Geoff & Steve - Conjoined Twins

FRUSTRATION PROVOKED COMMENTARY SUBMISSION
Last weekend, frustrated by recent events in Costa Mesa - the low-point of which was the St. Patrick's Day suicide by Huy Pham on the day he had been called in to work to receive a 6-month layoff notice along with more than 200 of his peers - I sat down and wrote a long - too long - commentary and sent it off to the Daily Pilot editors for their consideration. I received word later that they planned to publish it on Wednesday. You can read it HERE.

MENSINGER, TOO
I did not know that non-elected city councilman Steve Mensinger had submitted a commentary with what amounted to an opposing view at about the same time. I was advised by the editors of the Daily Pilot that mine would appear Wednesday in print and Mensinger's would appear Thursday and that they would be paired in the online editions, which is just what happened. You can read Mensinger's piece HERE.

DID HE ACTUALLY WRITE IT?
When I read Mensinger's contribution I found myself wondering if he had actually written it, or did recently-hired PR consultant Bill Lobdell create it for him as part of his assignment to "create a communication structure that will make Costa Mesa the most transparent government in the nation"? I've read some of Mensinger's work in the past and this one was much more polished, even though not without gaffes. For example, he referred to "RFPs" as "Reports for Proposal". I'd expect a guy who, although an appointee to both the planning commission and the city council, to know that acronym is for "Requests for Proposals". However, history has demonstrated that "close is good enough" for him and his cronies.

HIT COUNTERS ARE A'SPINNIN'
Both of our commentaries have spun the old Daily Pilot hit counter like slot machines gone berserk. At this writing each has well over 50 comments posted although in the case of my commentary, a dozen of those comments are by one lunatic so in love with his "skill" that he just kept blathering on and on, serially posting drivel that meant nothing at all.

GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY
I really don't have a problem with being conjoined with Mensinger's commentary - I think it's good for the community to have a chance to view and consider opposing views of the same issue in real time.


RIGHEIMER TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CRISIS
Since the tragedy on St. Patrick's Day, when Mayor Gary Monahan was appropriately criticized for not showing up at City Hall to evaluate the situation and to console staffers, the media attention on Costa Mesa has been white-hot. Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer has been omnipresent on local and national television and on the radio in a campaign reminiscent of Allan Mansoor's "anti-illegal alien" media blitz a few years ago. I wouldn't be surprised if the same strategists planned both campaigns. Some of that attention has painted this issue as a "unions vs. politicians" event, the perception of which was exacerbated by Orange County Employee Association President Nick Beradino's display of cell phone photos of Monahan in his kilt, having a rousing good time while the folks at City Hall were in shock.

"THE AD"
And that was further exacerbated by a professionally-created video ad, using clips of Monahan and the bogus press conference called the day after the tragedy, being distributed locally on cable TV this week. The media has, once again, covered this like a blanket and have tried to find the group responsible for its creation - a group called "Repair Costa Mesa". The ad is available on the group's web site, HERE.

WHO ARE THE PLAYERS?
About that "group"... I used quotation marks because it is my understanding that this a group of residents from neighborhoods all over the city who were concerned about the method and pace of the changes the current city council were trying to impose on the city and wanted to "do something" about it. The only names associated with the group that have been made public are former mayor Sandra Genis and outspoken activist Greg Ridge. Former Fountain Valley councilman Gus Ayer's name was connected to the video by a union representative, but he has adamantly denied any involvement in its production or distribution. It is my understanding that the launch of the video ad was made by Ridge, operating on his own without consultation nor approval by the rest of the group. The media and members of the opposition are frothing to get the names of the others in the group.

AD WAS A BAD IDEA
In my opinion, the ad - while powerful and accurate in the presentation - was a bad idea. Clearly, there has been a huge backlash - not only by those you might expect to hear from in the Monahan/Righeimer/Mensinger camp, but by members of the broader community, as well. Enthusiasm apparently dulls memories, because this is similar to the backlash that occurred when the Costa Mesa Police Association began hauling the anti-Righeimer ad trailer around town last fall.

MONAHAN WAS WRONG, AT LEAST TWICE
Don't get me wrong. I think Monahan made a couple huge mistakes two weeks ago. First, when he chose to stay at his pub pulling beer taps and celebrating what he told a television crew was, "the biggest day of my life" instead of going to City Hall to evaluate the situation and console the staff - as any good mayor would have done - and second, when he approved and participated in the press conference-that-wasn't-a-press conference the next day. That one could have, and should have, simply been done with a press release. Instead, they gathered a small gaggle of "credentialed media" in a cramped, hastily-created press room in a conference room on the 5th floor of City Hall and had CEO Tom Hatch read a prepared statement. The four council members in attendance then filed out before the cameras, ignoring the requests and demands of the media members for comments.

