READERS RESPOND

Regarding the new political group that is being formed to save Costa Mesa: How many of these folks actually live in our city?

Why are we constantly being told by people who live in Newport Beach, Santa Ana and Huntington Beach what’s best for the city of Costa Mesa?

TIM CROMWELL

Costa Mesa

I’m not surprised at the creation of the Return to Reason political group, but I am extremely perplexed by the reader responses that are being published in the Daily Pilot.

As a native of Costa Mesa, I have lived here for 51 years. I have seen the changes. I recall the City Council meeting in which the C.J. Segerstrom & Sons’ proposal for a Kohl’s Department store at the Kona Lanes and the Ice Chalet location was voted down. Our City Council stated that we had enough shopping areas (Segerstrom’s South Coast Plaza, for one). Our City Council majority stated that there are not enough recreational facilities for our youth. But the Segerstrom company put the ice skating rink on Harbor Boulevard out of business. The Olympic skaters who were training at the Ice Chalet were forced to find a new rink in which to train. This drove them out of Costa Mesa. So I am not surprised that Segerstrom would like to get control of our City Council in November. I am not surprised that Councilwomen Katrina Foley and Linda Dixon would like to see Mayor Allan Mansoor voted out so that they could obtain a majority on the council.

Foley voted for gas-generated lights at our elementary school sites. I was in attendance at the Parks and Recreation Committee meeting, chaired by Wendy Leece, at which AYSO members stated that the committee had to get them lighted fields or else there were going to be some changes in our leadership. So I am not surprised that Return to Reason membership includes prominent AYSO and sports leadership. It appears to me that this political group is comprised of individuals who have not gotten their way regardless of the impact that it may have on our community.

What surprises me is that Costa Mesa residents are so quick to side with this group without regard for the facts. What are the facts? A young man from Costa Mesa was shot to death and found dead in Orange. At present, eight people are in jail for this gang-related crime. It goes against all reason that illegal immigrants who commit violent crimes should not be dealt with as illegal aliens. Where is the reason in that?

Kathryn Anderson

Costa Mesa