COMMUNITY COMMENTARY:Candidate not suited for city positions

City Council candidate Gary Bric's moral and ethical compass is broken and he should not be on the Burbank City Council, or the Traffic and Transportation Committee. I was astounded at his first-place win in the Burbank City Council primary election ("Four in council race," Feb. 28).

Now, after learning of his criminal record, my conscience has compelled me to write this. I absolutely don't understand the motivation behind the police and fire association endorsements for Bric, but I bet they don't live in Burbank. Such endorsements are empty and meaningless and should carry no weight.

Bric, a member of the Traffic and Transportation Committee, would not help us get stop signs or any other real safety measures in our neighborhood every one of the four times we went before his committee.

When we were troubled by an unfair conflict of interest on the committee, he would not speak up for us. This is public record and is available for everyone to examine.

In addition to city traffic engineer Ken Johnson's reports to the Traffic and Transportation Committee, and the accident record on our street, we shared photos, results of our own studies and other data.

Traffic problems and related issues are a primary concern for many Burbank residents. We hear our neighborhood is no different, and traffic problems and consequent dangers are problems throughout Burbank.

Maybe Bric and others charged with those responsibilities aren't doing the job. Safety has improved on our street, but Bric and the Traffic and Transportation Committee had nothing to do with it. I don't think any of us felt that Bric cared about safety and quality of life in our neighborhood.

He and the committee were concerned about protecting motorists speeding like bullets through our neighborhood. The improvement is the result of a concerned, diligent, persistent group of neighbors and a responsive City Council. We went to City Council on Tuesday evening June 6, 2006, and stayed until early Wednesday morning. We lost valuable time thinking the committee was a legitimate, professional liaison between city staff and residents. Apparently, membership on the committee does not require any critical examination of city studies, specialized education or skills, independent reasoning, any problem-solving ability or a simple background check.

The only requirement, in my opinion, is toeing the line.

We will continue to address traffic problems through neighborhood participation and our own committee. Results require committed neighbors and proactive council members who care about us, the safety of our streets, neighborhoods and the quality of our lives. His performance on the Traffic and Transportation Committee, combined with his criminal record, indicate Bric is not such a candidate.