Times Wrong About Opposition to Recall

Controversy sells. Keeping that in mind, it comes as no big surprise that The Times has chosen controversy over fact in not endorsing the recall of Thousand Oaks City Councilwoman Elois Zeanah.

In L.A., it’s Councilman Mike Hernandez. In this area, Zeanah is the press’ gravy train. Without controversy, newspapers such as The Times are forced to dig a little deeper to find items that are more newsworthy.

If you don’t a call meeting with developer Don Mallas where Zeanah agreed to fire the city manager, city attorney, and planning director in exchange for campaign contributions, or Zeanah’s wasting $13 million of hard-earned taxpayers’ dollars heinous, then perhaps The Times would like to ante up the money for Zeanah’s financial mismanagement.

Your financially motivated request for a vote of confidence for Zeanah is a vote for the architect of political hatred in Thousand Oaks. The Times has conveniently forgotten that Zeanah has tried to orchestrate four recalls in this community. She forced a special election costing over $100,000. Zeanah’s attempts to oust council members Schillo, Fiore, Fox and Lazar have failed and despite The Times, this legitimate recall will succeed and make Thousand Oaks history--for all the right reasons.

JAMES LEE HENSON

Thousand Oaks

Regarding your editorial “No Call for Zeanah Recall” (Oct. 12):

Yes, there is a call for Ms. Zeanah’s recall and substantial justification for the action. Your suggestion that $44,000 will be “wasted” ignores the costs that the city and our taxpayers have borne and will continue to bear due to the actions of this no-growth-at-any-cost council member:

Over a million dollars spent in sewer studies which revealed no new information, delayed the start of this needed project and put at risk outside funds to help pay for the project; endless litigation, which has usually resulted in a loss by the city, over projects which have been approved and then delayed in council; and finally the cost of our last special election to fill a vacant council seat, which could have been avoided by selecting the third place candidate from the general election.

This last affair was especially offensive in that Ms. Zeanah said she would respond to the majority of the people, but when the vocal majority was in opposition to her demand for a new election, she reported that she could not accept this as it appeared to be the result of an organized effort to select Mr. Markey to fill the vacancy.

Organized effort by the people is the very nature and strength of our democracy. This time we have organized to remove this uncooperative, uncompromising and offensive member of our City Council. We have every right for the recall vote to be taken and, at $44,000, it looks like a bargain.

PETER E. GLESZER

Newbury Park

Ventura County Letters