CM PRESS # 439

FROM THE MISLEADING HEADLINE FILE:

Here's a headline now appearing in the Daily Pilot: "Former policeman plants hidden GPS to track woman's car." Link

Actually, he wasn't a "former policeman" when he did the dirty deed.

He was a full fledged Costa Mesa Policeman at that time. "Former" was added after he was arrested. Also, he wasn't much interested in tracking the car. He was tracking the woman.  We call that stalking.  And, something that needs to be mentioned is that the GPS device is owned by the CMPD.

We've written about this before and our concern is not so much with this one bad cop who is now a former cop, but rather with the fact that he was apparently able to simply walk in, pick up a City owned GPS tracking device and its monitor, and no one asked him what he was doing.

Are other cops, say with political or social motives, doing the same thing to innocent citizens?
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COSTA MESA HOMELESS TASK FORCE HAS FIRST MEETING

With a packed City Hall conference room, the 18 members of the Homeless Task Force met today for the first time to try to solve the problem of chronic homelessness in Costa Mesa.  It is estimated that the work of the task force will run between 6 and 9 months.

It appears from early comments made both by task force members as well as by members of the audience that solving this problem is going to be difficult if not impossible.

The task force itself is an almost perfect storm of conflicting interests with some members more concerned in doing what they perceive to be their compassionate duty to feed people--especially in Lion's Park--and with others who want the park to be made homeless free.

And, while the main focus appears to be on Lion's Park, some in attendance pointed out that the problem has spread city wide.

What's the easy answer?  Cut off the food and all the other freebies.  But, the reality is that it's not that simple.  The rights of the homeless people and of those feeding them need to be upheld.
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IT LOOKS AS THOUGH NEWBIE, WET BEHIND THE EARS NO-PLANNING COMMISSIONER ROB DICKSON ISN'T GOING TO ANSWER OUR NINE SIMPLE QUESTIONS

Do you wonder why?  What's so difficult about these?  They're not personal questions. They're all related to his paid position as a no-Planning Commissioner.

Let me repeat that. The guy gets paid by us to be on the no-Planning Commission. So, why does he want to hide his views about the Westside.  Maybe he thinks he's too important to answer these questions?  Arrogance?  Full of himself?

Even Wendy Leece--who was elected to the City Council, twice--answered  our questions.  She didn't think she was too important to answer questions.  Of course she tried to fudge some answers, but at least she had the respect for a citizen to answer.

So, why is Dickson ducking us?  Hmmmm?  Well, if these questions are too difficult or seem too vague, he should let us know and we'll rephrase or clarify them.

1. Do you support the overlays on the Westside?
2. Do you support building homes on the Westside bluffs?
3. Do you think we have too many charities on the Westside?
4. Do you think we should remove slums?
5. Do you think we should make W. 19th Street into a destination location similar to 2nd Street in Belmont Shore?
6. Do you think illegal aliens should be arrested and be deported?
7. Do you think closing the job center was a good idea?
8. Do you deny that illegal aliens are being hired in businesses on the Westside?
9. Do you deny that there is pollution coming from some businesses on the Westside?

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MORE ON THE PENSION CRISIS
Link to OC REGISTER column.

Costa Mesa gets big mentions in the column beause of the size of our problem.
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HEY DICKSON, WE'RE WAITING FOR YOUR ANSWERS TO OUR NINE SIMPLE QUESTIONS
If you're on the right side of things, you shouldn't have to think too much about how to answer.
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WINDY (sic) LEECE BLOWS IT AGAIN

At last night's City Council meeting (just as we had predicted) Windy Leece wasted a lot of time by rambling on in her dumb attempt to get a rehearing of the outsourcing issues.  It was pathetic.

And also as we predicted, her requests were turned down. There just wasn't any good reason given to have such a rehearing.

Yes, we know calling Wendy,Windy isn't all that clever, but it does fit, given the way she just rambles on and on and on and on and on and on and on (like that) without ever saying anything.

C'mon Wendy get with the program and work to improve Costa Mesa and stop this dumb crap and  also your other crap of enabling illegal alien magnet charities.  Stop being an improvement obstructionist like the guy in the article below.
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DICKSON SHOULD NOT BE ON THE NO-PLANNING COMMISSION--HE'S AGAINST GENUINE IMPROVEMENT AND IS BAD FOR THE WESTSIDE

Here's what we wrote about Dickson in CM PRESS # 832 on October 5, 2009--the last time this guy applied to be on the no-Planning Commission (he hadn't kissed up enough to some Council members  back then and didn't get on the Commission at that time).

Dickson has been outspoken against cutting back on industrial zoning and seems to be against any genuine deep improvement of the Westside--at least as some of us who started the improvement movement would define such improvement. He has also called Improvers "self-anointed Improvers."

In a [Daily Pilot column], Dickson wrote the following: "They [Improvers] accuse Westside businesses of everything from hiring illegal immigrants to causing cancer — all without a shred of evidence."


Good grief! And,this guy wants to be on either of the two commissions where he'll get to vote on important Westside issues?

After we started writing about Dickson this week, we received several anonymous posts saying he's a good guy and that he may have changed his views on improving the Westside.  Well, if that's the case, let Dickson clearly state how he wants to improve the Westside.

Come on Dickson, send us a statement (using your real name).  We'll make it simple for you, just answer these questions:

1.  Do you support the overlays on the Westside?
2.  Do you support building homes on the Westside bluffs?
3.  Do you think we have too many charities on the Westside?
4.  Do you think we should remove slums?
5.  Do you think we should make W. 19th Street into a destination location similar to 2nd Street in Belmont Shore?
6.  Do you think illegal aliens should be arrested and be deported?
7.  Do you think closing the job center was a good idea?
8.  Do you deny that illegal aliens are being hired in businesses on the Westside?
9.  Do you deny that there is pollution coming from some businesses on the Westside?

You see, Dickson, we think you're a phony baloney social climber who just wants to be on the no-Planning Commission as a resume enhancement. 

But, maybe you think we have you pegged wrong.  Write us.
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Those are our opinions.  Thanks for reading them.