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Mailbag: Recent sign conflict raises too many questions

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Re. “Ex-Costa Mesa worker in another flap over campaign signs,” Oct. 23: As stated in the article, “During the heated 2012 City Council race, (former city employee Steven) White allegedly was caught on video ripping up a (campaign) sign ... that included now-Mayor Pro Tem Steve Mensinger.” Fellow citizens, the image on that video looks nothing like former city employee Steven White, whom I just met for the first time Oct. 21 on the steps of Costa Mesa City Hall.

Staff writer Jeremiah Dobruck mentions that some things were “never made public.” Ladies and gentlemen, many things were never made public. The image on the video is not White, yet his employment with Costa Mesa was terminated. Why? When acquitted, why wasn’t White offered his job back?

Why did Mayor Pro Tem Mensinger and Mayor Jim Righeimer appear at White’s house on the night of the alleged crime? Of course White felt targeted. Police showed up at White’s house (somewhat normal) along with two city councilmen (totally strange). An arrest is always traumatic. An arrest under false pretenses, much worse.

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I was most irritated to read, “City officials, however, say there’s a simpler explanation.” Under the cover of his email facade, city spokesman Bill Lobdell offers that a city “code enforcement officer” while collecting other signs “mistakenly picked up six additional signs that were on the private property of two residences.” This justification for six mistakes is not simple; rather it’s contrived.

Lobdell’s explanation leaves myriad questions unanswered. Did the city return the signs in a timely manner? Does a code enforcement officer who cannot recognize private property have any business doing the job of code enforcement? Additional training of what nature? Why not dismissal for incompetence? Did the code enforcement officer receive orders from a boss to remove the signs?

From 2011 through 2014, why doesn’t anyone of authority in this Costa Mesa City government speak for themselves?

As Lobdell explained, “Typically, political-sign issues are handled by an independent contractor brought in by the city during elections.” Why did our outsourced political-sign contractor fail to properly represent the city in 2012?

Who was and/or is it? Why did our political sign contractor fail us again on Oct. 25, when dozens of No on Measure O and Jay Humphrey-Katrina Foley for council signs were vandalized and stolen from Victoria Street on the Westside?

Greg Thunell

Costa Mesa

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Measure Y makes no sense

More development, less traffic. Makes about as much sense as that questionable “artwork” gracing the Taj Majal.

Juli Hayden

Newport Beach

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