SOUNDING OFF:

On Jan. 3, 2006, Benito Acosta was removed from the Costa Mesa City Council Chamber for disrupting the meeting under way that evening.

Since then, criminal charges against Acosta were filed by the city and the city has been accused of violating Acosta’s 1st Amendment right to free speech. Acosta is being represented pro bono.

I have made two suggestions for restoring the funds for several Costa Mesa youth programs.

One of them was to reach a settlement with Acosta and his legal representatives. This would establish a specific settlement amount to be used to restore the youth programs.

This is a win-win-win. It not only gets the city out of a very deep hole, but also puts Acosta and his attorneys in the enviable position of being heroes to local kids.

Most importantly, such a settlement would restore critical — yes, critical — support for the city’s disadvantaged kids.

In response to this suggestion, “Rob Dickson” posted the following online comment: “Steve, capitulating to Acosta’s shake-down would be a perfect face-saving exit strategy? DEFENDING Costa Mesa against a federal lawsuit brought by an ‘activist’ who prides himself on civil disobedience and knew EXACTLY what he was doing, and who had previously unleashed profanity-laden tirades at our elected representatives during open council meetings is reckless spending? Seriously, Steve, that is a pathetic suggestion. Why don’t we just stop defending ourselves against all legal claims!”

So, here are two questions for “Rob Dickson” and anyone else who believes that the city should continue to defend itself in this case: First, should the city continue to spend the money to defend itself, regardless of the cost?

Secondly: If not, what is the maximum amount the city should spend before it realizes that the expense has far outweighed the benefit?

I’ll answer both questions.

Ready? First, no, the city should not spend an unlimited amount. I hope even “Rob Dickson” will agree with that.

Second, I have reported that as of November 2007 the city had spent $130,000 on the case.

Too much? Too little? OK, what is the limit? Does the city spend $200,000 before saying enough! Three hundred thousand? Four hundred thousand?

How about — wait for it — $439,168.51? That is the amount the city had spent on this case as of April 30, 2009.

I am going to guess that even “Rob Dickson” is asking the same question you are, which is: “What on Earth could they possibly have been thinking?”

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Mail to the Daily Pilot, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Send a fax to (714) 966-4667 or e-mail us at dailypilot@latimes.com. All correspondence must include full name, hometown and phone number (for verification purposes). The Pilot reserves the right to edit all submissions for clarity and length.

Steve Smith lives in Costa Mesa.