CM PRESS # 707

THIS IS PERRY VALENTINE

Valentine used to work for the City of Costa Mesa and was on staff back when we had a series of do-nothing City Councils that mostly rubber stamped whatever staff put in front of them.

Valentine is now retired from the City and has a nice pension.

He now seems to spend a lot of time complaining about the present do-something City Council. He's probably not used to seeing a Council that initiates and expects staff to implement.

You may recall that at one meeting several months ago, Valentine and some others said that Steve Mensinger should recuse himself from voting on a matter about youth sports because both Mensinger and his wife are involved in youth sports in the city.

You may also recall that the CM PRESS then went to the podium and said that Steve Mensinger should not recuse himself and that it's a good thing that he and his wife are so active in the city and that we hoped that they would remain active and not have to have Steve recuse himself just because he is so active in the city.

Frankly, if Mensinger had to recuse himself whenever something comes before the City Council that he might be involved in, he'd be recused most of the time.  This is absurd and would be like saying we have to have City Council people who are lumps of clay (like some prior City Councilmembers) or who live in other cities in order to not have them recuse themselves.

Mensinger, at the last City Council meeting, made a joke about this recusal nonsense when a matter concerning Target came up and he said that he might have to recuse himself because his wife shops a lot at Target.

Valentine's latest whine [HERE] that is running as a long  letter in the Daily Pilot, concerns the proposed charter for the city.  He says citizens should write it. His letter is followed by comments from the usual me-too characters who also constantly whine about the Council. 

Actually, and contrary to what Valentine and the me-tooers say, citizens can write the charter. 

Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer came up with a draft of a charter and now citizens can comment on it and help mold it.  That is writing it. Righeimer just supplied a framework.

Had Righeimer not come up with a draft--a starting place--we'd be tied up in meetings with crackpots and cranks for several months as we had to listen to people who would want to put oil drilling rights and you name it in the charter.

Notwithstanding the above, the CM PRESS was also a little apprehensive about the charter that Righeimer wrote when we heard about it, so we took the time to read it (you can do the same thing on the City's website HERE). 

What Righeimer's draft does is give citizens of Costa Mesa local control of our government, but with the exact same form of government that we have now.  And, that's what the CM PRESS wanted to see in the charter.

We didn't want to see a strong mayor form of government.  And, that's not in the charter.

We wanted to see the same number of council members and all elected at large as at present.  That's also in the charter.

So, if there's not much changed, why have a charter at all?  It's all about local control.  It gives the citizens of Costa Mesa the ability to govern ourselves rather than being dictated to by Sacramento.

Ever live in an apartment building where the only thermostat was controlled by one person whose apartment was far removed from yours and whose comfort needs were different from your own? That's what we have now with Sacramento dictating to us.
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OUR QUICK IMPRESSIONS OF THE GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES AND MORE BASED ON LAST NIGHT'S DEBATE AND OTHER FACTORS

Ron Paul--We like a lot of his positions, but can you imagine Barney Fife as President?  Most people can't.  That's his problem.  In another life he was a Chihuahua.

Michele Bachmann--Was standing on a platform last night to look as tall as the men. Confused.  Doesn't know how to punch out what she would do as President. Had a good line or two with "Newt Romney." Can't ever seem to get her hair right.

Rick Perry--Bowlegged, swaggering cowboy. Should be wearing chaps and running a cattle ranch someplace or doing a Marlboro commercial. Not very bright and can't think on his feet.

Rick Santorum--Always looks as though he wandered in by mistake from the Boy Scout Convention next door.

Mitt Romney--My smarmy meter started going off on this guy a long time ago. 

After the Mormons had another convenient what's happen' now revelation that Blacks should be allowed to hold the priesthood in the church, Romney said he pulled his car over to the side of the road in Cambridge, Mass. and began crying tears of joy. Ho hum.

In a previous debate, Romney tried to get a quick laugh by saying his first name really is "Mitt."  It's not.  His real first name is Willard.

At last night's debate, Romney said he had been a "pastor" in his church.  Actually, Mormons don't have pastors but he was apparently trying to pander to Christians from other denominations who respect those with the title or who wouldn't understand what his real position in the church was.

In a previous life, Romney was a wolf caught in the rain. Would be well cast as a senior vampire in one of those teeny, lovey dovey vampire movies that appeal to 13-year-old girls.

Newt Gingrich--A South Boston Irish politician who  never actually lived in Boston (Newt was born Newton Leroy McPherson. McPherson is common both in Ireland and Scotland).

I could write a book about why Newt's statement that the Palestinians are an invented people is silly, but let's just say that if you think about it, every people is an invented people.

Our view is that Newt's statement wasn't a slip of the tongue, but was calculated.  His strategy is apparently to pander for Jewish votes, praise and money. 

Newt's statement last week that he would appoint (warmonger) John Bolton as Secretary of State was also calculated to redound with Jewish voters.

His other major calculation is his amnesty plan. He thinks this will get him the Hispanic vote.

Newt is Napoleon the Pig in Animal Farm, and he'll write whatever is necessary on the barn wall to get his way. If he's elected President, expect to send your kids to a war in a foreign land that will be meaningless for America.

And about the two moderators...

George Stephanopoulos--Did a good hosting job. Asked quick questions and got out of the way. Has matured and has lost that quivering lower lip he used to have.

Diane Sawyer--Was she on go-slow drugs?  She wasted a lot of time by not being able to phrase a question quickly and then get out of the way.  She was boring and slowed down the debate and made it less dynamic.

We sent an email to ABC telling them they should lose her.

And about the debate camera work...

ABC did a good job in using two-shots of Romney and Gingrich to show reactions.

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