The Political Landscape:

The latest poll numbers show state Sen. Tom Harman (R-Huntington Beach) leading Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley by seven points in the Republican primary for state attorney general.

But with 36% of likely voters still undecided, the race could go any way.

The survey of 548 likely GOP primary voters was conducted by the research firm Survey USA for CBS 5 and KPIX-TV.

John Eastman came in third in the poll, with 14% of likely voters saying they would vote for the Chapman University law professor.

The survey of 548 likely GOP primary voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3%.

MOORINGS TO STAY IN HANDS OF HARBOR PATROL

The Newport Beach City Council on Tuesday night unanimously voted to negotiate a new, five-year, $1.7-million contract with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol to manage the city’s boat moorings.

City officials had been looking at dropping the Harbor Patrol in favor of a private contractor, to cut costs.

At one point, the city was eyeing private shipyard firm BellPort Group to take over the city’s mooring management contract. The firm said it could take over the city’s moorings for about $180,000 a year, or about $100,000 less than the Harbor Patrol.

Harbor Resources Manager Chris Miller told the council Tuesday that the city should stay with the Harbor Patrol because it can provide 24-hour, on-call service.

Newport Beach has about 1,200 moorings, about 800 offshore and 400 on shore.

The Harbor Patrol has managed the moorings for the city for the past 25 years.

ACLU DEMANDS RETRACTION FROM COSTA MESA

The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California is demanding that Costa Mesa issue a public statement advising its Police Department about the city’s moratorium on its anti-solicitation ordinance.

In addition to a public statement, the ACLU is also demanding that the city issue a written directive to its law enforcement officers.

A letter from Belinda Escobosa Helzer, an attorney with the ACLU’s Orange County office, was sent to the city in response to a Daily Pilot article about a possible violation of the moratorium by a Costa Mesa police officer.

Earlier this year, the ACLU, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund filed a lawsuit on behalf of day laborers in Costa Mesa, claiming that the ordinance, which makes it illegal for anyone to stand in a street and ask for work, is unconstitutional.

In March, Costa Mesa agreed to stop enforcing its law until a decision on a similar case is decided. The agreement between the three civil rights organizations and the city was filed and accepted by the federal judge handling the case.

However, in April an officer approached Jason Burns, a Costa Mesa resident, after seeing him stand on a sidewalk on Newport Boulevard and ask for work, according to Burns’ account. The officer told Burns it was illegal to approach someone and solicit work, Burns said.

When asked to explain the reasoning behind the officer’s alleged action, Costa Mesa Police Chief Christopher Shawkey said that not enforcing the ordinance doesn’t mean not informing people about it.

The ACLU views the officer’s alleged action and the chief’s response as a violation of the moratorium and is demanding immediate retraction from the city.

“If the city fails to take immediate action to remedy this serious violation of a court order, plaintiffs will pursue the appropriate legal remedies against the city, including a motion for contempt of court,” Helzer wrote in her May 7 letter.

Attorney James Touchstone of the firm Jones & Mayer, which is representing Costa Mesa in the case, said he’s working on a response to the ACLU letter.