Mission Viejo Activist Says He’s Independent

Re “Elephant Unmentioned at Mission Viejo Meeting,” Letters, Jan. 11:

Michael T. Kennedy falsely accused me in his letter of wanting to bring the old regime of Sherri Butterfield and Susan Withrow back to power in Mission Viejo.

Mission Viejo residents who have followed my civic involvement are well aware of my fierce independence in political matters. Even when Butterfield and Withrow were still members of the City Council, I threatened them with a lawsuit regarding the religious displays at the Four Corners, which resulted in the adoption of the new city policy for such displays; I opposed them both on their proposed ban on smoking in public places, which resulted in the council’s abandoning of that policy; and I took the city to court over a property damage dispute in which both voted against me.

Furthermore, I have never donated a dime to the campaign of either of these individuals.

It is true, however, that I have agreed with them and supported them on many public-policy matters. I have done the same for the new members of the council, such as Trish Kelley and Gail Reavis. Kennedy’s accusation against me is completely false.

Hamid Bahadori

Mission Viejo