Sunday, July 16, 2006
The Reason for Return to Reason
On a warm summer's evening last night, amidst some
outstanding food and terrific music, the campaign for Costa Mesa
City Council became a whole lot more clearly defined. At a
fundraising kick-off for the new political action committee,
Return to Reason, the founders announced that they will be
supporting Planning Commissioner Bruce Garlich and former
councilman Mike Scheafer for the two positions on the City
Council in November. This is good news to those of us who have
been concerned about the current leadership on the council and
the direction they have taken this city.
Both Garlich and Scheafer are proven leaders - men of integrity and intelligence who have demonstrated for decades their dedication to Costa Mesa through their tireless volunteer efforts. Garlich spoke briefly, providing a thumbnail of his goals for the city. Scheafer was absent, attending a conference for the Lion's Club. He did, however, leave a recorded message to be viewed by those interested which outlined his vision for the city.
It's clear to me from conversations last night that Return to Reason expects to take the high road on this campaign, addressing why the candidates they support should be elected and not dwell on why the mayor and whomever his running mate turns out to be should not. It's a noble goal, but probably not attainable.
Here's the problem as I see it. The very reason more than 100 people - a diverse cross-section of residents and business owners, including many current and former elected officials- gathered last night was due to the shortcomings of the current majority on the council. I see no way to run a successful campaign to attain even one of the two seats being contested without addressing those shortcomings. It was their concern for the current condition of the leadership in this city that caused two of the most highly regarded former council members in the history of this city - Mary Hornbuckle and Joe Erickson - to step up and join this effort. They both spoke with passion and concern as they addressed the throng last night.
At some point candidates opposing Mansoor are simply going to have to explain to their constituents just why our young jailer/mayor's plan for the cross designation of Costa Mesa police officers as immigration screeners will not work. They're going to have to find a way to articulate the fact that no Orange County law enforcement leader, including the two most recent former Costa Mesa police chiefs, think the mayor's plan is a good use of scarce police resources. They're going to have to explain that Mansoor's plan will take precious resources off the street and relegate them to doing administrative minutia at a time when we need all those highly trained, specialized officers in the field. This won't be an easy task because of all the inflammatory dialogue in the media these days on the national illegal immigration issue. To many people, including some of my neighbors, it's going to boil down to simple terms - illegal aliens are bad, hence, the mayor's plan is good. The trick will be to provide concise sound bites to dispel that myth.
Somehow, they are going to have to find a way to address the devious tactics employed by the ruling troika over the past eighteen months since they took control of this city. They are going to have to address the fact that the current majority is prone to going off half-cocked, attempting to implement questionable initiatives without proper notice nor study by the council. They're going to have to describe the mayor's tendency to steam roll the rights of speakers before the council and fellow council members. Like it or not, they're going to have to point out that our young jailer/mayor is simply not equipped intellectually nor philosophically to do the job.
Along the way, these candidates and their supporters are going to have to deal with the barrage of falsehoods and innuendo launched with precision by supporters of the mayor, including our favorite pit bull, Your Neighbor. He's already posted several attack pieces on his web log, including one last night which inaccurately speculated about the meeting while it was still going on.
All that being said, this is a critical time for our city. If the current group maintains control in November it will mark a sad day for our city - one in which the forces of divisiveness will continue to direct this city down the path of intolerance in an attempt to turn the clock back a half century. It's time for a change. It is, indeed, a time for a Return to Reason.
11:28 am pdt
Both Garlich and Scheafer are proven leaders - men of integrity and intelligence who have demonstrated for decades their dedication to Costa Mesa through their tireless volunteer efforts. Garlich spoke briefly, providing a thumbnail of his goals for the city. Scheafer was absent, attending a conference for the Lion's Club. He did, however, leave a recorded message to be viewed by those interested which outlined his vision for the city.
It's clear to me from conversations last night that Return to Reason expects to take the high road on this campaign, addressing why the candidates they support should be elected and not dwell on why the mayor and whomever his running mate turns out to be should not. It's a noble goal, but probably not attainable.
Here's the problem as I see it. The very reason more than 100 people - a diverse cross-section of residents and business owners, including many current and former elected officials- gathered last night was due to the shortcomings of the current majority on the council. I see no way to run a successful campaign to attain even one of the two seats being contested without addressing those shortcomings. It was their concern for the current condition of the leadership in this city that caused two of the most highly regarded former council members in the history of this city - Mary Hornbuckle and Joe Erickson - to step up and join this effort. They both spoke with passion and concern as they addressed the throng last night.
At some point candidates opposing Mansoor are simply going to have to explain to their constituents just why our young jailer/mayor's plan for the cross designation of Costa Mesa police officers as immigration screeners will not work. They're going to have to find a way to articulate the fact that no Orange County law enforcement leader, including the two most recent former Costa Mesa police chiefs, think the mayor's plan is a good use of scarce police resources. They're going to have to explain that Mansoor's plan will take precious resources off the street and relegate them to doing administrative minutia at a time when we need all those highly trained, specialized officers in the field. This won't be an easy task because of all the inflammatory dialogue in the media these days on the national illegal immigration issue. To many people, including some of my neighbors, it's going to boil down to simple terms - illegal aliens are bad, hence, the mayor's plan is good. The trick will be to provide concise sound bites to dispel that myth.
Somehow, they are going to have to find a way to address the devious tactics employed by the ruling troika over the past eighteen months since they took control of this city. They are going to have to address the fact that the current majority is prone to going off half-cocked, attempting to implement questionable initiatives without proper notice nor study by the council. They're going to have to describe the mayor's tendency to steam roll the rights of speakers before the council and fellow council members. Like it or not, they're going to have to point out that our young jailer/mayor is simply not equipped intellectually nor philosophically to do the job.
Along the way, these candidates and their supporters are going to have to deal with the barrage of falsehoods and innuendo launched with precision by supporters of the mayor, including our favorite pit bull, Your Neighbor. He's already posted several attack pieces on his web log, including one last night which inaccurately speculated about the meeting while it was still going on.
All that being said, this is a critical time for our city. If the current group maintains control in November it will mark a sad day for our city - one in which the forces of divisiveness will continue to direct this city down the path of intolerance in an attempt to turn the clock back a half century. It's time for a change. It is, indeed, a time for a Return to Reason.
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