Chalk One Up for the Good Guys

The latest news in Orange County is that Costa Mesa Chief of Police,Steve Stavely, resigned. He was pretty upfront about his reasons for resigning. It seems, Steve is one of the good guys in Costa Mesa who hasn't sold his soul to the devil.... or Monahan. In a very explicite letter to his troops, he outlined his reasons for leaving.

The letter, which you can find on Voice of OC's website by clicking here, tells a tale of implicit corruption and collusion by the majority of the city fathers to crush union opposition under the guise of balancing the budget.

It is clear from his letter that Stavely has been thinking about this for some time. While he does slam the 3@50 pension of public safety officers, he places the blame squarely on the shoulders of those who should be responisble. And, while we don't agree with him bout how to change the situation, we applaud his upfront attitude toward his department. It is clear he is (rightfully) proud of the department and it was not easy for him to resign.

Stavely, appears to be a man of substance and a dying breed in the political world. His ethics overtook his sense of survival and the City will be at a loss for some time. To be sure, he left the department in able hands but, how will that play out when the Costa Mesa Council again interferes with daily operations?

Unfortunately, he gives tribute to Tom "Hatchetman" Hatch. We don't see it. Hatch, in his role as City Manager, should be able to simply tell the council that what they propose is not feasible in a manner in which they would listen. He not only kow tows to the Council, but readily does their bidding. He is "one of them".

We wish Chief Stavely well. He is right. He probably will never hold another chiefs job but he will continue to impact law enforcement as teacher in mentor for some time to come. Good luck and May God Bless.