Friday, July 15, 2005
Adios, Human Relations Committee
Adios, Human Relations Committee
After voting to withhold funding for the Human Relations
Committee at a recent council meeting, the Costa Mesa City
Council will likely vote to disband that organization at its
meeting on July 19th.
I'm trying to decide what this tells me about our City Council, and the city in general. The Human Relations Committee was created by an enlightened City Council in August of 1987, with the expressed mission to: "...advise the City Council on matters of social significance; to recommend and implement projects that will encourage interaction, sharing and understanding of each other's culture's riches; to be a catalyst for the resolution of issues that divide individuals; and to serve as a 'public forum' where citizens of Costa Mesa can address their concerns."
I listened to the comments by council members, Mayor Allan Mansoor specifically, as he stated flat-out that this committee has outlived its usefulness. Of course, since he is a former member of this committee, I guess he should know - right? Or is there more to it than that?
Some observers will recall that the same verbiage was used during the dialogue about the Job Center - that it, too, had outlived its usefulness. At that time I interpreted that comment to mean that the Job Center was in the way of development - an accurate interpretation, as it turns out.
I guess our current City Council no longer has the need to be advised on matters of social significance. I guess the relationships within our city are so trouble-free that we no longer need a group to "recommend and implement projects that will encourage interaction, sharing and understanding of each other's culture's riches". Yeah, right....
It seems to me that the exact opposite is the case. Obviously, there are factions within this city that are at loggerheads. Clearly, there are those who resent the presence of the dominant Latino population on the Westside of town, because they have worked diligently to expunge that group from our borders for many years. Is this not precisely the type of situation the Human Relations Committee was created to handle? What does the willingness of this council to cast aside a group intended to facilitate municipal harmony say about them - and us?
When this act is coupled with this council's reduction of funding for some charitable organizations earlier this year and the apparent distain the majority on the council has for the Recreation Division - the arm of city government which oversees many of the cultural elements within our town - it certainly does not bode well for us as a community.
I fear we are approaching some dark days for our city.
11:29 am pdt
I'm trying to decide what this tells me about our City Council, and the city in general. The Human Relations Committee was created by an enlightened City Council in August of 1987, with the expressed mission to: "...advise the City Council on matters of social significance; to recommend and implement projects that will encourage interaction, sharing and understanding of each other's culture's riches; to be a catalyst for the resolution of issues that divide individuals; and to serve as a 'public forum' where citizens of Costa Mesa can address their concerns."
I listened to the comments by council members, Mayor Allan Mansoor specifically, as he stated flat-out that this committee has outlived its usefulness. Of course, since he is a former member of this committee, I guess he should know - right? Or is there more to it than that?
Some observers will recall that the same verbiage was used during the dialogue about the Job Center - that it, too, had outlived its usefulness. At that time I interpreted that comment to mean that the Job Center was in the way of development - an accurate interpretation, as it turns out.
I guess our current City Council no longer has the need to be advised on matters of social significance. I guess the relationships within our city are so trouble-free that we no longer need a group to "recommend and implement projects that will encourage interaction, sharing and understanding of each other's culture's riches". Yeah, right....
It seems to me that the exact opposite is the case. Obviously, there are factions within this city that are at loggerheads. Clearly, there are those who resent the presence of the dominant Latino population on the Westside of town, because they have worked diligently to expunge that group from our borders for many years. Is this not precisely the type of situation the Human Relations Committee was created to handle? What does the willingness of this council to cast aside a group intended to facilitate municipal harmony say about them - and us?
When this act is coupled with this council's reduction of funding for some charitable organizations earlier this year and the apparent distain the majority on the council has for the Recreation Division - the arm of city government which oversees many of the cultural elements within our town - it certainly does not bode well for us as a community.
I fear we are approaching some dark days for our city.
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