Playing Politics Obscures Truth

* The fox wants to rebuild the chicken coop. Why should we trust him?

After three years of promoting fast growth and violating our community standards for developers who contribute to his war chest, [Thousand Oaks City Councilman] Andy Fox now wants to tell us chickens what slow growth should mean to us. I find this as hypocritical as a fox in sheep’s clothing.

In light of the 67% who voted for [Councilwoman Elois] Zeanah [in her recall election], Fox knows that his chances for getting reelected next year are as thin as a hair on a fox’s tail. Now Fox wants to offer a peace truce by appointing a committee to redefine slow growth.

A peace truce? What a foxy move. Now that bell has tolled too little, too late for Andy Fox. After the recall drive was announced, I had lunch with Andy and asked him to call it off and to do what was right if he really had the community interest at heart. He refused. Just as Fox blew his earlier chance to be a peacemaker when he promised to end council divisiveness if elected. Instead of stopping the hostility, he escalated it and became the leader of the Tuesday night attack squad.

If Fox wants a peace truce, he should stop his attacks and insults and nominate Elois for mayor. Voters sent a strong message on Nov. 4 that they believe in fair play. Giving Elois her fair turn in the rotational system as mayor would show he too believes in fair play.

Perhaps the silent majority needs to send another message to Councilman Fox, since he doesn’t seem to understand the 67% message. Would anyone be up for tying fox tails on our vehicle antennas?

JACK DAVIS

Thousand Oaks

* I was present when Jill Lederer won the Conejo Woman of the Year Award several years ago, and I thought she was a perky young woman just having fun with her business and her life.

I was also present a few years later when she gave her going-out-of-office speech as chairwoman of the Thousand Oaks Chamber of Commerce. It was a speech filled with passion for slow growth and against the extremist style of government that Elois Zeanah had brought to our City Council.

I know many people who voted against the recall because they were opposed to the process, not because they thought council member Zeanah was a benefit to our city. The truth was sufficiently muddied by the arguments about the process. This is a shame, but it often happens in politics.

I encourage all of us to listen the next time the small voice of truth tries to speak to us. It may not come in so recognizable a package again.

JASON BERGERON

Thousand Oaks