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A 2011 Women's Cross County race in Costa Mesa's Fairview Park. (IMPORTANT NOTE: This is not some sort of subtle hint that Occupy OC in Irvine may be relocating to Fairview Park! So far as we know!)
It’s 2012! This is the year when the Mayan calendar rolls over (hopefully not leaving any destruction in its wake), and when Mitt Romney’s polka-band hair (stolen reference, but irresistible) takes center stage on the national scene. But enough about that for now … anything Juicy coming up in Orange County?
Oh yes there is! Costa Mesa’s drive for “charter city” status picks up in earnest this week. The trip of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker to the Gold Coast to raise some money, during which he praised his Costa Mesa soul-mates, has stirred interest in the City that did its best to commit municipal financial suicide in 2011. Occupy Irvine, ending its run, is eyeing Costa Mesa as a possible site for relocation. The City Council Agenda for Tuesday’s meeting has a closed session item for dealing with the lawsuit from now-Fairgrounds-board-member Nick Berardino’s OCEA, along with an update on their fights with their unions, so in closed session they might get a better sense of what the tab may be for their first round of fire-water (get it? “fire” as in “firing”? yes, 2012 is starting out ugly) while they gear up to buy another round.
1. Conference with Thomas R. Hatch, Chief Executive Officer, and Labor Negotiator, Agency Negotiator regarding Employee Organizations: Costa Mesa City Employee Association (CMCEA), Costa Mesa Firefighters Association (CMFA), Costa Mesa Police Officers Association (CMPOA) and Costa Mesa Police Management Association (CMPMA), Costa Mesa Fire Fighters Management Association, and Costa Mesa Division Managers Association pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.6.
2. Conference with legal counsel regarding existing litigation: Costa Mesa Employees Association v. City of Costa Mesa, a municipal corporation, et al., Orange County Superior Court Case No. 30-2011 00475281, pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(a).
But it’s the charter fight, aiming for the June ballot (when voter participation will be low, just the way they like it) that is in some ways the most interesting and consequential. To steal a “fair-use-acceptable” three paragraphs from our sibling blog, Costa Mesa’s “A Bubbling Cauldron”:
A DE FACTO COUP: Our city has experienced a facto palace coup, with Jim Righeimer and Steve Mensinger leading the takeover, compliant Gary Monahan just going with the flow and the lamest of lame ducks, Eric Bever, refusing even to bother going through the motions anymore. Those latter two should get an “F” for Attendance on their report cards! Monahan, in particular, should receive much of the blame for what’s happening now. He’s basically abdicated his position as Mayor – perhaps as early as that ill-fated St. Patrick’s Day, when he chose fun and profit over the responsibilities of his job – and permitted Righeimer to take over.
DESTRUCTIVE COUNCIL: We’ve got ourselves saddled with a majority on the City Council that is clearly trying to destroy the government of our city. They’re operating like a junta. They’ve shown, right from the start, that they are chronically impatient and have no interest in following the rules. Effective governance requires both patience and a willingness to work within the established framework. It’s become so extreme now that they actually want to sell the voters on backing a Charter for our city created by one man – Righeimer, performing as a snake oil salesman – for the sole purpose of benefiting his life as a political gypsy. He has no long-term ties to our city and is only using it as a stepping stone for higher office. He’s trying to show his pals in the OC GOP that he actually CAN accomplish this takeover so they’ll support him in future runs for bigger political jobs. He won’t care one iota that he’ll leave carnage in his wake.
HOPING THE VOTERS WAKE UP: We can only hope that the voters of this city finally wake up and realize that they are being played and vote against the Charter scheme. If this is a good idea, then it’s one that SHOULD NOT be rushed. We’re talking about the foundational document of our city government here. We should not permit a carpet-bagging political opportunist to simply snatch this city away from the people like a purse-snatcher on a crowded street.
Ah, how we love Geoff West’s writing. We’ll be watching A Bubbling Cauldron closely this year — and so can you, from our convenient RSS feed on the right side of the page.
