Thanksgiving Musings

Well, the elections are over. The Mayor and his anointed barnacle, Wendy Leece, have captured seats on the City Council by ever increasing margins - much to my chagrin. However, it's time to think about the things for which I'm thankful. Fortunately, the campaign was so rife with turkeys that it's easy to get in the mood for Thanksgiving.

First and always, I'm thankful for my loving and patient wife, who supports my entries on this blog and endures the criticism and rancor it sometimes evokes. For more than 39 years she has been at my side, supporting me. I know, some of you are shaking your heads and feeling great sympathy for her... me, too. I'm a lucky guy.

I'm thankful for the cadre of family and friends who also support my efforts, even though they might not always agree with them. I'm also thankful for that dedicated group of readers who let me know when they agree with what I write - and also let me know when they don't. As I've said many times, I always appreciate a well-reasoned opinion, even one that differs from mine.

I'm thankful for the candidates who ran in the last municipal election with the intent of changing the balance of power in Costa Mesa. Even though Mirna Burciaga and Chris Bunyan had no chance, they gave it their best shot - sometimes at great personal cost. Mike Scheafer and Bruce Garlich - two men who have served our community for decades and who brought a wealth of experience, intellect, leadership and dedication to the campaign - were defeated by Mansoor and Leece who used fabrication and deceit as campaign platforms.

I'm thankful for the diverse groups of Costa Mesa citizens who supported Garlich and Scheafer, including those good folks who formed Return to Reason, the firefighters and police officers, who recognized the need for change.

I'm thankful for the dedicated, hard-working city staff, who has endured throughout the past tumultuous couple of years and kept the wheels from falling of the city as Mansoor and his majority pursued their divisive plans. I find myself wondering just how much more they have left in their tanks after this past election.

I'm grateful for the coverage of events in our city by the local media, the Daily Pilot, Register and, occasionally, the Los Angeles Times. They all tried hard to cover the events in a balanced way. They didn't always succeed, but they tried.

I'm thankful for the tireless volunteers who make things work in Costa Mesa and keep it such a rewarding place to live, work and play.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. May your day be filled with the warmth of your families, football and a nice, soothing triptophan-induced stupor.