Mailbag: Where are all the quality candidates?

My purpose here is to give you my view of one of Costa Mesa's City Council candidates, Jim Righeimer, and to comment on what I view as the continuing downfall of a once great city.

I read about the DUI checkpoint debate, which was started by Righeimer after being inconvenienced at one of them recently. I was surprised to hear that he mentioned my name there. Why? I have never to my knowledge even met the man and only know him from what I have researched since he became a candidate opposing public safety and the Police Department in particular. Maybe he knows that I was the father of these checkpoints in Costa Mesa, and that I strongly believe in their objective and in those who operate them. They save lives through education and, when necessary, arrests. The streets that you and your kids drive on are safer because of such checkpoints.

At what point did quality candidates decide that the city of Costa Mesa wasn't worth the effort and stopped running for local office? Costa Mesa has had excellent City Councils in the past. The likes of Peter Buffa, Joe Erickson, Don Hall, Mary Hornbuckle, Sandy Genis, Linda Dixon, Jay Humphrey, Arlene Schafer, Mike Schaffer, Orv Amburgey and so many more over the years. Currently, Katrina Foley and Wendy Leece are attempting to hold this city together and make decisions based on what is best for the community and not on outside interests funneling money into their businesses or campaign. One would think this would not be the case considering that Foley and Leece are polar opposites as far as party politics go, but again they make decisions with a conscience.