Candidates for District Attorney

I read with dismay the Nov. 25 letter by Adam Pearlman, which impugned the integrity of Chief Assistant Dist. Atty. Greg Totten for the independent actions of Dr. Michael Bakst of Community Memorial Hospital. Mr. Pearlman should have identified himself as an ardent supporter of Ron Bamieh, Mr. Totten’s opponent in the upcoming election for district attorney.

By all accounts, Mr. Totten had absolutely nothing to do with the letter written by Dr. Bakst. Even assuming that Dr. Bakst erred in judgment by sending his personal letter to hospital staff on company stationery, it is patently unfair to use the incident to malign Mr. Totten’s character. Mr. Totten has spent a lifetime building a rock-solid reputation for honesty and integrity, which has earned him an avalanche of endorsements from county government and law enforcement officials. Knowing Greg Totten, I am sure that he values his reputation more than any elected office. As such, I find Mr. Pearlman’s politically motivated attack to be especially distasteful.

As a colleague to both Greg Totten and Ron Bamieh, I have seen both men work tirelessly to make our community a safer place. Win or lose, both Mr. Totten and Mr. Bamieh deserve to walk away from the election with their public reputations intact, assuming they conduct themselves in a manner befitting the office they seek. Mr. Pearlman’s underhanded letter seems to say more about the author than the two men competing to become the next district attorney.

Bill Haney

Thousand Oaks