THE FUTURE DOES NOT LOOK BRIGHT
We're only two weeks into this new year and the tone for the near future has been set by supporters of the current council majority... and it's not pretty, my friends.
HOLD YOUR NOSE IF YOU VISIT...
Much as I really don't want to drive traffic to his almost incomprehensible site, over at CMCONSERVE, which uses the apparently copyrighted phrase "
the right perspective in Costa Mesa", the blog operator - the pompous pontificator
Dennis Popp - takes exception to comments made by speakers - more than three dozen of them - at the recent Fairview Park Citizens Advisory Meeting. Popp, the portly blowhard who is a member of that committee and was a major functionary on
Lee Ramos' disastrously unsuccessful council campaign last fall, so dislikes the critical comments presented by those folks that he compares them to terrorists!
"ACTIVISTS ARE AL QUAIDA TERRORISTS"!
That's right, terrorists! In his entry of January 10, 2015,
HERE, titled, "
Fairview Park Activists/Terrorists", and sub-titled, "
Fairview Park Al Quaida", there is little doubt that he is serious in his comparison to those folks who wish to keep Fairview Park in a natural state and not add playing fields to terrorists. I encourage you to read this bilge-pretending-to-be-literature for yourselves, but will give you a little tease first.
STUPIDITY...
Speaking about those dissenting voices he says, "
However, for a group of activists, collecting data about fields is the moral equivalent of mortal sin or maligning the prophet."
...ON DISPLAY
He goes on in a subsequent paragraph to say, "
Like the disparate groups of radical Muslims, activists don't agree much about." Really, Dennis? Well, I can tell you one thing - those activists who spoke last Thursday evening agree that they don't want to see playing fields carved out of Fairview Park.
DEFENDING THE INDEFENSIBLE
He goes on to defend Ramos' vote to move forward with the three items on the agenda that dealt with playing fields and criticizes the person who stood and called Ramos out for telling her one thing during the campaign and voting 180 degrees different that evening.
DON'T DARE CRITICIZE THEM!
Popp's rant perfectly represents the attitude of the current council majority - they are big fans of his work, apparently. He, and they, clearly cannot abide
ANY form of criticism. That's the problem when the council majority stacks committees with thin-skinned sycophants - they can't take it.
HE'S FORGOTTEN HIS OATH
Popp has implied in the past that he's a combat veteran. For that service to our country I sincerely thank him. However, he apparently has forgotten the oath he, and the rest of us who served in the armed forces of this country, swore to at the time. We swore to support and defend the constitution of the United States of America from all enemies, foreign and domestic. That includes free speech. He's about my age, so maybe he's suffering from early-onset dementia, but I remember that oath as clear as a bell.
CHATTING WITH THE ROOKIE
On a related topic, today was the first opportunity for residents to "Meet the Mayor" at City Hall on a Sunday afternoon. The plan was for folks to show up between 2-4 p.m. to spend some quality time with Rookie Mayor
Steve Mensinger one-on-one instead of presenting their comments, concerns and grievances to him and the rest of the council on the record during Public Comments at regularly schedule council meetings. Due to an unanticipated, but very welcome, family social engagement I had not planned to attend.
AN UNANTICIPATED STOP
However, on the way home from lunch at one of Costa Mesa's best restaurants with our guests we did swing by City Hall to see what kind of a crowd showed up. While they waited in the car I scampered up to the lobby steps and was greeted by the charming
Sharon Rodelius, Executive Secretary, who was on hand to direct residents to their meeting with Mensinger. She told me that a few people had showed up and were all on the 5th floor. Apparently CEO
Tom Hatch also had to blow off part of his Sunday, because he was up there, too.
A QUICK STOP
My conversation with her lasted less than two minutes, then I returned back to the car and our guests, who had to head back home. I was pleased that some folks had actually showed up to chat with Mensinger and wondered what the outcome of those meetings might be.
LIES...
Then, later this evening, a friend informed me about a lie published in the
Costa Mesa Public Square Facebook Group page.
Julie Mercurio, who is now apparently the Admin for that site - I guess my friend,
Bruce Krochman, has handed it off to her - published a scurrilous statement on that page. I can no longer read what's published there because I'm no longer a member and the permissions have been changed since she took over. To see comments you have to be a member. Again, another example of the kind of "transparency" these folks work with.
...AND MORE LIES
The comment, under her byline, stated the following:
The first Meet the Mayor was today and 19 people showed up!!! I read there was great feedback which is good news! The more disturbing news is that Geoff West who is a blogger in town was walking around outside with his camera and as one person termed it was "creepy". Why would he not come in.
He denigrates so many so often, what would make him opt to lurk outside taking pictures vs coming in?
THE TRUTH
Well, I was not "lurking" and I had no camera with me. Lies.... I spent 5 minutes, max., from the time I left our car until I re-entered it and the time not spent walking to and from the car was spent standing on the steps outside City Hall, chatting with Sharon Rodelius. I "wouldn't come in" because I had nothing to say to the Rookie. At the time I was there - around 2:40 p.m. - eight (8) people had arrived and gone to the 5th floor and none had yet returned. Heck, I didn't know if Mensinger had locked them in a room someplace, for goodness sake! Only kidding... lighten up!
BE ON THE LOOKOUT
Since this "Julie Mercurio" person - I'm not even sure that's actually her real name - seems to be an untrustworthy sort, willing to spread falsehoods willy-nilly, I suggest you use caution if you encounter her. In case you wonder what she looks like, here's a little "selfie" I took of us in happier times at a council meeting this fall. Hint: she's not the chubby old fella in the photo.
MORE LIES AND ACRIMONY AHEAD
So, it looks to me as though the next several months are going to be filled with more acrimony rather than the harmony many wish for. That's a two-way street and it certainly won't happen when the spokespersons for the majority continue to puff and blow and prevaricate. Too bad.
Labels: CM Conserve, Costa Mesa Public Square, Dennis Popp, facebook, Julie Mercurio, Lee Ramos, Sharon Rodelius, Steve Mensinger, Tom Hatch
I've hesitated to mention that old Dennis Popp, the pompous pontificator on the CM Conserve blog, has been in hibernation since January 23rd. I had assumed that he'd used up all the words that had been rattling around in his cranium, so had gone into a state of suspended animation. Or, better yet, he just flat gave up. But, no... we're not that lucky... he's back...
Today old Dennis finally produced another blog entry, HERE, this one vilifying those folks who are trying to save Banning Ranch. Those of you who disagree with him will get agitated when you read the entry. I apologize in advance for your discomfort and the rise in your blood pressure.
I was amused that, near the end of his piece, he tries to provide an example of a responsible conservation organization by using an outfit called Ducks Unlimited, HERE. He talks about how the members of this organization raise money to buy lands themselves, blah, blah, blah. What he neglects to mention is that this organization does all this "conservation" so they have more water fowl to KILL! Yep, they buy and create habitats so they can go blast more flying critters out of the sky for "sport".
Methinks old Dennis should have stayed in hibernation. I can hardly wait to see him huff and puff at the Fairview Park Citizens Advisory Committee meeting Wednesday night. The guy is pathetic!
