Sorry, I am not able to commit to a
choice for City Council at this time. I
can unofficially tell you I am planning to vote for Bob Yousefian and have been
planning that since the upheaval in the Council Meeting that made my neighbors
so upset with his "outrageous" performance. He told me by that behavior he was the only
candidate that had the passion I have for my affairs. After that he again demonstrated his thoughts
coincided with my way of thinking when he learned that the committee planning
the banners in honor of those residents now serving in our military would not
include those who have recently given their lives during the war in Iraq he
offered to pay separately for all of those banners if they would include those
banners in the plan. Of course these are
personal points of interest and I have paid particular attention to City
Council meetings for the past 6 months now and found that CM Yousefian is ready at each meeting to comment and ask
questions about nearly every issue before the Council. I do not see that from any other current
member of the Council so that leaves me with a choice for another candidate. During this time and maybe shortly before that
I have noticed Lenore Solis is somewhat consistent with her comments before the
Council and has gained my confidence as being one who would also prepare
herself for each meeting if she were a member. In addition I consider her even more willing
to take up the cause of constituents in her neighborhood and really represent
those who had voted for her. Even more
important is the
presentation made by Bruce Philpot. I listened
carefully as Mr. Philpot worked within the strict confines of the "public
comment" portion of the Council meetings and made a well organized,
documented review of problems within the Glendale Fire Departments operations
manual and proposed solutions to those problems that would certainly lead to a
reduction in the overall cost of service to the tax payers of Glendale. As I have decided in my own mind the
suggestion of those solutions might have had more of an impact with those in a
position to act if they had been allowed to be presented in a single 40 minute
presentation. It is clear that very few
listened to his presentations, even fewer connected the problems with current
costs and no one but me considered his solutions necessary to the overall
economic condition of the City.
I can commit to voting
NO on the proposed "reduction" of the percentage of tax that applies
to telecom services within the City's jurisdiction. This is clearly a result of having been
notified by Vanguardians.
Carl E. Atkinson, Jr., Watching the City
improve since 1971