Campaign Promises

* Residents were proud and honored when [then-City Councilman] Richard Alarcon opened a field office in Sun Valley (Political Briefing, Sept. 9). What really made this important was that, combined with the office was not only the Sun Valley area Chamber of Commerce, which manages Graffiti Busters for the community, but also an area where Los Angeles police could stop to conduct their business.

We were given assurances on numerous occasions, direct from Alex Padilla, that if he were elected, this office would be maintained. In fact, Padilla addressed the membership of the Sun Valley area Chamber of Commerce, saying that we could be assured the residents of Sun Valley would still have the convenience and availability of this office and the present staff. In most cases, residents would walk in from the local neighborhood and either the chamber or the staff of the [City Council] 7th District could talk immediately. It has been a great advantage to the local residents.

Now, with little warning, the chamber comes in and the 7th District office is packing up and will be moving out. Originally Padilla wanted the chamber to relocate with him to another part of Sun Valley, but we refused because the address was in North Hollywood, plus we have a five-year lease. The only real reason we could find as to why the 7th District wanted to move was that they did not like the location, which has a Laundromat on one side and a pizza [restaurant] on the other. It has never been a problem to the local residents in the past that this office is right in the center of Sun Valley.

The residents of Sun Valley deserve better treatment. I wish we had been told this when Padilla was running for the office.

FRANK JACOBS

Sylmar