Mailbag

In response to the letter written by Sev Attarian titled “The right to aesthetic beauty” on May 26, I would offer the following thoughts.

Apparently you feel as though your rights as a homeowner have been trampled upon by the big, bad Glendale Neighborhood Services. If your home, or any other residence in the cities of Glendale and Montrose are in violation of certain codes, including “aesthetic standards,” then it is their duty to see to it that the owners of those properties comply with the rules. This enforcement is in your interest as a homeowner as well as the interest of all your neighbors. We can all benefit from having our homes and our property looking their very best in this depressed housing market.

Everyone — including you, Attarian — lives in a “community” and by virtue of this fact it is incumbent on all of us to do our part as good citizens and good neighbors to keep the appearance of our property up to certain “standards.” The fact that this point is somehow lost on you clearly indicates that you are not someone who cares what your neighbors think when it comes to the appearance of your home.

Torn shingles, temporary garages and illegal sheds are all violations of this city’s codes.

If you do not like these standards, or chose not to abide by them, then I would encourage you to find a city, any city, which does not have these standards and simply move there.

JIM DORSEY

Glendale

Citizen volunteers should help budget

I have been reading many articles in the Glendale News-Press regarding the city of Glendale’s nearly $10-million shortfall in next year’s budget. I know city employees are working hard to design some cuts to absorb this figure.

As a late night project, I looked up Glendale’s final budget for 2008-09. Anybody can do this in the finance section of the city’s Website.

Now, I’m the first to admit that I am not qualified to interpret this lengthy document.

But, this situation reminds me of the movie “Dave” starring Kevin Kline as a presidential impostor who tries to cut the federal budget with the help of Murray, his personal accountant from his hometown.