Thursday, August 31, 2006
Watching Bobblehead Dolls On A Night To Remember
Well, that was fun! My wife and I attended the first Costa
Mesa candidate forum of the season last night and we both found
it to be enlightening - to say the least.
The star of the evening, of course, was former mayor Peter Buffa, who moderated the proceedings. As always, he kept the questions crisp and the candidates focused while injecting just enough of his trademark humor to keep it light.
I must say that this was the best forum of the many I've attended over the past six years, even though the sponsors found it necessary to hire armed guards. As pointed out by fellow blogger Byron de Arakal in his Itchinpost.com posting last night, this is a first in the 53 year history of this city. Sadly, it was necessary for the guards to flex their muscles when a misguided young man attempted to disrupt the proceedings with a political statement of his own.
All the candidates were prepared and the format allowed each of them to answer every question if they chose to do so. There was a good mix of prepared questions from the sponsors and others from the audience. I think we ended up with a pretty good idea of the positions each holds on many important issues. Congrats to the sponsors for a job well done.
For me, there were a couple surprises. First, newcomer Christopher Bunyan made a credible showing. He seems to be a smart young fella, but clearly has not been as engaged in local issues as the other candidates. If he's serious about serving the city in an elected capacity he will have to bone up. It's good to see a younger person willing to get involved.
The second surprise was the absence of one particular activist who very much resembles my theoretical character, Your Neighbor. He wasn't among the more than two hundred attendees, but apparently had more important things to do. When I got home I found a blog entry on his internet misinformation site indicating that he was out chasing bad guys in his part of town. I'm sure the police appreciate his attention to their business. He was not forgotten at the proceedings, though. Our young jailer/mayor, in response to a question, denounced him in public again.
It didn't take long to see the direction the proceedings were heading when Mansoor and his running mate, Wendy Leece, began what was to be an evening-long attack on Bruce Garlich and Mike Scheafer. Their targets for the night were the 1901 Newport Plaza condominium development - which they apparently felt added too much density to the area near Triangle Square - and the support being provided by the political action committee, Return to Reason. Even as they attempted to snipe at Garlich and Scheafer about the 1901 Newport Plaza development - including their reference to a large photo array in the back of the room - they demonstrated an amazing lack of understanding, or intentional misrepresentation of the facts, regarding the $1.5 million in fees directed to the developers. That was just the beginning.
At one point Mansoor accused Garlich of misrepresenting the cost of the mayor's original immigration screening plan, which Garlich correctly quantified as costing $1.4 million. In his rejoinder Mansoor flat out lied about this issue - another incidence of him doing so in a public forum to suit his purposes. Those numbers were provided by retired police chief John Hensley when he testified before the City Council earlier this year. At an earlier time I might have assumed that our young jailer/mayor was just confused - a condition in which he seems to find himself frequently - but not after watching him in action over the past 20 months. Based on my observations of him over this period of time, it's clear to me that he will fabricate and obfuscate as the mood strikes him. Last night he was in the mood.
Throughout the forum I frequently had the feeling I was following a car down the highway that had a couple of those bobblehead dolls in the rear window. Almost every time Mansoor would speak Leece would sit there and nod her head in agreement. Every time Leece spoke Mansoor did the same. It was predictable and comical. It was even more obvious because, through the luck of the draw, they were seated side by side on the dais. In fact, as they responded to each question their answers were so similar that you thought there was an echo in the room - except Leece would occasionally inject the fact that she was a mother of five.
So, here are some quick impressions of the candidates based on tonight's performances. Bruce Garlich was head and shoulders ahead of every other candidate in his grasp of issues and his delivery of his responses. He demonstrated just why he's the strongest candidate on the ballot. He deftly parried every thrust by Mansoor and Leece and was clearly the winner in the head-to-head competition.
Mike Scheafer, another recipient of Return to Reason support, also did a good job. While less precise in his responses than Garlich, his dedication and concern for the city came through loud and clear. Observers were left with no doubts about his views on the most critical issues facing this city today.
As stated above, Chris Bunyan made a good showing. He's not ready for prime time, but could have a future in public service if he spends a little more time getting focused on issues in this city.
Mirna Burciaga made a good showing tonight. Her concern for the city was evident and she seems poised to mount a much more aggressive campaign this time around. She acknowledge, with unusual candor, that she thought she could be successful last time by disregarding the need for money and simply by working hard and talking to people. This time around she is much more realistic and hopes to raise enough money to be competitive.
Wendy Leece showed us that she's got a firm grip on Allan Mansoor's coat tails and is holding on for dear life. Her campaign will probably not be too costly because she will just ride along on Mansoor's dollars and hope for the best.
Mayor Mansoor showed us that his handlers are more than willing to take the low road, including telling the occasional lie, to insure his re-election. For those of us who hoped for a cleaner campaign, this is quite disappointing. From their early utilization of misrepresentation and lies, it's clear that Mansoor and Leece are very worried about Garlich and Scheafer.
They attempted to cast suspicion on Return to Reason and their motives for supporting Garlich and Scheafer. In response to one of those exchanges Garlich pointed out that 92% of his campaign contributions come from Costa Mesa residents while half of Mansoor's money comes from outside the city.
