Truth In Advertising, Mansoor-style

Over the past holiday weekend a friend alerted me to the following item on the Orange County Republican Party web site:

Thursday, 5/31/07 5:30 PM Special Event

Veteran's Memorial Project Fund-raiser Hosted By Mayor Allan Mansoor, Costa Mesa Where: The Clubhouse, Costa Mesa You are invited to join Mayor Allan Mansoor with special guest Assemblyman Van Tran to raise money for the Veteran's Memorial Project Fund-raiser and be a part of a special fund-raising reception on behalf of Mayor Mansoor. For more information and details about this exciting evening, please call Danielle Jacobs at 949-777-9406 or email her at danielle@sheldongroup.com.

Now, especially following the recent holiday, this seemed like a worthwhile event, so I called the number listed for more information. Danielle Jacobs answered the telephone and, responding to my question about this event, told me that it is, in fact, a fundraiser for Mayor Mansoor. He will donate 10% of the proceeds to the Veteran's Memorial Project. So, for your minimum $249.00 "contribution", less than $25.00 will go to the Veteran's Memorial Project. The remainder will be stuffed into the mayor's pockets for his next run for public office. Or, maybe he will use it to fund other candidate's campaigns, as he did in the case of Wendy Leece last time around.

Now, I suppose there's really nothing wrong with misrepresenting the purpose of this fundraiser. I mean, politicians lie as a standard practice - just as the mayor did during the past campaign when he misrepresented his opponents in his campaign literature and during public forums.

However, doesn't it make you wonder just a little bit what else he's been lying about? I do. It's this kind of chicanery that will make me question every move he and his majority make.

If you thought, as I did, that this meeting was to raise significant dollars for the Costa Mesa Veteran's Memorial, you're probably very disappointed. If you really want to make a donation to that project that will count, visit the Costa Mesa Community Foundation web site for more information. You'll find that you can contribute $250.00 for two personalized bricks and all of your contribution goes to this worthy cause - not into the pockets of some politician.

I'll close this entry with a quotation that seems particularly appropriate to the circumstances:


Politics is the conduct of public affairs for private advantage.
Ambrose Bierce

Traffic Calming Is Anything But....

Every year residents approach representatives of the city staff looking for relief from traffic problems in their neighborhoods - speeding cars is usually the complaint. Typically, the staff responds by assessing the situation and attempting to resolve it. In the past this has meant "reinventing the wheel" each time.

At a recent Costa Mesa City Council meeting Peter Naghavi, Transportation Services Manager, presented a status report on his efforts to come up with criteria and guidelines to facilitate traffic calming throughout our city to the council. He was looking for direction to move forward with his plans for the development of standards to be considered when residents complain about traffic issues in their neighborhoods. He, and most other observers, were astounded when our young jailer/mayor expressed concern about this project. It was clear from his comments that he was ready to toss it, and all the work accomplished so far, right in the trash can. Only the absence of his pal, Eric Bever, prohibited him from doing just that. As it stands now, this item will appear again before the council - maybe as early as the first meeting in June, on the 5th.

In January, at a Study Session from which Mayor Mansoor was absent, this issue was presented to the council for comment and all members present, including Bever and Wendy Leece, seemed enthusiastic about moving forward with it. Leece said she thought the program was a "Super idea", and went on to say, "I think it is really important to go where the people are and where the problem is." Bever, who was conducting the Study Session in Mansoor's absence, said, "It sounds like the staff has put together a pretty comprehensive program for gathering the necessary information and providing plenty of opportunity for community input. I envision this working something along the lines of our permit parking program in terms of the way the community would eventually instigate change in their neighborhood." He also said the "end goal would be to empower the community to make changes in their neighborhoods as they feel appropriate." As he closed this discussion, Bever said it was "a very ambitious program, and I look forward to seeing the results."

One came away from viewing those proceedings with the clear feeling that all the council members present were in support of the program and it was "all systems go" for Naghavi and his team.

