Red-Light Cameras, Paranoia, Nosy Leece and a Female Sheriff (Maybe)

COUNCIL TONIGHT
No doubt tonight's Costa Mesa City Council Meeting will provide us with some blog fodder. There appears to be nothing particularly earth-shattering on the agenda, but one never knows what kind of controversial rabbit the members of the majority will pull out of their hats these days.

NEW RED-LIGHT CAMERAS PLANNED
One item on the agenda is the vote to add red-light cameras a more Costa Mesa intersections. Although some think it smacks of "Big Brotherism", I'm for the red light cameras. As a society we seem to have gotten much too lax when it comes to driving intelligently, particularly during rush hours. Costa Mesa has some of the busiest intersections in our county. If the red-light cameras can rein in the inconsiderate among us, that serves us all well.

MORE JOY IN MY HEART
On that subject, another Costa Mesa-based blogger doesn't think it's a good idea. Of course, these new lights being proposed are mainly in his end of town. One can logically assume that this fellow is among those inconsiderate jerks who regularly run red lights as he scampers from crime scene to crime scene in his "pressmobile". Snagging him a few times with a red-light camera would have the added advantage of bringing a smile to my face.

PARANOIA IN MESA NORTH
Speaking of him, which I don't do much any more, he seems to be going off the deep end these days. Several of his most recent posts reflect a man with a whole lot of paranoia going on. Now he complains of being stalked, for goodness sake! I assume he is feeling the pressure brought on by the challenge by another relatively new blogger, CMTRUTH, who takes none of his bullying and guff. Perhaps he'll be feeling better tonight when, as is his practice, he sits on his "Perch of Pontification" back in the last row of the council chambers and awaits his sycophants to pass and offer homage to him while he waits, like a hawk atop a pole, to swoop down to the speaker's podium and attack whatever issue, person, council member is his victim du jour. One can only feel sad for this fella - who seems to be in early-onset dementia.

WENDY CONTINUES TO SKULK AROUND SENIOR CENTER
Speaking of older people - I can do that because I am one myself - it seems that councilwoman Wendy Leece continues to harass the staff of the Senior Center with her little nit pick in hand. Some have said that Leece should just keep on nosing around the Senior Center, stirring up controversy where none exists. Horse Manure! That's not her job! Her job as the council liaison is to be just that - a liaison between the City Council and the Senior Center Board of Directors. They, the board, are the ones responsible for running the show at the Senior Center, NOT Ms. Leece. Her role is a NON-VOTING role. She seems unable to distinguish important issues from those brought up by one or two disgruntled patrons of the center. Rather than help things at the Senior Center, her actions have been the cause of much strife and that certainly doesn't serve the patrons well. My suggestion to Leece is to get a life, woman!

A FEMALE SHERIFF - MAYBE
Finally, I noted today that the county Board of Supervisors has winnowed the candidates for Sheriff from nine to two, with Santa Ana Police Chief Paul Walters and retired Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Division Chief Sandra Hutchens left standing as the final two. Looks like Riggy's prognostication about Ralph Martin and Walters being the final two is only half-right - pretty good for Riggy. As I've said before, on paper and as a result of the interview process, Hutchens looked like the strongest candidate. Do I think a woman can fix the Orange County Sheriff's Department? Well, not ANY woman, but I think THIS woman can. Everything in her background demonstrates that she has the kind of intelligence and leadership that it will take to get the job done. I don't care about the "political correctness" of this situation - I want the best person for the job, male or female, period. Let's see what kind of cojones the Board of Supervisors have on this one...