So, off we go dear friends and neighbors. While one side attempts to take the high road, Mansoor and his buddies are watering down the trail ahead to prepare for their roll in the mud. Such is the way politics have declined in Costa Mesa.
12:20 am pdt
The star of the evening, of course, was former mayor Peter Buffa, who moderated the proceedings. As always, he kept the questions crisp and the candidates focused while injecting just enough of his trademark humor to keep it light.
I must say that this was the best forum of the many I've attended over the past six years, even though the sponsors found it necessary to hire armed guards. As pointed out by fellow blogger Byron de Arakal in his Itchinpost.com posting last night, this is a first in the 53 year history of this city. Sadly, it was necessary for the guards to flex their muscles when a misguided young man attempted to disrupt the proceedings with a political statement of his own.
All the candidates were prepared and the format allowed each of them to answer every question if they chose to do so. There was a good mix of prepared questions from the sponsors and others from the audience. I think we ended up with a pretty good idea of the positions each holds on many important issues. Congrats to the sponsors for a job well done.
For me, there were a couple surprises. First, newcomer Christopher Bunyan made a credible showing. He seems to be a smart young fella, but clearly has not been as engaged in local issues as the other candidates. If he's serious about serving the city in an elected capacity he will have to bone up. It's good to see a younger person willing to get involved.
The second surprise was the absence of one particular activist who very much resembles my theoretical character, Your Neighbor. He wasn't among the more than two hundred attendees, but apparently had more important things to do. When I got home I found a blog entry on his internet misinformation site indicating that he was out chasing bad guys in his part of town. I'm sure the police appreciate his attention to their business. He was not forgotten at the proceedings, though. Our young jailer/mayor, in response to a question, denounced him in public again.
It didn't take long to see the direction the proceedings were heading when Mansoor and his running mate, Wendy Leece, began what was to be an evening-long attack on Bruce Garlich and Mike Scheafer. Their targets for the night were the 1901 Newport Plaza condominium development - which they apparently felt added too much density to the area near Triangle Square - and the support being provided by the political action committee, Return to Reason. Even as they attempted to snipe at Garlich and Scheafer about the 1901 Newport Plaza development - including their reference to a large photo array in the back of the room - they demonstrated an amazing lack of understanding, or intentional misrepresentation of the facts, regarding the $1.5 million in fees directed to the developers. That was just the beginning.
At one point Mansoor accused Garlich of misrepresenting the cost of the mayor's original immigration screening plan, which Garlich correctly quantified as costing $1.4 million. In his rejoinder Mansoor flat out lied about this issue - another incidence of him doing so in a public forum to suit his purposes. Those numbers were provided by retired police chief John Hensley when he testified before the City Council earlier this year. At an earlier time I might have assumed that our young jailer/mayor was just confused - a condition in which he seems to find himself frequently - but not after watching him in action over the past 20 months. Based on my observations of him over this period of time, it's clear to me that he will fabricate and obfuscate as the mood strikes him. Last night he was in the mood.
Throughout the forum I frequently had the feeling I was following a car down the highway that had a couple of those bobblehead dolls in the rear window. Almost every time Mansoor would speak Leece would sit there and nod her head in agreement. Every time Leece spoke Mansoor did the same. It was predictable and comical. It was even more obvious because, through the luck of the draw, they were seated side by side on the dais. In fact, as they responded to each question their answers were so similar that you thought there was an echo in the room - except Leece would occasionally inject the fact that she was a mother of five.
So, here are some quick impressions of the candidates based on tonight's performances. Bruce Garlich was head and shoulders ahead of every other candidate in his grasp of issues and his delivery of his responses. He demonstrated just why he's the strongest candidate on the ballot. He deftly parried every thrust by Mansoor and Leece and was clearly the winner in the head-to-head competition.
Mike Scheafer, another recipient of Return to Reason support, also did a good job. While less precise in his responses than Garlich, his dedication and concern for the city came through loud and clear. Observers were left with no doubts about his views on the most critical issues facing this city today.
As stated above, Chris Bunyan made a good showing. He's not ready for prime time, but could have a future in public service if he spends a little more time getting focused on issues in this city.
Mirna Burciaga made a good showing tonight. Her concern for the city was evident and she seems poised to mount a much more aggressive campaign this time around. She acknowledge, with unusual candor, that she thought she could be successful last time by disregarding the need for money and simply by working hard and talking to people. This time around she is much more realistic and hopes to raise enough money to be competitive.
Wendy Leece showed us that she's got a firm grip on Allan Mansoor's coat tails and is holding on for dear life. Her campaign will probably not be too costly because she will just ride along on Mansoor's dollars and hope for the best.
Mayor Mansoor showed us that his handlers are more than willing to take the low road, including telling the occasional lie, to insure his re-election. For those of us who hoped for a cleaner campaign, this is quite disappointing. From their early utilization of misrepresentation and lies, it's clear that Mansoor and Leece are very worried about Garlich and Scheafer.
They attempted to cast suspicion on Return to Reason and their motives for supporting Garlich and Scheafer. In response to one of those exchanges Garlich pointed out that 92% of his campaign contributions come from Costa Mesa residents while half of Mansoor's money comes from outside the city.
So, off we go dear friends and neighbors. While one side attempts to take the high road, Mansoor and his buddies are watering down the trail ahead to prepare for their roll in the mud. Such is the way politics have declined in Costa Mesa.
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