Mailbag: Costa Mesa fight about personal agendas

Re. “Letters From The Editor: Show respect on anniversary of Pham’s death,” March 17:

Your column provided a ray of hope for full, accurate coverage of the governance of Costa Mesa. Your promise to “start sharing more of [your reporters’] findings … to get to the bottom of this …” is encouraging.

Frankly, I have been in despair over the weak glossing over of the actions of our current City Council. True, there was a buzz a year ago following the unprecedented and unwarranted pink-slipping of half the workforce, and the exclamation point provided by the tragic suicide of Huy Pham, but then it stopped.

Reporter Joseph Serna’s articles columns are decent, but the overall reporting on Costa Mesa is insufficient and slanted. Some days, Costa Mesa is hardly mentioned at all, and one council day, there was an article on issues in San Clemente, but not a word about the upcoming council meeting.

Usually the paper is full of personal musings, with little actual news reporting.

I must differ with your analysis that “the fight really is about how two sets of ideologues would spend a finite amount of money.” The councilmen are not only exaggerating, but also exacerbating, the financial problems of Costa Mesa.

If you’re looking for an “a-ha!” moment, I suggest that you start with the high cost of legal fees and other expenditures associated with outsourcing, consultants (often ignored), “interim” positions and top-heavy new positions.

Councilwoman Wendy Leece is a conservative Republican, and so are several of the leaders of Costa Mesans for Responsible Government.

This fight is not between those who believe in “a smaller, more efficient ... government,” and “employee associations.” The fight is between ambitious politicians happy to spend taxpayer money on personal agendas and ordinary citizens who believe in good, fiscally sound governance.

I am looking forward to complete and balanced coverage of Costa Mesa politics and policies.

Tamar Goldmann

Costa Mesa

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Leaf-blower ban skirted

My wife and I celebrated our 50th anniversary on 11/11/11 and have wondered to what extent the leaf-blowing ban would actually take effect on that illustrious date!

And what do you know? I had my gardener switch to an electric blower, but I have not seen any gardener using anything but the old leaf blower which, pollutionwise, is about only 50% of the grass cutters and other powered tools’ noise and pollution they use!

Less governmental control might be a good suggestion unless the city can actually enforce the “no blower” edict.

David Young

Newport Beach