MAILBAG - May 31, 2008

Giving nonprofits discounts a bad idea

It is not a good idea for the council to start allowing discounts for nonprofit organizations (“Nonprofit may get rent break,” April 29). Think about how many nonprofit cultural organizations there must be in this city of many cultures.

Glendale would have the city’s facilities full all the time.

LOIS LITTLEFIELD

Glendale

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Thanks to Relay for Life participants

Congratulations to the more than 600 walkers who participated in the eighth annual Foothills Relay For Life held the weekend of May 17.

They braved temperatures that went well above 100 degrees, as team members alternated walking day and night for 24 hours to raise money for the fight against cancer.

At this time, donations total more than $116,000 thanks to the generosity of businesses, merchants and individuals in the foothill communities. More than 96% of proceeds will go directly to the American Cancer Society. Many thanks to all who support the ongoing effort to search for a cure. It is an honor to walk with such dedicated people.

LINDA WALDHEIM

La Crescenta

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Schiff should follow will of the people

I would like to respectfully submit to the people of Rep. Adam Schiff’s district that although our district voted in the California Primary in favor of Sen. Hillary Clinton, Schiff as a superdelegate has chosen Sen. Barack Obama.

This goes against what Obama has said, which is that superdelegates should vote and follow the will of their constituents.

Why didn’t Schiff follow the will of the people? He has not addressed this very important question.

Well, maybe he will answer to the will of the people when we vote him out of office on June 3.

LESLIE MORGAN

Glendale

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Councilman’s whine lacks substance

My oh my, poor Councilman Ara Najarian whines about being “tarred and feathered” by those terrible, fiscally responsible homeowners, who want an end to over-staffing on Glendale Fire Department vehicles.

Make no mistake, this tarring-and-feathering scenario was set up as a “strawman” by the councilman himself.

Najarian said, “If I don’t agree with your position, I will be accused of being owned by the fire union,” which he proceeded to prove at every opportunity.

His comments, as well as his questions, utterly lacking in substance, were so patiently biased that it had an even more negative effect on the Fire Department’s position than was expected.

You have all heard the old canard about “the finest government money can buy.” Well, here we have three councilmen — Najarian, Frank Quintero and Dave Weaver — who for a few drachmas became the property of the Fire Department.

I assume they were obtained at a fire sale (no pun intended), as those three are certainly damaged merchandise.

In 11 short months, those terrible homeowners can remove two of them.

JIM WELING

Glendale