Wednesday, July 30, 2014

It's Simmer Time, Again...

BANKING THE COALS...
Well, friends (and the rest of you), it's time to turn the old Cauldron down to simmer for awhile.  I'll be tending to it only to keep the coals hot, so you'll have to rely on other "angry" old geezers for your news and opinions.  Yep, you'll have to get a dose of racism with your local news at one local site where the vile operator, The Mouth From Mesa North, used his entry number 666 (sounds like his home address) today to razz my wife and me about our upcoming wedding anniversary.  What a sad, pathetic, unfulfilled little man he is.   And you'd better order a decoder ring so you can actually figure out what that other old guy with the kitty fixation is trying to say as he posts incomprehensible blog entries while he's running Lee Ramos' campaign.

THANKS... CHECK BACK FOR COMMENTS AND MORE
Thanks for being loyal readers.  I'll still be checking for comments that might need to be posted, so if you've got something to say, just post it here.  Who knows... there might even be a new blog entry or two...  There's plenty going on, for goodness sake.

COSTA MESA IN THE POT BUSINESS?
For example, it looks like the City is going to get into the pot business!  Jim Fitzpatrick, our Planning Commission Chairman - an all-too-frequent visitor to a certain Irish pub in town - somehow convinced a bunch of Orange County City Attorneys that HE, of all people, had something worth listening to on the subject of Medical Marijuana, so he was permitted to address their monthly luncheon a couple weeks ago.  So, Tuesday we're going to find out just which side of the Mary Jane issue all five of the council members come down on.  By now you've read Sandy Genis' blog entry that included the text of the proposed ordinance that I covered in my previous entry.  If you missed it, just slide on over to the right side of the page and click on La Femme Wonkita.  How many votes will the pro-dope crowd bring to the election?  Interesting dilemma for those running.  The subject will certainly be addressed in candidate forums and at fund raising coffees.

MEETING ON THE SLY, WITHOUT POLICE INPUT!
Oh, yes.. what kind of City government allows a single councilman to direct the City Attorney to have his staff cobble together an ordinance to be presented to the voters on such an important issue without a study session and/or input from other council members or the public?  And, most important, why has the Police Department NOT been involved in this process?  We all know the answers.. because they're afraid of rejection, and with good reason.  Well, there's time for you all to express your views at the council meeting Tuesday night. 

SON OF MEASURE V...
Then we have the bogus charter, again... not much to say about it, except that Section 104 is a stake in the heart, especially when combined with section 806.  Go read them.  It gives the council virtually unlimited authority to do any darn thing they want, and we all know from our experience for the past nearly four years how well they've done with even limited power.  Yikes!

FAIRVIEW PARK FUTURE?
And then there's the United States Fish and Wildlife Service letter... Double Yikes!  It's quite possible that, upon reflection, they will impose even greater sanctions on the City for our poor stewardship of Fairview Park.  Guess who you can thank for that?  That's right - your Mayor Pro Tem, Steve (it's all about the kids) Mensinger!  Without his demand that the user-defined trail be enhanced none of this would be happening.  Please take a few minutes to send him a little thank you note on behalf of your neighbors who actually do enjoy the park the way it is, and on behalf of the Harbor Soaring Society, who may get bounced out, and on behalf of the Orange County Model Engineers, who are probably sweating bullets about now, worrying about their future on the East side of Placentia.

THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY CONTROVERSY LINGERS
And then there's still the lingering - for much too long - controversy about the 60th Anniversary Celebration.  There is a very strong scent of corruption in the air, but nobody seems to be doing much about it.  I hear the CMPD has sent information to the District Attorney - have we mentioned that he's close to our own power elite? - but we don't think he'll do anything.  Maybe the state Attorney General needs to get involved...

THE LAWSUIT...
And then there's the bogus lawsuit filed by your mayor and mayor pro tem for some imagined transgressions by the men and women of the Costa Mesa Police Department.  This is being dragged on and on to deplete the treasury of the CMPA so they cannot actively participate in the campaign this time around.  In the meantime, a convenient by-product of that lawsuit is that Righeimer and Mensinger cannot be parties to the contract negotiations that should be underway right now.  However...

MONAHAN'S ABSENCE
...there's Gary Monahan's apparent reluctance to actually do the job he was elected to do - negotiate labor contracts.  He's stiffed Sandy Genis and Wendy Leece every time they try to put a meeting together to discuss the negotiations with the CMPA.  I guess he's too busy pulling beer taps and figuring out how to profit from Medical Marijuana.  Rumor has it he may run again for a seat on the Sanitary District Board.  I wonder how he'll find time to do that job, too?  Seems like a good question to ask at a candidate forum or when you're sipping a tall one at his pub.