Subsequently, Naghavi put together a Town Hall meeting to kick off this effort, presenting to more than 300 residents who attended an excellent overview of historical traffic patterns throughout the city and examples of potential solutions to some of the existing or anticipated problems. He then planned to attend a few Homeowners Association meetings - part of his plan to gather information and share concepts with residents. These meetings were planned to begin in June, but have been put on hold until there is clear direction from the council.

Now, it seems that the mayor - apparently calling on his recently acquired "expertise" as a transportation planner now that he's on the Orange County Transportation Authority board - is ready to blow off this entire effort. This is a perfect example of how he says he listens to the residents, then squelches wonderful opportunities to do that very thing. It's obvious he simply doesn't care what most residents think - he's already got his mind made up.

If this issue does appear before the council again soon and, if Bever and Leece side with the mayor and shut down this project after being enthusiastic supporters of it from the beginning, it will be crystal clear that our young jailer/mayor has such power over the majority on the council that he can operate as a de facto dictator. There's no other way to describe it. Yeah, Leece may whine, again, that it's her right to change her mind, but based on what? The only thing that changed is that the mayor said he doesn't want to do it - with no reasons to back up his decision. The only thing that is different is that, at the last meeting, they were one stooge short.

This issue has generated a significant number of comments in the Daily Pilot blog, both pro and con, including remarks by both Mansoor and Bever. It amazes me every time this majority chooses to ignore the professionals on their staff and just go bobbling along on their own merry way, making decisions that affect every single resident of our city without considering the views of the men and women who have the professional credentials and experience in their fields. It's like an airline pilot ignoring the air traffic controllers charged with getting him and his passengers from Point A to Point B safely. It's a heck of a way to run a city!

Memorial Day, 2007

REMEMBERING FALLEN HEROES

As we approach the Memorial Day holiday my thoughts turn to those brave men and women who have fought for this country over the years. Of course, I think of those who attempt to fulfill their mission in the Middle East today - those brave volunteers who serve this country in what can only be described as a hell-hole in Iraq, with the ever-present threat of IEDs, snipers and mortar attacks. I think of those who continue to chase the Taliban back into their dusty holes in Afghanistan. They all deserve our respect and support. I think of Jose Angel Garibay, the young Costa Mesa resident who was the first Orange County resident to fall in the current war, and who was laid to rest at the Riverside National Cemetery

My thoughts also turn to those who have fought for this country in other remote parts of the world. I recall, during a trip to Europe twenty years ago, visiting the American Military Cemetery just south of Florence, Italy. The photo at the top of this page is of that location. This place - 70 acres of sacred soil - is the location of graves of 4402 dead American soldiers, airman and sailors who lost their lives fighting in Italy in 1944. As you walk through the grounds and view the monuments and grave markers you cannot help but be moved by the sacrifice those men gave in defense of their country. I still get choked up just thinking about my experience there. This burial ground is one of 24 such places located on foreign soil that are managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission, established in 1923. You can read more about this commission and the battle monuments here.

The image to the right is of the cross and flag at Mt. Soledad, in San Diego. At the base of the cross are plaques with names and accomplishments of men and women who served our country. I recommend a day trip down to see this wonderful monument, which is viewed by hundreds of thousands of people each day as they commute to and from work. As you celebrate this holiday in whatever way you feel is appropriate, I hope you'll take a moment to reflect on it's real purpose. California Assemblyman and former Orange County Supervisor Jim Silva has posted a very relevant entry on the Red County/OC Blog entitled "Freedom Isn't Free". I hope you'll click on that link and read his message on this very special holiday.

Whether you agree with the current conflicts in the Middle East or not, please remember the men and women who volunteered to serve on our behalf. As you watch the race cars circle the track at Indianapolis I hope you'll think of the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for us. As you picnic in a park, incinerating hot dogs and hamburgers, please remember those who serve us in distant places. Our freedom and liberty were won with the sacrifice of young lives. Please take a moment to recall their sacrifice and that of their families so we all can enjoy our lives today. Remember the flag and cross and all they represent.

Eminent Domain Concerns Defused

This afternoon my email notification from the City of Costa Mesa told me that on the agenda of the next city council meeting on June 5th there will be an item regarding EMINENT DOMAIN. Well, those two words always get my attention and the notification was vague, so I made a couple of calls to the city for clarification.

