We Get Letters: The Political Gumbo Ignores Critical Principles of Fairness and Public Trust

Dear Editor:

Your Political Gumbo today misses the central points of those who commented last night on the City Council’s selection of Justin Jones to fill the District 3 vacancy.  Here is my entire comment with highlighted portions the Gumbo does not consider:

Good evening.  My comment relates to the alarming process used by most of this Council to appoint a Councilmember for District 3 to replace Councilmember Kennedy. 

I note at the outset that this comment is NOT meant to denigrate Justin Jones.  He is likely qualified.

However, prior to the meeting last Thursday, the City told District 3 residents that the Council wanted to hear from them on who would best serve as THEIR councilmember given the needs of their District.  Mayor Gordo publicly stated “I do think Mr. Madison’s point that we listen carefully to residents of District 3 is an important one.”

But at the meeting, with the exception of Councilmembers Rivas and Madison, the Council simply ignored the voices of the vast majority of residents who called in and who sent emails recommending Brandon Lamar for the appointment.  This sent the terrible message to residents of District 3 that their voices do not matter.  Many thanks to Council members Rivas and Madison for giving due weight to the voices of the residents of District 3.

Secondly, Councilmembers other than Rivas and Madison dismissed Mr. Lamar’s vast community knowledge and experience in District 3, choosing Council member Jones’ experience as an engineer instead.  If the Council already HAD the voice of a renter and of someone who has intimate knowledge of, and experience with, the issues facing those who are hurting in our City, Council member Jones’ experience could have been given more weight.  But Mr. Lamar’s experience and his perspective are EXACTLY what are missing from this Council.

Please consider these points when you make the next appointment in December.  Thank you.

This is not “whining about the system” as the Gumbo characterizes it.  It is calling out the decision making process of five councilmembers who, after the City specifically solicited the input of District 3 residents on who they would like to represent them, and after council members told them their voices were important, then blatantly ignored those same voices.  I am told many of the residents in District 3 already believe that their voices are ignored.  The decision making process of five council members cemented that belief.

Process MATTERS.  Fairness MATTERS.  Public trust MATTERS.  The ends DO NOT justify the means.  I believe most people would agree with this so why does the Gumbo  also state that there is “a growing chasm between centrists and progressives?”  Principles of fairness, respect, and trust are universally accepted.  They are not “progressive” principles.

Finally, the Gumbo says that “[t]here are real issues that need to be addressed.”  I agree.  Fairness and developing the trust of members of our community are two of them.  Until those are addressed, progress on other issues will be impeded.

Sonja Berndt
Pasadena

Got something to say, email Managing Editor André Coleman, at andrec@pasadenanowmagazine.com