CM PRESS # 673

THE SUN IS QUIET...TOO QUIET
Scientists trying to figure out why and what it means for us.
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CRAZY BIG SISTER NOW BLAMES CANADA FOR TERRORISTS
What a lefty loon.
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ACTING FREDDIE MAC CFO COMMITS SUICIDE
Check the books.
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CITY COUNCIL HANDS NO-PLANNING COMMISSION A DEFEAT

At the urging of citizens who packed the City Council Chambers last night, the City Council rejected all the substantive law changes that the no-Planning Commission had sent them regarding parking and single family residences.

At one point, Mayor Mansoor said that the Council had heard from their bosses [the citizens--and was doing what they wanted].

The no-Planning Commission, for its part, had made a good faith effort to obliquely solve the increasing problem of group recovery homes in the City (reportedly we have about 70 of them now in various residential neighborhoods) by requiring that any home with five or more bedrooms have a three-car garage.

The problem with this is that it has the potential to negatively affect many non-group homes in the City. This proposed law change was denied by the Council.

The Council then quickly denied other changes.

The result is that just about everything is as it was before the no-Planning Commission sent these changes to the City Council for their approval.

SO...

We do have parking and other problems in Costa Mesa, but as many speakers said last night, we do not want to become Irvine. Most of us chose to live in Costa Mesa because it does have a certain eclectic and spontaneous feel to it.

One of the implied messages (not always just implied) of many speakers was that they're fed up with an overly intrusive government in Costa Mesa.

Solve our problems without intruding on the peace and quiet of homeowners in this city and don't turn Costa Mesa into Irvine was a constant refrain.

The CM PRESS opinion...

What the no-Planning Commission and City Council should be doing is some heavy lifting to reduce our violent street crime and make the Westside nicer and safer.

HOW...

Realize that most of our violent crime comes from about four slum areas. If our politicians don't believe me then have staff and the CMPD prepare a scatter map showing where the violent crimes take place and where the criminals live.

What you'll see is that most of our police activity involves these slum areas.

Why? Because these slum areas have become safe harbors and habitats for a criminal element as surely as a swamp will become a habitat for alligators. Remove the swamp and the alligators will move away all on their own and then you won't have to hire as many alligator hunters. Problem solved.
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VICTORIA FREEWAY--STUPID COUNCIL DECISION

The CM PRESS once again told the Council last night that it seems as though the Councilmembers often lose their common sense when they get on the dais.

We again cited the problem on Victoria Street west of Placentia which has had a constant string of auto accidents and many deaths as a result. The problem is that the traffic just moves too fast on that stretch of road.

So, what has the City Council done? It approved resurfacing that part of Victoria Street with rubberized asphalt that will allow cars to travel more quietly and more smoothly along the street.

Now, our common sense tells us that a quieter and smoother ride equals drivers going even faster.

Mark our words. There will be more accidents and more deaths along Victoria as a result of this City Council decision---and more negligence law suits.
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Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.