In Orange County we’re kind of used to having destructive fires after a long dry summer season. We also get flooded houses as soon as big rains set in. We haven’t had a major earthquake in years, but it could hit us anytime. As far as politics, Orange County is as unstable as our natural surroundings, even though many residents might feel otherwise. It’s cool, organized, clean cut, and has “nice” people they often say. Well, I don’t think I agree with that. Do you?
Just to remind people how volatile Orange County could get, Costa Mesa Councilwoman Wendy Leece, a lady known for having strong religious beliefs, has recently brought an interesting issue to the local council table. She would like to have a sign, “In God We Trust,” displaying in the City Council chambers.
Whether or not this issue is unconstitutional is out of the question. Most rational people agree it is unconstitutional, unless, of course, you are a Christian fundamentalist nut.
On the surface this appears to be a fight between atheist and Christians, or democrats against republicans. Knowing the voting population in Costa Mesa, I don’t think it works out that way, though some liberals in the county might like to engage in the fight. They could do that and deservedly if they wish.
However, I would rather ask those of us who are inclined to support the ‘Burro Party’ to get a bag of popcorn, sit on a comfortable chair and watch a fight between social conservatives and libertarians.
I’m not a political ‘brujo,’ but this is what I have in mind. Councilwoman Katrina Foley is likely to vote against the measure. I don’t think anybody doubts about her religious commitments, but her views on division of Church and State are much stronger. Leece isn’t counting on Foley, even though both of them made an interesting “partnership” during the last two council meetings. Leece is hoping to get two of the three guys on her side.
Let’s see if she gets her wishes. Councilman Monahan Libertarian side is much stronger than his social conservatism. So he’ll join Foley. Allan Mansoor, the Minuteman Mayor of Costa Mesa, has already disclosed his desires to be an assemblyman, so he’ll use this opportunity to show his pro-business libertarian views. Eric Bever isn’t hard to determine. He goes with the flow, rarely thinks or analyzes when voting. He’ll say no, like a puppet. Sorry Leece, you’re on the loosing side this time.
Councilman Bever actually analyzes agenda items as well as anyone. He may be a man of few words but his intellect shows through. Foley talks a lot so she may seem to some as though she is the “smart” one. Bever is on her level intellectually and Monahan is a genius when it comes to cutting the crap and bringing up the vote in a timely manner. Leece sort of ums and ums and ums and finally completes a sentence but what good are her questions? Absolutely no thought involved. So don’t believe everything Caspa says. He is very biased.
Ah, deadwhitemale, you’ve got it wrong. On the best day of his life Bever would be using about half the brain power Foley exercises on her worst day. For whatever reason – a fit of pique or whatever – he just seems to be sleep-walking through his current term. He vents on budget issues yet has not attended the sessions where all views are discussed. Now he’s taken to debating members of the Costa Mesa PD on the Daily Pilot blog. Why didn’t he show up to debate when it counted?
I’m no fundamentalist … don’t even attend a church, but I don’t see anything wrong with “In God we trust,” ‘slong as every one feels free to define God as they please. I think in a democracy you make decisions to piss off as few of the citizens as possible, or at least to spread the pissed-offancy as evenly and fairley as one can.
But the point Hcaspa makes well here, is most of our council members are making decisions based, not on fairness or personal beliefs, but how their decisions play out for political advantage.
Deadwhitemale, I’m afraid your thoughts are as dead as your name. I totally agree with “el removedor” (The Pot Stirrer). Bever doesn’t do his homework. I don’t know if he knows how to do it. A few years ago, he suggested his colleagues to use the eminent domain mechanism to resurrect Triangle Square Center. I thought this was one of the most ridiculous propositions I’ve ever heard from an elected official. Just recently, while the Council was deciding the city’s economic budget, Bever didn’t uttered a word, but kept pushing the voting bottom like a little boy.
SAHS Teacher. I agree with you, and as you said, our politicians will decide this issue based on what kind of benefits they get from it. Gracias.
It is church and State, not God and State!
The reason for this is the church is man and man is prone to corruption!
Michelle
Not so fast. Yes, man/woman is prone to corruption, but being corrupted isn’t his/her nature. We can infer that our system of laws, economics, politics and especially religion turned man into a corrupted being. I urge you to go back to your history books, and read the Middle Ages, or go to your nearby movie theater to see “The Stoning of Soraya.” You’ll see how corruptive an individual becomes once he/she is dominated by religious beliefs.
Not once has God said “kill in the name of me”,
But man has!
Not so fast, don’t blame God, on man’s way to kill or manipulate man!
the stoning of that poor woman, had nothing to do with God, but with the perverson of man’s idelogy of what God wants!
When they hung a 16 year old girl from a crane, in Iran, God was not there for anyone but her!