WE AIN'T GONNA VOTE FOR THE MAN, MAN "Hey man, we know who we're voting for in Costa Mesa this year.
"We ain't gonna vote for no square, man. That guy who's a businessman and who's raising his kids in Costa Mesa? Square, man. He'll just represent other squares, man.
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COP ACCUSED OF KIDNAP-RAPE IN COURT FRIDAY
LinkPolice Departments really need to weed bad cops out of their ranks. A few bad eggs in a department can make the whole department look bad. What else has this bad cop done over the years? Did he abuse his authority? Did he lie?
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ANOTHER REASON WHY MCEVOY WOULD BE A DISASTER FOR COSTA MESA
He doesn't want the Westside to be improved!
Here's what McEvoy writes on his website: "I believe our Westside Industrial Area is and will be a City asset. It is in current danger under our Overlay zone...."
Nonsense. This is the typical knee-jerk lack of understanding we see from McEvoy.
The "Westside Industrial Area," as he calls it, is primarily the Westside Bluffs. These are bluffs with some ocean views and constant cool ocean breezes. The bluffs are currently covered with industrial businesses.
You can throw rocks from these bluffs and hit Newport Beach. They're that close. So, why should they be downscale, and why should the Westside be the most crime ridden part of Costa Mesa, with gangs, etc.?
What the Improvers have helped the city do, is put two types of zoning on these bluffs--this is the "overlay," that McEvoy mentions and which he apparently knows nothing about.
The underlying zoning remains industrial, BUT on top of that zoning there's an additional zoning for residential.
What does this do? It allows the free market dictate the highest and best use of the land. In other words, if you're an artist, for example, and you want to live in a loft, the overlay pretty much allows you to do this on the bluffs with a minimum of effort and red tape.
Why did we just write "if you're an artist"? It's because one of the basic thoughts of most Improvers has always been to encourage parts of the Westside to be a slightly bohemian, artsy sort of place to attract new upwardly mobile residents and visitors (and shoppers) from other cities (such as, ah, those from expensive Newport Beach right down the hill) to buy art, etc. and support the artists who live there.
The CM PRESS has never heard any Improver call for making the bluffs or any other part of Costa Mesa into a new Irvine (which is the implication of some who support McEvoy). In fact, the Improvers have been very explicit in saying that's not what they want.
If you take the time to read the plans designed by the Improvers and which are now part of city policy, you'll see that what is desired is an organic evolution of the bluffs such that eclectic and one-off housing will be allowed to be integrated into the existing industrial areas--without forcing out industrial users. Think lofts and similar concepts.
With such housing will come small mom and pop merchants to fill the needs of the residents.
In time, the Westside Bluffs might develop into a destination location for those all around Southern California who are into various arts. Laguna Arts Colony watch out.
Of course, if you elect McEvoy to the City Council he'll try to stop the improvement.
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WHERE THE CM PRESS STANDS AND WHY WE STAND THERE:
I've always believed that it is the CITIZENS of a city who own that city.
It is the citizens who live in the city. It is the citizens who raise their families there. It is the citizens who send their kids to the schools, shop in the local stores, drive the local streets, use the local parks. It is the citizens who determine who gets elected to the city council. It is the citizens who will benefit or be harmed by decisions of their elected and appointed officials.
Back when the Improvers were working to bring in the changes to the Westside (some of which have been implemented--that's why the Westside is nicer today than it was just a few years ago) and some of which are still on paper due to the recession, the CM PRESS opposed the local lefties who tried to dilute the power of citizens by letting illegal aliens (whom the lefties called "stakeholders") decide the fate of the Westside.
And, over the years, Improvers have tried to foster good relations with OUR employees--the people who work for us.
I've met many very good employees. Among those good employees are many very good police officers. I've met officers who go out of their way to help citizens. I've met many who know and understand our community and who truly want to protect and serve and who are top professionals. I've met many who take the time to be part of the community on many levels and who see citizens as their neighbors and friends.
ON A PERSONAL NOTE--A Slight digression
As many readers know, I'm an ex-Marine. Many cops are ex-Marines. There's a reason for that. Many of us who volunteer for the Marines have active, get-the-job done, get involved personalities. It's just our personality type. If we see something is wrong, we try to make it right. This type of personality leads many Marines to police work once they're out of the Corps. Just to be clear. You don't have to be a Marine or ex-Marine to have this type of personality, but Marines seem to have it in spades.
What Marines learn is that the mission is everything. Once the mission is established, you focus completely on that mission come hell or high water. If the mission has been properly stated and understood, it is often accomplished.
Looking at recent events in Costa Mesa with the Costa Mesa Police Department, I wonder whether the mission of the CMPD has been properly communicated and understood by all officers.
Do all officers know they work for the citizens of Costa Mesa and not the other way around? Do they know that they're supposed to serve and protect? Do they have any understanding of the fact that if they don't choose to live here and raise their families here, that they don't get to choose city council members?
Why would officers at the recent DUI checkpoint even have to ask Jim Righeimer who he was? Shouldn't city employees know who our planning commissioners are? After all, the planning commission is second only to the city council in importance. And, remember, Costa Mesa isn't a mega-city. It has something of a small town feel to it. Again, shouldn't our employees know who the important elected and appointed officials are?
And, speaking of out of towners trying to influence elections--which is what we're really talking about here--we were glad to see that some politicians in the state and in Costa Mesa are refusing endorsements and money from employees whose pay and benefits will be voted on by those politicians.
Sadly, in Costa Mesa, because of recent events, some in the community are now saying that there are problems with the CMPD.
Hopefully, police brass will do whatever is necessary to stop the erosion of support for the CMPD that seems to be growing in our community.
It's not good when citizens don't trust their police and see them as an invading force.
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YOUR TAX MONEY AT WORK
You pay the Costa Mesa Political Police so much that they have money aplenty to use to try to
Here's how it works according to the latest required filings with the City Clerk.
Your tax money goes to pay police salaries and benefits (many CMPD officers have total compensation above $200,000 per year).
Then, some of that money goes to the Costa Mesa Police Officers Association Political Action Committee(PAC).
In the latest filing (see below), the PAC gave $40,000 to the Costa Mesa Police Officers Association IEC (IEC) which seems, from this filing, to have the sole purpose of opposing Jim Righeimer's run for the city council.
To accomplish its goal of opposing Jim Righeimer in his council bid, the IEC has spent (so far) $18,127.21 to print anti-Righeimer mailer(s) and buy a "banner."
We think the banner refers to the sign on the trailer that is being hauled around the city, but we haven't asked any cops about this. After all, we're just peons, and as citizens of Costa Mesa we're apparently the enemy of some of these out of town cops. You can't ask them anything. Your duty as a citizen is to just shut up when you see something that looks wrong or dangerous.
And, well, you remember what happened when Jim Righeimer (another mere peon and also, as a citizen of Costa Mesa, an apparent enemy of the out of town cops) tried to ask some cops about why they were holding a DUI checkpoint that was backing traffic up on a busy freeway off ramp.
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Form 460--Costa Mesa Police Officers Political Action Committee
ID# 1244504
9/22/2010--$40,000 given to the Costa Mesa Police Officers IEC (Independent Expenditure Commitee) ID# 1322533
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Form 465 Costa Mesa Police Officers Association IEC (page 1)
2. Name of Candidate or Measure Supported or OpposedName of Candidate
Jim Righeimer X OPPOSE
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Form 465 Costa Mesa Police Officers Association IEC (page 2)
9/29/2010 Mailer $15,585.96
9/30/2010 Banner $2,541.25
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