Time to change the way things are done here

Jesse L. Byers

So here we are with a vacant council seat. Another chance to do the

right thing. We were faced with this a few months back and the

majority of people in this city chose to reelect the sitting council

members. And where are we? Sadly, just more of the same. And yes, if

we reelect Bill Wiggins, we’ll get more of the same (“Former mayor in

bid for seat,” Sept. 10). Again.

This is a chance for the citizens to make a difference. One more

chance to do the right thing. Burbank is headed down a bad road and

unless we as citizens do something now, right now, it’s only going to

get worse.

If you think I’m wrong, look around the town we live in. What do

you see?

Yeah, we’ve got new the Empire Center; it looks great, nice big

stores and an open parking lot. But have you tired getting to it? Or

getting out of it?

And yeah, we’ve got new businesses popping all over San Fernando

Boulevard. They’re colorful and trendy. But did you know your tax

dollars are funding a majority of these stores?

Oh, and don’t forget the stores that aren’t being opened on San

Fernando.

Did you know your tax dollars are being used to keep businesses

from opening there?

Tried to drive through our streets lately? Easy for you? What

about Burbank Boulevard? That’s fun, isn’t it?

Oh, and we’re getting great new things like the Platt Project. Oh

yeah, that isn’t even close to being built yet. But that’s probably a

good thing since it’s going make that traffic worse.

And yeah, there’s an odd thing our City Council has done for us,

huh? How about all those new condos and apartment buildings going up

all over town, those nice giant complexes in downtown and other

locations? Houses being torn down, streets being bulldozed, traffic

being made worse. All in the name of condos -- overpriced condos at

that. They claim some of them are low-cost for low income folks. But

their standard for low income seems to be people that afford $50,000

for a one-bedroom condo.

The fact is that this town is suffering. It’s hurting. It’s dying.

And it’s dying because we’ve been stuck with a council that doesn’t

listen to the citizens, doesn’t care what they think or say or feel.

They haven’t done anything -- not one single thing -- in years that

has been a benefit to the citizens who live in this city. Businesses,

corporations, cronies, their pals and the airport are the only

entities they give any thought or consideration to. And that

attitude, that way of thinking and acting, is killing this city and

what I and those I know have always loved about it.

But it’s our chance to save it. This is our chance to breath life

back into our city, to start saving our city and our communities and

the things we love about Burbank. We can reelect Bill Wiggins and get

more of the same and inject a little more poison into Burbank’s veins

or we can get her a transfusion. Some new hope, some new life, some

new blood. David Gordon is that blood, my friends.

Gordon is a good citizen, a good man and will make a good

councilmember. Someone who hears the people and speaks for them.

Elect Gordon and start saving Burbank.

* JESSE L. BYERS is a resident of Burbank.