Springing Forward And Falling Backward

TIME TO SET THOSE CLOCKS FORWARD
I hope you all are having a very special weekend and that you've remembered to "Spring Forward" on Saturday night. If not, now's the time! Oh, yes... time to change those smoke detector batteries again...

A NEW "WENDY" BLOG
While reading my Google Alerts recently a new blog popped up called "OC Public Square", which is a fairly new effort by Costa Mesa Mayor Pro Tem Wendy Leece. You can read it HERE, and I'll link it over on the right side of this page for future reference. I was especially interested in the profile she provided down at the end of the page. Perhaps you will also find it informative.

INTERESTING INSIGHTS
I think one can gain some insight into a person by observing what they think is interesting or important. Such is the case with bloggers like yours truly. You can get an idea of how we think by reading the other links on our pages - those we think our readers might enjoy or from which they might glean important information. I was especially interested in the link she entitled, "President Obama Birth Certificate", which takes you to the blog of local "birther" Dr. Orly Taitz - a woman who has appeared in court before Judge David Carter (of Benito Acosta trial fame) and had her claims that our trainee president isn't actually eligible to be in that office because he's not a native-born American tossed out.

ELECTION YEAR - PAY ATTENTION
Since this is an election year and we assume Wendy will be running again for the Costa Mesa City Council, I suspect her blog may provide valuable insight for the voters as they consider her among the candidates. I know I'll be keeping an eye on it and will comment on entries appearing on it if I think they might help you with your decision in November.

Fair Board Makes A Decision - Kinda

THE FAIR BOARD VOTES!
In the Daily Pilot tomorrow morning Mona Shadia reports HERE that the Orange County Fair Board endorsed Governor Schwarzenegger's plan for local control of fairgrounds statewide.

ARNOLD ENDORSED - BARELY
The board apparently voted 4-0, with David Padilla abstaining and Mary Young and Dale Dykema absent. Geez, at least they got a quorum this time!

WHAT? SAY AGAIN?
Shadia quotes fairgrounds head honcho, Steve Beazley, as stating, "This kind of creative thinking shows that this board is affirming its goals. It starts to show an effort of what the board's intention is." What?! What the heck does that last sentence mean? "starts to show"? What does that mean? How much do they pay this guy? Didn't he have to pass some kind of a literacy test for his job? Apparently not!

ELLIS AS GEPETTO
The Fair Board, under the "leadership" of Kristina Dodge, has demonstrated an astounding inability to perform under pressure in the past 9 months. It feels like, somewhere in the background, the nimble fingers of Dave Ellis are pulling the strings - which should make everyone more than a little nervous.

DGS DECISION DUE SOON
The State Department of General Services had committed to completing it's analysis of the purchase proposal by the high bidder, Craig Realty Group of Newport Beach and announce it's decision by April. Well, we've got a couple weeks left in this month... Maybe the DGS will announce it's decision on April 1st - how perfectly fitting that would be!

THREE CLOSED SESSION DISCUSSIONS IN TWO WEEKS
By the way, in it's closed session next Tuesday prior to the regular council meeting the Costa Mesa City Council will hear - for the third time in two weeks - from lead negotiator City Manager Allan Roeder about the progress on the Fairgrounds sale. Since they never report out on real estate negotiations and since the bid by the city/county combine was way, way low, one must assume they will be discussing the lease/purchase option that Gary Monahan let out of the bag a few weeks ago. The pace has obviously quickened and I suppose we will eventually know the results....

THE COMMUNITY TURNING INTO SMURFS
So, the beat goes on. The Fair Board continues their tail-between-their-legs inaction and the broader community continues to write to the governor requesting him to stop the sale and simultaneously holds its collective breath.

TOSS THE BOARD OUT
In my view, if the city/county can somehow convince the state to work a deal on a lease/purchase agreement, before the ink is dry on that agreement the current Fair Board should be tossed out like a mess of unrefrigerated flounder and a whole new governing body selected to manage the Fair and Events Center. The current Board has demonstrated that it's not trustworthy and is unresponsive to the needs of the public. It should be replaced by a cadre of current and former Orange County leaders - men and women of unimpeachable integrity - to chart the future of the Fairgrounds and guide it's management.

