Wrong Answer

VOICES--Dear Eve and CD7: At tonight's Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council meeting you answered a question from the audience incorrectly in front of a moderately sized audience of Neighborhood Council members and stakeholders. When asked why the Councilmember had not yet met with the SAFE Coalition you tried to say she had by meeting with several individuals. I viewed the Councilmember answer a similar question in a similar fashion in front of a gang deterrence audience a few months ago. (Photo above: Councilmember Rodriguez center.) 

I have a few comments on this. First, the Councilmember has NOT met with the SAFE Coalition in any shape, manner or form and we call on the Office to cease misrepresenting the facts. The facts are simple: CD7 has ignored well over 100 meeting requests, through proper channels, spanning more than 7 months and has NEVER met with the SAFE Coalition or its most active and experienced leaders.

Second, while CD7 may have met with individuals formerly associated with SAFE, it should be known that each were among the least active members of our Coalition over the past year and were among the least technically and politically informed and experienced. They do not speak for SAFE and they have not been active on the complex and fast-changing high speed train issue for much of the past year.

We see enough fake news and misrepresenting of the facts and truth every night on national electronic and print media. It's a serious issue and problem in society today. We have serious work to do and we don't need such distortions and falsehoods in our community dialogue, especially from our supposed elected leaders.

Our ongoing requests to meet stand and we await the day that the Office provides the leadership and collaboration promised many months ago in the campaign and election time period.

(Dave DePinto is President, Shadow Hills Property Owners Assn.)