Letter to the Editor:
It appears as though The Burbank Tenants Union is attempting to villainize a City Council candidate simply for receiving campaign contributions from the Cusumano family. The assumption? If the candidate has Cusumano backing, they must be against renters. This narrative is not only false, but intentionally misleading.
What’s interesting is that the Cusumano’s have also contributed to the campaigns of both Nick Schultz and Laura Friedman and have hailed them as champions of renters. Upon further inspection of the Public Record, both have accepted tens of thousands of dollars from the very same Cusumano family! How is that not the same?
For those unfamiliar, the Cusumano’s are far from the villains they’re being painted as. They’ve built a rental housing empire from the ground up, offering options across the spectrum: Senior Living, Affordable Housing and Luxury Apartments. Their contributions to Burbank and countless non-profits are well-documented and very appreciated.
Before anyone points fingers, it’s worth checking the facts. Hypocrisy is clear when you selectively criticize one candidate while conveniently ignoring the identical actions of the ones that you support. Let’s call this what it is: political cherry-picking.
If you’re going to condemn a process, don’t pick and choose when it suits your narrative.
Sheri Small
Former Vice Chair
Burbank Landlord/Tenant Commission
