Sunday, November 20, 2005
Westside Fantasy and Infantile Reality
A writer who resembles our theoretical character, Your
Neighbor, waxed poetic in his letter to the Orange County
Register's local supplement, The Current, 11/17/05 as he
outlined his vision for The Westside of Costa Mesa. His "lofty"
view - artist lofts and the like - spread throughout the
Westside, sounds like a noble project. Apparently, he has
visions of Tribeca and days of his youth floating around his
head.
Those of us who pay attention, however, realize that there is more going on here than this particular writer's nostalgia-induced fantasy. Those who have read his work for years understand his real goal here. Nowhere in his grand scheme did you read about how the 60% of Westside residents who are Latino fits into the plan. That's because they don't. The only role those residents will play in his plan is to get out of town.
This particular writer has tried for years to find ways to expel the Latinos from our city, comparing the Westside to Santa Ana as a specter of things to come. Finally, he has managed to get a majority elected to our city council that dances to his tune. The male majority of Mayor Allan Mansoor, recently anointed Mayor Pro Tem Eric Bever and lame duck Gary Monahan have shown us just what can happen when the electorate fails to pay attention.
Before you get swept up in this man's euphoric enthusiasm for "his" Westside, take the time to understand the foundation from whence his ideas spring. Read his vile internet rants before you jump on his bandwagon. I wouldn't be surprised if his idea of a perfect parade would be men marching in white sheets and that his lawn decoration of choice would be burning crosses.
Few residents of our city will deny the need for a "freshening" of the Westside, but the "vision" this man and his small cadre of angry disciples holds for a lily-white community is preposterous. He disdains the cookie-cutter neighborhoods of Irvine, all the while attempting to eradicate the predominant ethnic group in our city. Perhaps he would be happier in parts north - Utah or Idaho, for example.
In my opinion, any changes in the Westside must include the Latino population. Rather than ignore the predominant demographic group on the Westside, visionaries in this city should capitalize on it by finding ways to blend (the writer mentioned above will hate that word) the rich Latino culture into whatever new plans are developed for that part of town.
***
Kudos to the editors of the Daily Pilot, our excellent local newspaper, for their editorial today chiding the Costa Mesa City Council for their recent acrimonious and infantile actions, particularly those having to do with their discretionary funds.
After enumerating a series of events which appropriately made the council look like a bunch of school yard screamers, they ended their editorial with the following comment: " Elected officials shouldn't have to be treated like children -- unless that's how they are acting."
Well said. A year from now we have the opportunity to return the leadership of this city to the hands of adults. Until then, keep your fingers crossed.
12:28 am pst
Those of us who pay attention, however, realize that there is more going on here than this particular writer's nostalgia-induced fantasy. Those who have read his work for years understand his real goal here. Nowhere in his grand scheme did you read about how the 60% of Westside residents who are Latino fits into the plan. That's because they don't. The only role those residents will play in his plan is to get out of town.
This particular writer has tried for years to find ways to expel the Latinos from our city, comparing the Westside to Santa Ana as a specter of things to come. Finally, he has managed to get a majority elected to our city council that dances to his tune. The male majority of Mayor Allan Mansoor, recently anointed Mayor Pro Tem Eric Bever and lame duck Gary Monahan have shown us just what can happen when the electorate fails to pay attention.
Before you get swept up in this man's euphoric enthusiasm for "his" Westside, take the time to understand the foundation from whence his ideas spring. Read his vile internet rants before you jump on his bandwagon. I wouldn't be surprised if his idea of a perfect parade would be men marching in white sheets and that his lawn decoration of choice would be burning crosses.
Few residents of our city will deny the need for a "freshening" of the Westside, but the "vision" this man and his small cadre of angry disciples holds for a lily-white community is preposterous. He disdains the cookie-cutter neighborhoods of Irvine, all the while attempting to eradicate the predominant ethnic group in our city. Perhaps he would be happier in parts north - Utah or Idaho, for example.
In my opinion, any changes in the Westside must include the Latino population. Rather than ignore the predominant demographic group on the Westside, visionaries in this city should capitalize on it by finding ways to blend (the writer mentioned above will hate that word) the rich Latino culture into whatever new plans are developed for that part of town.
***
Kudos to the editors of the Daily Pilot, our excellent local newspaper, for their editorial today chiding the Costa Mesa City Council for their recent acrimonious and infantile actions, particularly those having to do with their discretionary funds.
After enumerating a series of events which appropriately made the council look like a bunch of school yard screamers, they ended their editorial with the following comment: " Elected officials shouldn't have to be treated like children -- unless that's how they are acting."
Well said. A year from now we have the opportunity to return the leadership of this city to the hands of adults. Until then, keep your fingers crossed.
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