Mansoor aims to improve all of...

Mansoor aims to improve all of Costa Mesa, not just Westside

This is in response to the recent election and Geoff West’s

surprise that another unknown, underfunded improvement candidate got

elected (Mailbag, “Time to get down to business on Westside,”

Friday). How could it happen? Again?

Addressing his advice to Westsiders, West suggested they “tighten

their focus and make some real progress on those issues they feel are

critical to the improvement of their part of town.”

In case there is anyone left in Costa Mesa who has not noticed, we

have been trying to do just that for some time. The addition of Allan

Mansoor to the Costa Mesa City Council will not change that focus.

As a group, we have had to concentrate on our own particular

potholes due the fact that we find ourselves bumping along on them

daily. If you follow City Council meetings, and read any of the

letters to the editor in the Pilot, I think that you will find that

we Westsiders are interested in a myriad of city issues, from El Toro

airport to the arts. However, I would like to emphasize why I and

others I know chose to vote for Mansoor: because he is for improving

all of Costa Mesa. That’s it.

KATHLEEN ERIC

Westside

Newport hasn’t handled Mormon temple’s steeple height well

This is a response to letters from J. Donald Turner (Letter to the

Editor, “Temple decision was well done,” Nov. 3) and Richard A.

Fuller (Mailbag, “Planning Commission did right by Mormon temple,”

Nov. 3).

Obviously, Turner’s powers of observation are somewhat impaired,

or else he was not present at the Oct. 3 Planning Commission meeting.

It is beyond me just how he can question Councilman Steve Bromberg’s

statement that the approval process of the Mormon temple was

“tainted” when, in fact, two of the planning commissioners stated

essentially the same thing during the meeting.

He raises another interesting point that the lower-than-stated

height of the stake center steeple, which I first determined, was

“not significant as it pertained to the project.” At the Oct. 3

meeting, a city staff member did state that the height of the stake

center steeple was not significant in determining the height

recommended for the temple steeple.

In the staff report to the Planning Commission on Sept. 5, it said

that lowering the height of the project will reduce its visibility

and visual impact, but lowering it below 86 feet, in staff’s opinion,

is questionable, as the structure would be lower than the adjacent

stake center, which is a subordinate building within the religious

practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is

very interesting, since the same staff member wrote the report for

the Sept. 5 meeting.

It is also interesting to note from June Casagrande’s article on

the real height of the stake center steeple the comment from

Assistant City Manager Sharon Wood (“Height of Mormon steeple

contradicted,” Oct. 2). Wood said that, in light of the new

information, staff may change its recommendation to an even lower

height. Obviously, we have heard nothing but “double talk” out of

City Hall.

Just how Fuller can compliment Chairman Steven Kiser and the

Planning Commission for taking the time to listen to all of the

testimony is beyond me. Kiser terminated testimony before all those

wishing to speak were heard and then he had the audacity to read a

statement that he had obviously written before the meeting. The whole

Planning Commission meeting on Oct. 3 was a sham. Fuller’s letter is

nothing more than cronyism and public back-patting, since he is a

former member of the Planning Commission. Anyone who thinks there are

no railroads in Newport Beach obviously has not listened to the train

whistles in City Hall.

The way the city handled this whole issue of the temple is nothing

more than a political game. The undercurrent is that they didn’t want

to be too harsh on the Mormons because several politically prominent

people are involved with the plans for Our Lady Queen of Angels to

try to get permission to build a 110-foot dome in Eastbluff.

It really doesn’t matter if it is St. Andrews with the 97-foot

cross, St. Matthews with the approved 75-foot steeple and cross, the

Mormon temple with a steeple approved to be 99 feet 9 inches, or Our

Lady Queen of Angels with a 110-foot dome; it is nothing more than a

game. Here we have a bunch of churches in town getting into a mine’s

bigger or taller than yours competition. Quite frankly, I find this

whole competition thoroughly disgusting.

ALLEN K. MURRAY

Newport Beach

State bond victories will lead to

tax increases ... No duh

I find it astounding that despite the recession, and groaning

under a huge deficit, California voters, seemingly oblivious to that

dismal state of affairs, and apparently gripped in a condition of

lunacy, approved ill-advised statewide ballot measures that can only

add to California’s budget woes.

If queried, those same voters would no doubt answer a resounding

no if asked whether they would like to pay more taxes. Exactly what

is it that causes voters to take leave of their senses when

considering bond issues? Do they not know that bonds floated by the

state incur debt and must be paid back? Who exactly do they imagine

pays back that debt? Some of those voters, of course, pay little or

no taxes anyway, so maybe they do know who pays back the debt.

Look for upcoming tax increase and a rollback on vehicle license

fees reduction. There now, aren’t you glad those bond issues sailed

easily to victory?

ILA JOHNSON

Costa Mesa

Enforce laws to deal with housing problems, don’t add new laws

I think what should be done about the substandard housing is, we

should enforce the codes that already exist for the city of Costa

Mesa and the laws that exist for the state of California regarding

housing (“Politics at play as planners debate rental housing

program,” Oct. 30). We have the authority and the power to do that.

I have lived in Costa Mesa for 30-plus years, and my husband and I

have been property owners in the city of Costa Mesa for more than 30

years.

The idea of modeling Costa Mesa after Santa Ana is absurd. We

don’t have the same kinds of problems. We don’t want to be like Santa

Ana. I think that the idea of a citywide ordinance certainly

penalizes landlords who are pride-of-ownership landlords and does not

target the slumlords. I’m completely against a citywide ordinance. It

doesn’t address the issues properly.

CINDY BRENNEMAN

Costa Mesa

Resurface 17th Street, fill in potholes, for safety’s sake

The roads on East 17th Street require resurfacing. The safety of

drivers and passengers are at risk when potholes and crevices must be

avoided. This should be attended to.

LILLIAN GORBATY

Costa Mesa