Saturday, February 4, 2006
Groundhogs, Fools and Activist's Tools
On Thursday - Groundhog Day - I attended a press conference
at our City Hall in which a group of activists and union leaders
presented their plans for the active opposition to our young
jailer/mayor's plan to train Costa Mesa police officers to
perform immigration screenings. Most of the local news media was
represented. In fact, the media outnumbered the activists.
The main spokesman for the activists was Nativo Lopez, former member of the Santa Ana School Board who was ousted under a dark cloud a couple years ago. Lopez is a smooth operator, who presented the views of the activists like the media-savvy guy he is - with plenty of pithy sound bites. Other speakers included former Daily Pilot columnist and college professor Humberto Caspa, local activist and business owner Mirna Burciaga, as well as several union leaders.
I came away from the press conference uneasy about what I heard. This group, which calls itself Citizens for Constitutional Rights, plans a course of action which includes civil disobedience, demonstrations and boycotts in an attempt to convince the majority on the City Council to change their mind about the current plan for the cross-designation of Costa Mesa police officers for immigration screening. One element of their plan for civil disobedience included what they referred to as "not cooperating with local police officers", which they didn't really expand on satisfactorily. On it's face, that kind of action would only seem to exacerbate a difficult situation.
In the press release which announced the press conference, mention was made of "a mass protest on Saturday, February 18, 2006 in front of South Coast Plaza Mall considered the largest revenue earner for the city of Costa Mesa and the one of the most coveted commercial malls in Orange County". Well, I don't know what happened, but that demonstration was not mentioned at the press conference and a mass protest in front of City Hall will be held on April 1st - April Fool's Day - instead. Since there was a Segerstrom representative lurking around the perimeter of the press conference, taking notes and making cell calls, I found myself wondering just what prompted this change.
Lopez presented the boycott plan, in which he stated there would be a 60 day cooling off period for the council to re-consider their plans. During that time this group will ask all Costa Mesa businesses to place signs in their windows decrying the plan. If businesses refuse - and the council doesn't change it's mind - they will be subject to the boycott. That kind of intimidation sounds a whole lot like extortion to me.
Caspa, during his time at the microphones, attempted once again to demand that a controversial activist who bears a striking similarity to my theoretical character, Your Neighbor, be ousted from his influential position on the Redevelopment and Residential Rehabilitation Committee - the official city committee that includes among it's duties the recommendations for distribution of block grant funds to charities in town. It's interesting that no subsequent media coverage of which I am aware made any mention of Caspa's allegations. As despicable as the activist's essays published on right wing web sites are - and as obvious as it is that much of his "activism" is aimed at making life difficult for the Latinos among us - it may be time for Mr. Caspa to step back from his crusade. It pains me to say that, because I agree with Caspa's view that this man is an unsavory and negative influence on this city and it appears that his philosophy has infected city government at the highest levels.
On the subject of pain, I'm very uncomfortable that the most vocal proponents on both sides of this argument are from outside our city, with the notorious Nativo Lopez and the cadre of activists from Anaheim and elsewhere on one side and Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist and his frothing disciples on the other. Instead of enhancing the debate they generate only noise for the sake of their own self-serving publicity. It's very frustrating because, while both sides are posturing for the cameras and waving their signs around, our police chief, John Hensley, is working hard via community outreach efforts to calm the waters.
I'm sympathetic with the argument presented by Mirna Burciaga, in which she described the fear and apprehension in the Latino community since the Mayor's plan was first proposed. Sadly, that part of the plan seems to be having the intended affect - intimidation of the Latino population, which might persuade them to leave our city. That appears, after all, to be the goal of those who support the mayor's plan.
Also on Thursday, the Wall Street Journal published an excellent article about the growing trend of "local" law enforcement agencies around the country beginning to request authority to become immigration screening agents. The article included a mention of Costa Mesa and our young jailer/mayor. The thrust of the article was about the State of Alabama, where some of the State Police have been cross-designated and are now doing immigration stops as part of their duties. I've lived in Alabama, so it distresses me greatly to have our city linked to that state in any way, and especially in the law enforcement area. I've complained for some time that there are elements in this city determined to return Costa Mesa to a time when intolerance and bigotry were part of the established norms of behavior. Comparison of Costa Mesa to Alabama only tells me that the regression I feared is, indeed, coming to pass. How sad for us all.
At this point, I see no hope that the City Council will change it's mind and repeal its decision. The swing vote, Gary Monahan, was quoted in the press today stating as much. Having his pub picketed - and being subjected to personal verbal attacks by the pickets each time he stuck his nose out the door - during a fundraiser for State Senate candidate Diane Harkey appears only to have solidified Monahan's position. I guess he "got his Irish up", even though the picketing was ineffective - the place was packed.
So, our city looks destined to move down the path selected for it by our young jailer/mayor and his cadre of smirking advisors. This path, where intimidation and trampled civil rights form the road bed and sleight of hand and deception are the road signs, will lead this city back into an era where only the dark forces of intolerance can thrive.
As I watched the press conference Thursday, I couldn't help but observe the irony of the sign in the background, behind the activists, painted on the door to the City Hall that says cheerfully, "Welcome to the city of Costa Mesa". I guess, if our mayor and his pals have their way, it will have to be changed to read, "Welcome to the city of Costa Mesa - unless you are Latino, in which case, Adios!".
