City needs good leaders

I want to set the record straight regarding the misinformation put

forth in Councilman Allan Mansoor’s Community Commentary in the Daily

Pilot (“Daily Pilot endorsements not the right development,”

Thursday).

Mansoor is entitled to his opinions, but the truth is that in my

prior term as council member, I was the first to start the process of

retaining restrictions and curfews on John Wayne Airport, and I

pushed the process along with the county supervisors, other cities

and with our liaison to the federal government. I began negotiating

with Long Beach Airport for similar limitations. I did not support a

“great park.”

Further, all of the changes taking place on the Westside, such as

decorative street lights, 19th street rehabilitations, landscape

improvements, new medians from Placentia Avenue to Pomona Avenue, the

installation of bus turnouts, added underground utilities are the

result of actions taken when I was on the council. Some of the other

positive changes that occurred on the Westside of town during my term

were a new downtown recreation facility, a community garden, a new

park on Maple Street, and improvements to the Joanne Street bike

trail. Further information about my voting record is detailed on my

website, www.Linda-dixon.com.

I hope Mansoor’s attack is not the beginning of a misinformation

campaign, similar to the one that circulated negative and misleading

information about me on the eve of the last election.

What I do want to accomplish is to ensure public safety; to keep

the Orange Freeway out of -- and the Orange County Fair in -- Costa

Mesa; to fix and maintain our streets; to support revitalization

efforts in the 19th Street and Placentia Avenue area, including

mixed-use projects; to protect our city from large-scale development

on state-owned land within our city; to preserve the integrity of

residential (R-1) neighborhoods and protect the remaining open space

in our community; and to encourage prosperous businesses to make

Costa Mesa their home.

I would also like to bring back the proposed ordinance to protect

our seniors and other residents living in mobile home parks, which

Mansoor voted against after the city had spent approximately one year

of staff time on it. The ordinance would give long-term residents

some protection from summary eviction, while preserving the park

owners’ property rights, when the park owners want to convert to

another use.

Obviously, the Daily Pilot is aware of my record and my commitment

to my community, and they know I work hard to get things

accomplished. I am a candidate for City Council because I believe

Costa Mesa is a great place, and it needs leaders who will get things

done and be representatives of the entire city, not just the special

interest groups. I want to preserve the quality of life that we who

live here and work here enjoy and to keep Costa Mesa a safe,

prosperous and attractive community for families, seniors and

compatible businesses.

* LINDA DIXON is a Costa Mesa resident and a candidate for City

Council.