Commentary: Future leadership must work to regain trust

Re. “Wu: Democracy, not the GOP, controls Costa Mesa” (June 3):

Thank you, Jack Wu, for your words. Your message is one that may be true and may not be.

As a member of the community who has filed his campaign intention statement with the Costa Mesa city clerk to run for City Council in November, I want to add my thoughts to your observations. Although I am a Republican, and have been my entire voting career, I have not been in the dark backrooms of Orange County GOP politics and do not factually know what Councilmen Steve Mensinger’s and Gary Monahan’s and Planning Commissioner Colin McCarthy’s relationships are to the OCGOP.

Only through the words and actions of these three men, and the actions of the OCGOP, will we see if there is some level of relationship that is intending to shape the future of Costa Mesa and its leadership.

At a minimum, your column reminds all of us to be aware, conscious and awake, that directly or indirectly, this can occur and set in motion a political agenda and movement that is not in the best interests of the community through outside influencing. So thank you for bringing this to the attention of our community.

I have learned over the years many times that the messages may not be fully in the words or actions that are explicitly stated. The messages may be in words that are not spoken, the actions not taken or the words and actions that show up in a circuitous way.

So what have been the messages that some of the members of the current City Council have given explicitly or implicitly to the community over the past 18 months? Is there a cloud of dysfunction covering the governance of the city, and is there a deterioration in the morale of employees? Is there a lack of trust, transparency and accountability, real or perceived?

And, more importantly, is this what is sought by the community for the next four years?

In a City Council election that is intended to be nonpartisan, it should not matter whether a candidate is Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, tea party member or independent. It should not matter what any central committee, PAC, or any other special-interest group supports or endorses.

What matters most are the core values that a candidate brings to the table, the expertise, skill set and resources the candidate shows up with, and the leadership direction the candidate brings.

It shows up in the trust and confidence that voters have and that they will commit following this leader in the decision-making struggles, knowing that the candidate will be honest, transparent, open, receptive and objective. What is most important is not who outside our community is supporting a candidate, but rather who within the community can stand behind a candidate knowing that they are going to have to live with that decision.

I agree with your conclusion, in part, where you say: “You can get your slate of three candidates together, raise money, work a grass-roots campaign and do something about it, or you keep complaining through your keyboards in the darkness of your living rooms.”

For me and my supporters, I intend to take up your challenge and do something about it. I am prepared to stand in the light of the stage of this city and sit in the hot seat of judgment by the constituents who deserve transparent, honest and accountable leadership. I am prepared to show the community that there is a better way of decision-making for the future.

I am prepared to be a candidate for the people, of the people, and by the people of this fine community.

The city of Costa Mesa faces tough and challenging decisions in the future to protect the quality of life that has been the pride of the community in past years. The leadership of the future needs to regain the trust of those whom they lead, of those whom they employ, of those whom they work with in other jurisdictions.

MARSHALL B. KRUPP, a Costa Mesa resident, is a candidate for City Council.