Wednesday, June 14, 2006
The Flag Is Up!
Well, the horses are in the starting gate... It seems quite
fitting that on Flag Day, according to an article in the Daily
Pilot, candidates for the two positions on the City Council
being contested in November are now identifying themselves and
will soon be jockeying for position.
To no one's surprise, our young jailer/mayor, Allan Mansoor, says he's going to try to hold on to his seat, so to speak. Although she was not confirmed as a candidate, it is assumed that his anointed running mate and his appointee to the Parks and Recreation Commission, Chairwoman Wendy Leece, will also make a bid for a position on the council.
Community activist and restaurant owner Mirna Burciaga says she's running. Even though there are rumors of a voter registration drive among the Latino population of this city, I doubt she can muster enough votes to be one of the top two in November.
Planning Commission Chairman Bill Perkins, an assumed candidate, has dropped out. This is good news, since he's a long way from being a prime time player. Planning Commissioner Jim Fisler is waffling and may not run to avoid vote splitting on the Mansoor/Leece ticket.
Major good news is the fact that Planning Commissioner Bruce Garlich and former council member Mike Scheafer have indicated they will run. These men, each with an outstanding background of leadership and community service, are precisely the type candidates we need to provide the mature leadership that has been missing for the past eighteen months. More on them as the weeks pass.
So, as of this date, it looks like we'll have Mansoor and Leece on one side and Garlich and Scheafer on the other - with Mirna Burciaga rattling around in the middle somewhere.
A man who very much resembles my theoretical character, Your Neighbor, posted a blog entry this morning in which he provides us with his take on the assumed candidates. He's fully behind Mansoor and Leece and is apparently willing to throw the full support of his racist position in their direction. That should speak volumes to those of you on the fence.
***
Much has been said about the issues this time around. Certainly, our young jailer/mayor's ill-advised scheme to cross-designate Costa Mesa police officers and jailers as immigration screeners will be right at the top. I also expect the whole "playing fields" issue to be a hot button item. It's scheduled to get a thorough flogging during the budget discussions at the council meeting on Tuesday, June 20th. Watch for large, focused crowds of soccer parents that night.
I'd like your help. Please write to me and tell me just what is important to you as you think about those candidates you will select to help guide this city over the next four years. Which issue, or issues, are important - for whatever reason. I'm very curious to see your viewpoints.
If you feel strongly about either, or both, of the issues I mentioned above and are willing to share your thoughts, I hope you'll do so. If there are others you feel are important, please let me know.
I will not identify you unless I ask first and you specifically give me your permission to use your name.
In the meantime, I hope you will begin to tighten your focus on the candidates - each one has a track record that is easy to analyze. Watch what they've done and what they do. That's much more important than what they say.
I look forward to your viewpoints. Thanks for helping.
11:23 pm pdt
To no one's surprise, our young jailer/mayor, Allan Mansoor, says he's going to try to hold on to his seat, so to speak. Although she was not confirmed as a candidate, it is assumed that his anointed running mate and his appointee to the Parks and Recreation Commission, Chairwoman Wendy Leece, will also make a bid for a position on the council.
Community activist and restaurant owner Mirna Burciaga says she's running. Even though there are rumors of a voter registration drive among the Latino population of this city, I doubt she can muster enough votes to be one of the top two in November.
Planning Commission Chairman Bill Perkins, an assumed candidate, has dropped out. This is good news, since he's a long way from being a prime time player. Planning Commissioner Jim Fisler is waffling and may not run to avoid vote splitting on the Mansoor/Leece ticket.
Major good news is the fact that Planning Commissioner Bruce Garlich and former council member Mike Scheafer have indicated they will run. These men, each with an outstanding background of leadership and community service, are precisely the type candidates we need to provide the mature leadership that has been missing for the past eighteen months. More on them as the weeks pass.
So, as of this date, it looks like we'll have Mansoor and Leece on one side and Garlich and Scheafer on the other - with Mirna Burciaga rattling around in the middle somewhere.
A man who very much resembles my theoretical character, Your Neighbor, posted a blog entry this morning in which he provides us with his take on the assumed candidates. He's fully behind Mansoor and Leece and is apparently willing to throw the full support of his racist position in their direction. That should speak volumes to those of you on the fence.
***
Much has been said about the issues this time around. Certainly, our young jailer/mayor's ill-advised scheme to cross-designate Costa Mesa police officers and jailers as immigration screeners will be right at the top. I also expect the whole "playing fields" issue to be a hot button item. It's scheduled to get a thorough flogging during the budget discussions at the council meeting on Tuesday, June 20th. Watch for large, focused crowds of soccer parents that night.
I'd like your help. Please write to me and tell me just what is important to you as you think about those candidates you will select to help guide this city over the next four years. Which issue, or issues, are important - for whatever reason. I'm very curious to see your viewpoints.
If you feel strongly about either, or both, of the issues I mentioned above and are willing to share your thoughts, I hope you'll do so. If there are others you feel are important, please let me know.
I will not identify you unless I ask first and you specifically give me your permission to use your name.
In the meantime, I hope you will begin to tighten your focus on the candidates - each one has a track record that is easy to analyze. Watch what they've done and what they do. That's much more important than what they say.
I look forward to your viewpoints. Thanks for helping.
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