Bully pulpit used to browbeat

Geoff West

From a distant vantage point -- beside a critically injured friend in

Las Vegas -- I read Deirdre Newman’s account Wednesday (“Council puts

brakes on mobile home deal”) of Libby Cowan’s tirade at Tuesday’s

City Council meeting regarding an interim ordinance for mobile home

park residents. During her speech, she apparently took apart the

owners of El Nido and Snug Harbor mobile home parks -- Brown &

Associates -- because of their unwillingness to treat the

about-to-be-ousted residents more equitably.

My initial reaction was, “Right on, Libby!”

I shared the feeling attributed to Mike Scheafer when he said, “It

showed a lot of courage on her part to say that. Sometimes, people

don’t have the guts to say what they really feel. She kind of summed

up what we all feel. I thought she did a wonderful thing [Monday]

night.”

Certainly, anyone who has watched the events leading up to that

council meeting can have no doubt about the angst most of the

residents of the parks feel about their uncertain future. In recent

meetings, the park owners have had their representative read glowing

testimonials from residents who have moved without difficulty, but

those folks who showed up to speak to the issue month after month

painted a much more bleak picture.

I’ve tried to stay abreast of this issue, and have watched council

and Planning Commission meetings where it was the subject of

considerable dialogue. The Planning Commission attempted to come up

with a reasoned approach after much thoughtful consideration. The

council apparently rejected it out of hand.

Despite the fact that the affected residents apparently applauded

the decision Monday night, I find myself very concerned with the way

it came about.

The heavy handedness of this decision is a perfect example of

Councilwoman Cowan’s style. I’m not at all comfortable that Cowan, as

a former -- and perhaps future -- mayor, continues to display a style

that can only be described as bullying. While I can certainly

understand the frustration she and other council members must feel,

and the displeasure they feel toward the park owner, I am very

disappointed that affairs in this city still sometimes end up looking

like a playground fight rather than the deliberations of mature,

intelligent leaders. Name-calling from the dais is well beyond

acceptable decorum.

The lack of clear direction by the council to its appointed

commissions continues to be a problem for this city. Witness the

current lawsuit in which the city and private citizens are being sued

by the potential developers of the 1901 Newport Plaza project. That

project should never have gotten as far as it did without more

community input.

While I’m encouraged that the beleaguered residents of El Nido and

Snug Harbor may, in fact, finally receive more reasonable and

equitable treatment at the hands of the park ownership, I’m

disappointed that our city leaders had to resort to threats to

accomplish that goal.

The clock is ticking on the November 2004 elections.

* GEOFF WEST is a Costa Mesa resident.