FOR SALE - Near-coastal California city - Cheap!
In what might be the best real estate bargain in the country, the current mayor of Costa Mesa, Allan Mansoor, has put the city on the block for what will likely end up being somewhere in the neighborhood of $100,000. Yep, that's the amount of campaign contributions he and his running mate, Wendy Leece, will likely receive from interests and individuals outside the city. That's how much it will take for him to sell this city out to the dark forces of the radical right in this country.
Ever since the mayor launched his ill-advised ICE proposal last December he has attracted more and more outside support - and more and more outside campaign funding. The Los Angeles Times today published an excellent summary in a piece that included some informative graphics to illustrate the point.
The mayor seems willing to sell this city to the highest bidder, and it looks to me like the radical right is going to win. Of course, this is no surprise, since he has been embraced by Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist and his frothing mob. Gilchrist made Mansoor an honorary Minuteman, has campaigned for him and his bevy of Minutechicks hosted a fundraiser for him this summer. At one council meeting after another this year members of the Minutemen, including the Grand Pooba himself, have traveled many miles to speak before the council on behalf of Mansoor's bogus plan.
I've recently seen a letter from our young jailer/mayor soliciting more campaign help in the home stretch. In that letter he specifically comments on the value of the outside influence to his campaign, stating "Many people from outside of our city have also helped." He goes on to solicit help with phone banking and states, "Costa Mesa residents are especially needed for this!!" Yeah, Mr. Mayor, I guess so! You sure wouldn't want those interlopers from Temecula, Upland, Aliso Viejo and Laguna Beach on the phones trying to convince your neighbors to sell this city down the river to the bigots who are directing and funding your campaign!
So, our young jailer/mayor continues to fill our mail boxes with campaign literature full of flat-out lies, keeps cashing those checks from the radical right, ignores the advice of his senior law enforcement officials and continues to delude himself that his vision for this city is the right one. Among the many respected officials and residents who strongly disagree with him is former Costa Mesa Police Chief Dave Snowden - currently the Chief of Police in Beverly Hills. Snowden wrote a commentary in the Daily Pilot a couple days ago which hit the nail right on the head. You can read it here.
Five days to go to see which direction this city will take for the remainder of this decade and beyond. Stay tuned.
posted by The Pot Stirrer at 11/02/2006 01:32:00 PM
2 Comments:
Sure, but don't forget to mention the 43K the SEIU has spent for Mike Schaefer and against Allan Mansoor. The over 30k of RTR, the over 60k of CMPOA & CMFA and the over 30k of the WRA. All told over $150,000 of which most is non-resident money. The fact is there is an awful lot of dough being spent on this election and full disclosure, including PACs should be in the press.
Skosh, I'm happy to publish your comments verbatim. I don't disagree with your premise about campaign disclosure of all sources, but it sounds to me like you're really criticizing the groups for spending the bucks.
Regarding the union dollars being spent, Scheafer has no control over the content nor how much money is spent on his behalf or against the mayor. He didn't solicit the money.
As far as Return 2 Reason is concerned, as you read down their roster you will find it filled with mostly Costa Mesa residents and business owners. There are a few non-residents, like Chief Dave Snowden, for example. I'm more than willing to give him a pass, not that he needs one, since he served this city with distinction for almost two decades and has family currently living in Costa Mesa.
I miss your point regarding the public safety groups.. are you saying they shouldn't be allowed to support a candidate simply because they domicile elsewhere? I suppose the fact that they risk their lives for Costa Mesa residents and businesses every day has no bearing on the issue, right?
To the best of my knowledge, the WRA is a mixture of business owners, residents and resident business owners. All have very real vested interests in this city and have contributed to the city's vitality and success by providing jobs and sales tax dollars since, in many cases, before the city was incorporated. Are you suggesting that they should have no voice nor the right to support a candidate? If so, I would suggest that you, as a resident and business owner, should have curtailed your support for Mansoor and Leece in this election for the same reason.
I challenge you to provide evidence to back up your allegation that "most" of the money spent by the groups you mention is "non-resident money".
The candidates have no control over what the press prints. The expenditures are public record and available to any interested parties. Perhaps the press views these groups, with their very significant local ties, to be less controversial than, say, the hoard of Minutefolks who have provided the bulk of cash for the Mansoor/Leece campaign.
Personally, I care that the leadership of this city can be purchased by outsiders. I care that the outsiders have stroked the mayor and his cronies in an effort to influence public policy in this city. If you feel this is appropriate, then I guess a dozen years on the dais really is too long.
Thanks for writing and expressing your views.
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