LOBDELL'S ROLE?
In attendance at that press conference was new PR guy, Bill Lobdell, so one must assume he had some part of this fiasco. Perhaps this was a way of setting the low water mark for transparency - a spot from which things can only get better. I guess we'll see.

BRUCE GARLICH
As I watch the current elected leaders push their agenda, bully the staff, manipulate the "facts" to accommodate their dogma and ignore the advice of their professional staff as they go about destroying our city, I cannot help but think of my friend, Bruce Garlich. Tomorrow, at 2:00 at Pacific View Memorial Park, many of his friends and family will meet at a memorial service to remember our friend and to offer words about his selfless volunteerism and true leadership in our community. I will miss my friend's wise counsel and compassion and find myself wondering what his views would have been about what is happening in his city today. Rest in Peace, my friend.

Bruce Garlich Service Set For Friday, April 1, 2011

VOLUNTEER, ACTIVIST AND LEADER
As mentioned in an earlier post, HERE, Bruce Garlich was the President of the Costa Mesa Senior Corporation Board of Directors at the time of his death, March 22, 2011. He has also been an active participant and leader in the Harbor Area Boys and Girls Club, Lions Club, Costa Mesa United and many other organizations. His was truly a life well-spent.

MEMORIAL SERVICE FRIDAY, APRIL 1ST
A memorial service for Bruce has been scheduled for Friday, April 1, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. at Pacific View Memorial Park and Mortuary, 3500 Pacific View Drive, Corona del Mar.



IN LIEU OF FLOWERS...
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Bruce's name to the Harbor Area Boys and Girls Club, P.O. Box 10297, Costa Mesa, CA 92627. Here's the link to the web site: http://harborareabgc.com/

CARDS AND LETTERS
Cards may be sent to Greg Garlich, 18641 Demion Lane, Huntington Beach, CA 92646.

RECEPTION AT SENIOR CENTER
A reception will be held following the service at the Costa Mesa Senior Center, 695 W. 19th Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92627 beginning at 4:00 p.m.



A GOOD MAN, INDEED
Well, my friends, it became necessary for me to delete the embedded video clip of "A Good Man" by EmersonDrive because some clever person or organization inappropriately found a way to overlay a banner link for the ad recently credited to the non-existent organization, "Repair Costa Mesa", denouncing Costa Mesa mayor Gary Monahan onto this video.

I chose that clip because of the message, which was summarized in the refrain, that I felt described my friend, Bruce Garlich, so perfectly. Here are the words to that refrain:










THE SERVICE WAS WONDERFUL
The service for my friend on Friday, April 1st, was a lovely affair. The chapel at Pacific View was packed by a standing-room-only crowd - well over 150 people - who heard many funny and poignant stories about our friend. He received a fine send-off. Thanks to all who attended and participated.

Bruce Garlich - 8/25/36 - 3/22/11

PASSING OF A GREAT MANAt the end of a week filled with sadness in Costa Mesa, today I must add to it by reporting that my friend, Bruce Garlich, passed away this evening after a brief stay in hospice care.

A TRUE PILLAR OF THE COMMUNITY
As many readers here will know, Bruce was a pillar of our community. At the time of his passing he was the President of the Costa Mesa Senior Corporation Board of Directors. He has also been involved in many other community organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club, Lions Club and was a volunteer reader in Costa Mesa elementary schools.


PLANNING COMMISSION AND MUCH MORE
Bruce was a member of the Costa Mesa Planning Commission for six years, including a tour as Chairman. During that time he used his finely-honed executive skills to keep the commission focused and productive. He ran for Costa Mesa City Council twice unsuccessfully, but never flinched at those defeats and continued to serve the city that had been his home for more than three decades and was a mentor to many.

AEROSPACE EXECUTIVE
He retired as an executive after a long and illustrious career with McDonnell Douglas Corporation He managed billions of dollars in cutting edge projects.

A LOYAL TIGER
He was a proud Missouri native and a graduate from the University of Missouri in 1959. Those of us who called him a friend could see that stereotypical Missouri stubbornness peek out from time to time.

BRUCE THE MANAGER
In recent years Bruce had been slowed by his battle with cancer. During that time he tended to his wife, Marietta, as she also wrestled with a particularly nasty form of that disease. She passed away almost exactly two years ago, on March 17, 2009. (HERE) Bruce "managed" his illness with the skill and tenacity borne of a lifetime of "managing" things. Even in his final weeks he was firm and decisive about how his days would be managed.

SURVIVED BY
Bruce is survived by his son, Gregory Garlich, his former wife, Barbara, both of Huntington Beach; his brother Roger Garlich of Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri; nieces Carla Lett of Vallejo, CA and Dawn Lett of Los Angeles and nephews Kevin White and Gary Bowles, both of Los Angeles.

