OK, that's it! Enough is enough! When is Mayor Allan Mansoor going to realize that he is tearing this city apart?

Late this afternoon Police Chief John Hensley announced his retirement! The press release from the city doesn't provide us with a reason, but it doesn't surprise me that he's deciding to leave at his particular time. How can we expect any top-flight law enforcement leader to put up with the manure Hensley's had to deal with since Mansoor announced his plan to cross-designate Costa Mesa police officers in December?

Since that time Hensley and his senior staff have been out in the community, trying to douse the flames of discontent ignited by Mansoor's plan, only to have our young jailer/mayor follow in their wake, lighting more fires. For the chief, it must have been like following an elephant train in a parade with a bucket and shovel. There's only so much of that stuff you can take! I wish the chief well as he leaves the turmoil behind.

While Hensley's departure is bad enough, I'm more worried about how City Manager Allan Roeder will find a suitable replacement for him. It's going to be like trying to find a swimmer willing to dive into a whirlpool and hope that he's strong enough to make it to the edge before being sucked down into the abyss. Even though our city has been at the center of a firestorm for the past four months and Mansoor's mug has been splattered all over the news from coast to coast, will any viable candidate really understand what kind of a mess he will be jumping into?

Hensley's departure may rekindle the calls for a recall of Mansoor and Mayor Pro Tem Eric Bever that I've heard off and on over the past few months. Back then I just dismissed those rumors as wishful thinking on the part of some very frustrated residents. Today I will have to give them some serious consideration. How long do we wait? Will we just stand silently as Mansoor steers this city over the falls?

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