Wednesday, September 13, 2006
The Word For Today - DICTATORSHIP
Good Morning, Class. The word for today is DICTATORSHIP.
My friendly dictionary provides the following definition of that word: "A form of government in which absolute power is concentrated in a dictator or small clique."
Does that definition sound vaguely familiar to anyone? Well, it should, because that's the kind of government the City of Costa Mesa has been operating with for more than 20 months - ever since Mayor Allan Mansoor and Mayor Pro Tem Eric Bever were joined by lame duck councilman Gary Monahan to form an unbreakable troika.
During that time we've seen Mansoor attempt to ram his views down the throat of the city without the opportunity for significant debate of issues. We've seen him attempt to cut off debate on the dais as opposing views were being stated. We've seen him ignore his top law enforcement officials - men with decades of law enforcement leadership experience - and push forward an agenda which is doomed to failure.
We've seen this ruling majority undo relationships within the city that took years to forge and cause fear and mistrust to permeate large portions of this community. They have shown themselves as isolationists, willing to alienate neighboring cities and render any attempts at negotiation of common interests impossible.
We've seen this trio pander to the darkest side of some residents of this city, to the detriment of the city as a whole. We've seen our top elected official embraced by the radical right, made an honorary Minuteman and hailed as a hero as he made our city the subject of derision and scorn throughout the civilized world. He's allowed himself to become a pawn in the illegal immigration debate and dragged the good name and reputation of our city with him. We've seen his actions result in the infestation of our city by outside agitators, intent on influencing the lives of all Costa Mesans.
The question voters in this city must ask themselves is, "Do I want to perpetuate the misguided, ill-advised policies of the current majority?" If the answer is "yes", then the solution is simple - just vote for Mansoor and his anointed running mate, Wendy Leece, on November 7th.
If, however, the voters choose to return this city to the governance of mature, reasonable leaders, they must reject Mansoor's bid for re-election and send him back to his day job as a jailer in the bowels of the Orange County Jail and send Leece back to baby-sitting her grandchild.
It's time to reject this dictatorship, break up the troika and return Costa Mesa to the reasonable, representative form of government to which we are entitled.
***
A quick note. As I posted this entry Wendy Leece's web site is still a blank page. Searching for information, I went to her personal web log. There I found the most current entry, dated September 5th, which included a promise to update the blog daily. Oops! Maybe she meant "weekly" - or "weakly". Whatever - I'll just keep looking for information on her position on issues and let you know if I find any.
***
On a much more positive note, candidates Bruce Garlich and Mike Scheafer have received the coveted endorsement of the Costa Mesa Firefighters Association. After a series of comprehensive interviews with candidates, the CMFA apparently decided that these two men represent views that are best for the future of our city.
12:48 pm pdt
My friendly dictionary provides the following definition of that word: "A form of government in which absolute power is concentrated in a dictator or small clique."
Does that definition sound vaguely familiar to anyone? Well, it should, because that's the kind of government the City of Costa Mesa has been operating with for more than 20 months - ever since Mayor Allan Mansoor and Mayor Pro Tem Eric Bever were joined by lame duck councilman Gary Monahan to form an unbreakable troika.
During that time we've seen Mansoor attempt to ram his views down the throat of the city without the opportunity for significant debate of issues. We've seen him attempt to cut off debate on the dais as opposing views were being stated. We've seen him ignore his top law enforcement officials - men with decades of law enforcement leadership experience - and push forward an agenda which is doomed to failure.
We've seen this ruling majority undo relationships within the city that took years to forge and cause fear and mistrust to permeate large portions of this community. They have shown themselves as isolationists, willing to alienate neighboring cities and render any attempts at negotiation of common interests impossible.
We've seen this trio pander to the darkest side of some residents of this city, to the detriment of the city as a whole. We've seen our top elected official embraced by the radical right, made an honorary Minuteman and hailed as a hero as he made our city the subject of derision and scorn throughout the civilized world. He's allowed himself to become a pawn in the illegal immigration debate and dragged the good name and reputation of our city with him. We've seen his actions result in the infestation of our city by outside agitators, intent on influencing the lives of all Costa Mesans.
The question voters in this city must ask themselves is, "Do I want to perpetuate the misguided, ill-advised policies of the current majority?" If the answer is "yes", then the solution is simple - just vote for Mansoor and his anointed running mate, Wendy Leece, on November 7th.
If, however, the voters choose to return this city to the governance of mature, reasonable leaders, they must reject Mansoor's bid for re-election and send him back to his day job as a jailer in the bowels of the Orange County Jail and send Leece back to baby-sitting her grandchild.
It's time to reject this dictatorship, break up the troika and return Costa Mesa to the reasonable, representative form of government to which we are entitled.
***
A quick note. As I posted this entry Wendy Leece's web site is still a blank page. Searching for information, I went to her personal web log. There I found the most current entry, dated September 5th, which included a promise to update the blog daily. Oops! Maybe she meant "weekly" - or "weakly". Whatever - I'll just keep looking for information on her position on issues and let you know if I find any.
***
On a much more positive note, candidates Bruce Garlich and Mike Scheafer have received the coveted endorsement of the Costa Mesa Firefighters Association. After a series of comprehensive interviews with candidates, the CMFA apparently decided that these two men represent views that are best for the future of our city.
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