Don Quixote and Sancho Panza Team Up
In the past I've referred to Mayor Pro Tem Steve Mensinger and Planning Commission Chairman Jim Fitzpatrick as Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, respectively because Fitzy always seemed to be glued to Mensinger's hip, providing a supportive echo to almost every utterance he made.
PONTIFICATING THE PARTY LINE
Today retired Costa Mesa resident Jeff Arthur, who has become a fairly regular fixture at recent City Council meetings, published a commentary in the Daily Pilot, HERE, in which he spouted the party line - that the sky is falling in the form of unfunded pension liabilities - and quoted Stanford professor Joe Nation extensively. Nation recently held forth at a Study Session during which he painted a picture of gloom and defined some draconian measures to solve "the problem" - creative stuff, like raising taxes - just the things you'd anticipate from a self-avowed "progressive".MIXING IT UP WITH THE GREAT UNWASHED
All of a sudden the comment thread on this commentary exploded, first with a comment by Mensinger lauding Arthur for his views. Further down Fitzpatrick, who is apparently on the road to recovery from his post-Costa Mesa Sanitary District Board ouster funk, opined that the problem must be serious "when a Pension beneficiary like Jeff Arthur starts sounding the bell.." What does that mean, exactly, Fitzy? Do you mean pensioners have a better perspective than those of us who actually pay for the pensions?SAY, WHAT?
Later Mensinger made an almost incomprehensible comment - he does that - that added nothing at all to the discussion.EVER THE BULLY
In my opinion, it is unseemly for an elected official to mix it up on comment threads in the public press. It has more than the slightest whiff of bullying, but it's his right to do so. And, as several of his friends have told us from time to time when he did something stupid, "Well, that's just Steve". So, he gets a pass because he always has... Very sad for us all.Labels: Jim Fitzpatrick, Joe Nation, Pension Reform, Steve Mensinger
posted by The Pot Stirrer at 3/13/2013 10:14:00 PM
24 Comments:
As I was preparing this entry new Planning Commissioner Tim Sesler and sycophant of the current power elite has chimed in with another party line utterance - and an inaccurate one, at that. Since I don't play on Facebook anymore I don't run the chance of him whining about criticism on that thread - at least not from me. Be warned, though - he might go into the corner and pout if you point out that he's incorrect.
Now newish Planning Commissioner and party stalwart Jeff R. Mathews has chimed in... big evening for the OCGOP on the DP blog...
Any truth to the rumor that to commemorate his abuse of a baggage clerk there, JWA is setting up a "Bully Corner" to honor Riggy's boy Steve?
wendy leece is always commenting on pilot stories. how did u miss mentioning that? must not fit your agenda-only go after the boyz, right?
Jeff Arthur is only concerned about possible reductions to his retirement benefits. This is why he wants current employees to pay more. He never said he should take less or that he does not deserve what he gets. It is only future retirees that don't deserve it. The employees already pay the maximum allowed by law into their retirement. Getting rid of employees actually increases the payments the city has to make.
I have always wondered if Lobdell sends out pre-written letters to Righeimer clones to send to the pilot. All of them are written the same way with the same facts and figures.
The attacks on employees have ramped up so Righeimer can push his charter scheme again. Expect it to escalate in the coming months. Don't you wonder why other cities do not constantly attack their employees? It is not good business sense to go after your workforce. Costa Mesa has yet to learn this lesson. So much for the kinder, gentler Righeimer.
No more Mensinger comment, either. Darn, I will miss his brilliance.
barb otch,
Fair enough... Wendy DOES comment frequently to expand and enhance the discussion. I don't recall any 1-liners, ala Mensinger.
By the way, do far as of 8 a.m. Thursday the sycophants lead the "opposition" in comments on that thread, 6 to 1. Eileen Truxton is out there jousting with the boys all alone. She's doing battle against the Mayor Pro Tem, Planning Commission Chairman, two other planning commissioners, an old fella (much like me) whose feeble new blog recently disappeared from the ether and another occasional council supporter.
stop the war on women
stop the war on the boyz
stop the war on the employees
give peace a chance
"In my opinion, it is unseemly for an elected official to mix it up on comment threads in the public press" says Geoff West on his blog.
He then replies to B Otch that Wendy Leece freqently comment in the Pilot. (but only to expand and enhance the story supposedly). Actually she grandstands a lot and loves to talk. That is why her posts are longer than Mensingers. He makes his point without having to say things such as he is the voice of reason in the community, blah blah blah. Why the pass to Wendy on this. Because this is a place to attack the boyz and their sycophants only. you know, a good "republican" blog. the ocgop scored big in the council elections, why help them here?
Is it just me or does Mr. Mensinger have a lot of pictures of him and his friends at all of the local watering holes? Seems you might want to tone down all the drinking pictures Mr. Junior Mayor, not to mention your "fun time" at the recent golf tournament. This is not how an elected official should act, especially in Mayberry.
