Letters to the Editor: Council majority should explain why it changed mayors midstream

I have read Barbara Venezia’s column, “Costa Mesans deserve to know why the council stripped Mayor Foley of her title,” in the Nov. 17 Daily Pilot. I agree with Venezia’s implication that the cart (council vote) has been put before the horse (explanation for the action).

I agree with her comment that Councilwoman Sandy Genis did not listen to the overwhelming number of public comments that strongly supported then-Mayor Katrina Foley. Genis ignored these comments, as if she had already made up her mind, and voted to remove Foley as mayor. It seems that Genis is going back to the bad old days of the Jim Righeimer-led City Councils that ignored public comments.

I think the city should consider an investigation into any potential backroom discussions leading up to this agenda item and council vote.

Genis’ comment that she had an upset stomach before the stressful council meetings can’t possibly be considered an adult justification for her actions. However, Genis did reference a core group of supporters who were concerned about the mayor.

What are their concerns, who are these supporters, are they all city residents, are they part of a local organization, did they ever raise their concerns during public comments? Why is Genis and her supporters so secretive? Where’s the transparency?

Venezia wrote that there may be something going on behind the scenes that residents need to know about sooner rather than later. Sooner is unlikely because of the politicians involved in this unjustified action. They will wait until the mayoral election is much closer before they provide their explanations for their actions, weak as they may be.

Charles Mooney

Costa Mesa

Let voters weigh in on 405 toll road

Boyd Roberts’ proposed initiative to make the toll roads free after 20-plus years could prevent the Orange County Transportation Association (OCTA) from converting the 405 car-pool lane to a toll road and collecting the tolls forever.

Building the toll road violates the intent of Measure M2 that the voters approved in 2006 (“Congressional candidate wants an online University of California and to make toll roads free,” Oct. 3). The Measure M Taxpayer Oversight Committee could stop this, but they are under control of the OCTA.

I recommended that Orange County voters be allowed to decide if a toll road should be built with only a majority vote (50%, plus 1) required for approval on either the June 2018 primary ballot or the November 2018 general election ballot.

A 2018 ballot initiative should have minimal impact on the current implementation schedule because most construction is the infrastructure. Demolishing and rebuilding the surface street bridges that cross over the I-405 will take four years. The toll road planning would be postponed pending the election results.

Thomas Jatich

Fountain Valley

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