Rogers’ attack of candidate ignores ‘serious issues’
In Will Rogers’ Jan. 18 column, I was accused of frightening small
children, being “really weird,” coupled with discredited past
politicians and being smarter than everyone else in the world. Of
course, Rogers’ quote of a small child screaming in fear is only, as
he admits, from his imagination.
Were any serious issues actually mentioned in Rogers’ column? No.
I must be doing something right to justify such a personal attack.
Rogers has used that promising device of propaganda -- when you
cannot attack the message, attack the messenger.
Frightening small children? Really.
Maybe I am frightening the City Council and its friends like
Rogers, who was given such a prominent place in the State of the City
video that Mayor Laurell produced.
The only passing reference to any issue is that I speak “almost
exclusively on airport issues.” However, that is not correct.
Yes, the actions of the City Council were reprehensible in giving
the airport a new Terminal A without keeping its promises of
obtaining a curfew or giving the voters of this community an
opportunity to respond as required by Measure B.
In addition, do we really need to have the view of nature’s
hillsides above us transformed into million-dollar mansions? One of
the fundamental qualities that enhances Burbank is that nature is so
close to and so visibly a part of us.
Finally, I take exception to the City Council’s use of closed
sessions for decision-making. The City Council made the decision to
file a lawsuit against Measure A not in the City Council chambers, or
even in City Hall. They made that decision in a back room of the
Fire/Police Department Headquarters -- out of sight of public view or
comment.
We must also remember that Rogers also wrote in November that the
fight over the airport was over with authorization for the new
terminal. While Rogers might try to eliminate the airport from this
election, the fight is not over. This city can still compel the
airport to become a “good neighbor” whether it wants to or not.
This is a time of serious issues affecting this community. That is
what this election should be about.
Will Rogers, if you want to talk about real issues and not merely
what you imagine people are thinking, tell me when and where the
community can see it, since it will not be in closed session behind
closed doors.
This city and community have real problems with real issues, and
personal attacks by you and the City Council will not solve them.
MICHAEL BERGFELD
Burbank City Council candidate