Leery of Caruso’s power in city

With regard to Theodore Polychronis’ letter (“Questions about Caruso and the City Council,” Dec.15)

about Rick Caruso’s plans to take over two properties in order to expand the Americana at Brand, I can only say: Bravo. It’s about time someone questioned the power Caruso wields in this city.

Ever since Caruso forced a second Environmental Impact Report about the historic fire station in the way of his development, which conveniently concluded that it was not worth preserving, I have made a point to put my money where my mouth is, namely anywhere but in the shops and restaurants of the Americana.

If the city of Glendale had had the smarts to lease the vacant land where the Americana now lords it over his neighbors (as the city fathers of Burbank wisely did) instead of handing it over to this developer, our coffers would be filled with much needed revenue. Instead, Caruso is free to spread his super-consumerism far and wide and enrich himself endlessly.

I encourage other residents of Glendale who agree with my point of view to join a boycott of Caruso’s Glendale emporium.

Isabelle H. Meyer

Glendale

Regarding your article about City Council demanding the Glendale branch of the Department of Motor Vehicles be reopened (“Council demands DMV reopening,” Dec. 18), when I first read about the remodel of the Glendale branch, I questioned it because remodeling is an expense that can be spared during hard economic times, especially so for California.

There are many schools who are more deserving and more in need of those funds. However, I also understand that employees need to have a certain comfort level in the workplace and that the taxpayers would also benefit from an updated facility, so I let it go.

Then I heard about DMV’s decision to close the newly finished Glendale branch before it even opened. I was outraged. The waste is disgusting, the politics are dumbfounding and the gall of the state is appalling. I don’t know who made the call on that one, but I sure hope there wasn’t enough left in the budget to keep them employed.

However, after I wrote my rant (I never did send it to the News-Press), I started thinking about how many reckless, careless and clueless drivers there are in Glendale and reconsidered my position. If most of those drivers had their testing and obtained their licenses at the Glendale branch, well maybe it’s not a bad thing that we have other cities (and presumably other employees) testing Glendale drivers for a while. Maybe it will turn out to be the silver lining in the story.

Then again, DMV could just close the Pasadena office (Glendale is bigger) and move those employees here, where they will enjoy new offices and updated facilities (the Pasadena office is really old).

I’m sure the drivers in Pasadena wouldn’t be too happy about it at first, but at least they’d have the benefit of a nicer place to get their business done, a larger parking lot and more residential parking available — and quite possibly happy DMV employees, with new heating, air conditioning, a nice break room and new, ergonomic office chairs.

Now, wouldn’t that be nice?

Amiee Klem

Glendale