MAILBAG - May 20, 2009
Cuts shouldn’t affect police
We are very aware of the budget talks coming up and the possible cuts that will occur, and we are most concerned with any cuts affecting our police department.
Glendale has always been fortunate to have an outstanding police force. We, personally, found out this week how lucky we are to have these dedicated men and women serving our city.
We live a few blocks from the house in Verdugo Woodlands where the arrests were made for drug possession and gambling (“Police raid alleged gambling den,” May 14). We are sure that Sgt. Scott Johnstone, the detectives, Vice Detail and our community policing officers put in many, many hours in order to resolve this case. These arrests didn’t just happen by chance. It took time, dedication and intelligence to make such an arrest.
We need our police department. None of us can afford to have even one officer laid off. Our police department keeps our city safe, and that is one of the many reasons people choose to move to Glendale.
We don’t want to see anyone in any of our city departments laid off, furloughed — whatever the politically correct term is. But again, we feel, that the city cannot afford any cuts to our police.
RICHARD AND LINDSAY SODERLUND
Glendale
Rent control will spell disaster
I bet Julice Hatounian votes yes for propositions (a.k.a. schemes) on every ballot because she believes only the loathsome landlords will be hit (“Glendale needs rent control,” Mailbag, May 13). A law to protect us from rent increases! Heaven help us!
Who in their right mind would invest in any type of rental property with the specter of rent control hovering? Landlords, astute ones, increase rents to keep pace with increases in the cost of goods and services from cities, the county and state due to the “yes” votes from ill-informed voters.
Any thought I would have had to invest in rental property, especially now in Glendale, just went out the window. Watch the rental availability shrink with just a hint of rental control.
I am a renter in Glendale.
MARCIA LINDSTROM
Glendale
Rent control works in other cities
Rent control has proven itself to be an important factor of controlling the inflationary processes in our economy (“Glendale needs rent control,” Mailbag, May 13). It usually includes rent increase limits and eviction restrictions. As we know, rents were going up everywhere, not just in our beautiful city. However, Glendale rentals have gone up tremendously, and compared to other places they are very high. Obviously, our median income has not increased along with rising rents, and to maintain economic balance in our community we should adopt rent control. It stabilizes neighborhoods in Beverly Hills, Palm Springs, Santa Monica, San Francisco and many other California cities.
There are two ways to get rent control in Glendale.
Of course, if the City Council enacts it, it would be the easiest way of getting rent control. In other case, we should put it on the ballot by getting petition signatures from tenants. If we really want to see changes, we have to take actions.
MARGARITA TSAGOYAN
Glendale
Smokers are risking other people’s lives
Smokers rail against any controls on their disgusting habit as an attack on their personal rights and freedoms. They completely ignore and consider irrelevant the rights and freedoms of the vast majority to be free from the poisoned air, and health and safety dangers inherent in smoking. Here are a few recent examples of their disturbing actions:
On a recent walk up to the top of the Verdugos on the Las Flores fire road, I found empty cigarette boxes and a trail of butts distributed several hundred feet up the lower end of the road. This morning my wife was walking up the same fire road and was absolutely appalled to find one of the workers there to clear the brush smoking. She told him to stop, and he grunted some unintelligible reply.
The grass is now tinder dry after three months without rain and these examples occurred first as the Santa Barbara wildfire was raging and destroying millions in property and today when that fire was still not completely contained.
Several months ago I wrote about the plethora of cigarette butts I observed on the Glendale Community College campus. The same ugly trail of butts continues unabated to this day. It strongly suggests that the college Board of Trustees and others continue to be more concerned about the sensitivities of the smoking students and staff than the health and safety of the majority on campus.
Today I witnessed a particularly egregious example of thoughtless smoking on campus. I was walking between the track and parking Lot A when I smelled cigarette smoke. And there they were, two or three men spewing their poisonous clouds. And where were they? Right between the open door of the Verdugo gym weight room and two open classroom doors.
This failure to establish much needed effective controls on smoking on campus is really disturbing and infuriating.
Smoking is a stupid and dangerous activity, and every effort should be taken to contain it. Yes, I’m quite aware that it is a tough addiction to quit — far better to never start — but that is no reason for our society to put up with the miserable and irresponsible habit.
ROBERT MORRISON
Glendale
Glendale driving and trash problems
Georganne, I’m with you (“Vehicle takes a turn for the worst,” May 18)! I have never seen such reckless drivers.
As if that weren’t enough, Glendale has become a trash can. There are cigarette butts, empty cigarette packs, and all kinds of trash strewn everywhere. The only free zone is the Americana at Brand, because it has cleaning personnel who are on duty all the time. I have lived here since 1976, and I see that Glendale has become a real mess.
MARGARITE HERMOSILLO
Glendale