opinion

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Los Angeles Times says Trump unfit to be president

Billionaire-turned-reality-TV-star-now-presidential-candidate, Donald Trump, was slammed really hard today by the Los Angeles Times. In a scathing editorial the paper called Trump “not fit to be president of the United States.” Despite leading the pack of GOP presidential contenders by a sizable margin in the delegate count the Times has this searing assessment of the billionaire: “The reality is that Trump has […]
Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Public input needed in search for new city manager

Burbank is looking for a new city manager. Burbank Water and Power head honcho, Ron Davis, is holding down the position for the interim. Davis has expressed interest in the job permanently, according to a report in the Burbank Leader last month. It should not be a done deal. At least outwardly, city officials are going through the motions of mounting […]
Monday, February 22, 2016

City Buzz: Crime and quality of life worries in Burbank

Crime and quality of life worries in Burbank prompted a face-off between residents and some city officials last week at the Worshipwalk Church, 3310 West Magnolia Blvd. No, Burbank hasn’t dropped into a pit of total despair, but it has taken some hits lately and that has spiked the concerns of many residents. Burbank Mayor, Bob Frutos, admitted at the […]
Monday, February 15, 2016

Presidents’ Day: Wisdom from Washington and Lincoln

If the heated and sometimes rowdy Republican presidential debates are making you a little nauseous and nervous about who will lead this country, just think back to some words of wisdom from  the two famous past presidents we honor today, George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799) and Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865).   “The […]
Thursday, December 24, 2015

Talk of the Town: Mark Scott’s holiday surprise

Burbank City Manager, Mark Scott, has the town buzzing again. Actually the dust of confusion and shock has not really settled from   Scott’s abrupt resignation last month, uh, he changed it to retirement, no wait, it’s now apparently back to resignation! Last Monday, the San Bernardino Sun reported Scott would be the “city’s interim manager beginning Feb. 8.” The news […]
Wednesday, November 25, 2015

City Buzz — Mark Scott, emails, and the city council

Outgoing City Manager, Mark Scott, has B-town buzzing for a number of reasons. First of course, his ultimatum to city council members to approve a reclassification/promotion for an employee under the threat that he would resign if they refused to capitulate. Three council members faced down that threat and voted against the change. At that infamous November 16 city council meeting […]
Saturday, November 21, 2015

Burbank city manager’s retirement email to city council

There are some indisputable truths in the City Hall drama between the Burbank City Council and City Manager, Mark Scott. The city council hired Scott. They are his bosses. They’ve stood up for Scott from the very beginning. In the face of angry public criticism over Scott’s huge salary and benefit package of around $300,000, each council member publicly declared […]
Tuesday, November 17, 2015

City Buzz: Burbank city manager threatens to resign

Last night’s city council meeting produced a bombshell and it had nothing to do with the council’s approval or so-called endorsement of the controversial Bob Hope Airport Replacement Terminal Conceptual Term Sheet. The Burbank Airport Authority overwhelmingly gave this framework for an airport replacement terminal agreement a thumbs up two weeks ago. At the council meeting Monday night, Mayor Bob […]
Tuesday, October 13, 2015

City Buzz: Burbank Police, oversight, and poopgate

Recently, the Burbank City Council renewed the three-year contract of consultant, Michael Gennaco, of the Office of Independent Review, as an independent monitor of the Burbank Police Department. The cost of Gennaco’s contract, $80,000.  In light of the growing tab for the notorious police cases and the BPD’s handling of that nasty incident involving Magnolia Park merchants last August, monitoring […]