Tuesday, September 16, 2008

CM PRESS # 488


CRIME RATES IN THE RING OF CITIES 2007

Violent crime rates per 10,000 residents

Irvine...................................... 7.08 [Best]
Huntington Beach.................19.28
Fountain Vealley...................19.88
Newport Beach......................21.40
Costa Mesa.............................23.49
Santa Ana...............................57.23 [Worst]

Property crime rates per 10,000 residents

Irvine.....................................161.29 [Best]
Huntington Beach.................206.85
Santa Ana..............................229.17
Fountain Valley....................257.80
Newport Beach.....................277.19
Costa Mesa............................303.73 [Worst]

The good news is that since the implementation of our ICE program and the deportation of approximately 800 criminals from Costa Mesa, our violent crime rate decreased 14.95 per cent from 2006 and our property crime rate went down 0.42 per cent.
You can thank Mayor Bever, Mayor Pro Tem Mansoor and Councilmember Leece for this.
If Flopsy Foley and her wine and cheese crew had been the majority on the Council, those 800 criminals would still be on our streets today.

LINK to the OCR report on crime.
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REPORT FROM CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 17, 2008

Flopsy Foley and the missing letter
As we did during the last City Council meeting two weeks ago, the CM PRESS once again used part of our public comments time to ask Flopsy Katrina Foley when she was going to finish her letter to President Bush asking that he secure our borders. As expected, Flopsy didn't answer the question. We promised to be there every two weeks to ask the question again until we get an answer.

Why the slow down in ICE detainers?
We also asked why there appears to be a slow down in ICE detainers, and requested that Staff email us an explanation. If we get one, we'll publish it.

Passive vs. Active Parks
The Council did the right thing and decided not to put a blanket "passive" designation over almost all the parks in Costa Mesa, but to treat each park as an individual case as problems arise.

This has been the CM PRESS's position all along.

Oddly, a TV reporter babe approached us and indicated that one of the wannabe City Council candidates this year had told her that we wanted all the parks to be made passive.

We straightened her out. We've always been for neighborhood control of neighborhood parks, and we've always said that each park is different and a blanket policy over all of them is a mistake. Philosophically, we believe that government governs best when it is closest to the people it governs.

Three parks with the most problems
CMPD Lt. Dondero told the Council that parks in the city that seem to have the most problems [and which might benefit from a passive designation] are Vista Park, Lions Park and Canyon Park.

Wakeham Park--Active
Most of the people in the audience were there to speak in favor of keeping Wakeham Park active. [Perhaps ten people]

Brentwood Park--Passive
The second largest contingent appeared to be composed of those who live near Brentwood Park. They all spoke in favor of having that park designated as a passive park.

Paularino Park
Everyone seemed to agree that making Paularino Park passive has been resoundingly successful and that it should serve as the model for any other parks if they are made passive.

Friends of Flopsy Foley
It was interesting to see that some of the wannabe City Council candidates showed up to mumble their plastic indignation about something they know nothing about, in order to get some free publicity. For some of them, this was probably the first time they had ever been in the City Council chambers. Those who spoke, said nothing. It was mostly oral flatulence.

The Ostrich
Lisa Reedy (The Ostrich) was there and seemed to have gotten rid of the thing that landed on her head, died and then melted that we wrote about before. Reedy didn't speak but sat next to Dancing Bill Sneen and his wife.

Dancing Bill Sneen
Dancing Bill was constantly jumping up from his seat and dancing out to the foyer looking like a used car salesman who had just spotted his new best friend--any drunk who had stumbled on to his used car lot.

Our guess is that Dancing Bill was pumping hands, kissing metaphorical babies and handing out imaginary cigars.

Dancing Bill mumbled a few things at the podium and demanded, demanded we say, that the Council vote on the parks issue. Yawn. Clearly, this guy is looking for an issue, any issue, that he thinks will redound with voters and give him some name recognition. He failed on both counts.

The Beard
Chris McEvoy said a few things at the podium about parks, but we're not sure what he said other than that he's against having Vista Park made safe for people who don't want to be assaulted by soccer players.

Baldy
Nick Moss was sitting in the audience but didn't speak.

The Lonely Old Man
Those in attendance were thankfully spared having to be in the presence of the Lonely Old Man--the wart on the face of Costa Mesa that the genteel folks try not to look at out of a sense of politeness.

Indeed, stomachs were spared their upset that would surely follow had eyes actually seen this low on testosterone flabby creep who blessedly usually hides under his rock in the dark with the other loathsome creatures instead of showing up at most meetings and waddling around looking like a two legged maggot.

Flopsy Foley's Strategy

As usual, it can be expected that Flopsy Foley will try to fool voters into thinking that she's a conservative Republican instead of the ultra-liberal Democrat that she really is.

Remember in the last election cycle how Flopsy actually bought name space on Republican slate mailers? ROFL! Expect her to do the same thing this election cycle.

But, what Flopsy and her crew realize is that this time they have some real problems. Most voters want improvement in the city and are fed up with crime and gangs, and most voters know that Flopsy and her crew are soft on crime and gangs while Bever, Righeimer and Monahan are tough on crime and gangs.

So, how are Flopsy and crew trying to counter the improvement juggernaut? They're trying to convince voters that the council will be better off with dissenting voices on it.

The problem with that strategy is that the candidates who the improvers think will make Costa Mesa a nicer and safer city: Bever, Righeimer and Monahan aren't in lockstep on all issues.
They are very different individuals with different backgrounds and life experiences and they each have their own opinions.

They are an "improver slate" not because they have chosen to be so considered, but because improvers think these three are the best.

Diversity of opinions is normal for improvement minded people.
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Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.

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