Councilwoman a Hypocrite

It is amusing that Councilwoman Joy Picus now wishes to divide the Planning Commission into four separate boards. Talk about political influence over the planning process.

Picus has painted herself as the populist champion of the anti-development, anti-growth factions--the patron of small and vocal minorities such as the Woodland Hills Homeowners Organization.

This is the same Picus who guided the Trillion project through the Department of Building and Safety a few short years ago, knowing full well that the project, though very attractive, was not in accordance with the then-pending master plan for the area. The legacy of this act is extraordinary traffic congestion on Canoga Avenue without even the benefit of synchronized traffic signals.

This is also the same Picus who originally approved the Warner Ridge development project and had it incorporated into the master plan. As a result of political pressure, she did an about-face and this became the subject matter of litigation that will probably cost the city millions in damages, which will be paid by all of us taxpayers.

Compared to Picus’ hopes for reelection or the prospects of higher office, what does a few million dollars in damages against the city mean to her?

The hypocrisy of the councilwoman is typical of too many politicians. That is the real lesson of this unfortunate story. Our poorly educated society, which reads too little and relies too much on unsubstantiated slogans and 20-second TV sound bits, is fodder for politicians whose primary goals are reelection and whose secondary agenda is the public good.

ROBERT S. SAGE

DORATHY SAGE

Woodland Hills