Three down, two to go. Last night's candidate forum in the
City Council chambers was the third of five to be conducted and
the second - and last - to be televised. This one was broadcast
live on Time Warner cable, Channel 24 and is also available on
streaming video on the city web site. It will be replayed on
Channel 24 several times, and on Channel 001, as well.
Daily Pilot publisher Tom Johnson, the moderator of the event sponsored by Time Warner Cable, The Daily Pilot and the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce, ran a tight ship last night. The event started at the stroke of 6 and wrapped up precisely at 7. Each candidate had a chance to respond to each of eight questions posed by questioners Valerie Starn of Time Warner and Editor S.J. Cahn of the Daily Pilot. Respond is a good word, since several candidates never did really "answer" the questions posed - they just folded in their favorite pet peeve, whether it was relevant or not.
Long shot candidate Chris Bunyan came across, once again, as refreshing, yet clearly not quite ready for prime time. He made a point of mentioning that his parents had made it to every one of the forums so far, driving down from Bakersfield for the events.
With Mirna Burciaga "calling in sick" for this one, that left the serious conversation to the two opposing factions on the dais - Allan Mansoor with Wendy Leece and Bruce Garlich with Mike Scheafer. The results were predictable.
Garlich and Scheafer came prepared and answered the questions posed. Mansoor and Leece basically ignored many of the posed questions and provided, instead, answers to questions unasked - those that fit their personal agendas. For example, once again they flogged the municipal dead horse - 1901 Newport Plaza condominiums - implying inaccurately that they shouldn't have been approved. It's just another example of Mansoor and Leece attempting to fabricate an issue where there is none.
I watched with eagerness to see if there would be the return of the bobbleheads this time. You'll recall that during the first forum Leece would nod her head as Mansoor spoke and vice versa. Not so tonight. No, tonight brought us an even more interesting display of self-serving team politics.
Because there was a little time left at the end, each candidate was given the opportunity to ask any other candidate a question. Most of us - including the hosts - hoped for some hard-hitting, down and dirty, tough questions. Instead, Bunyan used his question to ask Mike Scheafer for an insurance quote. Scheafer, in turn, asked Bunyan - as a new guy in this process - what he thought about it. Nice touch, which gave Bunyan a chance to shine a little.
Then, in the spirit of what the moderators intended, Garlich asked Wendy Leece a tough one about her position on lighted fields versus property owners rights. As usual, her answer fell far short of a reasonable explanation, since there really is none.
Then it was Mansoor's turn. In a contrived bit of political manipulation, he asked Leece for her position on illegal immigration - which, of course, is his position on illegal immigration - so her answer sounded as though it was read straight from the mayor's campaign flyers. She prattled on with his party line on the subject. Then came Leece's turn to question a candidate. Instead of posing a tough one to Scheafer or Garlich, she returned Mansoor's favor by asking him his position on traffic conditions in the city. He used that as a springboard to, once again, gripe about the 1901 Newport Plaza condo project. It was very obvious during this exchange that the Mayor and his campaign barnacle, Ms. Leece, had contrived this little scheme as yet another way to manipulate the process.
Actually, this was a very good example of what we've seen since Mansoor took over control of this city. He disregards important questions and answers only the ones he chooses. If he doesn't like a question, he just answers a different one. Hopefully, those folks who had a chance to watch this event will understand just how ill-prepared our young jailer/mayor is for the responsibilities of his job on the city council and how little he can be trusted to fulfill his duties to the benefit of all residents. Ms. Leece, of course, brings nothing to the dais except an echo of Mansoor's position.
***
As an aside, Tuesday night's council meeting brought us another example of pettiness by lame duck councilman Gary Monahan. Monahan, who will leave the council this year after serving for 12 years, will have the distinction of being the only councilman to earn enough credit for a pension.
During public comments, businessman Tim Lewis spoke again of his displeasure with the current regime and "fired" Mayor Mansoor by displaying a bright red wide ribbon which stated "Fired!" in bold letters. When he had finished Monahan asked if Lewis continues to reject opportunities to provide equipment and services to the city in protest. Lewis responded affirmatively, indicating he had recently refused to bid on a chance to provide lights for playing fields. So, in a mini-fit of pique, Monahan said that contractors at his home and business will boycott Lewis' business in, to use Monahan's words, tit for tat.
This is only the most recent example of how Monahan has overstayed his welcome. Even since he joined Mansoor and Eric Bever as an unblockable majority he's acted like he answers to no one. Rather than be a statesman as his career on the council winds down he has chosen to become vindictive and petty. I hope the voters will remember this when they vote for candidates for the Sanitary District Board - a position he is seeking this November.
