CM PRESS # 674

AMERICAN RENAISSANCE CONFERENCE--March 16-18, 2012
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DUGGARS EXPECTING 20th CHILD

Go forth and multiply.

The Duggars understand survival.
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ANOTHER ARTICLE ABOUT THE GENOCIDE THAT IS GOING ON IN TIBET

Unfortunately, this article, like most on the subject, misses the point that what is going on is more than just the tamping down of religious views and a culture.

What is  really happening is that China is changing the gene frequencies in the Tibetan gene pool by swamping that land with Han Chinese.

Change the genes and you change the nation and eventually absorb it.
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FREE COSTA MESA!

[Here's my column about turning Costa Mesa into a charter city.  This is the way it was sent to the Daily Pilot. The Pilot then turned it into a letter with my name on the bottom, took out the mention of the CM PRESS, and buried it beneath a letter about Newport Beach.  No complaints from me, and I appreciate that the Pilot even ran it, but you may have missed it in the Pilot, so here it is as I wrote and sent it.]


COSTA MESA NEEDS HOME RULE
by M. H. Millard

Recently, Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer brought up the idea that Costa Mesa should switch from being a general law city to a charter city.

What Righeimer has suggested is akin to the declaration of independence that gave birth to this nation, but on a city level.

He has said, in effect, let's be free of far away legislators and let's govern ourselves with our own constitution--which is called a charter.

The major advantage to being a charter city is that the charter gives the city home rule over its municipal affairs.

Notwithstanding the above, this isn't as revolutionary as it may seem. In fact, all of the cities that surround Costa Mesa, with the exception of Fountain Valley, are already charter cities.

The idea behind being a charter city is a simple one: Locals know better about what is right for them than politicians in Sacramento and are in a better position to do what is necessary via home rule to fulfill their American dream.

In a charter city, any city ordinance that regulates a municipal affair will trump a general state law on the same subject.

Thus, under home rule--when a city becomes a charter city--it's own laws will govern municipal elections, zoning, the spending of tax dollars, and city contracts.

Becoming a charter city--home rule for those who live here--has angels in the details.

For example, many residents of Costa Mesa would like to see our municipal government buy locally. As a general law city, we are bound by state laws on this.

As a charter city, we may determine that it is best to pay a little more locally if the money will circulate here. Or, we may just use that freedom to bargain more effectively for the best price and the best service. Then again, we may decide to write our own ordinance that requires the low bidder to get the contract. The point is that we will have the freedom to determine what is right for us, not a nanny in Sacramento.

We will also have more freedom on how land is used in the city and many other things that Newport Beach, Huntington Beach and Irvine all now enjoy as home rule cities.

The state will continue to occupy the field for traffic and school laws and a few other things so that there is consistency across municipal borders in the state. In most other areas Costa Mesa will be the supreme authority for Costa Mesans, not some faceless politicians in Sacramento who may represent districts hundreds of miles away from our city.

There are really no disadvantages in Costa Mesa becoming a charter city.

In my view, becoming a charter city may be an important step toward improving the Westside and all of Costa Mesa.

Free Costa Mesa!

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M.H. Millard is a Costa Mesa resident and the publisher of the CM PRESS blog. http://cmpress.blogspot.com/
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