Mailbag: Residents make their cases ahead of Election Day
Reasons to back Measure N
How disappointing that the News-Press is not supporting Measure N. The $17.5 million that would be cut represents less than 9% of the overall budget — and the only way our City Council can manage this cut is to degrade the essential services of our police and fire departments, as well as our great library system.
It seems to me that a truly devoted and creative council could find other and better ways to accomplish the necessary cuts. We are lucky to have a citizens group like the Glendale Coalition for Better Government.
Maybe if the city of Bell had had such a dedicated group of unpaid volunteers, the financial rape of their coffers could have been prevented. The $7 difference in our utility bill is minor and is not the point. We must reverse the practice of the City Council, which uses taxes like these to pay for unfunded and bloated retirement benefits.
By putting the brakes on now, we can begin to deal with a situation which is unsustainable and threatens the financial stability of Glendale’s future. It’s an insult to the voters’ intelligence to threaten vital services when we all know there are other less dire options available.
Bunny Rutherford
Glendale
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Reasons to stop Measure N
Glendale voters have an important decision facing them when they go to the polls on June 7. Measure N is on the ballot and if it passes, vital funding for Glendale public safety and other city services will be cut drastically. Because the police and fire departments rely almost solely on the General Fund, they will be forced to make major reductions that will impact the safety of all Glendale residents.
As a retired police chief for the cities of South Pasadena and Mammoth Lakes, and a third generation Glendale resident, I am very concerned about the impacts of Measure N. Measure N would cut funding for our local police department, which means reducing the number of on-duty police officers. This would cause the elimination of many of the police patrols that protect our neighborhoods, resulting in slower emergency response to 911 calls and less follow-up investigation.
If Measure N is passed, nearly 40 firefighter and paramedic positions will be eliminated, which will lead to slower 911 response times for victims of heart attacks, strokes, car accidents, fires and other emergencies.
The Glendale police and fire departments are well known for having some of the fastest emergency response times in the state, but this will be a thing of the past if Measure N passes. When it comes to emergency response, seconds can mean the difference between life and death. Slower response times means a less safe Glendale.
I’ve looked at the facts and the false and misleading arguments made by the proponents of Measure N. There really is no choice for how to vote in June. Join me in voting no on Measure N. It’s not worth the risk.
Dan Watson
Glendale
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On the fence over Measure N
I am so conflicted, and Glendale’s Measure N is causing this great confusion. Should I vote “yes?” Should I vote “no?”
I am not sure how necessary the “utility users tax” is. It does provide a fairly good chunk of the city’s operating budget, and the tax really isn’t that big a financial bite in the grander scheme of things.
Opponents claim it amounts to only about $7 per person per bill, a good bit under the $10 I normally pay. I have a problem when people use altered figures to get me to agree. One writer proclaimed, “The truth is that Measure N cuts the city’s budget by about 10% and will require nearly $20 million in annual cuts on top of the nearly $30 million that was cut as a result of the recession. Cuts of this magnitude will have a significant impact on services in Glendale.” The actual estimate is $17.5 million, still a significant figure, but once again, the numbers are inaccurate.
And this: “Measure N would eliminate Glendale’s third largest source of funding. If this funding is eliminated, the city would have no choice but to make deep cuts to public-safety services.” We never seem to be sacrificing clerical workers or parking-ticket writers. Scare tactics don’t sit well with me either.
Whenever I hear politicians or political appointees caterwauling about how passage of a measure will hinder their job, it is pretty safe to assume that the end result is actually one in which said people will have to be accountable.
So should I say “yes” or should I say “no”? After all, do the deceptions and distortions shoveled by measure N’s opposition outweigh whatever potential good the tax does?
Bill Cushing
Glendale
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Museum shouldn’t be tax-funded
I was baffled when a News-Press article reported on the prospective building of an Armenian American Museum in the city of Glendale. Why would Glendale build an Armenian museum when it does not host museums of any other foreign country: Mexico, Korea, Italy, Ireland, Cambodia, etc.?
It appears from the May 26 article that the answer lies with the money, possibly as much as $5 million, that the “museum officials” astutely determined may be available from the state of California coffers for construction of such an “educational center.”
A tax-funded Armenian museum is inappropriate not only here in Glendale but in any other American city. The taxpayer dollars of Californians should never be used to pay for or to subsidize any such project which will include focus on a single group’s misfortune. Armenians do not hold a monopoly on ancestral tragedies by any means.
However, if Armenian emigrants or their descendants want to build a museum, the perfect place would be in Armenia itself. Now that they have become American citizens grateful for the opportunity that U.S. has offered them and proud of their success, fundraising for a museum situated in Armenia would be a fabulous gift to the people of Armenia, the memory of their ancestors, and relished by all Americans of Armenian descent here — as well as Armenians still living in the old country.
Louise Delaney
La Crescenta
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Shade budget doesn’t float
Can anybody in the city of Glendale explain to me how we can afford $318,000 to install a total of six shade structures at Maple (four) and Maryland Park (two) to protect park-goers from the sun and we can’t afford a float for the 2017 Rose Parade?