REST IN PEACE, MY FRIEND
I will miss my friend, Bruce Garlich. I'll miss his frank and caring friendship, his wise counsel, his clear vision and his terrific sense of humor. He was a true Gentleman of Costa Mesa.

SERVICES PENDING
Services are pending for my friend and I'll post another entry when they are established.

Government By Ambush

AN APPROPRIATE TERM
Yep, that's what my friend, David Stiller, calls it. He coined the phrase a few years ago when he thought there was insufficient notification on an issue to be heard by the City Council. Last night's council meeting was the perfect example of what he meant.

SENIOR CENTER CONTRACT
New Business #3 - which the council very kindly moved from the back of the agenda to the front to accommodate the many seniors in the audience - is the agreement between the City and the Costa Mesa Senior Corporation regarding the operation of the Senior Center for another 5 years, plus the possibility of extending the agreement for three more five-year terms.

RESULT OF TASK FORCE
The staff report originally posted online represented the hard work over many months by the special Senior Center Task Force, formed to address the renewal of the contract and some specific issues that had arisen over the past couple years. Mayor Allan Mansoor and Councilman Gary Monahan were on the task force, which also included Senior Center members Arlene Flanagan, Judy Lindsey; Senior Center volunteer Anna Kozma; Chamber of Commerce nominee Patty Mason and community member, former mayor Mary Hornbuckle. Senior Center Executive Director Aviva Goelman and Costa Mesa Recreation Manager Jana Ransom were non-voting members.

ORIGINAL CONTRACT UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED
This task force worked diligently over nearly a year, addressing the boilerplate issues of the official agreement and ancillary issues and, earlier this year, produced the document to be considered last night. That document had already been approved unanimously by the Task Force and the Senior Corporation Board of Directors.

LATE ADDITION
However, at the very last minute - late last Friday night - "someone" requested that an additional paragraph be inserted into section 8, Programs and Services. This addition only appeared in the staff report at that time, with no prior or subsequent notification to the Senior Corporation Board. The additional paragraph reads as follows:

TEXT OF THE ADDITION
"Tenant has the right to reasonably control disruptive behavior at the Senior Center, but recognizes that the Senior Center is a public building and place of public accommodation. Tenant shall not discriminate against qualified users of the Senior Center on the basis of their first amendment protected activities or on the basis of their viewpoint."

USURPING AUTHORITY
In the view of many who read this quick-pitched entry into the previously-approved version, this seemed to be a clear attempt by someone - I suspect Wendy Leece - to usurp the management authority of the Executive Director of the Senior Center and her bosses, the Senior Corporation Board.

ANOTHER MANSOOR SNEAK ATTACK
Then, during the deliberations, Mansoor attempted to slip into the agreement a requirement for the Senior Center to submit to an audit whenever the whim struck the City Council - another item that had not been approved by the Task Force nor the Senior Corporation Board.

"A SOLUTION IN SEARCH OF A PROBLEM"
President of the Senior Corporation Board, Bruce Garlich, addressed both issues. During his presentation he explained that the Task Force had worked for many months on the agreement and the Task Force and the Senior Center Board unanimously approved it as presented. He said the proposed amendment (above) has had no review by the Task Force and seemingly little review by the city staff. He called the timing of it's inclusion "suspicious and disrespectful to the Task Force and the Senior Center staff". He said it was "a solution in search of a problem."

NO RECORD OF FIRST AMENDMENT VIOLATIONS
Garlich went on to say that, "to the best of his knowledge, at no time had the Senior Center staff been made aware of any complaint from any Center user that their first amendment rights had been discriminated against." He explained that, if such an event occurred, there is a protocol to resolve it via the Executive Director and the Senior Board. He reminded the council that, if it chose to include the added language it would be in violation of Section 9 (d) of the agreement, which states in part that "Tenant is and shall act as an independent agency and not as an officer, employee or agent of the City."

NO ADDITIONAL AUDIT NECESSARY
Garlich also objected to the language Mansoor tried to insert during the discussion dealing with an audit. Section 9 (c) provides for an audited financial report requirement, which, in Garlich's view, should be sufficient.

TASK FORCE NEVER CONSIDERED AUDIT
Mansoor was part of the Task Force and, according to sources familiar with their deliberations, the issue of yet another audit - a "forensic audit" - was not discussed nor approved by the Task Force. In fact, there has been no definition of exactly what a "forensic audit" is supposed to be - that was a term tossed out quite casually by Leece during the council meeting. Springing this on the Senior Corporation Board without notice is just another example of "Government By Ambush", and a pretty crappy way to do business.

BEVER WOKE UP A LITTLE
Eric Bever's "contribution" to the discussion was to gripe about there not being any language in the agreement that dealt with what he called "dispute resolution. He said, "Our only option was to say, 'Ok you guys, you're fired'". He asked the City Attorney to provide him with a list of options for the council to consider. That will be considered at a future date.