I eventually received a call from City Attorney Kim Barlow, who wanted to let me know the item in question was merely some mandatory housekeeping. It involves an ordinance that affirms that the Redevelopment Agency (the City Council in a fancy dress) no longer has the authority to impose eminent domain on the original downtown redevelopment area.

So, my heart rate slowed a little and my blood pressure dropped back down to normal. I'm satisfied with her reply and was grateful for the quick response to my question.

As an aside, it's my observation from way, way outside that this contract with Barlow's firm to provide City Attorney services seems to be working very well. Not only does Barlow and her team seem to be ready with answers put to them on the dais, they also appear to be quite pro-active in anticipating potential problem areas and taking steps to head them off. Although the shift from an in-house counsel was quite controversial at the time, this move seems to have been the right one.

"Your Neighbor's" Racist Foundation

The immigration bill pending before Congress seems to have re-invigorated Your Neighbor (The-Brain-Who-Ate-Costa-Mesa) over at the CM Press. His last three posts here, here and here, are aimed directly at the bill. In his post this morning he advocates flooding senators with anti-immigrant telephone calls to stop the process.

However, of even greater interest is his most recent essay published on the New Nation website today entitled, "It's More Than Amnesty; It's Genocide For European-Americans", in which he attempts to convince us that he's not really a racist - he's only a simple guy, worried about the dilution of the Aryan gene pool. I want to thank him for this one, because it provides focus on what his real motives are as he goes from forum to forum bleating about rogue soccer players, slums and such. This essay helps you understand the foundation of all his activities in Costa Mesa over more than a decade. It also helps you understand how he has been so influential over a few easily-led residents, including our young jailer/mayor.

Under the guise of protecting the sanctity of the Aryan gene pool he has methodically gone about facilitating the discomfort of the Latinos among us - legal and illegal - and orchestrating their expulsion from our city by attacking them where they live, where they work, where their children are educated and, yes, even where they kick a soccer ball around after work.

Your Neighbor says he's not a racist. Well, Dictionary.com provides the following definition for the word racism: "a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others." Read his essay, linked above, and you decide - is he or isn't he a racist? To me, he personifies the word.

The raging debate about illegal immigration has this country in a turmoil. I doubt you will find many American citizens who think illegal immigration is a good idea - I certainly don't. The issue is complex - if it were simple, those simpletons in Congress would have solved it long ago. In my view, any solution must start with secure borders. Unless that is the first step anything else that might be done is futile, costly and ineffective. How we manage the tens of millions of illegal aliens currently working in this country is a separate issue. From a purely practical standing, I just don't see how you deport 12 to 30 million illegal aliens without having a devastating impact on our economy.

However, Your Neighbor is fanning the flames of this illegal immigrant hysteria to further his own, perverted goal - protecting the integrity of the Aryan gene pool. What astounds me is that so many people actually buy into his putrid philosophy and follow his lead. Like some kind of twisted Pied Piper, he has mesmerized his followers into ignoring his ultimate goal - the expulsion of Latinos - by providing them with chunks of raw meat (slums, soccer players, low test scores) to chew on as they march to his tune.

This man has, virtually single-handedly, dragged Costa Mesa to the point of no return. Through his oratory and influence he has created a culture of intolerance within our city and, through it, turned Costa Mesa into the poster child for anti-immigrant hate. It deeply saddens me that more than a few folks in this city have been swept up in his scheme and seem to be chanting his mantra like a group of brain-dead zombies. Hopefully, in the near future they will awaken and realize what has been happening to them and step back from this man and renounce his view of the world.

Blogging With Genis and the Winships, Plus Mayoralty Rumors

Another day of fun and games here in the land of Newport-Mesa.

