MAILBAG:Raising questions for Costa Mesa’s mayor

I can’t explain why Mayor Mansoor feels like a thorn in my foot.

It seems that he spends more time putting down people than really focusing on his “beloved” city. I have a few questions for you, Mr. Mayor.

Now, I know that I am uneducated on what the changes were to the CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) fund. But you claim to have supported these funds to go to seniors and senior programs. I commend this.

You also are saying that the amount of asphalt has doubled for residential street repair. This is good, too.

My questions are this with respect to you, sir. When you resurface a residential street, why are you not following the ADA guidelines by putting in public pathways/sidewalks?

Why are you not maintaining the shabby sidewalks that are illegal and don’t follow ADA?

Why do you allow the city code enforcers to drive up my alley and give me a citation for too many weeds — which by the way aren’t weeds, they are indigenous ground cover — when in the same alley there are cracks and potholes that pop tires and create trip factors? This alley is not up to your own city code (sec. 20-7K)!

Why is it that on my street there have been more than nine accidents to my and my neighbors’ cars that are legally parked? The few people who have been “caught” were not illegal immigrants.

You said that because of your ICE agents having “flagged” 300 illegal immigrants that our streets are safer. If you claim to better the quality of life for the citizens of your city, then stop focusing on the Mexicans playing soccer in our parks. I’m sure that no one would bat an eyelash at 15 white kids playing soccer.

Why don’t you follow the federally mandated law and provide a safe pathway to all the parks, grocery stores, schools and public programs? Do you know how it feels to drive down Orange Avenue and watch an elderly person inch by the telephone poles and utility boxes that are illegally blocking the public right of way?

Do you know how it feels to wheel your child down the street because there are no sidewalks and have a car honk at you because they may have to actually slow down to 25 mph.

No sir, I don’t think you do know.

Why don’t your code enforcers stop creating problems with legal plants and have them drive up Orange Avenue, Ogle, 16th Place and countless other streets and give people citations who park their cars on the limited sidewalk?

Oh, and by the way, it’s not illegal to be born, so stop calling humans “illegals.”

However, it is illegal to not follow federal laws and guidelines! So, I guess that the HOA, better known as the City of Costa Mesa, is all illegal!

JUNE HENDRICKS

Learn English if you’re living here

After reading the article written by Michael Miller (“South-of-the-border etiquette,” Aug. 6), I felt I had to ask this question. Doesn’t it make more sense to have a class “Learn English in a Day” instead of “Learn Spanish in a Day”?

Why should we have to pay to learn to speak Spanish? Personally, I feel if individuals from other countries are going to live in the United States, English should be spoken, and it’s their obligation to learn our language, not the other way around.

PATRICIA SMITH

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