Good Crime News, E-Verify & Phu Nguyen

COSTA MESA VIOLENT CRIME DOWN
Tuesday evening, in the Daily Pilot online, Joe Serna reports that - according to FBI statistics - violent crime in Costa Mesa dropped 14% in 2009! You can read Serna's article, which includes the details, HERE.


GREAT NEWS IN TOUGH TIMES
This is terrific news and a great testament to those brave men and women who patrol our streets and try to make our city safer. We only hope the current budget constraints, and the current salary negotiations, won't keep them from continuing to perform at such a high level. Kudos to the Chief Chris Shawkey and the men and women of the CMPD.

MANSOOR TOUTS E-VERIFY
Our formerly young, and former jailer, Mayor Allan Mansoor has been getting a lot of press recently. For example, the media is all abuzz about his latest scheme to quash what he perceives to be a marauding hoard of illegal immigrants in Costa Mesa - to REQUIRE the use of the federal E-Verify program. This was discussed at the city council study session Tuesday. I was not there, nor have I seen the tape of the meeting yet, but I'm told that Mansoor stuck close to his request as presented in the staff report.

ONEROUS DEMAND ON BUSINESSES
Not only will his plan require the City of Costa Mesa to utilize E-Verify, but he would require every NEW BUSINESS to agree to use E-Verify before a business license could be issued. Additionally, Mansoor also wants to require EVERY EXISTING business to use E-Verify on all it's current employees before a license renewal could be issued.

MANSOOR TO ASK FOR FUNDING FOR RESEARCH
It's my understanding that Mansoor will bring this item before the council in a future meeting, seeking authorization for the staff to do exhaustive research and create the appropriate legal documents needed to implement such a plan. This seems like an unnecessary, costly (in these difficult budget times) and intrusive measure - one that will certainly not endear Mansoor to the business community. Much like his "rule of law city" resolution, this is just another grandstanding move on his part to gin up votes for his faltering Assembly race against Phu Nguyen. Cindy Carcamo and Jon Cassidy of the Orange County Register did an excellent article late Tuesday on this subject. You can find it HERE.

ORANGE JUICE BLOG PIECE ON MANSOOR
There's a very interesting piece about Mansoor on the Orange Juice blog by crooner Vern Nelson that is part of a series of articles on that site about our aspiring assemblyman. I think you'll find this particular one especially entertaining. You can find it HERE. Enjoy.

A VIEW OF PHU FOR YOU
Finally, before I close, I want to provide you with some perspective. The following little video clip from YouTube presents a view of Mansoor's opponent in the 68th Assembly race - Phu Nguyen. I know you'll find it interesting and gives you a way to compare his background and qualifications to those of Mansoor.

What's Ahead...

STUDY SESSION TUESDAY...
Tuesday the Costa Mesa City Council will hold a study session at 4:30 in conference Room 1A at City Hall during which they will discuss some interesting items.

GRAFFITI ORDINANCE
1 - Amendments to the Graffiti Ordinance - The council first addressed this issue in March, then kicked the can down the street to "a future study session", which appears to be Tuesday. Theoretically, they will discuss modifications to the current ordinance - we assume to tighten up some areas in question. We'll find out Tuesday.

E-VERIFY
2 - Potential Utilization of E-Verify - Lame duck Mayor Allan Mansoor requested this item be brought forward for discussion. We can only assume this is one of his schemes promised at his press conference last spring and during the council meeting at which the controversial - and meaningless - "Rule of Law City" resolution was passed.

MANSOOR WANTS GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION
Based on the staff report, it seems that the mayor wants the federal E-Verify process to be required in the City employment process; be included in future City contracts/agreements for contracts and subcontracts; every employer seeking a new business license and RENEWALS of business licenses and "potentially other alternatives that may be discovered during the staff research.

SEEMS A LITTLE ODD...
I don't know how you feel about this, but for a "less government is better" Republican, as Mansoor professes to be, to be proposing such onerous government interference in private businesses seems mighty strange to me.

