Caruso should give back to city coffers
Since the officials of the city of Glendale gave developer Rick Caruso land on which to construct his Americana at Brand — land which had a value of about $75 million — it would be a nice and undoubtedly affordable gesture by Caruso to donate $9 million to the city treasury.
The city could then resolve its present budget deficit and continue to provide needed services to the residents of Glendale (“Budget cuts will hit everywhere,” Thursday).
Such a gesture might gain Caruso some supporters from those who voted against his project.
Even if it didn’t, Caruso would still be $66 million in the black.
DICK SEELEY
La Crescenta
Setting intelligent limits is challenge
I saw the televised City Council debates on Fire Department overtime (“Fire chief, critic face off for dais,” May 28) and on Councilman Dave Weaver’s Rose float activities (“Weaver defends nonprofit,” Wednesday).
Fire Chief Harold Scoggins knows his business. He’s going to be an asset to city management. He was not well-served by his subordinates, who snapped and snarled at the council and members of the public who asked about the use of taxpayer-funded resources. Nor was he assisted by council members whose primary concern appeared to be the protection of their homes in case of a fire.
In many cities, the police and fire departments consume a lion’s share of public resources. In Glendale, we are fortunate to be well-served for the money. But if limits have to be imposed on services because the city has lost revenues, the challenge is to set limits intelligently. Public officials need to discuss their options and alternatives. Posturing is a waste of time.
The whole Rose float discussion appears to come down to a councilman’s misconduct. If a special relationship exists between the city and the Rose Float Assn., Weaver had no business appropriating any aspect of it for his own private purposes. He appears to have run roughshod over the association and uses his council position to bully unwilling businesses into making donations.
