Walmart shouldn’t be a closed-door decision

I agree completely with the letter regarding Walmart that appeared in the Aug. 31 Burbank Leader titled “Walmart is far from a cure-all.”

My question is why are so many important issues facing the city of Burbank decided behind closed doors with little or no publicity or public input, particularly when taxpayer money is involved?

Does the city’s population really want the low-wage jobs offered by Walmart along with a long history of questionable business practices and a race-to-the-bottom mentality to be a face of Burbank when other cities have fought strenuously to keep Walmart out?

Wouldn’t more quickly reopening the Verdugo Pool have better served the city than spending a lot of money to prop up a golf course that few people use because they don’t play golf or can’t afford to play DeBell, or simply don’t care about it? Additionally, the Council has proposed hiring a private consultant to help resuscitate the dying DeBell course and clubhouse.

Why should a private consultant be paid with public funds to determine how controversial bonuses for public employees might be calculated as part of an already inflated compensation package?

These are only the more recent issues that have been brought to light by the Leader. All of them should be determined by a public referendum.

Let the voters decide and face the consequences of their votes. At least we would have more input into the future of our city than we currently have.

Thomas Saito

Burbank