Obviously something is very fishy. Since when have as many of 2 percent of the available voters shown any interest whatever in voting for Town Council? Not in the 29 years I’ve lived here.

One gets the impression from Steve Lamb’s letter there was some sort of cabal that got organized and brought out the vote (although he provides no evidence). He seems to think this unfair. What’s unfair about it? That’s how elections are won (and lost).

What individual working for their owen agenda is Ms. Bridwell referencing? Based upon what? Certianly NOT George Lewis who didnt want to get re-elected and didnt campaign..

As to this being a high turn out, willythekorn just happens to be wrong. The usual turn out hovered around the 700-800 range when the ATC elections were held in conjunction with OFD, and indeed declined after that but have been rebuilding the last three years. The highest two years were during the LaVina wars when between 1200 and 1400 persons showed at the polls three years in a row and in West Altadena elected solid anti Lavina candidates, but pro LaVina candidates were elected in the East. Many of the fractions in the Town Council sadly date from that time, and many members carry even inherited hatreds of other members and Census Tracts that they refuse to relinquish.

Altadena would indeed be better off if they would, but they refuse to do so and consider every single even slight disagreement to be a personal insult and reason to expand their overheated rhetoric. It is indeed tragic.

Willeythekorn-

I noted that a bunch of people in one particular industry were elected. I did not imply there was a plot or cabal, but I happened to express my displeasure at that.

The Altadena Town Council already has a serious problem with people serving with undisclosed conflicts of interest. Very often these issues do not come to light for months or in some cases years. In the past, our worst violators, sadly, have been people employed in the NFP industry, so yes I have both concern and consternation.

As to the evidence, the candidates themselves made much of their NFP ties in their speeches at the ATC.

DO I think there was a cabal? I certianly think its possible, but only time and the public screaming “ouch” will tell us for sure.

I am positive , however , that if all of the sudden four Architects, or four vetrinarians, or four anything elses got elected people would shake their heads and say “whats that about?”

SO, I take the logical observational position and I say “Hmmmm whats that about?”

And as my blog, once only known and read by my friends and certianly not people who didnt identify themselves with their names, makes clear, I believe in real open rough and tumble elections, and I certianly understand that things change and people get turned out of office. Usually, historically, this is for some kind of clear reason that lead to well known ferment. None of that was present in the ATC elections and it seems odd. Who knows, I certianly dont.

I havnt seen all the complaints, but there are, I understand numerous complaints about candidate behavior at the polls and various election irregularities in proceedure, including a certian well organized group in town attempting to completely take control of the election from the Election Chair. Those efforts certianly were indeed well organized.

OK. I am William S. Korn, resident of Altadena since 1979. We have mutual friends, in fact, as Chris & Marlene K. have been very good friends of mine for almost 40 years. I just retired (last Friday) from being the Associate Director for Operations of the Higher Education Institute at UCLA. Now that I have the time, I am turning my beady eye towards discerning how I can be of more service to this community which I love. I also have a blogsite (http://willythekorn.multiply.com/) which is mainly for my own personal interests and communication with my online friends, but is open to all and you are most welcome to read it. I hope that serves as a sufficient introduction.

As for your blog “once read only by friends…”, there is a link to it in the very entry of Altadenablog upon which we are commenting. As I’m sure you know, ANYTHING that gets on the World Wide Web is public.

I defer to your superior knowledge of vote counts over the years, and stand corrected. However, I’m sure you agree that even if 1,400 people have voted in an ATC election, it does not bespeak a large interest in or involvement with a community with a population of well over 40,000.

The Town Council could serve as a very valuable conduit to share information and bring up the concerns of the citizens of this community. Indeed, that’s about the only thing it seems to be good for, since it has no legislative, enforcement, nor policy-making powers that I know of. To bemoan the fact that the local newspapers don’t cover its activities much is to expose the fact that the ATC is not doing its job. For example, there are 16 of you on the Council. Surely one of you could at least update the ATC blogsite occasionally. I notice the last minutes recorded there were for November, 2007. Perhaps another member could submit articles to the local media describing the activities of the Council rather than complaining about not getting covered.

One could, of course, attend the ATC meetings, as I have occasionally either in person or on cable TV. However, to obtain the useful information contained therein, one must endure what seems like endless hours of what has been described elsewhere as political “grandstanding” that casts more heat than light.

Very lively discussion, guys. Keep it up!

Willie: Steve’s blog has been listed on our links page at his request — we were unaware of it until he let us know. Would you like us to add you, too? (We usually don’t add blogs that are obviously of a personal, limited nature — but we’re more than happy to link to you if you like!)

And to put in our two cents, I think the major reason ATC is not covered well by the local media is lack of manpower — PSN has laid off several reporters in recent months (others read the writing on the wall and fled). LA Times is, well, a joke — if ATC consisted of bored-looking anorexic models, I’m sure we could gin up some coverage (!) We’re not hip enough for LA Weekly — and Andre Colemen does pretty good Altadena duty for Pasadena Weekly, but it’s not near enough. And it takes an iron butt and strong constitution to attend some of the ATC meetings!

Tell you what, Altadenablog. If, as, and when you have time and/or interest. Take a look at my blog. If you think there’s any benefit to your blog in linking to it, feel free. I do talk about Altadena sometimes, and take some pictures too, but it’s mainly to share with /inform/entertain my friends from other places.

I’ve always wanted to have a serious conversation about the ATC with someone knowledgeable about it. My opinion of it has veered between it being a second and superfluous Chamber of Commerce and an amateur debating society for people who want to play at politics. I would be happy to find out that I’m wrong on both counts.

P.S. Actually, for the purposes of transparency and an accurate record, I just retired from the Higher Education RESEARCH Institute at UCLA.