MAILBAG - Aug. 28, 2006

Councilwoman showed courage in writing

Bravo Linda Dixon. I hope other Costa Mesa residents were resoundingly awakened by the City Councilwoman’s recent letter, as I was. An elected official writing candidly and with compassion rather than simply posturing? It’s about time. That took tremendous courage to write and made me realize I had better pay close attention to what’s happening to our community.

The barrage of letters in the Forum from other residents the past few days speaks volumes about how this city feels about Mayor Allan Mansoor.

Fellow voters: Let’s remember in November!

LAURA FRANKLIN

Costa Mesa

Mayor not afraid of

moneyed interests

I have been reading the negative comments about Mayor Allan Mansoor. Why? Because he is for America and Americans? He is the bravest and most honest American we have to look up to at the moment. We need more men like him who are not afraid of the people with the money. Namely the Segerstroms. I will support and continue supporting Mayor Mansoor. No Segerstroms will stop me or shut me up.

LESLIE MCISAAC

Orange

Mayor proves to be

a true leader

Being the granddaughter of a great man and also a mayor, I am in total support of Mayor Allan Mansoor. Mansoor has conviction and believes in the rule of law. Costa Mesa is going through some changes that are good for Costa Mesa. Mansoor is doing what the residents of Costa Mesa voted him into office to do: protect the people from illegal and gang-related activity. The majority of the residents want exactly that! Return to Reason would be a return to more illegal activity. Return to Reason has an agenda and all should be cautious of their objectives.

Mansoor is a proven leader and together with the residents of Costa Mesa, all will be done to keep illegal and gang activity out of Costa Mesa. What a great thing for all!

SANDRA SWEET

Mission Viejo

Mayor’s vision cause of many problems

The recent spate of shootings in Costa Mesa has me wondering about the cause of this lawlessness. Of course, the shooters themselves are responsible for these acts, but I find myself wondering what has led to this recent rash of violence.

Ever since the current majority on the council, Mayor Allan Mansoor, Councilman Eric Bever and lame duck Councilman Gary Monahan, took command more than 18 months ago things have changed in our city — and not for the better.

Among those changes are the following: They closed the Job Center, which served the city for 17 years; they disbanded the Human Relations Committee, which had been a place where issues between factions in our city could be mediated and resolved; In a move orchestrated by an activist in town — infamous for his racist writings — through his position on the Redevelopment and Residential Rehabilitation committee, funding for charities on the Westside was reduced; the council ignored the unanimously endorsed plan presented to them from the Westside Revitalization Oversight Committee and, instead, implemented a much broader plan that will facilitate the demise of most industrial businesses and the jobs that go with them; In December they voted to implement a plan to cross-designate some Costa Mesa police officers as immigration screeners, despite the fact that no law enforcement leader in Orange County thinks the plan will work; The plan mentioned above resulted in a breakdown of decorum in the city, and especially at council meetings where speakers have been arrested and subsequently sued the city; As a result of the mayor’s plan we’ve seen outside agitators infest our city with the hopes of influencing officials and residents; The activist mentioned above hounded the city for months to forbid any team sports being played in some Costa Mesa parks, an obvious act directed at “adult soccer players” — read that Latinos.

Each of the above acts individually have created stress, apprehension, fear and increased tension within the Latino community in our city. This has produced an atmosphere that caused Latinos to avoid contact with law enforcement officers for fear of deportation, which seriously hampered our officer’s ability to do their job — stop crime.

The end of last week Mansoor, in a pure political grandstanding move, held a hastily arranged news conference to announce some kind of a plan to offer a reward for the shooters. He didn’t notify the rest of the council, choosing to stand before reporters as the lone crime fighter in town. As he read from a text obviously prepared by someone else decrying the violence, some of his supporters stood nearby photographing his performance, probably for some future campaign brochure. What a sham!

There’s no doubt in my mind that the strategy and tactics employed by our mayor and his majority on the council are, in great part, responsible for the pressures that have led to the shootings in our town. His mantra of wanting to make Costa Mesa a safer place to live is all well and good, but we didn’t have this kind of lawlessness before he and his mob took over. It’s obvious that something in this city must change. November is an opportunity for that change.

GEOFF WEST

Costa Mesa