Council members’ priorities are off

The city of Burbank is starting to fail like the city of Bell.

It cost roughly $39,000 to pay for the lawsuit we lost over the city employee bonuses, there’s not enough money for the Got Wheels! program, water and power rates keep going up, and the Verdugo Park swimming pool has been closed for at least five years.

However, we have enough money to bail out a golf course hidden up in the hills that no one patronizes anyway (“DeBell is great, but so are services,” June 21).

Wake up, citizens of Burbank. It’s time for City Council members Jess Talamantes, Gary Bric and Dave Golonski to go!

Jim McAllister

Burbank

DeBell gives a lot to the community

I am dismayed to read the series of negative letters relative to DeBell golf course (“DeBell is great, but so are services,” June 21).

No mention is made of the numerous youths who learned the game at DeBell, including a young lady who is now a collegiate All-American. No mention is made of the money that is donated to charity by organizations like the Optimists who hold tournaments at DeBell.

No mention is made of the high school students who use DeBell as their home course. At an early age, they learn the lessons of integrity and honesty.

Golfers did not cause this fiscal problem. The city was in charge of building the clubhouse and allowed the budget to run over its goal. The city was the entity that stalled on replacing defunct golf carts for over a year, which caused many golfers to not return, as they would have to replace their cart two to three times a round. With the new carts, golfers will start to come back.

There is so much more coming back to the city as a result of DeBell, as opposed to a Tournament of Roses Parade float, which gives us nothing.

Joe Gunn

Burbank