Signs, Whines, Wendy & Larry, Moorlach Opines & More
Looking ahead to this week and the Costa Mesa City Council meeting on Tuesday. I covered important parts of the agenda in a previous post, but things have gotten even more interesting since then.MORE "SIGN THEFT" UPROAR
In an earlier post I commented on the article in the Orange County Register dealing with the apparent theft of "Cancel the Layoffs" signs provided by Repair Costa Mesa around town and the hiring of a private investigator to try to get to the bottom of the thefts. The Daily Pilot also ran an article on this subject titled, "Missing signs causing uproar", HERE, which have evoked over 100 comments
as I type this. In that article Estancia High School running back Robert Murtha, Jr. is quoted extensively. Jim Scott, Jr., identified as the president emeritus of Costa Mesa United, is quoted as saying, "I've lived in Costa Mesa since the 1960s. This is outside of my bell curve of life in the norm... It's inappropriate because they're kids. Kids should be off limits. They're not voters."DAILY PILOT COMMENT THREAD EXCERPTS
In the comment thread, which you can read in its entirety by going to the link above. I've borrowed some of the relevant comments, below, which I've reproduced verbatim - typos and all.
I posted the following entry early in the morning of July 30th:
Based on the quote attributed to Mensinger in this article, may we assume he has personally polled every single Estancia high school football player on this issue? No? Then how does he know none of the kids were involved?
Young Mr. Murtha is learning about political activism these days, just as he did when he stood before the city council and proclaimed the divinity of Mensinger during his nomination for City Council and at a subsequent meeting. As he and his "brothers" are learning on the football field, not every play results in cheers from the crowd. If you're going to be in the game you have to accept responsibility for your actions.
Not quite twelve hours later young Robert Murtha, Jr. posted the following comment in a direct reply to mine:
robmurtha34 at 12:34 PM July 30, 2011
If there's one thing we learn in football, it is to be responsible and be a selfless player and person. If we were guilty, we'd own up to it. This is mainly my point and I'm sure my BROTHERS would back me up in saying simply, WE DON'T CARE! All we want to do is play football. That's where we are most of our day. Now, going back to football. Yes, not every play results in cheers... Probably for the other teams. But here, No matter what if we throw a pic, fumble, or the other team scores, encouraging support and comfort that we'll get 'em next drive come from our crowd. That's the kind of community we have. So why would we return the favor by causing more problems in our city by taking down the signs? No matter who are or what you do in our city, we would never risk our programs reputation over something that doesn't involve us or matters to us. So let's let the adults deal with this problem, and we'll go back to playing football.
Later that evening his father, Robert Murtha, Sr., - apparently fed up with the comment thread so far - posted the following comment:
Will you people knock it off! My son, our football players nor the boosters took your stupid signs. Besides, who said you could place these signs in my city anways. Private property is one thing but when the city is covered from head to toe in public areas, that's concidered littering dumb a*@! You don't support Cosat Mesa, you support boosting your egos pointing your fingers and inocent KIDS. And as a parent, this private investigator is lucky I wasn't home. I don't what to see another person in this forum to accuse my boy of any wrong doing. We don't promote this as an organization and as a parent I wouldn't encourage my boy to risk his reputation over you stupid, pathetic signs. I'm not going to go back and forth with you people but I will give you your opportunity to reply. Join me at the council meeting on this Tuesday..... Its about time the rest of the citizens of CM know what your'e all about and how you all accuse my son and his football team because Mr. West like to start S*%T. Now its my turn! I REALLY hope to see you all there..... Unless you're all to coward to come out in public. Call me what you want, but leave my kids out of it. You should be very afraid!
PS. that whole $1.00 per sign was a pretty good made up story. Did you guys hear that E.T. was a real alien and unicorns were spotted at Fairview Park!!! Let the rumors begin.. (its what you people are good at)
He subsequently posted what appears to be an apology for his earlier post:
I would like to apologize to all of you for my harsh and strong words. I understand it came accross the wrong way and I have no excuse for my actions. A father's love for his childern can make us all a little crazy at times. I just don't want to see my son and our football players dragged into this. We're all adults here and that's where it needs to stay.
It's true, there is nothing wrong with questioning the kids. Just contact the parents and ask permission first. That's all this is really about.
A few hours later Robert Murtha, Jr., - obviously still upset at this situation and the comment thread - posted this entry:
Show us proof that WE did anything to your signs! And once you have the evidence, present it at the meeting this Tuesday. I will be there. Thank You!
Robert Murtha #34
Running Back/ Estancia Eagles
KIDS SHOULD BE OFF LIMITS, BUT...
Let me be clear about this. I agree with Jim Scott, Jr. The kids should be off limits. However, this particular group of kids - Estancia football players, including young Mr. Murtha and councilman Steve Mensinger's own son, have been used as pawns in this whole political drama in our city since the evening Mensinger was appointed to the City Council. They, along with some of their coaches and boosters - including Mr. Murtha, Sr. - have showed up at council meetings en masse to provide visible support more than once. It was very clear to all in attendance and watching on television that they, individually and as a group, held Mensinger in high regard - they told us so, for goodness sake!
NOT ENOUGH FACTS ARE KNOWN
I don't know the facts about who hired the private investigator and whether specific direction was given to him to interrogate the children. And they are children - young Mr. Murtha is sixteen years old! Certainly, any conversations with minor children should have been done only with the permission of their parents. Yes, Mr. Murtha, Sr., has every right to be upset - as he obviously was. Should he have made the threat in his first post, above? Certainly not - a fact that either he realized later or someone told him he was wrong and subsequently apologized.
