pilot jumped in with their usual out-of-touch editorial (“Remember the days when kids played in parks?,” July 22) saying playing catch and Frisbee would “not be allowed” when that clearly is not the intent. They even implied this decision was race-based.

Prior to my time on council, the neighbors of Tanager Park complained there were noise disruptions in the park which affected their quality of life. The answer: remove the basketball hoops. No vote of the council. No community meetings.

Where was the Daily Pilot on that one?

Are these race-based decisions? No, they are based on the actions of people. We also have a problem with large team sports being played at Fairview Park where it is not allowed and it interferes with people who go there to fly kites, have a picnic or just play catch or Frisbee.

Publisher Tom Johnson (“Park decisions not wise,” July 20) tries to paint a pattern of what he believes are race-based decisions. We closed the job center. We put an ICE agent in our jail. We changed the allocation of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds.

Yes, Mr. Johnson, the council members who want to improve the quality of life in our community and be accountable to the citizens did make those improvements. These decisions were based on quantifiable and tangible results.

Are we all the way there yet? No, but we are taking some good first steps. The Job Center was a blight on the neighborhood. Now we have a tax-generating business in its place that has put in nice landscaping and is a credit to the community. I am sure you would not want a job center in your neighborhood. The ICE agent in our jail has flagged more than 300 illegal-immigrant criminals for deportation. Crimes ranged from burglary to child molestation, DUI, etc.

This has improved safety in our neighborhoods. And yes, we have supported more of our CDBG funds to go to seniors and senior programs. We are doubling the amount of asphalt for residential street repair compared to recent years. We are also responding to traffic concerns by widening Newport Boulevard as well as studying the possible extension of the 55 Freeway through cut and cover tunneling.

I am proud of the improvements we are making and that we are delivering tangible results. Imagine, a council that is not intimidated by the Linda Dixon, Tom Johnson, Return to Reason crowd and actually wants to improve the quality of life of the citizens of Costa Mesa.

ALLAN MANSOOR

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