Tuesday, March 27, 2012

CM PRESS # 809

This just in...

CMPD LOOKING FOR HISPANIC WHO BRANDISHED A MACHETE AND ROBBED TWO PEOPLE IN COSTA MESA THIS MORNING

Here's the CMPD Press Release as written...

1st Incident:


Just after midnight on March 27th, Costa Mesa Police responded to a reported street robbery that occurred in the 200 block of Avocado Street. Two male victims, both in their 20’s, reported they were walking from their apartment to their vehicle when they were approached by an unknown male. As they were getting into their car, one victim asked the suspect what he wanted. The suspect briefly engaged them in conversation before suddenly pulling what was described as a machete from beneath his jacket. The suspect held the machete in a threatening manner and demanded money. The victim’s gave the suspect what little cash they had with them, (about $20), at which point the suspect fled on foot. No one was injured in this incident. The victim’s described the suspect as a Hispanic male in his 20’s, approximately 5’-6”, 160 lbs, wearing a black jacket and dark pants.
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2nd Incident:

At approximately 2:10 a.m., officers responded to a second reported street robbery that occurred near the intersection of Adams Avenue and Albatross Road. The victim, an 18-year-old male, reported he was riding his skateboard on Adams when a male subject rode up from behind him on a bicycle. The suspect displayed what was described by the victim as a machete, which he held in a threatening manner while demanding money. Fearing for his safety, the victim handed over what little he was carrying with him. The suspect then concealed the machete in his pants and road away westbound on Adams Avenue, towards Huntington Beach, on his bicycle. The victim described the bicycle as being dark in color, possibly a beach cruiser or similar style. The victim was not injured in this incident. The suspect was described as a Hispanic male, approximately 20-30 years old, 5’-9” and 180 lbs.

If you have any tips call the CMPD at (714) 754-5252 (You can remain anonymous)
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NEW FORMAT IN BOXING MAY CATCH ON

This new format calls for one 12 minute round with no breaks and the fight takes place in a small ring that keeps fighters from making cute by getting on their bicycles.
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YOU HAVE TO LOVE SUPREME COURT

Most things that go on in courts are boring and almost ritualistic as common sense often takes a back seat to legalese.

However, when you get to the U.S. Supreme Court, where issues of public policy are more important than some arcane legal rule, things are often different.  Suddenly, common sense is the order of the day, and the justices often ask the types of questions that you or we might ask to get to the important points. And, the justices often do it the way you or we might have a conversation in a bar, by interuppting and jumping in from all angles with questions and comments.

In the above linked column you'll read how one justice asked the government lawyer, who was arguing in support of Obamacare, if the government might next  be able to force people to buy broccoli.
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THE LATEST ANTI-CHARTER ARGUMENT

Lately, we've been seeing comments from some of the anti-charter folks who rhetorically ask: Since Costa Mesa has been a non-charter city all these years, why change?

To us, this question sounds a little like someone saying: We've had slavery all these years, so why change?

The answer in both cases is that freedom is better than not having freedom. 

Sure, someone can say that the slaves may be better off having someone watching over them and taking care of them, and the anti-charter people can say that having Sacramento watching over us and telling us how to run our internal affairs is better for Costa Mesans.  We don't buy those arguments.

We believe in freedom and local control.  And, this flows from our belief in individualism--the ability, the right and the responsibility of each individual to take care of himself or herself and to, when advantageous, join together with other individuals, who also put individuals first, and who take care of themselves; when such a joining is mutually beneficial.

We would like to see Costa Mesans have the freedom to run our own internal affairs instead of having politicians in Sacramento who may never have heard of Costa Mesa tell us what is right for us based on their own personal biases and life experiences that they've accumulated as they have grown up and lived in places often far removed from Costa Mesa.  California is a big state with lots of differences in climate and everything else.  One size does not fit all. 

Let the local communities decide what is best for themselves, just as the individual can decide where to set the thermostat in his or individual home or how hot to have the shower water or what time to go to bed or what to eat and when.

Generally speaking, localism is best.

At this point, someone is bound to bring up Bell and the problems there.  What those who bring this up fail to say is that Bell is a largely "immigrant" city with many people who can't vote.  They were easy pickings for the crooks.  Costa Mesa is not Bell.  
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IF CHARTER ISSUE CAN'T GO ON JUNE BALLOT MOVE ON TO PLAN B

We don't know what the Council will do, but if we were on the Council, our Plan B would be to come up with a citizen committee to go over the present draft charter and make changes if necessary and then put it on the November ballot. 

And, if we were on the Council we'd try to make sure that many of the critics of the present draft charter are on the committee. But, we'd also make sure that they're not there just to play politics and slowly kill the charter idea.

The committee should be charged with the responsibility of coming up with a draft charter to be submitted to the City Council for further discussion and possible changes or fine tuning before being released to the  public for further comments and additional possible changes. The committee should know that their job is not to decide between having a charter or not to have a charter, but to come up with a charter.

The committee should probably have 15 members who should work by consensus. There should also be several alternate members who should attend every meeting and be prepared to replace any of the original 15 who miss a certain number of meetings.  The committee should be headed by a citizen not in government, and probably by a critic of the present charter.

We need a citizen buy-in on this, and many other issues, and citizens need to see transparency and fairness that no one can doubt.

[And, out in smoke-free rooms where CM FROG probably meets, the Robins, apparently never having heard of the royal "we," are probably saying "Hey CM PRESSES, just who is the "we," you keep talking about?  Hmmmm?"]
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WU WHO?

Some nice letters and comments about Jack Wu's outrageous column HERE.

Wu seems to want to position himself as a conservative, but he sure sounds liberal to many people.
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