1:49 am pdt
Daily Pilot publisher Tom Johnson, the moderator of the event sponsored by Time Warner Cable, The Daily Pilot and the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce, ran a tight ship last night. The event started at the stroke of 6 and wrapped up precisely at 7. Each candidate had a chance to respond to each of eight questions posed by questioners Valerie Starn of Time Warner and Editor S.J. Cahn of the Daily Pilot. Respond is a good word, since several candidates never did really "answer" the questions posed - they just folded in their favorite pet peeve, whether it was relevant or not.
Long shot candidate Chris Bunyan came across, once again, as refreshing, yet clearly not quite ready for prime time. He made a point of mentioning that his parents had made it to every one of the forums so far, driving down from Bakersfield for the events.
With Mirna Burciaga "calling in sick" for this one, that left the serious conversation to the two opposing factions on the dais - Allan Mansoor with Wendy Leece and Bruce Garlich with Mike Scheafer. The results were predictable.
Garlich and Scheafer came prepared and answered the questions posed. Mansoor and Leece basically ignored many of the posed questions and provided, instead, answers to questions unasked - those that fit their personal agendas. For example, once again they flogged the municipal dead horse - 1901 Newport Plaza condominiums - implying inaccurately that they shouldn't have been approved. It's just another example of Mansoor and Leece attempting to fabricate an issue where there is none.
I watched with eagerness to see if there would be the return of the bobbleheads this time. You'll recall that during the first forum Leece would nod her head as Mansoor spoke and vice versa. Not so tonight. No, tonight brought us an even more interesting display of self-serving team politics.
Because there was a little time left at the end, each candidate was given the opportunity to ask any other candidate a question. Most of us - including the hosts - hoped for some hard-hitting, down and dirty, tough questions. Instead, Bunyan used his question to ask Mike Scheafer for an insurance quote. Scheafer, in turn, asked Bunyan - as a new guy in this process - what he thought about it. Nice touch, which gave Bunyan a chance to shine a little.
Then, in the spirit of what the moderators intended, Garlich asked Wendy Leece a tough one about her position on lighted fields versus property owners rights. As usual, her answer fell far short of a reasonable explanation, since there really is none.
Then it was Mansoor's turn. In a contrived bit of political manipulation, he asked Leece for her position on illegal immigration - which, of course, is his position on illegal immigration - so her answer sounded as though it was read straight from the mayor's campaign flyers. She prattled on with his party line on the subject. Then came Leece's turn to question a candidate. Instead of posing a tough one to Scheafer or Garlich, she returned Mansoor's favor by asking him his position on traffic conditions in the city. He used that as a springboard to, once again, gripe about the 1901 Newport Plaza condo project. It was very obvious during this exchange that the Mayor and his campaign barnacle, Ms. Leece, had contrived this little scheme as yet another way to manipulate the process.
Actually, this was a very good example of what we've seen since Mansoor took over control of this city. He disregards important questions and answers only the ones he chooses. If he doesn't like a question, he just answers a different one. Hopefully, those folks who had a chance to watch this event will understand just how ill-prepared our young jailer/mayor is for the responsibilities of his job on the city council and how little he can be trusted to fulfill his duties to the benefit of all residents. Ms. Leece, of course, brings nothing to the dais except an echo of Mansoor's position.
***
As an aside, Tuesday night's council meeting brought us another example of pettiness by lame duck councilman Gary Monahan. Monahan, who will leave the council this year after serving for 12 years, will have the distinction of being the only councilman to earn enough credit for a pension.
During public comments, businessman Tim Lewis spoke again of his displeasure with the current regime and "fired" Mayor Mansoor by displaying a bright red wide ribbon which stated "Fired!" in bold letters. When he had finished Monahan asked if Lewis continues to reject opportunities to provide equipment and services to the city in protest. Lewis responded affirmatively, indicating he had recently refused to bid on a chance to provide lights for playing fields. So, in a mini-fit of pique, Monahan said that contractors at his home and business will boycott Lewis' business in, to use Monahan's words, tit for tat.
This is only the most recent example of how Monahan has overstayed his welcome. Even since he joined Mansoor and Eric Bever as an unblockable majority he's acted like he answers to no one. Rather than be a statesman as his career on the council winds down he has chosen to become vindictive and petty. I hope the voters will remember this when they vote for candidates for the Sanitary District Board - a position he is seeking this November.
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