So, you may be wondering: what would a City Charter mean for Costa Mesa, other than an aroused Righeimer? Here are some of your chances to find out!
The City is looking for input from the public regarding the city charter. Please visit the City’s website to access an online form you can fill out and submit. Also on the website is information about charters and a timeline of the process.
Wednesday, January 4 at 7 p.m. – The City of Costa Mesa will hold an informational meeting on the proposed city charter at the Costa Mesa Neighborhood Community Center.
Tuesday, January 10 at 6 p.m. – A special City Council meeting will be held for the first official public hearing on the proposed charter.
It’s AHHHHHNNNNNNN!!! Costa Mesa’s City Charter will become a major issue — and probably anvil around many politician’s necks — this year. This the kind of thing that gets slipped into being while no one notices — so maybe they’ll be lucky and no one will notice! Or … maybe not. Anyone up for Occupying some City Council meetings? Watch this space for more news!
Typical union hype over a really important issue. Just to remind the supposedly astute Mr. Diamond – a “coup” is an unelected takeover of the government by force, not simply intelligent elected officials taking a different path than your forces of socialism would choose. Immediately mock those that differ with your opinion Mr. DIamond, it is evidently your only and best strategy.
Geoff W., the OTHER Geoff W. whom I quote referred to a “palace coup,” which is a kind of coup that doesn’t match your definition. Look up the phrase if you wish.
Mocking may (or may not) be my best strategy, but … my only strategy? Surely you do not believe so. Go ahead and ratify your ownership of that opinion before I bother to atomize it.
P.S. Happy New Year.
http://www.dailypilot.com/news/opinion/tn-dpt-0101-commentary2-20111231,0,1638355.story
I think that people need a taste of that, don’t you? From the beginning:
And a bit at the end:
There’s plenty of good stuff in between, too!
Don’t you think the city of Costa Mesa should dissolve?
Most could go to Newport Beach and the Santa Ana heights and fairgrounds would go to Santa Ana.
That way Newport doesn’t need to take the poor people and Santa Ana gets a place to put its soccer stadium.
Ah, Geoff West, the Pot Stirrer. I miss him coming around here. That’s the only thing I regret about my “Fuck September 11″ post, is that it upset Geoff so much he’s boycotted us since then. Hope he gets over it one of these days, I think he just misunderstood it.
This Wednesday night town-hall on Costa Mesa’s charter city decision seems important enough to miss my month DFA meeting.
Vern, what do you think about living in a Charter City (HTB)?
Should city governments be shored up no matter what the costs, or aloud to disolve for the good of the residents?
Costa Mesa does not need to dissolve, and its residents do not want to dissolve.
The budget is in the black, and although Riggy is sure to take credit for that, the groundwork for that was laid well before him and his draconian policies.
The primary perceived advantage of privatization is lower wages and little to no benefit cost compared to keeping the work in house. The perception that privatized operations are more efficient and thus better is refuted by several failed government privatization efforts.
A recent one that failed is the Texas privatization of Food Stamp eligibility to a company named Accenture (formerly a division of Arthur Anderson). The U.S. Department of Agriculture (the federal agency in charge of the Food Stamp program) received an avalanche of complaints about lack of service under this deal, and according to a published report found that Accenture cut corners to save costs by hiring lower-skilled workers and neglecting to train them properly. Thus in the short run, lower costs and a profit for Accenture was possible. However, accountability and service suffered greatly, and within the last couple of years Texas reverted back to having state employees do the work. The accuracy and quality of the program’s operation has improved significantly.
This is an example of what often happens with privatization of a government function, especially when that function is to serve as the gatekeeper to government services. While the City of Costa Mesa is not responsible for operating the Food Stamp program for its residents (the County of Orange is) the Costa Mesa City Council would be wise to study this and other government attempts to privatize rather than just assume all efforts at privatization will save money and work well.
Crony capitalism. Mussolinian corporatism.
The Costa Mesa City Council study Something……thats funny. If they found the goose that laid the golden eggs , and realized that she received a pension, we’d be having roast goose.