RESIDENTIAL WASTE HAULING FRANCHISE FEES
3 - Residential Waste Hauling Franchise Fees - This one is also very interesting, since the City isn't responsible for residential waste hauling in Costa Mesa - that responsibility falls within the purview of the Costa Mesa Sanitary District, a separate, distinct organization which was spun off from the City many years ago. The final sentence in the Staff Report says: "However, it will take policy-level direction by the Board of the Sanitary District and the City Council to effect further research and any substantial change." Gee, no kidding!

WHAT ABOUT GARY?
And where, might I ask, is Gary Monahan in all this. Will he have to remove himself from the discussions both as a councilman and a director of the Sanitary District? Seems like it.




...FOLLOWED BY A SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL CLOSED SESSION
Immediately following the Study Session the City Council will move to the council chambers for a special closed session meeting to discuss negotiations with the employee bargaining units. It seems likely that this meeting will only be in chambers for a few minutes - to read into the record the agenda and take public comments. They would then adjourn to another venue - a nearby conference room - for the remainder of the meeting.

URGENT ACTION IS NECESSARY
This special meeting is necessary because four of the five bargaining units are working without a contract since September 1. The City is in dire straits budget-wise - we were told at the last council meeting that we are still over $9 million in the hole for this fiscal year. Without concessions from the bargaining units it is more than likely that even more staff cuts will have to be made. There simply is not enough money to cover all the expenses.

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THREE MORE CANDIDATE FORUMS PLANNED
At this point there are three more candidate forums scheduled that involve Costa Mesa Council candidates.

NEWPORT/MESA FEET TO THE FIRE MEDIA CANDIDATE FORUM
The next one scheduled was announced the end of last week in articles in both the Orange County Register and the Daily Pilot. This one, scheduled for Thursday, September 30th, at the Costa Mesa Neighborhood Community Center in Lions Park, is called the "Newport/Mesa Feet to the Fire Media Candidate Forum" and theoretically will involve City Council candidates for both Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. I don't recall any such forum in the past. We assume the questions will be restricted to areas of mutual interest to both cities - particularly since there may be nine candidates attending and at least five interrogators.

PLENTY OF EGOS TO GO AROUND
This event will involve a panel of prominent local journalists. So far John Canalis of the Daily Pilot, Tom Johnson of the Newport Independent, Frank Mickadeit of the Orange County Register, Gustavo Arellano of the OC Weekly and Norberto Santana, Jr. of the Voice of OC will be panelists and the irrepressible, vivacious Barbara Venezia, columnist for the Register will act as the Mistress of Ceremonies. The event will be from 7-9 p.m., with the doors opening at 6:30.

COSTA MESA UNITED FORUM
Next up will be an even more unusual event. This will be the recently announced forum sponsored by Costa Mesa United at which Costa Mesa Council candidates and Newport Mesa Unified School District candidates will be grilled on items of mutual interest and responsibility - as the flier announcing the event says, Academics, Athletics and Activities. The event, from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, October 6th, will also be held at the Costa Mesa Neighborhood Community Center and will be moderated by Costa Mesa United Board President Gordon Bowley.

EASTSIDE COSTA MESA NEIGHBORS GROUP FORUM
The final forum of which I am aware will be hosted by the Eastside Costa Mesa Neighbors Group on Thursday, October 14th, also at the Neighborhood Community Center beginning at 6:30 p.m., although there is some question about the actual venue at this moment.

CMTV WILL COVER EACH EVENT - IF POSSIBLE
If staffing scheduling permits each of the above forums will be covered by Costa Mesa Television (CMTV) for broadcasting at a future date. It is my understanding that they will join the first forum in the rotation on CMTV until after the election on November 2nd. They would also be available for viewing via streaming video on the City web site. None will be televised live unless the venue is changed to the Costa Mesa City Council chambers, where the infrastructure is in place.