Whose well-being does General Growth care about?
I would like to thank the City Council, and especially Mr.
Quintero, for their unanimous vote to move forward on the Town
Center. The council's vote echoed the wishes of the great majority of
Glendalians. The Americana at Brand is going to be a fantastic
addition to our city. It will revitalize Brand and bring new business
to all of the area. It will help adjoining small business in the
area; they should not fear its coming.
The great smoke screen blown by General Growth, the Galleria
owners, has finally lifted. Their lawyers stood in front of the City
Council and told the community their concern was to make Glendale
better, to make the Town Center a project that benefited all the
community. The Galleria's lawyers said their primary concern was
Glendale. Well, ladies and gentlemen, that charade vanished when this
great carnivorous, faceless corporation publicly admitted today they
lied and now are funding a ballot measure to over turn the council's
unanimous vote because they fear the competition. This out-of-town
corporation wants to make the rules and control all of our downtown.
The Galleria has decided it is in their interest to slow the
project. Not Glendale's interest anymore, the Galleria's interest.
Therefore, they are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars buying
signatures on petitions across the city.
I suspect they will successfully badger enough voters into signing
to get their roadblock on the ballot. What is a few hundred thousand
dollars to this corporation? Peanuts.
But what does it mean to us, the people of Glendale?
The Galleria's delay tactics means there will be less tax money to
fund our police and fire departments, our city services and even less
money for our schools. Each day the Galleria's lawyers slow the
construction has a cost to the city and each of the residents.
And why? So one of the largest real estate trusts in the nation
can dictate local zoning decisions. What they could not get through
our legislative process, they will attempt to buy at the ballot box.
Sound familiar? Just a few weeks ago in Inglewood, a large
carnivorous, out-of-state, faceless corporation tried to change local
zoning by the exact method the Galleria is attempting in Glendale.
Well, the people of Inglewood, by nearly a 3-1 ratio, told
Wal-Mart to take a hike.
For the voters who are reading this, I ask that you think about
the loss of local control, the loss of tax revenue and the impact on
