Feet To The Fire Forum Thursday Night

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN!
Well, all you politics-watchers, it's that time of the year already.  Yep, the irrepressible Barbara Venezia will present her latest iteration of the Feet To The Fire Forums next week.  She's doing them back-to-back at the Robert B. Moore Theater on the campus of Orange Coast College on Wednesday and Thursday.

HOPING FOR ALL THE CANDIDATES
Thursday is the Costa Mesa gig, where Barbara will be joined by Tom Johnson, former publisher of the Daily Pilot and currently the President of the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce.  They will interrogate candidates for Costa Mesa City Council in November.  We don't know exactly who has turned in their papers to complete the process - the deadline was Friday, August 12th - but if everyone that was invited shows up there will be six candidates sitting there awaiting the grilling.

SIX, MAYBE SEVEN
We imagine current council members Sandra Genis and Steve Mensinger will be there.  We also expect former council members Jay Humphrey and Allan Mansoor to show up, plus newcomers John Stephens and Lee Ramos.  It's unclear whether "dog park" Al Melone will attend.  As most know, Julie Mercurio dropped out of the race recently.

SCHMOOZING, THEN THE SHOW, COVERED BY NBTV AND KOCI-FM
The event begins with a "meet and greet" opportunity with the candidates from 6-7 p.m. and the taping of the forum begins at 7:15.  Barbara tells me that Newport Beach TV will be doing the taping for later replay.  You will recall that the Costa Mesa City Council majority, in an amazing display of anti-public service, forbade Costa Mesa Television to cover any forums this time around.  Also, radio station KOCI-FM - 101.5 on your dial - will take the audio portion and replay it several times at a schedule as yet undetermined.

NEWPORT BEACH THE NIGHT BEFORE
If you're interested in Newport Beach politics - which is beginning to look more and more like Costa Mesa's recently thanks to political king-maker Dave Ellis - Barbara will host a similar forum for the Newport Beach candidates - except for those that are part of the Ellis stable.  Those candidates have apparently chosen to avoid the Feet To The Fire Forum format, so will sit it out - just as some did in a recent roundtable moderated by termed-out councilman Keith Curry.  Makes you wonder why, doesn't it?  Don't get confused and show up at the wrong evening!

 SEE YOU THURSDAY - AND MAYBE WEDNESDAY
Anyhow, we Costa Mesans expect to get the full contingent on Thursday night.  I hope to cover this event and will report back to you my impressions.  Here's a map of the OCC campus.  The Robert B. Moore Theater is near the Arlington Drive entrance to the parking lot.  There is plenty of parking available both nights. Click on image to enlarge it.