Mailbag: Where was Starbird during ADI debacle?

It can’t be too soon. Don’t make us wait until 2012.

The affordable housing scam that ripped-off Glendale for millions should never have happened (“Glendale files suit against ADI,” April 25). But it did, on City Manager Jim Starbird’s watch.

Where were you Mr. Starbird? What were you doing that prevented you from monitoring overcharges?

Why is this not mentioned in the “glowing” Glendale News-Press article on July 14, “Starbird to retire at end of year”?

Don’t wait Mr. Starbird. Leave now. Don’t look back.

Richard Bartlett

Glendale

‘Carmageddon’ is nothing new to 710 drivers

This is regarding your major news story on July 13 “Preparing for ‘Carmageddon,’” noting the chaos that could be caused by a missing link in the freeway system and the spillover effect projected for “all freeways in L.A. County,” because of the disruption of “263,000 cars.”

The massive attention to the 53-hour calamity on the 405 Freeway brings emphasis to the plans underway to fill the 4.5-mile gap in the Long Beach (710) Freeway, where similar effects are caused every single day for the thousands of vehicles that are forced onto surface streets, and nearby freeways, such as the Golden State (5), Glendale (2) and Ventura (134) freeways through Glendale.

Nat B. Read

Glendale

Editor’s note: Read is chairman of the 710 Freeway Coalition.

Drayman remodel: who knew what when?

Former Glendale City Councilman John Drayman’s condo renovation is apparently the subject of an investigation by the FBI and other agencies (“Contractor: FBI investigating Drayman remodel,” June 9). Eventually, we will know what went on there, if anything.

I wonder if the investigations are going to venture into Glendale City Hall to find out who knew what and when about the work done on Drayman’s Montrose condominium.

Did someone know about the work at the condo and didn’t raise the “red flag?” If not, then someone should have. An extensive project like that should have triggered some interest with city officials.

Sarkis S. Abrahamian

Glendale

Journalism thrives on reader letters

I would like to thank Editor Dan Evans for acknowledging my letter of June 16 and encouraging readers of the Glendale News-Press to submit letters to the editor.

As I wrote Mr. Evans, a regular Letters to the Editor feature is the lifeblood of a newspaper. It allows the writers to express their opinions on various topics and establishes an interest in what the newspaper is all about, gaining readers in the process.

This is a healthy step taken by the News-Press.

Don Mazen.

Glendale