Up here men are men and wimmin is quiet.
We want a real man like Stevie back up here with us, milking and tilling the fields.
We'll even give him an honorary degree!
Pot Stirrer -
Wasn't much of a battle, just look at the other team. A bully with a huddle full of flunkies, though most bullies don't typically turn and run (for the delete key.) I didn't see either of Mensinger's comments, but I imagine the frat boys are still stinging from Tom Egan's commentary. Guess we just have to breathlessly await the threatened grand rebuttal. Hope it's better the Jeff Arthur's effort against Mr. Mooney.
You haven't seen Fitzy's latest stab at intellectualism, Eileen. It's painful...
Eileen,
You didn't miss much, which was kind of the point. Apparently old Steve has blocked you on Facebook so you can't read the DP or Register comments he posts. Hard to have a conversation when folks only want to be one-way - which is also kind of the point with him. He's always on "send", seldom on "receive".
And, I note that Fitzy has returned to the game with a vengeance - probably trying to overcompensate for his beloved Notre Dame getting whipped in the National Championship game.
Interesting since I was never friends on Facebook with Mensinger. But, quick question - does anyone who attended the Nation presentation remember Fitzpatrick being there?
Fizty was there, but left early - before me. I didn't stay for the second presentation due to illness.
Well,Iknew it wasn't Fitzy posting on the Daily Pilot today unless we were witnessing a "Flowers for Algernon" moment. No worries, they pulled those posts. Poor Pascal Roget must feel like he was talking to himself. What a joke and a sure sign of weakness. If you can't stand the heat.....
Eileen,
Methinks you've been blocked. The comments remain. That used to happen to me when I was on Facebook. If you have access to a secondary browser - one on which you are NOT signed in on Facebook - you can read the thread.
No, I don't think I was blocked because my original post shows up . They deleted their posts and my replies went away. That thread still shows up, with a few comments, just not the ones posted by Jeff Arthur, Fitzy, et al. They deleted the posts started by them, but couldn't touch the ones they didn't start. Hence, they are in full retreat, with their tails between their legs. Can't wait to see what they come up with next!
Geoff and Eileen,
Yes, all the posts are there. Agree with Eileen that Fitzy didn't write a lot of the comments.
Shrek's so desperate and beside himself that he's accusing Pascal of not being a real person. Not only have we met and hung out with Pascal and his lovely wife, but I can tell you that his IQ has to be at LEAST 30 points higher than Fitzy's. In the lowbrow world of bootlicker Fitzy, any male name other than "Jim" or "Steve" is incomprehensible to him. He needs to head down to the dive bar for some "medicine" right away.
Eileen, Fitzy who I now call Froggy after one of his many usernames blocked me ( and others).
Just click on the 'Not you' link under your FB username in the DP comments sections. It will sign you out of FB, so you can view all the comments.
Another way is to view the DP comments without first signing into FB. Since Mensinger and others are big on blocking, it's a way to see everything posted.
but alf, if you go to the Pilot without signing into facebook first you would have to wait before posting your derogatory comments. best to be on facebook already and give em hell immedately. u will feel better and more important.
Here's my take on this: It started by being a bitch session about pensions, then got into name-calling, and finally ended up in the "neener-neener-neener" zone.
Here's my solution: I am a Social Security recipient. In that status, I collect a little less than seventeen thousand bucks a year. If I need more money, I have certain skills (I'm not referring to my diploma from Locksmithing Institute) with which I can go out and collect a little more. But, ladies and gentlemen, on that amount I am RICH. I answer to no boss, take orders from no overseer (my wife only gives suggestions, not orders), kowtow to no emperor, president, governor, nor mayor (two or three of them have experience with this). I can afford all the beans and bananas I need to stay nourished. My insurances are up-to-date. I have gasoline in my tank.
So whence comes all this bitch session about pauperizing all our poor employees by pensioning them off at less than a hundred thou a year? Holy cow, guys, that leaves eighty-three grand for you to roll up and snort your coke through. Or use in your bathroom and flush away with the rest of your complaint. What? What? you're not complaining? That's not what I infer from Hizzoner's and Steve's words of whizzdom. Oh, they're beating up a straw man they invented themselves? You say they're invoking the power of the gods in Sacramento as an excuse for not being any better negotiators? Aw, come on, now, not our Honorable Politicians. What, really? You'd actually come to the table and TALK about defined benefit pensions? Wow! No, I don't believe you. That'd mean our mayor and some councilmen had actually told us a FIB. No, no, no. I'm from Missouri. You gotta show me.
Hey, in other news, St. Paddy's day is rapidly approaching. When St. Paddy's day comes, COSTA MESA JONES DAY, the day we burn a bushel of ten-dollar bills and all wear transparent clothing, is only eleven days away. It's good to think about what we are jonesing for, and plan ahead for the day!
Froggy, aka well sed,
Remember, you are a chairman now.
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