Venezia: Stirring up a CM4RG hornet’s nest

Geez, write one simple column about dissension in the ranks of the political group Costa Mesans for Responsible Government (CM4RG) and people go nuts.

Like peeling back the curtain in “The Wizard of Oz,” revealing the all-powerful wizard was nothing more than a mere mortal, last week’s column questioning CM4RG’s City Council candidate endorsement process created quite a stir on both sides of the political aisle in this city.

At the heart of the controversy were former CM4RG officers Charles Mooney and Mary Ann O’Connell.

They spoke openly about their feeling that the endorsement process was slanted toward the chosen candidates, Jay Humphrey and Katrina Foley, and against Harold Weitzberg, whom Mooney and O’Connell supported.

Reader response was interesting, and several people suggested I delve deeper into the pre-polling survey that was a catalyst for supporting Humphrey and Foley.

So I did.

As far as CM4RG’s pre-polling survey goes, Mooney said a brief summary was given to members at the general meeting.

No statistical analysis was offered other than “the sample size resulted in an error that was a little higher than desired,” he said.

He says the results clearly favored one candidate — he wouldn’t say which — and for the two others being considered by CM4RG — he also wouldn’t name names — the results were less definitive.

Since there were only three candidates in the mix, my guess is Foley was favored, and Weitzberg and Humphrey were the others.

“In addition, it took some coaxing to get the presenter to tell everyone that about 70% of those surveyed were neutral or didn’t know the two candidates in contention for the remaining council position,” Mooney said.

CM4RG President Robin Leffler defends the survey done by Gravis marketing, which can be reviewed online at gravismarketing.com.

“Questions about the candidates were typical, generic types designed to measure name recognition, favorable-neutral-unfavorable opinions, and who respondents would be likely to vote for,” she said.

I had asked Leffler for copies of some of the questions, as well as an analysis of the report. The only thing she sent me was the quote above.

Costa Mesa Councilwoman Wendy Leece, a member of the endorsement committee, downplayed the survey results, saying they were among many pieces of information used by the panel to formulate its decisions.

Other important components were candidate interviews focusing on the person’s experience and knowledge of important city issues, such as the proposed charter, public safety, medical marijuana and planning.

The candidates’ demeanor and perceived honesty were also taken into account, Leece tells me.

The committee looked into the background of each candidate and “things the other side might use in a hit piece,” she said.

And the controversy of last week’s column doesn’t stop here. It’s still rocking for Councilwoman Sandy Genis regarding her comment during the CM4RG endorsement process about Weitzberg not being a “Costa Mesa name.”

Though Genis has said her comment wasn’t meant to be anti-Semitic, O’Connell interpreted it that way and others, including a couple members of the City Council, just won’t let it go.

Genis, for her part, said her comment was related to polling, how Weitzberg’s name didn’t appear to register with voters in the poll.

I don’t believe Genis is anti-Semitic. I’ve interviewed her many times and never got that impression. Besides, people in this town talk, and if she had a pattern of this type of behavior it would have raised its head by now.

And I don’t believe her critics really think she’s anti-Semitic either, but they’re running with the story because of the political opportunity it affords.

That’s just how Costa Mesa politics rolls.

Was the comment inappropriate and a poor choice of words, in any context?

You bet, and Weitzberg deserves a public apology. I believe Genis missed the perfect opportunity to do just that at the last council meeting, where Weitzberg spoke out about the incident.

But the debate about Genis’ comment should take a broader view, because who on this City Council hasn’t said something inappropriate or insulting to the public?

In fact, discussion about how the public is treated at council meetings is so prevalent that it’s become a campaign issue in this race.

This entire council would benefit from some form of sensitivity training. The sooner, the better, for everyone’s sake.

As election time nears, and campaign literature fills mailboxes, it will be up to the voters to decide what direction they choose for their city.

The question they should be exploring: Is the city in better or worse shape than it was four years ago?

If they believe it is, then Mayor Jim Righeimer will get another term.

If they don’t, then Foley and Humphrey can forge their own majority.

With many looking forward to the upcoming Feet to the Fire Forum for Costa Mesa council candidates on Sept. 18 in the Robert B. Moore Theatre at Orange Coast College (doors open at 6 p.m., and the forum is from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.), I’m sure many of these issues, and a whole lot more, will be discussed.

BARBARA VENEZIA, whose column appears Fridays, lives in Newport Beach. She can be reached at bvontv1@gmail.com.