COMMUNITY COMMENTARY:Setting the record straight on mayor

I completely expected that the Pilot would once again anoint two people for the Costa Mesa City Council who have no track record and no vision for fighting crime or beautifying the city; nothing new there ("In Costa Mesa: Philosophy change," Oct. 8). What I did not expect was the fabrication and distortion of the mayor's record.

In contradiction to the accusations made regarding council actions of the last two years, Mayor Allan Mansoor has been very accessible to all members of the community and has strived to address the concerns of his constituents. He became involved as a citizen activist many years ago to address quality-of-life issues for one reason only: He was concerned that the beautiful city he had grown up in was going downhill and wanted to get it back on the right track.

The terms "fear, divisiveness and discord" were featured in reference to our mayor, and, quite frankly, the fear, divisiveness and discord, if any exists in our community, are a direct result of past councils' actions that made Costa Mesa a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants. It is disingenuous for the Pilot to blame the mayor for attempting to address the results of others' actions. His constituents elected him to deal with the problems of our city, as he promised he would.

Despite the Pilot's ignorance or refusal to acknowledge the situation, the majority of Costa Mesans who are also American citizens are fed up with the overcrowding, underperforming schools, traffic congestion and gang activity to which illegal immigrants contribute in a very real way. The mayor has heard the community speak and has acted bravely, as federal law currently permits him to do.

But that is not enough; no, the Pilot consistently paints the mayor as a one-issue guy, but this simply not the case. Mansoor has steadfastly worked to double the number of residential streets that are repaired and rebuilt each year, and has supported our police and fire departments at every turn.

The much-maligned council majority has consistently funded our budgets for a fully staffed police department, including an increased gang unit. All positions are fully funded, and until just recently there has been no request for additional funding for recruitment. When it came up, it was funded.