Well, yes … but the city would save money on pensions!
Join us on Facebook…..to fight this rabid City Council that is devastating the City and it’s services. It’s a rabid right wing Jihad over here…….
Costa Mesans for Responsible Government
https://www.facebook.com/cmforrg
A budget surplus and the haters are crying foul. Hey Ridge, isn’t it true that the City is now in the black?
Financial reform has hit Costa Mesa and the haters can’t stand it.
In the black what?
Not hard to do since they were never in the red……also all the savings came from deals struck by previous councils. The rise in TOT came from the voters passing that measure and that led to an increase in city revenues. Also, all the capital improvements were also put in by previous councils , but that didn’t stop this new one from taking credit. What I would like to know is what happened to Righeimers predictions that we were $25 million in the hole. That little doozy on Fox News and Friends got Moody’s to downgrade the cities credit rating.
You are so easily fooled by bright and shiny objects, I could go on and on, but it’s too easy. The only “financial reform” that has occurred is to the gain of Lawyers and Consultants, where we have tripled the costs and now are about 300% over budget….nice fiscal conservatives you’ve got there, Phil. You really need to grow up and learn a few things.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/03/26/960463/-Costa-Mesas-deadly-budget-crisis-Made-up
“costa mesans for responsible government” will have the same results as “costa mesa first “(losers) and before that “return to reason” (losers). It’s the same old motley group of libs, union thugs and anarchists who cannot get over 40% support and the reason the “improvers” (winners) will continue to frustrate them.
Dear Ridgeisruffled:
As soon as all of Costa Migra’s residents have the right to vote that they greatly deserve, the Minuteman City Council will cease to exist, and truth, justice and the American way will be restored.
Sounds a little 2009 there, John. Don’t you know the City Council’s enemy NOW is the city workers? They’ve practically forgotten about the Mexicans!
Oh yeah….then whats the rush for the charter? Why not write a real one instead of the cut and pasted model put out by the Building Industry Association Lobbyists? Why not do this in a general election? Because you know that little red blinking in the corner of your eye is your political relevance light…..and it’s about to go out.
looks like a pattern.
Fund balance 2010 $40,025,930 down
Fund balance 2009 $50,034,265 down
Fund balance 2008 $67,546,727 up Obama cash?
Fund balance 2007 $62,778,909 down
Fund balance 2006 $66,063,174 down
Fund balance 2005 $71,067,417
Looks like if it keeps going this way, Costa Mesa will be Out Of Business in 4 years.
Wow……funny but that graph looks exactly like the total economy for the country…what else are reserves for than to use them when you need them?
Cities should have enough on hand to weather tough patches in a financial storm and Costa Mesa did.
Now those are going back up…in fact Costa Mesa weathered things better than many other cities.
Unfortunately, our city is completely reliant upon Sales Tax…..our business license fees are absolutely flat and way under market. So while other cities like Newport and Irvine were able to bounce back quicker , we’ve been solely reliant upon the sales from the retail sector and that has been a long haul.
If the businesses were required to pay their fair share Costa Mesa would be stronger than Irvine and Newport.
The unfortunate thing is this council has to show a trumped up financial crisis to motivate the shallow lemmings like yourself and our young Phil up above.
The rest of us “thinking” residents who understand and have been following, what is our city and how it runs, know that this is bullshit designed to appeal to the rabid right wing idiotlogues, who eat this red meat even when there is no proof , and even though the policies foisted on us by this council don’t solve any of the problems you have mentioned…..just like trickle down economics is when they piss on your head and tell you it’s raining…….but you never let facts get in your way do you?
Well there is a report that the current budget (2010/2011) had a small surplus that was added to the current fund balance. (the cities web site does not include that financial report yet)
The surplus was added to the city’s reserve fund for natural disasters and emergencies, bringing the total to about $10 million. (OCR, Published: Dec. 20, 2011)
So they are not within 4 years to insolvency, but much closer to 6 to 18 months.