GENIS DIVES IN!
First, some good news. Former Costa Mesa Mayor Sandy Genis has decided to dive headlong into the wonderful world of blogmania. Her brand new, hot-out-of-the-oven blog, La Femme Wonkita, is now available for viewing. I posted a link for her site over on the right of this page. Those who have followed politics in Costa Mesa in recent years know Ms. Genis as a smart, hard-working, astute student of the process and a woman who is, in her words, "one of the most opinionated people I know". Few would argue with that description. Sandy has stayed engaged in Costa Mesa politics following her tenure on the City Council and demonstrates time after time that she is a force to be reckoned with when she stands before the council to present her view of an issue in her own, special way. I hope she eventually permits Comments to be submitted on her blog because, if history is any judge, her postings will certainly be "comment-worthy". We welcome her arrival and look forward to her future entries.

WINSHIPS PROVIDE QUIPS
Another new link over there on the right is for a Newport Beach-centric blog, Newport Beach Voices. I'm sure many of you in Newport Beach already know of this resource. Among the contributors to this blog are Ron and Anna Winship, who also write the occasional entry on the Orange Juice! blog. They are producers of "Cutting Edge - a talk show" which, in their words, "brings together a provocative group of 'individuals' that uniformly believe in the defense of American liberty and freedoms." I'm happy to provide a link to their blog as a resource to those who are immersed in Newport Beach politics and players.


MAYOR, ANYONE?
I can't close tonight without mentioning the on-going rumors around Costa Mesa about the possibility of a change, soon to be proposed, that would result in the direct election of the position of Mayor in our fair city. Along with those rumblings are a few that indicate former mayor Gary Monahan would be a candidate for that position. There was a time when I thought our young jailer/mayor, Allan Mansoor, might also be a candidate for that job, should it be approved by the voters. However, he seems to be casting his net much more broadly in the Republican Party political pond. For example, last night, Thursday, he was scheduled to be the featured speaker before the meeting of a neighboring county's Republican Party. That explains why he was practicing his stand-up routine at the last council meeting. Trust me, Jerry Seinfeld he ain't!

More Lights and Cat Fights

OK, so the "lights" issue controversy last night was a non-starter. No one chose to pull the issue of additional lights at The Farm Sports Complex from the consent calendar so, without fanfare of any kind, the issue was passed on a 4-0 vote - Eric Bever was absent from the proceedings last night.

I went back to the agenda package to determine exactly what the council had passed, since there were a couple different permutations provided. I also contacted some folks at the city to be sure I understood what happened. In a nutshell, the city will now proceed to install new, permanent lights on fields 3 & 4, retrofit the current lights on fields 1 & 2 with more efficient lights that will more adequately control spill over, and will stub out (run the cabling to the appropriate locations) for fields 5 & 6 for future installation of permanent lights.

This is good news for those folks around town who are scrambling for fields of any kind and lighted fields in particular. Although it would have been a better idea to light all four remaining fields right now, this was a good first step and will take a little pressure off the need for identification of additional fields. There will remain a shortage of adequate fields even after 3 & 4 are lighted and scheduled, though, so the city needs to continue their efforts to find additional suitable locations - particularly since it looks like there will be absolutely no active sports tolerated in smaller parks around our city.

As mentioned above, Eric Bever was absent from the meeting last night, apparently on a family emergency. We, of course, wish him well. However, his absence left a hole in the format - no one to provide comic relief. We all know that Bever considers himself a real stand-up comedian who regularly regales us with his snappy one-liners from the dais. So, last night, his pal, our young jailer/mayor attempted to pick up the slack as he tried to lighten the mood by making wise cracks. He failed. My advice to him is, "Don't quit your day job."

Last night was not without it's funny moments, though. Katrina Foley and Wendy Leece hissed and growled at each other from the opposite ends of the dais. Foley expressed astonishment when Leece took a position 180 degrees opposite her previously stated opinion on the traffic calming issue. Leece fired back that she had every right to change her mind. Ah, the ladies - ya gotta love them!

Also, while on the traffic calming issue, Mansoor seemed to have become the reincarnation of Chris Steel when he lost track of what was happening and almost proposed a motion that was exactly the opposite of what he intended. Yes, it did bring a smile to my face.

