Weekend Reading
More things to contemplate while you're relaxing with your family this weekend.
DAILY PILOT ANNOUNCES DP 103
First, the Daily Pilot has announced the 2007 edition of their DP 103, a list of 103 people and things that were "influential" in our lives this year. You can read it here. As you scroll down through the list you'll find many familiar faces - movers and shakers in the Newport-Mesa area who appear year after year for their contributions. As always, there are some new ones, too. I've already teased some of my pals who made the list, but were superseded by plankton, at #80.
Thanks to each of those folks recognized by the Daily Pilot. Without their energy, vision and generosity our community would be a sorry place, indeed.
ORANGE COAST COLLEGE LIBRARY
Speaking of which, our pal, Doug Bennett, over at the Orange Coast College Foundation and #84 on the DP 103, took time out from trying to sell Rabbit Island to drop me this little note:
Geoff,
I wanted to let you know that there will be a new library inDoug Bennett
Executive Director
Orange
So, once that new facility is opened you library fans can sneak over and check it out. It may whet your appetite for the new Costa Mesa Library even more.
RETURN OF THE LEPRECHAUN
A former member of the DP 103, Gary Monahan, announced that the three-term councilman, mulit-term mayor and the only councilman to qualify for a city pension, has decided to pitch his hat in the ring for a council seat again. You'll find Daily Pilot article here. The comment thread attached to that article is thought provoking, to say the least. Monahan's candidacy will be the subject of a separate post in the future.
So, let the speculation begin about which names will find their way to the ballot next year. At this point, it looks like Monahan, Foley and Bever for sure.
posted by The Pot Stirrer at 10/19/2007 03:15:00 PM
3 Comments:
Haven't you mentioned Jim Fisler as a potential candidate? It seems as if Monahan is hardly a lock from the comments on the Pilot blog. He seems to have generated some pretty strong opposition.
An interesting note on campaign finance in Costa Mesa by Katrina Foley in the Pilot - Mansoor spent $100,000 on last year's election! That is a staggering amount, and Ms. Foley is correct - too much for a municipal election. While philosophically against limits and ANY public money going to campaign finance, I am also against big money in local elections.
City councils should be comprised of regular citizens with a knack for civic affairs. If huge money comes into play, only party machine candidates have a chance. Chris Bunyan, and people like him, will just be wasting their time and money if up against a major political party machine. Then our commissions will just become launch pads for future party-endorsed candidates.
I am a Republican, and don't want undue government interference in campaign activities. My complaint here is solely personal and largely rhetorical. I just don't like local elections being influenced by outside dollars.
Often, the very best city councilmembers are those who speak their minds, listen to their neighbors, and are not beholden to a party political machine and its money. But it looks like future candidates will need that money in order to be successful.
Rob,
In a perfect world much of what you prefer would probably exist. Costa Mesa politics isn't a perfect world - it's one that has become dominated by outside influences, from the Orange County GOP to the Minuteman rabble. Don't expect anything different next year. I expect it will be "business as usual" next time around, with lots of outside money poured in to support Bever and other improver candidates. Their battle cry will be "anyone but Foley", which is very sad, indeed.
In addition to Monahan, Bever and Foley, I wouldn't be surprised to see Sam Clark and Jim Fisler. Chris Bunyan may run again.
What will be very interesting is to see who of the improver group gets cast aside this time to pay off political favors.
I thought Rob was going to run this time around!
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