MAILBAG - April 29, 2009

After the election, it’s time to laugh

I am absolutely and ecstatically delighted to have had a cartoon in the Glendale News-Press making fun of me (Saturday). Imagine: I, the candidate coming in last, was the first to help a newspaper, which had regrettably taken on a little of the characteristics of the humorless city it served, to discover — or maybe rediscover — its sense of whimsy.

I am immensely flattered by this compliment. My campaign was precisely to bring about this kind of change. And to tell the truth, I’d been a little disheartened. I thought there was no real hope for Glendale. But now, I am filled with new energies. I have recalled my job applications to various organizations in San Francisco, Boulder, Colo., and Taos, N.M. I have even forgiven Jason Wells for not reporting the fact that in one of the forums I sang a Hoagy Carmichael song as my closing statement (the only candidate in the 100-plus-year history of the city to sing at a forum) — to remind my “American-American” fellow Glendalians that they should worry a little less about watering unused golf courses to keep house prices up and celebrate more of the glories of American culture.

I am also very grateful to Councilman Dave Weaver for his comments in the article about our show that prompted all this (“A little poke at City Council,” Thursday). I would also like to assure him that I never presumed to think that I can actually teach him anything. I have suggested to our board of directors to name one seat at the theater in Weaver’s name. Of course, we will not have it occupied during Armenian productions — in deference to all those who voted for him for “narrowly patriotic” reasons.

By the way, for our next project at Luna, we are considering a reenactment of the April 21 meeting of the City Council — both the mayoral election process and the subsequent proceedings.

ARAMAZD STEPANIAN

Glendale

Calculator holds the key to tax

Bob New (“Sales tax increase is misleading,” Mailbag, Friday) has been a bit misled himself in, like many, making a common mistake when manipulating percentages. While noting, correctly, that the tax rate has increased 11% (actually a little more than 12%), he misses that the net tax paid on any purchase has, in fact, only increased 1%. For the percentage-challenged: 9.25 divided by 8.25 = 1.12, a 12% increase. However, a $10 item with 8.25% sales tax rate costs $10.825 whereas the same item with 9.25% tax rate costs $10.925, a difference of $0.10 which, compared to the $10 purchase price, is an increase of . . . all together now, 0.1 divided by 10 and then times 100 (to get percent) = 1%! Perhaps we all need to stop grumbling about too much government and review Math 101.

RON BRUSHA

Glendale

We cut water usage enough already

Regarding “Water rule is rebuked,” Thursday:

I do not think the proposed enforcement of water laws is fair.

I do not use much water, but how could I ever save more? I am very conservative already. I would suggest that usage of water should be based on the average usage conducted by the departments. If people go over this average usage, then increase the bill like taxing.

JUDY LAN

Glendale