Let There Be Lights - Again

At the City Council meeting on Tuesday, May, 15th, the council will have before them as part of the Consent Calendar the issue of approval of contracts for the lighting of The Farm Sports Complex. Under normal circumstances, unless a member of the public or a member of the council pulls an item from the Consent Calendar for separate discussion, the entire calendar is voted on as one item. This item, number 7 of 12, will be pulled because Councilwoman Katrina Foley has a conflict of interest - she lives near the Farm and cannot vote on the lighting issue. So, this subject will get it's own hearing and vote.

As anyone who has been following this subject for the past couple of years knows, lighting of The Farm has been a subject of considerable controversy. There is a faction in town, including at least one council member, who feels that lighting the remaining four fields violates a covenant given to the contiguous neighbors when the complex was approved that only fields 1 and 2 would be illuminated. The city official who purportedly gave that assurance was, according to those officials who have addressed this subject, not authorized to make such a promise.

Costa Mesa is in dire straits when it comes to adequate playing fields for the youth of our city. We, quite simply, don't have enough of them. Every city official and elected or appointed leader who has addressed this subject agrees - we don't have enough fields for our kids. This problem has recently been emphasized by the controversy about people kicking balls around smaller, neighborhood parks. Lighting all The Farm fields would provide near-term relief to this problem and take some of the pressure off our officials as they go about developing long-term solutions.

The vote Tuesday night is going to be interesting. I suspect there will many speakers from both sides of this issue. Last week Recreation Manager Jana Ransom took the unusual step to communicate with many stakeholders in this issue, suggesting strongly that they make their views known before the council Tuesday. As she pointed out, it won't be a question of funding - the dollars to provide the lights for all fields at The Farm have already been allocated.

I hope the members of the City Council will do the right thing and vote to light all the fields at The Farm. With Foley unable to vote on this issue, a split vote is possible. Should that occur the result will be no lights. That would not only be a shame, it would be catastrophic for the youth of this community and the hundreds of volunteers and parents who attempt to juggle schedules to provide important sports opportunities for the kids.

I encourage those of you interested in this subject to speak before the council on Tuesday. This item will most likely be considered early in the evening, between 6 and 7 p.m. If you cannot attend, please communicate with the council by email. The address to use is: CAgenda@ci.costa-mesa.ca.us.

"Man In Black" On The Attack

For those of you who don't follow his racist rants, Your Neighbor (The-Brain-Who-Ate-Costa-Mesa) over at the CM Press is on a roll again. This time he continues his attack on the Daily Pilot for a number of things, the first of which is the appointment of a columnist, Alicia Lopez, to address items of interest to the Latino community in Costa Mesa. This demographic group represents somewhere between 30 and 40% of the city's population and it apparently bugs "the man in black", as he's been referred to by a comment poster here. This doesn't surprise me at all.

All one has to do is read some of his racist essays, like this one, on sites like the New Nation News to understand where he's coming from. And, of course, his drivel is like a plague - it infects those with a low immune system, as represented by comments posted on some of the Daily Pilot articles. Although he stopped short of doing so, I half-expected him to demand the publication of White Supremacist columns to satisfy his interests.

He then goes on to address the recent appointment of Jim Righeimer as a regular "conservative" columnist in the Pilot. Apparently Old Riggy isn't conservative enough for him - again, no surprise. This guy is so far to the right that he makes Joe McCarthy look like a communist!

Your Neighbor goes on to remind his readers just how dangerous it is to cross him and the so-called "improvers" by recalling how they got chronically inept Chris Steel elected, then got him un-elected. It's a not-too-veiled threat to some currently on the City Council that they'd better not forget who "brung them to the dance" - or else. It's going to be very interesting to see if our young jailer/mayor toes the line drawn by this guy, or if he will follow the wishes of the high mucky-mucks in the Orange County GOP to further his political career. I'm betting on the latter, since he already left one loyal "improver" foot soldier dangling in the wind in favor of appointing Righeimer to the Planning Commission.

Tonight, at the City Council Chambers from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m., the California Department of Toxic Substances Control will host an open house and public meeting during which they will invite public comments on the proposed plan to clean up contaminated soil at the Grand Plan Site, 1640 Monrovia Avenue. Certainly, Your Neighbor will be in attendance to beat his drum about the pollution of the whole Westside by those terrible industrial property owners. For those who have not seen him in action, his performance will be worth the price of admission - it's free.

