Does TO Staff Have Something to Hide?

As one who has been fighting in Thousand Oaks to defend the 1st Amendment and the Brown Act in our municipal bodies, I must say that I was a little disappointed to read the letter “Criticism of Brimhall Unfair” (Dec. 7), which mentioned my name six times.

Unfortunately, our wonderful city has been undergoing a civil war for one score years or so, ever since a handful of people decided to turn our cow town into suburbia, complete with a regional arts center built on a bedrock of debt and deceit.

I have been asked to defend my comparing our city to Orange County. I will agree that sometimes I may indulge in hyperbole to get my point across, but I want to remind you that their treasurer was considered a financial genius until the house of cards came tumbling down.

I believe that if there were nothing to hide, then our city staff would be like the Conejo Recreation and Park District or Conejo Valley Unified School District, which always provide our group the information that we ask for without [our] resorting to invoking the Freedom of Information Act constantly.

President Truman said, “The buck stops here.” It is time that the responsibility for the disgraceful face of this government be acknowledged and some heads roll as a consequence.

As a person, Mr. Brimhall has our best wishes, and I have conveyed the same to him and he has responded in very kind words to me. This is more important to me than trying to convince some citizen that I have no ill will toward our great retiring city manager.

NICK E. QUIDWAI

Executive director,

Concerned Citizens

of Thousand Oaks