DELAY MIGHT CREATE BIG FINANCIAL PROBLEMS
The upshot of this debacle was that, because of the requirement for the amended agreement to be, once again, considered by the Senior Corporation Board, there 's a good chance that it might not make it back through the system in time to be approved before the budget is approved to go into effect July 1. If that's the case, no checks may be issued to the Senior Center until the agreement is completed and approved.

PETTY GRIEVANCES CREATED TASK FORCE
I'm not a Senior Center insider and don't have personal knowledge of all the circumstances that led to the launching of the Task Force in the first place. I do know what has been public knowledge. A small band of malcontents - some of whom were not members of the Senior Center - decided that they were not getting their way so went to Leece and griped about it. She, unable to sort important issues from petty grievances that should have been resolved under the roof of the Senior Center, began a witch hunt. As a result, the Task Force was created and did a terrific job of sorting out the issues and making their recommendations.

DISRESPECTFUL BLINDSIDE
The blindsiding of the Senior Corporation Board with these items as the council was about to vote on them reeks of petty politics and, as Garlich stated a couple times during his presentation, is disrespectful of the Task Force and the Senior Center management.

BACK TO THE SENIOR BOARD
Fortunately, the council voted to approve the original agreement without the offending language but did add a few words requiring the ability for the City to pay for a "forensic audit" during the term of the contract. This hiccup will now require the entire agreement to be re-considered by the Senior Corporation Board and, depending on how their deliberations go, may delay the final approval of the contract.

INTELLECTUAL AND ETHICAL SHORTCOMINGS
This disregard for the process they established caused more than a few observers to lose confidence in some members of the council. It's a miserable way to do business and demonstrates the intellectual and ethical limitations of some of our elected leaders. It's a shame.

Marietta Garlich Passes Away

(Marietta Garlich with friend Gerry Hornbuckle)

It is with much sadness that I report to you today that Marietta Garlich, loving wife of Costa Mesa activist Bruce Garlich, passed away peacefully in her sleep at home early this morning.

Some may know that Marietta had been bravely fighting a particularly nasty version of cancer for several years.

I've only known Marietta for a few years, but considered her a good friend. She had a wonderful sense of humor - essential for a wife whose husband is so involved in community activities. A very giving person, she was a activist/volunteer in her own right. Marietta and I always enjoyed a good chat about sports, particularly about the accomplishments of her favorite golfer, Tiger Woods. As recently as this past weekend we shared some chuckles about golf and basketball.

Our condolences go out to Bruce, his family and to Marietta's many friends on this sad day. Plans for services have not been announced at this date.

Bruce Garlich - Distinguished Leader

As you might remember, following a hard-fought campaign for City Council last year in which he finished third, our friend Bruce Garlich planned to serve out the remaining two years of his appointment on the Planning Commission. Unfortunately, personal health reasons forced him to resign that position earlier this year. He's been dealing with those issues ever since and I'm happy to report that he is making good progress.

In addition to his tenure on the Planning Commission, Bruce has been an active and valued volunteer in many organizations in our community, including the Senior Center and the Boy's and Girl's Club Boards. He has worked tirelessly in these and other activities, bringing his experience, wisdom, leadership and integrity to each endeavor.

At their annual awards dinner on May 17, 2007 the Orange County chapter of the American Planning Association (OCAPA) recognized Bruce for his very significant contributions to our city as a Planning Commissioner by presenting him with their "Distinguished Leadership Award - Citizen Planner". The following is the text of the article published in "The Orange County Planner", that chronicled Bruce's award:

Bruce Garlich has been working just as hard in his retirement as he did during full-time employment as an aerospace engineer. For more than 25 years, he has served as a citizen planner, including three consecutive terms on the City of Costa Mesa Planning
Commission, one as its Chair. As a planning commissioner, Bruce has shaped or acted on major plans or projects that are now changing the face of the city, including its 2000 General Plan, Segerstrom Concert Hall, and at least two of the projects that earned citations earlier this evening. One measure of Bruce’s influence is the 800 Google "hits" generated by his citizen planner activity
over the past couple years. In supporting his nomination, his fellow commissioners cite Mr. Garlich's "ability to communicate complex issues in a language that [real] people understand.” He is fair, they attest, he leads by example, and he always does his homework, enabling him to ask "the hard questions." Bruce Garlich, they declare, "is an inspiration."

As far as I'm concerned, that last sentence sums up Bruce's activities in this city. He has dedicated much of his post-retirement life to making Costa Mesa a better place for all of us to live, work and play. If you were fortunate enough to watch him on the Planning Commission you saw the steady hand of reason on the helm - whether he was the Chairman or not. One only has to watch the current version of the commission once or twice to see just how much that steady hand is missed.

Congratulations to Bruce on this most recent and well-deserved recognition. We hope to see him back more fully involved soon.