With all the things that are happening in our city, it seems crazy that the Daily Pilot makes his hurt feelings front-page news. It is time that Mayor Righeimer put the residents of Costa Mesa first.
Barbara Maberry
Costa Mesa
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Is mayor running sole proprietorship?
Re: "Government should not be run like a business," (April 1): Letter writer Diana Gardiner asserts that government "…is not a business and should never, ever be expected to run like one."
Regardless of whether Costa Mesa should be run like a business, what kind of business has actually been delivered by Mayor Jim Righeimer? Is it like a corporation where leaders have to work within many constraints? Or is it like a sole proprietorship with relatively few constraints?
Righeimer's actions over the three years since his team announced the idea of running the city like a business suggest it is the sole proprietorship form of business.
Here's something the U.S. Small Business Administration website says about sole proprietorship: "… you have complete control over all decisions."
Further, "You aren't required to consult with anyone else when you need to make decisions or want to make changes."
This comports with Mayor Righeimer's demonstrated leadership style. First, he appears to have exerted complete control over all decisions. For example, few, if any, of his proposals have been voted down. This is not the norm in free-spirited Costa Mesa politics.
Second, constituents' suggestions in public meetings are routinely ignored; this signals, especially in a small city, that he doesn't feel obliged to consult with voters.
This kind of politics would be unusual coming from democratically elected officials anywhere. This is because elected officials normally are carefully responsive to their electorate, much as corporate officials are respectful of the constraints of the corporate system.
Tom Egan
