COMMUNITY COMMENTARY:

A recent article by Daily Pilot reporter Alan Blank (“Leece, Mansoor back conservative candidates,” Aug. 13) stated that I was endorsing Jim Righeimer, Gary Monahan and Eric Bever in the upcoming council election. That is 100% accurate, and I wholeheartedly endorse them.

However, he went on to say that the three of them “have been heavily involved in the Republican party” and that I “cited strong ties to the party as influence in my decision.”

That is completely inaccurate, and I said no such thing.

Righeimer has been involved with the party, but I do not know how Monahan or Bever have been “heavily involved” or involved at all.

Is this continued inaccurate reporting by the Pilot what we are to expect during this election season?

What I did say is that I support them because they oppose new taxes and support upholding our laws regarding illegal immigration. But it is so much more than that so here is the whole reason.

Back in 2002 and again in 2006, Costa Mesa voters gave me their support and I am grateful for that. At that time, my goal was to improve our quality of life and that remains my goal. We put more emphasis on repairing our broken streets, addressing traffic concerns, cracking down on vending trucks and illegal push carts that were causing noise and litter problems, addressing crime and illegal immigration, and finding new sports fields for a higher quality of life.

We still have work to do but since that time, we have heavily increased our level of street repair, cracked down on illegal vending, removed almost 800 criminals from our city through the Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) program, and brought new sports fields online. Without the support of Bever and Monahan, we would not have the ICE program in our city today. During the 2006 election, the ICE issue was still pending and we did not have an ICE agent in our jail facility. When Wendy Leece won, it maintained the pro-enforcement, pro-improvement majority, and ICE put an agent in our jail.

Bever was elected in 2004, and I am grateful that the public continued to see the long-term vision of improvement. When he came on he had the long-term vision and saw the importance and need for the overlay zones and put the time in to get them in place. As I have written in the past, these overlay zones are key to revitalizing the west side of our city and are a major part of the solution to the long-term health of Costa Mesa. Ultimately, revitalization will bring a reduction in crime. Blighted properties attract graffiti and vandalism, and keep the overall desirability of the neighborhood low.

Righeimer brings a good business sense, and his development background will be helpful in bringing in the right kind of development to revitalize our city. He has also been instrumental in working to bring the Orange County Marathon to Costa Mesa.

In the past, I have not been shy about expressing my reasons for disagreement with Councilwomen Katrina Foley and Linda Dixon. I am not going to stop now. Foley and Dixon opposed the ICE proposal; Foley and Dixon opposed an airport at El Toro, which would have solved our airport quality of life issues; and some time ago Foley brought up the suggestion of a graffiti wall for “artistic expression.” Dixon said, “It is an art.” I say it is blight. Foley and Dixon support raising our taxes, with Foley saying she is “supportive of a specific tax.” This is the wrong direction for Costa Mesa.

I had a chance to meet and talk with Bill Sneen and listened to him at the debates. I heard no clear answers on his positions on important city issues. I also spoke with Lisa Reedy some time ago regarding various Costa Mesa issues and the problem of prostitution on Harbor Boulevard came up. I told her I believed it was important to address that problem as it leaves the wrong image of our city with people who drive past it. Her position was that we should leave that issue alone, and she did not support enforcement because it was a “victimless” crime.

I could not disagree more. Nothing will drive our city down faster than a bunch of prostitutes walking up and down Harbor Boulevard. Costa Mesa will not be revitalized over night, but we are on our way. It is my goal to continue the long-term vision of true improvement and truly make Costa Mesa the best of Southern California. Righeimer, Monahan and Bever have the experience to do that.

ALLAN MANSOOR is a city councilman in Costa Mesa.