Kimber should look further into ADI history

The interpretation by Dan Kimber of the events surrounding John Drayman (“A voice rising to Drayman's defense,” April 15) is reminiscent, to me, of the Town Center (Americana at Brand) discussion I had with friends I regard highly, yet with whom I disagreed.

In both cases, the differences of opinion were inversely proportional to the exposure each of us had to the data. The toughest part in keeping an objective evaluation also lies in our willingness to challenge the favorable predisposition we may have toward someone we like, especially when we have invested our trust, reputation, money or effort in that person.

Like Kimber, I befriended Drayman and supported him for many years, including his two candidacies in 2005 and 2007. But I followed almost weekly Drayman’s actions at the City Council, Housing Authority, Redevelopment Agency and the budget study sessions. The differences between his public pronouncements and the actions he took as councilman opened up slowly to me.

Try as I could to reconcile the differences, I could not disengage the mounting evidence before me that the man I had befriended and his record as a politician were significantly at odds.

The psychologist Leon Festinger, in his classic study of how we attempt to reconcile two conflicting opinions, labeled it cognitive dissonance.

To experience that dissonance directly, I’d like to invite Kimber to read the Glendale News-Press report in July 2008 on the Advanced Development & Investment Inc. Glendale City Lights project approval, and then watch on the city’s video stream the joint meeting of the Glendale City Council, Housing Authority and Redevelopment Agency. Since that event predates the federal investigation into ADI by more than two years, it might shake Kimber’s firm beliefs.

That is the challenge historians have for which Kimber, as a history teacher, would likely appreciate.

Herbert Molano

Tujunga

Glendale group is on the right PATH

Recently, your publication ran an article about the potential sale of property in the city of Glendale to the organization People Assisting The Homeless, PATH, to potentially be used as a housing option to military veterans (“Housing for homeless veterans pondered,” April 1).