Richard Jenkins
Glendale
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Questions about city planning
Belated kudos to Mayor Devine for her willingness to tackle height restrictions, as previously reported. Given the obvious discontent with the city’s development trajectory, can this paper please examine the process in depth? What roles do the Planning Department and powerful Design Review Board play, and at what juncture, for developers who want to build on a vacant lot or demolish an existing structure and replace it with something larger or new?
Per the city, at least one Design Review Board member must be a licensed architect and others “shall be qualified to analyze and interpret architectural and site planning information, such as but not limited to, landscape architects, urban planners, engineers and builders/developers.” Who nominated the current members, what are the members’ primary sources of income, and shouldn’t the number of developers be limited? Shouldn’t community representatives have a seat and voice?
It would be helpful to know if the city is offering tax breaks for any commercial projects (and the dollar value), and a running total, by area, of the number of waived parking spaces (deficit), so the cumulative impact is tallied. While I appreciate the availability of public development notices, their value could be greatly enhanced. The notice for an application to demolish an existing home and build a new one includes the number of stories and square footage for the latter but not the former. Is that information available to the city’s case planner? Without that information, a reader can’t easily compare the percentage of a lot a structure currently occupies to the planned percentage of a proposed structure .
Jennifer Pinkerton
Glendale
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Kassakhian would be ideal choice
As Californians prepare to vote on June 7, the race for the 43rd Assembly District holds special importance for local communities. Among the eight candidates vying for the seat, Democrat Ardy Kassakhian stands out for his proven record of leadership as Glendale’s elected city clerk for the past 10 years.
Kassakhian’s strong record as public servant has been recognized by local, state and national leaders. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who has endorsed Kassakhian, praised him for making “a real difference in the effort to promote justice and protect voting rights.” Garcetti continued, “in the state Assembly he will fight for better schools, safe neighborhoods and keeping entertainment industry jobs right here.”
Kassakhian appeals to the diverse communities of the district with set priorities as building a growing economy and increasing jobs, improving the public safety of our neighborhoods and strengthening public schools.
Kassakhian’s commitment to a strong public school education contrasts with that of opponent Laura Friedman. While Kassakhian has been endorsed by the California Teachers Assn. and United Teachers Los Angeles, Friedman has attracted the support of the California Charter Schools Assn. (CCSA). The CCSA has funneled nearly $1.5 million toward Friedman’s campaign, most of which have been spent on negative campaigning against Kassakhian.
Funding from this controversial source has angered proponents of public school education and the Armenian-American community, the largest in the United States. The CCSA includes charter schools belonging to an Islamic movement headed by Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen, who controls a global network of charter schools, including more than 120 in the U.S. Some of these schools have been investigated by the FBI for possible financial improprieties.
If elected, Kassakhian will be a strong advocate for public education. His win will be a victory for the future of our children and for the entire district.
Harout Harry Semerdjian
East Hollywood
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Voicing support for Kassakhian
Because of fraudulent attacks against City Clerk Ardy Kassakhian, I find it necessary to make this late plea to the voters in the 43rd Assembly District to cast their vote for Ardy on Tuesday, June 7. The TV ads for Councilwoman Laura Friedman (who claims they are not hers) are nothing short of disgusting.
I have been a supporter of Ardy Kassakhian since he first announced his candidacy to run for the 43rd Assembly seat currently held by Mike Gatto.
I have known Ardy since he was a candidate for city clerk, on the retirement of Doris Twedt. I first heard him at a campaign forum at the Oakmont Country Club and was thoroughly impressed by his demeanor and knowledge of the responsibilities of the city clerk. His performance as city clerk has been stellar, and he has done an excellent job in getting Glendale voters out for elections with his “Glendale Votes” campaign for every municipal election.
The statement in the TV ad for Laura Friedman that votes haven’t been counted is without merit. I know for a fact that former City Clerk Doris Twedt has been heavily involved in the vote-counting effort in support of Ardy’s responsibilities to make certain that every vote cast is counted and recorded.
Ardy is sincerely dedicated to education. He was particularly interested in the NASA space programs. As a retired engineer from JPL I provided him with the latest developments and accomplishments of NASA. Ardy also conducted career events for high school graduating seniors to make them aware of the opportunities provided to them if they continued their education. I was honored to attend one of these events and encourage the students to consider a career in aerospace.
Please vote Ardy on June 7.
Albert Hofmann
Glendale
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Blumenfeld makes time
I first met Andrew Blumenfeld via email, many years ago, while he was a student at Princeton. From that point on, before, during and after his time serving on the La Cañada Unified School District Governing Board, he was always reachable via email, and he always made time to answer my questions.
Both my children, currently La Cañada High students, have been the direct beneficiaries of Andrew’s work, from their math teachers to the option of nonstandard physical education classes. I have observed his powerful negotiation skills while on the school board, and I know he will apply the same demonstrated skills at the state level. Please join me in voting for Andrew Blumenfeld for the 43rd district of the state Assembly.
Belinda Randolph
La Cañada Flintridge