End the myth of political control over airport issues
Material prepared by Burbank city staff has been put in a briefing
book for the Plan Evaluation and Review Committee (PERC).
It says, " ... by reserving the power to hire and fire airport
commissioners, each city retains continuing political control over
the policies and decisions of the airport."
Homeowner groups in Pasadena tell me members of their city council
have told them, "We don't want to discuss the airport, we're not
interested."
Letters to the editor of the Pasadena Star News from Burbank
regarding conditions at the airport are returned, saying " ... not
subject matter concerning local subscribers."
Last year, the Glendale City Council included an agenda item to
decide whether it would continue tri-city meetings to find a mutual
agreement for presentation to the airport.
They arrived at a consensus.
"We don't know enough about day-to-day operations, therefore we
can't make an intelligent decision." The matter was closed with a
note-and-file.
In the seven years I have been following airport and city
relations, I can't remember one instance where the Airport Authority
reinforces its insistence that it is a separate, independent agency
by ignoring all city requests.
Stop this merry-go-round. I want to get off. Nothing constructive
can come from perpetuating the myth there is any political control
over policies and decisions at the airport.
DON ELSMORE
Burbank
Board showed disdain for residents near planned store
I attended the Planning Board meeting Monday night to voice my
opposition to the addition of a 7-Eleven store at 600 N. Glenoaks
Blvd. and found it to be a disturbingly ludicrous farce.
The owners of a market across the street from the proposed site of
the 7-Eleven circulated a petition to prevent the 7-Eleven's
construction, and it was ignored completely.
Chairwoman Berlin voiced her concern that the signers of the
petition did not show up at the hearing to voice their opposition.
A good number of the more than 400 signers of that petition are
elderly and disabled citizens who haven't the means to attend the
meetings and were under the impression signing the petition was a
sufficient means of expressing their concern.
I watched Monday night as the Planning Board members not only
showed a callous disregard for the voices of more than 400 citizens
of Burbank, but also kowtowed to the corporate giant that could care
less about our city or her residents.