NEWS FLASH! INITIATIVE FILED ON NEWPORT BEACH CITY HALL!

NEWS FLASH!

The Red County/OC Blog reported just before noon today that there has been an initiative filed with the Newport Beach City Clerk to relocate the City Hall to the location mentioned in my previous post - just north of the Main Library on that 12.82 acre parcel some folks want to retain as a passive park. You can read that blog entry here.

According to the entry, some big names are included in this filing, including Marion Bergeson, former California Secretary of Education and former State Senator.

This will certainly make an interesting issue even more so and will likely cause a few of the Newport Beach open space advocates to go apoplectic. In the meantime, the clock continues to tick and the price of any new City Hall continues to escalate.

Riggy Jumps The Border To Spread The Wealth

Well, this is going to be fun. I was all set to disagree with Jim Righeimer, carpetbagging Costa Mesa Planning Commissioner, as he launched his first effort as a front-page columnist for the Daily Pilot this morning. Then I read his column and darn if I don't agree with him!

Old Riggy is a pal of Dana Rohrabacher, who helped Allan Mansoor and Wendy Leece get elected in November. He moved to Costa Mesa the middle of last year, then gets appointed to the Planning Commission as Mansoor brushed aside a long time supporter like he was swatting a gnat. Now Riggy steps across the border to take his first swing as a "journalist" and hits the good folks in Newport Beach squarely where it hurts - in the middle of the raw debate about where to build their new City Hall. It's just a good thing that Barry Saywitz isn't the developer on the project because Righeimer would have gotten really nasty!

I'm trying to figure out how this issue is a "conservative issue" - the charter of Righeimer's columns as announced by the editors of the Daily Pilot. I guess you could call it a lesson in fiscal conservatism.

Actually, this an interesting turn of events. It seems that a Newport Beach Planning Commissioner, one Mr. Hawkins, recently attempted to tell Costa Mesans how to manage their traffic. I suppose you could consider Riggy's column a little pay back - a term with which he should be familiar.

In his column Righeimer suggests that the site above the Main Library, bordered by Mac Arthur, Avocado and San Miguel, is the best location for the new City Hall. He and I actually agree on this issue. For a couple years I've commented on the fact that the current location on Newport Boulevard on the peninsula is not the best location for a new City Hall. It's difficult to reach, especially in the summer, it sits astride the Newport-Inglewood earthquake fault and is in a tsunami zone. The last number I saw for the construction of a replacement facility at that location was nearly $100 million, and that didn't include the inconvenience of moving the entire city staff twice in the process.

The site above the library, as I've said many times, is the perfect location for a new City Hall. It's near the geographical center of the city, located adjacent to Fashion Island and is close to good public transportation (for those days when the folks in Newport Beach want to go to City Hall, but the Bentley is having the oil changed.) The site in question is slightly over 12 acres and the new City Hall Bill Ficker designed would take around three of those. The remaining nine acres could easily be used as the passive park so many of the city hall opponents demand. The facility would provide parking space that could be shared with the library - a much-needed improvement. If I recall some of the numbers being floated when Ficker's plan was announced, it would cost somewhere between $25 and $30 million. That's a significant cost savings, no matter how you slice it. Plus, the old site on the peninsula is prime development material and would likely bring a pretty penny - and offset a big chunk of the cost of the new facility.

It's hard to understand how so many of the good folks in Newport Beach fail to agree that this site is the best one for all residents. Sure, a few folks who live above that spot may have their view affected - but not much. An architect with Ficker's skill can address some of those concerns in a final plan. Some of the opponents of the Newport Center site say their city needs more open space. Puh-leeze! How many miles of beach do they have? What about the harbor and back bay? And, if that new "park" at the corner of PCH and Jamboree is an example of what they want put in the Newport Center site I hope they reconsider. It's an eyesore that requires most who would use it to cross at least 8 busy traffic lanes to reach it.

