Pasadena's heritage
Yesterday seems so long ago and it's easy to move onto the next topic without realizing today's newspaper had a story about Pasadena investigating its employees handling of a development deal. ("Firm hired in Heritage Square probe")
I offer two contrasting takes posted on PUSDGreatschools today -- which more than school matters, is something of a vehicle for Pasadena's "opposition movement."
First is a video posted by local political consultant Martin Truitt, excerpted from the denouement of the April 30 council meeting and titled "Bakewell goes Berserk"
Second is a message posted by former Councilman Paul Little, who along with former Councilwoman Joyce Streator, supported Chris Holden's motion to enter into exclusive negotiating rights with The Bakewell Company/Century Housing:
That anyone was hired to “investigate” is a problem for me. Is this the result of pressure from Council or the feeling among some senior staff that Council needs to be assured of their honesty. (I sure hope it’s not the latter… if so we need a new council, not an investigation of staff.)Click the link below to continue reading ...
Whose agenda is being worked with all this “investigation”? I’m thinking there are Council Members who didn’t want to work with Bakewell, but who had no reason to deny him, yet worked “behind the scenes” to gain a different outcome from the staff and weren’t satisfied when that wasn’t forthcoming. The problem isn’t with City staff…The real concern is how a staff that feels it may be “investigated” every time it makes a recommendation that may not meet the political agenda of some Councilmembers will react. If staff doesn’t feel they have the confidence of the Council, they may very well go someplace they feel they are supported. Then the community is left with the choice of keeping a council that can’t maintain an effective staff or changing the council.
If Council isn’t happy with a staff recommendation, the appropriate response is a “no” vote.
The other thing to remember in this “deal” is that the funds the City used to purchase the property are available to the City only to do exactly those sorts of things, acquire property to reinvigorate blighted areas.
Paul
UPDATED: Presuming Martin is YouTuber PasadenaCA, it seems he has something to say about Councilman Steve Madison in "Steve Madison AWOL":
UNDER THE DOME
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