THE THIRD WAY TO GET RID OF GANGS AND IMPROVE COSTA MESA
Joseph N. Bell (who lives in Newport Beach but who wants a job center in Costa Mesa, don't you know), tells readers in his column in the Daily Pilot today (1/25) that there is a difference of opinion on the Costa Mesa City Council about how to get rid of gangs in our city.
On one side, according to Bell, are Katrina Foley and Linda Dixon who consider "education and prevention" as the primary means to rid Costa Mesa of gangs.
On the other side, again according to Bell, are Allan Mansoor, Eric Bever and Wendy Leece who consider "tougher law enforcement and prosecution of gang members" as the primary means to stop gang activity.
Bell then suggests that council members should read a report out of Los Angeles that includes the admonition that "The only factor that has ever substantially reduced crimes by gangs is jobs."
Now, several things immediately pop up relative to Bell's column.
First, Costa Mesa isn't Los Angeles and our situation is markedly different. A lack of jobs does not appear to be a major factor here.
Second, Bell doesn't once mention that Costa Mesa's gangs mostly have a nexus with illegal aliens.
Third, Bell doesn't point out that Costa Mesa is a relatively small city geographically and that our gang problems are coming from just a few slum apartment areas in our city that smart City Council members can eliminate if they just take the right steps--as we indicate below (again, for the umpteenth time, geez!).
Fourth, Bell doesn't indicate that unlike Los Angeles, compact Costa Mesa has tony Newport Beach on our south and east, tony South Coast Metro on our north, upscale Huntington Beach on our west. In other words, we have upscale homes and businesses pretty much surrounding us.
So why do we have gangs and gang problems?
The answer is that we, as a city, have failed to do the things over the past few decades to upgrade our city as have our neighboring cities and areas.
Speaking of South Coast Metro which is mostly in Costa Mesa but which is sort of separate since it's north of the 405, while most of Costa Mesa is south of that freeway; and specifically speaking of South Coast Plaza: Have you noticed how its been constantly upgrading over the years while the rest of Costa Mesa dozed?
Long time residents of the area will remember that South Coast Plaza used to have a downscale Woolworth's there. That was phased out in favor of more upscale tenants long ago. The rest of Costa Mesa should have followed suit, but didn't. Thank you old liberal city councils. Newport Beach, by contrast, has been constantly upgrading itself--and it keeps doing so.
So, why do we have downscale problems in some parts of Costa Mesa?
Over on the Westside the answer is that we've allowed a massive industrial zone to remain on the best land in our city--the Westside bluffs. And, to go along with that industrial zone, we've allowed the city to retain barracks style apartment buildings to house workers for that zone--which in this day mostly means illegal aliens. As we've reported many times before, Costa Mesa, has more industrial zoning than any of our surrounding cities except Santa Ana, and Santa Ana is not a city we should emulate. And, much of Costa Mesa's industrial zoning is, as already indicated, on the best land in our city--land that should be leading us upward, not keeping us down.
In Mesa North we have one lousy slum development--the Coolidge-Fillmore slum--which is just a couple of short streets with barracks style apartments that is like a festering boil in the neighborhood. There have been a number of drive-by shootings and at least one recent killing in this slum. But for this slum, Mesa North would evolve to being a great neighborhood.
In Mesa del Mar there's the Mission-Mendoza slum which is a couple of long streets with barracks style apartments lined up along them like you see on old style military bases. It's been the scene of several murders and much gang activity. Without this slum, Mesa del Mar, with its large homes, would be very similar to Mesa Verde in quality of life.
Residents of Mesa del Mar had hoped that upscale homes would have been built a long time ago on the now closed and boarded up shopping center in the neighborhood, but this hasn't happened yet. Our guess, and this is just a guess, is that developers may be hesitating in building such homes because this center is right across the street from the Mission-Mendoza slum, and potential buyers of any homes built there might be scared off.
Here's what the CM PRESS suggests as our Third Way:
(Short version: Drain the swamp and upscale the city) Verbose version follows:
1. On the Westside, reduce the amount of industrial zoning by about half and encourage the development of an artists colony--including outdoor cafes and restaurants--that will be interleaved with some existing industrial uses and which can become a destination location for art seekers and and which will serve as a magnet to pull in new residents who enjoy a slightly bohemian lifestyle..
2. On the Westside, in Mesa North, and in Mesa del Mar have the City of Costa Mesa, as an entity, invest in our neighborhoods by buying up some of the slum buildings as they come on the open market. Then, tear them down and provide much needed sports fields, open space, and mini-parks depending on the size of the land that can be assembled where the slum buildings stood.
3. Increase police enforcement and the turning over of illegal aliens to ICE.
4. Reach out to home developers and invite them to build upscale homes in Costa Mesa and especially on the Westside bluffs where appropriate.
5. Encourage the development of an artists colony that will be interleaved with some existing industrial uses on the Westside and which can become a destination location for art seekers and those who enjoy a slightly bohemian lifestyle.
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Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.
Don't forget to pass on our link to improvement minded friends:
http://cmpress.blogspot.com/
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