In his column Riggy nibbled around the edges of what may just be the actual problem here. It has to do with an imbalance of fiscal and intellectual resources - more money than brains. I don't have a vested interest in this, but friends and relatives who live in Newport Beach certainly do. I hope their city leaders recognize this opportunity do what is best for all residents. If not, it looks like at least a couple Costa Mesa residents - one who has lived here for more than three decades and another who has yet to hit a year - will try to help them out.

Here Comes Riggy!

Well, only one more day until Cinci de Mayo, which will bring with it this year the inaugural front page column in the Daily Pilot by Planning Commissioner and less-than-one-year-Costa-Mesa-resident James (Riggy) Righeimer. I'm excited!

Yes sir, I'm really excited to read Righeimer's first column. I've chided him in the past for his bullying of a recent applicant before the Planning Commission, and I've called him a carpetbagger - correctly so - but I've never said he's not a smart guy. I actually have high hopes for his column tomorrow.

Righeimer has demonstrated that he will do his homework on issues, so don't be surprised if his first column is full of well-researched facts and information. In the announcement of his column the editors said he's going to provide us with comments on conservative issues. It will be interesting to see which "conservative issues" he feels need to be addressed by the readers of the Daily Pilot. Since Newport Beach and Costa Mesa are bastions of conservatism, I think it might be a little like preaching to the choir. We'll see.

Meanwhile, over at the Mansoor-majority house organ, the CM Press, the spinmeister continues to yap and crow about annexation. In his most recent post today he observes that, in the battle for lands abutting both Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, that land to the East should be given to Newport and that on the West - including the much-coveted Banning Ranch - simply be given to Costa Mesa. Oh, were it all that easy!

In her article on this subject Daily Pilot reporter par excellence, Alicia Robinson, indicated that Costa Mesa Mayor Pro Tem was not available for comment. Trust me, this is a good thing. Every time Bever opens his mouth on annexation issues he offends our neighbors in Newport Beach. And now rookie Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach has stuck his nose into the annexation process and is apparently attempting to facilitate an agreement. Moorlach has some impressive credentials so we will now see if they include the proverbial "Wisdom of Job" - that's what it's going to take to get an accord on annexation between Newport Beach and Costa Mesa.

May Day And Where We Play

The May Day City Council meeting this evening was pretty darn routine. Those items on the agenda that may have promised some conflict were either continued or went smoothly.

However, during the debate of the distribution of the Community Development Block Grant funds to social service agencies - which the council voted unanimously to approve as recommended by the 3R Committee and the city staff - there was one predictable, unpleasant event. The Grinch showed up in the tired, old black shirt of Your Neighbor, The-Brain-Who-Ate-Costa-Mesa, and pushed the council to not fund any of the charities that "don't resemble Costa Mesa". To their credit, after this clown prattled on and on, they simply ignored his rhetoric. I found myself smiling!

You may recall that he "resigned" from the 3R Committee under fire last year. His presence was alluded to by one of the applicants for funds as he spoke about the experience last year. The speaker could have been more specific, but those of us paying attention knew exactly who he meant.

Next stop for this rabble rouser will undoubtedly be the public meeting to be held tomorrow, Wednesday, at the Mulitpurpose Room at Paularino School at 7:00 p.m. This is a result of Your Neighbor's constant drumbeat about the dangerous, rogue soccer players at "his" Paularino Park. Of course, we all know which demographic group he means - Latino men, trying to burn off some energy. The Paularino Park issue is simply a red herring - a smoke screen being used to create more discomfort among the Latinos in our city.

On the positive side about this guy, one of the web sites on which he's published his racist rants, National Vanguard, has gone belly-up! Yep, it's gone,finito . Seems the main man in charge has had recent personal problems of a legal nature so his tent was just folded up. Now Your Neighbor will just have to find another income source. BooHoo!

***

One of the items discussed tonight was the proposed "Neighbors to Neighbors" clean up of the Mission/Mendoza "slum". With that in mind, here's a quote from The Book Of Useless Information for you to contemplate: In Calcutta 79% of the population lives in one-room houses.