WHO IS ACTUALLY RUNNING?
As all this drama swirls around the city - when we face an election that could correct much of the damage done by Jim Righeimer and his cronies the past nearly four years - and we still don't know for sure just who is running for the two seats available.  Next Friday, August 8th, is the deadline.  We'll know at 5:01 p.m. who is left standing, and how many ways that zero-sum vote pool is going to be split.

WHO WILL DROP OUT?
Will Angry Al Melone - a man who did significant damage last time - realize what his presence does to the race and drop out.  Will Chris Bunyan, who chose to leave town for several years after being beaten in an earlier race, realize that the Banning Ranch issue alone isn't enough for him to win one of the two seats?  Will Harold Weitzberg and Jay Humphrey sort out their relative positions?  Will one of them drop out and throw his support to the other?  Or, will they both go toe-to-toe and fragment the votes?  If they're both in the race, which one will Katrina Foley embrace, if either?

WHO WILL SPLIT VOTES?
Will Tony Capitelli - a very nice young fella who carries the burden of working for Congressman  Dana Rhorabacher - continue to stay in the race and split votes for Ramos and Righeimer?  Will Ramos be able to stay awake during the candidate forums?  Will he actually be able to tell us with a straight face that he's an independent-thinking guy?  What kind of double-talk will Righeimer try to use during those "debates" to convince the voters that it's OK to put potholes ahead of public safety?  Will he have an answer for those who wonder why he seems to be steering this city toward municipal bankruptcy to satisfy his hatred of employee bargaining units?

AN EXCITING COUNCIL MEETING
Next week you've got a council meeting that should be very exciting.  We don't know what else is going to be on the agenda besides good old Mary Jane, but it's the only meeting of the month, so there's sure to be some fun stuff discussed - like the Fairview Park dilemma.  All the fun begins at 6:00 in council chambers at City Hall.  The agenda should be available on the City web site Thursday or Friday... look for it.

PLAYING FIELDS OR NOT?
The next evening, Wednesday, you've got a meeting of the Fairview Park Citizens Advisory Committee, HERE, starting at 6:00 at the Neighborhood Community Center, 1845 Park Avenue (Lions Park), where the important Southeast Quadrant will be discussed.  Crowds have been sparse in the past, but if you care a whit about the future of the park you might take the opportunity to tell the committee how you feel.  I know they'll be happy to see you.

AND SO...
Yes, there's plenty to talk about... you'll just have to do it without me for a little while.  I'm sure you're up to it.  And now, my old pal, Willie, will provide a send off...

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5 Comments:

Anonymous Bodiegirl198 said...

Well, while the pot is simmering, we here in CM are still boiling, As you know, I am all about the NO R’s, (as in No Riggy No Ramos, No Regurgitated Charter, No Redevelopment, No Reduced jail time for the corruption debacle of the 60th anniversary,…There is however one R that I support. RECALL Stevie has a nice ring to it. As I think of that prospect I can just hear “Happy TRAILS To You” playing faintly in the background. So if Stevie is forced to pick up his toys and play somewhere else, come NOvember little Gary had better learn to play with girls.



7/31/2014 12:19:00 AM  
Anonymous Arthur Nern said...

The enabler for Riggy's Lackey Lee is pathetic. He should stop trying to string words and just listen to his master's Richard Simmons voice.

Have excellent, well-deserved time off Mr. West. The thinking people of Costa Mesa are thankful for your efforts!

7/31/2014 08:32:00 AM  
Anonymous Skeptical in Costa Mesa said...

Bodiegirl. . . .I like the sound of that bell ringing. Recall stevie has a certain very pleasant tone to it. Gives me that feeling of peaceful light raindrops on a tin roof ;)

8/02/2014 07:25:00 AM  
Blogger zennymoon said...

is lee Ramos the best they have to offer..he comes to council, never speaks, is on his phone and never takes a note and did I mention he leaves early, very early. He has spread misleading statements about the charter. Did you know the charter would cure the Sober Living dilemma, I bet NB would have liked to have had that info, so they could have saved $2.6 mil im court fees..... the next ninety days are going to be unbelievable...And Geoff"s computer will be burning up with election scoop. So glad he is taking a vacay..he will need it...

8/02/2014 04:25:00 PM  
Anonymous Where's My Coffee? said...

Perhaps they should do with Gary what Gary did to them. Ask him to show up at city hall, or somewhere, and not tell him why. When he does, sit him down and tell him its labor negotiation time. No one leaves without some product to show. That's how you treat children.

8/05/2014 07:11:00 AM  

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