NEW LEADERSHIP, INCLUDING BEAZLEY
In my minds-eye, that means two members of Costa Mesa leadership (appointed by the City Council), two members of Orange County leadership (appointed by the Board of Supervisors) and five members from the broader community, to be appointed by the first four, who will function as members of a "governance sub-committee". The future of Steve Beazley as top guy at the Fairgrounds would be in this new board's hands. Personally, I don't think he's the right guy, but that's just my opinion.

THE END MAY BE NEAR - ONE WAY OR THE OTHER
So, after nearly a year of angst, thousands of air miles by local officials between here and Sacramento, tens of thousands of signatories on petitions begging the governor to halt the sale, hundreds of demonstrators pounding the pavement, competing entities trying to muscle each other out of the spotlight and thousands of diverse community members joining in unexpected alliances to quash the sale, we might have an idea how this fiasco will finally be resolved within a couple of weeks.

Tightening Code Enforcement and "The Mouth" Steps In It

UNCLEAR CODE ENFORCEMENT PRIORITIES
At it's meeting last night the Costa Mesa Planning Commission got revved up big time during the discussion of Code Enforcement priorities. Members Jim Fitzpatrick and Steve Mensinger performed a tag team in which they showed their peers photos taken by Mensinger around the city that, in his words, represented examples of Code Enforcement gone astray.

COMMISSIONERS VOW TO "FIX" THE PROBLEM
All the commissioners were careful to pay homage to the Code Enforcement staff, but indicated that our municipal priorities were askew. They've dedicated themselves to fix that problem and will discuss this further in a study session next month and then present their findings to the City Council.

WATCH THE IMPLEMENTATION
I don't disagree with them, but I'm just a little worried that their enthusiasm to turn our city into the new Irvine may result in very heavy-handed methods. This will take some watching...

BUFFOONERY ON DISPLAY
Meanwhile, over at that "bastion of truth", the CM Press, our racist laureate - the fellow I call The Mouth From Mesa North - continues to demonstrate to us that having an alleged Mensa membership doesn't guarantee that he'll do smart things.

STEPPING IN A COW PIE
For example, during one of his usual rants before the City Council at their meeting on March 3rd, he was attempting to emphasize his allegation that the council mismanages our money - "spends like drunken sailors" - he stepped squarely into a cow pie of his own making. While attempting to point a finger at the council for, on the one hand, recommending that residents "buy in Costa Mesa", then buying major purchases outside the city (our municipal code requires our leaders to get the lowest bid), The Mouth tried to emphasize his point with a little story. Here's what he said: "I'll tell you.. I bought a car this week. Did I buy it in Costa Mesa? There's a dealer right on Harbor Boulevard for this kind of car. No! I didn't buy it in Costa Mesa because I do the same thing you do - I got the best deal someplace else. You know, that's the way the world works."

JUST KEEP STEPPING IN IT
Well, yeah, Mouth, we know that's the way the world works. We also love it when you make a fool of yourself live and in living color for all to see.

FINANCIAL ADVICE FROM HIM?
In his pitiful blog today he attempts to second-guess the city staff - before they've made their presentation, by the way - telling us that they're not conservative enough in their budget management. What a crock! Why anyone would take financial advice from a schmuck who, from all appearances, owns maybe two shirts and one jacket, is beyond me!


DEEP-SEATED BIAS
The foundation of all his pontifications certainly seems to be rooted in his deep-seated bias against anyone not white. Oh, c'mon, Pot Stirrer, are you still harping about that?, you ask. Yep, I'm still harping about it because it has been, and continues to be, the cornerstone for all his rants. Doubt me? Think I'm dredging up stuff he's written about years ago? Guess again! Here's the link to his most recent racist rant, this one published online a couple places. This link, HERE, will take you to a site called "White Revolution", where the motto is, "We must secure the existence of our people, and a future for White children." While at the site check out their Mission Statement, but don't try it with a full stomach or you may lose your lunch.

