Costa Mesa Votes Face a National Issue Turned Local: Immigration
My guess is, Costa Mesa Mayor Allan Mansoor thought he had a surefire winner when he took on illegal immigration in his town. And maybe he does. Nobody I've ever talked to is in favor of illegal immigration, even those softhearted, softheaded liberals that conservatives pity. It's just that lots of Americans think trying to stop illegal entry is a fool's errand and that the contributions illegal immigrants make somewhat dilute the arguments against their presence. Other issues come into play at the local level, and on Nov. 7 Costa Mesa voters will give us all an updated scorecard of how a community feels about illegal immigration. DANA PARSONS for the Los Angeles Times.