3:40 pm pst
The main spokesman for the activists was Nativo Lopez, former member of the Santa Ana School Board who was ousted under a dark cloud a couple years ago. Lopez is a smooth operator, who presented the views of the activists like the media-savvy guy he is - with plenty of pithy sound bites. Other speakers included former Daily Pilot columnist and college professor Humberto Caspa, local activist and business owner Mirna Burciaga, as well as several union leaders.
I came away from the press conference uneasy about what I heard. This group, which calls itself Citizens for Constitutional Rights, plans a course of action which includes civil disobedience, demonstrations and boycotts in an attempt to convince the majority on the City Council to change their mind about the current plan for the cross-designation of Costa Mesa police officers for immigration screening. One element of their plan for civil disobedience included what they referred to as "not cooperating with local police officers", which they didn't really expand on satisfactorily. On it's face, that kind of action would only seem to exacerbate a difficult situation.
In the press release which announced the press conference, mention was made of "a mass protest on Saturday, February 18, 2006 in front of South Coast Plaza Mall considered the largest revenue earner for the city of Costa Mesa and the one of the most coveted commercial malls in Orange County". Well, I don't know what happened, but that demonstration was not mentioned at the press conference and a mass protest in front of City Hall will be held on April 1st - April Fool's Day - instead. Since there was a Segerstrom representative lurking around the perimeter of the press conference, taking notes and making cell calls, I found myself wondering just what prompted this change.
Lopez presented the boycott plan, in which he stated there would be a 60 day cooling off period for the council to re-consider their plans. During that time this group will ask all Costa Mesa businesses to place signs in their windows decrying the plan. If businesses refuse - and the council doesn't change it's mind - they will be subject to the boycott. That kind of intimidation sounds a whole lot like extortion to me.
Caspa, during his time at the microphones, attempted once again to demand that a controversial activist who bears a striking similarity to my theoretical character, Your Neighbor, be ousted from his influential position on the Redevelopment and Residential Rehabilitation Committee - the official city committee that includes among it's duties the recommendations for distribution of block grant funds to charities in town. It's interesting that no subsequent media coverage of which I am aware made any mention of Caspa's allegations. As despicable as the activist's essays published on right wing web sites are - and as obvious as it is that much of his "activism" is aimed at making life difficult for the Latinos among us - it may be time for Mr. Caspa to step back from his crusade. It pains me to say that, because I agree with Caspa's view that this man is an unsavory and negative influence on this city and it appears that his philosophy has infected city government at the highest levels.
On the subject of pain, I'm very uncomfortable that the most vocal proponents on both sides of this argument are from outside our city, with the notorious Nativo Lopez and the cadre of activists from Anaheim and elsewhere on one side and Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist and his frothing disciples on the other. Instead of enhancing the debate they generate only noise for the sake of their own self-serving publicity. It's very frustrating because, while both sides are posturing for the cameras and waving their signs around, our police chief, John Hensley, is working hard via community outreach efforts to calm the waters.
I'm sympathetic with the argument presented by Mirna Burciaga, in which she described the fear and apprehension in the Latino community since the Mayor's plan was first proposed. Sadly, that part of the plan seems to be having the intended affect - intimidation of the Latino population, which might persuade them to leave our city. That appears, after all, to be the goal of those who support the mayor's plan.
Also on Thursday, the Wall Street Journal published an excellent article about the growing trend of "local" law enforcement agencies around the country beginning to request authority to become immigration screening agents. The article included a mention of Costa Mesa and our young jailer/mayor. The thrust of the article was about the State of Alabama, where some of the State Police have been cross-designated and are now doing immigration stops as part of their duties. I've lived in Alabama, so it distresses me greatly to have our city linked to that state in any way, and especially in the law enforcement area. I've complained for some time that there are elements in this city determined to return Costa Mesa to a time when intolerance and bigotry were part of the established norms of behavior. Comparison of Costa Mesa to Alabama only tells me that the regression I feared is, indeed, coming to pass. How sad for us all.
At this point, I see no hope that the City Council will change it's mind and repeal its decision. The swing vote, Gary Monahan, was quoted in the press today stating as much. Having his pub picketed - and being subjected to personal verbal attacks by the pickets each time he stuck his nose out the door - during a fundraiser for State Senate candidate Diane Harkey appears only to have solidified Monahan's position. I guess he "got his Irish up", even though the picketing was ineffective - the place was packed.
So, our city looks destined to move down the path selected for it by our young jailer/mayor and his cadre of smirking advisors. This path, where intimidation and trampled civil rights form the road bed and sleight of hand and deception are the road signs, will lead this city back into an era where only the dark forces of intolerance can thrive.
As I watched the press conference Thursday, I couldn't help but observe the irony of the sign in the background, behind the activists, painted on the door to the City Hall that says cheerfully, "Welcome to the city of Costa Mesa". I guess, if our mayor and his pals have their way, it will have to be changed to read, "Welcome to the city of Costa Mesa - unless you are Latino, in which case, Adios!".
No comments:
Post a Comment