Should Costa Mesa commissioners be appointed directly by City

Council members?

PRO

Yes, it’s why we elected members

If we wanted truly independent planning and parks and recreation

commissioners, we’d directly elect them as we do the City Council

members. Instead, we only elect City Council members. Informed people

vote for City Council members based on what the candidates say they

will do for the city. Once they’re elected, one of the ways the

elected City Council members can be effective in carrying out their

agendas is by bringing their “team” into office with them. In Costa

Mesa, there are few opportunities for bringing in this team. The two

most important are these two commissions.

In the past, the Planning Commission was largely under the radar

of most residents of Costa Mesa and few people ever attended their

meetings. Starting with the rise of the Improvement movement about

three years ago, this changed. Now, many activists attend all

Planning Commission meetings and speak in favor of those things that

they see as being good for Costa Mesa and against those things that

they see as being bad for Costa Mesa. The Parks and Recreation

Commission is still under the radar, but I predict this is going to

end this year. It has to, because many of the stealth programs that

are driving Costa Mesa down are originating in the Parks and

Recreation Department, and it is the Parks and Recreation

Commissioners who have first oversight on this.

If some residents are still perplexed and think that the

commissioners should truly be independent, I would suggest that they

consider how it’s done at the national level. When we elect a

president, we don’t then tie his hands by filling the bureaucracy

with people whose ideas are different than his. If the president

wants to get anything done, he needs people who view the world the

same way he does, and who will carry out the president’s agenda.

That’s why every president brings in his own people in important

positions. Now, for the uninitiated, in our local government, the

closest analog we have to the president of the U.S. is the full City

Council.

I want the council members who were the personifications of the

agenda I supported to be effective, and for this reason I support

allowing them the opportunity to appoint those who will carry out

these agendas.

MARTIN MILLARD

Costa Mesa

CON

No, the opportunity for abuse is too great

On Sunday, the Daily Pilot published an editorial on how Costa

Mesa Planning Commissioners should be appointed, which supports the

council decision to appoint those positions directly.

The editors postulate that the direct appointment is good because

it will eliminate disagreements between the City Council and Planning

Commission, in particular. I fail to see how the residents of this

city are well served by rubber stamp commissioners, afraid to expand

the debate of important issues because they “serve at the pleasure”

of their benefactor and could be “fired” for any reason -- or no

reason at all. Recent history shows us that some of the current

council members will jump at the opportunity to exercise undue power.

How is this good for the city?

The editors also state that this system will “hold the council

members -- and indirectly, voters -- more accountable.” Yes, the

performance of an individual commissioner can be directly traced to

the council member who appointed that commissioner. However, while

the commissioner can be fired quickly by the council member we, the

voters, don’t have the same solution available to us with the council

members. We are forced to wait for an election or launch a recall

campaign. Neither is a quick solution. In the meantime, significant,

long-term damage can be done by a council and commissions running

amuck. This is particularly relevant with “lame duck” council members

-- those who can not or will not be running for re-election -- eager

to “leave their mark” on the community. The image of Saddam Hussein

setting fire to the Kuwaiti oil fields as his troops retreated in the

early 1990s comes to mind.

The editors argue that the citizens need to be more responsible

when entering the voting booth, since they will be electing “teams,”

not just council members. While that may be true, the make up of

those teams is unknown at election time. Only after the council

member is in place does the commission selection process begin. Since

there are no qualifications to be met by commissioners other than

whatever criteria each individual council person has in mind, anyone

could be placed on the commissions unchallenged. In years past and

present the commissions have been made up predominantly of

well-educated, well-qualified, concerned citizens. I’m afraid this

decision may discourage many highly motivated, highly qualified

potential candidates for these commissions from tossing their hats

into the ring. Since council members have frequently sprung from

these positions, in the future we may be left to select only from a

cadre of hangers-on and bootlickers willing to bow to the will of

their benefactors.

If it is so desirable for each council person to select their

commissioners to avoid disagreements, why have these commissions at

all? Certainly, in these times of budget constraints it would make

sense, following that particular line of logic, to simply abolish the

commissions in question and allow the council members to make all the

decisions previously delegated to them.

In his “Comments & Curiosities” column on the same day, ex-mayor

Peter Buffa entertained us all with his discussion of the recent

turmoil in the city of South Gate. Buffa’s column describes, among

other things, the recently recalled mayor dictating votes to another

council person -- her sister. While his column certainly gave us some

perspective when comparing the South Gate travails to our little

problems here in Costa Mesa, this step taken by our City Council is a

move to consolidate power into fewer hands. This is a move that will

not serve the residents of this city well and could be the first step

down the same road South Gate walks today.

GEOFF WEST

Costa Mesa