THE KIDS ARE PAWNS
The issue
here is that these children have been used as willing pawns by Mensinger and Jim Righeimer for months and that's where much of the blame for this situation should be placed. When watching those eager young men speak about Mensinger in terms normally used to describe a deity, it's not hard to imagine them responding to even a subtle - and Mensinger is anything but subtle - comment made about the "illegal signs". I'm not sure how this is going to play out, but, in my opinion, Mr. Murtha, Sr., may wish to have his minor child tone down his rhetoric in this public place and on his Facebook page. If he permits him to participate in these public debates then he cannot complain when his son is criticized.
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WENDY LEECE CALLS FOR A TOWN HALL MEETING
Councilwoman Wendy Leece has stirred up the troops again, as mentioned earlier, with two items on the agenda Tuesday evening. 
She then announced on her blog, OC Public Square, HERE, that she will conduct a Town Hall meeting at which she hopes to discuss recent council actions, their impact on public safety, etc. The meeting is scheduled for Monday evening, August 15th, from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the Neighborhood Community Center, 1845 Park Avenue - between Lions Park and the Library. (Please be sure to step over the homeless folks as you enter the building)
ASKING FOR INPUT - A REFRESHING CHANGE
This should be very interesting for several reasons. First, she's actually looking for input from residents on issues - an aberration to council methodology since the new group was seated in January. That will be a refreshing change.
BROWN ACT WAITING TO HAPPEN?
Second, I wonder how many other council members will attend this Town Hall? If two or more attend it certainly seems that will violate the Brown Act because this is clearly a gathering at which issues under their purview will be discussed. I think the only way they get around that problem is if it's an official, agendized and posted city meeting - which this appears not to be. I also wonder how many Planning or Parks and Recreation Commission members will attend - for the same reason.
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While we're talking about public safety issues, in his most recent E-Briefing publication last Friday, City CEO Tom Hatch announced the departure of EMS Coordinator, Larry Grihalva on that date. In his brief announcement Hatch said, "Larry has contributed greatly to the Fire Department and EMS community over the past 10 years. His dedication and expertise has developed the highest quality of patient care by
providing firefighters and paramedics the support and resources necessary for optimal field performance."A HUGE, UNNECESSARY LOSS
At a time when our Fire service is in such a state of turmoil, with no clear indication of the direction our council will be taking, the loss of Grihalva is unfortunate and unnecessary. One more scalp on the belt of Jim Righeimer. One that leaves a huge hole in our public safety organization and says volumes about how Righeimer feels about the safety of our residents and visitors.
THE IMPACT OF A SMALLER POLICE FORCE
One m
ore final public safety tidbit. I'm informed by sources in the CMPD that the mobile traffic speed signs that you see occasionally around town when efforts are made to slow the speed of traffic in neighborhoods are no longer being dispatched. It seems that one is broken down and there's not time nor staff to repair it. And, the other is not being utilized because the Community Service Specialists that used to manage that program were laid off. This is only one sign of what Righeimer's 125 person police force is going to be like for us.***
MOORLACH ON KOCI-FM
Last Saturday morning Orange County Supervisor and Costa Mesa resident John Moorlach appeared on "Money Matters" with Troy Davis on KOCI-FM radio. They talked about national, state and local finances and local politics.
Davis provided a written transcript of Moorlach's discussion, HERE. I encourage you to click on that link and read what Moorlach has to say. Here are a couple quotes that may provoke you to read the whole thing:MOORLACH SAYS NOT MUCH HOPE
In response to a question from Davis about problems in the state in which Davis mentioned "pension reform, pension liabilities, unfunded accrued liabilities, et cetera", Davis asked, "Is there hope?"
Moorlach said, "Not much."
"DEFUND UNIONS"
Later Davis asks, "What's our number one thing Orange County, the state of California has to do to get healthy?"
Moorlach replied, "Well, the number one thing is you got to defund the unions, and Costa Mesa should be watching that in full glory right now."
He said much more, but those quotes should make you want to read the rest.
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BEFORE I FORGET...
One last thing in this long post. There are many, many more people reading this blog these days than ever before. I'm very grateful to those of you who stop here to see what my opinion is on issues. Some of you visit because you trust my presentation of facts and tolerate my opinions. I'm grateful for that. Others stop here so they can have one more place to rant. That's fine with me - I welcome your participation and appreciate the attempts by most of you to keep the comments here civil and instructive."DEMANDS" ARE IGNORED
That being said, recently a couple commenters - maybe the same person using two different names - attempted to goad me into responding to some drivel recently posted by a blogger at a different site who is either so frustrated by recent literary failures or so full of himself - maybe both - that he thinks he can demand a response. Don't go looking for those comments - I didn't post them.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE
I'm very, very grateful for your comments - pro and con - and always welcome your suggestions and observations about how things are presented here. I also welcome your tips about things you see going on in this little slice of heaven we share. I cannot be everywhere and cannot begin to cover every story adequately - I'm just one old fella with too much time on his hands - but I'll continue to try to do my best.I DECIDE WHAT APPEARS HERE, PERIOD!
Slide on down to my previous post. See that picture of the portly old ge
nt with the lovely bride-to-be on his arm? That's me. I'm the only person making decisions about what appears here. I write about what interests me and/or what I feel needs attention. I don't write on a deadline - from anyone - and I don't write on command - from anyone. I'll give you the facts as I understand them and I'll give you my opinion about those issues. If what I write makes you want to know more about issues, well, that's been my goal since the beginning. Thanks for stopping here. Please come again.Labels: Jim Righeimer, John Moorlach, Larry Grihalva, Repair Costa Mesa, Steve Mensinger, Wendy Leece
posted by The Pot Stirrer at 8/01/2011 01:33:00 AM
