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Leader endorsements for Burbank City Council: Nos, Talamantes

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With the election of Bob Frutos to the City Council last month, Burbank stated that it wants change on the dais. With the general election fast approaching, voters should continue that trend.

We endorse David Nos and Jess Talamantes for City Council.

Nos, a businessman, and Talamantes, a retired fire official, are the best suited to give the council a new start, unencumbered with the long-standing and mostly pointless grudges between Council members.

Both have had their share of controversy. Nos, who touts his real-world business experience as a boon for the city, filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy after his longtime printing business CBFS, Inc., struggled during the recession. Talamantes was roundly chastised after saying the DeBell Golf Course was “too big to fail.” Critics considered this tone-deaf, given the city’s precarious finances.

But the aftermath showed the type of character these men have, and why they should be elected to the council. Nos did not duck his debts; Chapter 13 bankruptcy simply allows a debtor to keep his or her property and pay all or part of the debt over time.

Talamantes refused to back down from his statement, saying the golf course was a civic treasure and needed to be protected. His opponents — including a labor union upset about a coming Walmart — have attempted to paint him as a spendthrift, but the allegation simply does not stand up to scrutiny.

We believe the election of Nos and Talamantes will give the council — and the city as a whole — a fresh look at Burbank’s pressing issues. Let’s stop the infighting and get to work.

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