NEW BLACK DEATH
The essay in question, "The New Black Death", which is also posted on the New Nation News site along with a library of more than a dozen years-worth of his rants, compares the Black Death pandemic of the mid-1300s to what he perceives as the New Black Death, interracial breeding. As I said, you don't want to read this with anything in your stomach.

HE SETS THE AGENDA
Please keep in mind that it's this mind - the mind that is admired by former KKK grand pooba David Duke - that is setting the agenda for much of what happens here in Costa Mesa. It's this overt intolerant view that has influenced many of the current crop of elected leaders in our city. I doubt there are many residents of this city who buy into The Mouth's philosophy, but the recent voting record in our city makes me wonder...

Academy Awards and The Real World

ACADEMY AWARDS
Having survived the Academy Awards program last night - my least favorite television program of any year - I'm ready to push forward into another week of fun here in the land of Newport-Mesa.


BUFFA NAILED IT!
Before we leave the Oscars, though, a couple comments. First, Daily Pilot columnist and former Costa Mesa Mayor Peter Buffa, nailed it! In his prognostications on Sunday morning he predicted every major award recipient. Never again, Peter old buddy, will we doubt you.

NUTTY REDHEAD IN A PURPLE "SNUGGIE"
Among the strangest moments was when Roger Ross Williams climbed up onto the stage to accept his award for best documentary short ("Music by Prudence") and this nutty redhead dressed in what one reporter referred to as a purple Snuggie, jumped up and hogged the microphone, using up all the time poor Roger hoped to use to thank folks. Turns out the redhead, Elinor Burkett, had pulled out as producer last year due to creative differences, but re-inserted herself after the awards were announced. Tip of the hat to LA Observed and Chic Leak for this info and the photo.

HANKS RUNNING FOR A PLANE?
The final strange event in an evening full of them was when my favorite actor, Tom Hanks - the presenter for the Oscar for Best Movie (The Hurt Locker) - dashed on stage like a man running for a plane, spit out the name of the winner, then tried to usher folks off the stage. OK, the show ran 30 minutes late, but so what?! To give the bums-rush to the presentation of the top award of the night was truly strange. But, then, Hollywood is truly strange.

Back to the real world..

FULL PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA TONIGHT
Tonight, Monday, the Jim Righeimer-led Costa Mesa Planning Commission has a full agenda. They will discuss the 1) 2008 Development Phasing and Performance Monitoring Program (I read the staff report.. NoDoze is in order for this one); 2009 Planning Commission Design Awards and Mesa Green Design Awards Selection; Land Development and Planning Requirement for the New NPDES Permit (another snoozer); Fillmore/Coolidge Neighborhood Improvement Plan (look for the "usual suspects" to show up for this one) and, finally, Code Enforcement Priorities. That last one should evoke come comments if anyone sticks around for it. This should give us a pretty clear view into the minds of our planning commissioners...

JOINT COUNCIL/PLANNING COMMISSION STUDY SESSION
Tomorrow, Tuesday, the Costa Mesa City Council will hold a joint Study Session with the Planning Commission during which the two bodies will hear a presentation by Newport Beach City Manager Dave Kiff entitled "Aviation 2010. Following Kiff's presentation they will discuss Legacy Air Center Proposal for Airplane Hangar/Office Facility Adjacent to John Wayne Airport; State Route 55 Access Study Update and the Fiscal Year 2009/2010 Revenue Update.

SPECIAL JOINT SESSION COUNCIL MEETING
Then, immediately following the Study Session, the council will adjourn to a Special Meeting and go directly to a closed session to discuss the Sale of the Orange County Fair and Events Center. No further information is available on that subject, but we can speculate the lead negotiator, City Manager Allan Roeder, will brief the council and staff on progress on the Lease/Purchase plan Gary Monahan told the world about on radio a few weeks ago.