Letter to the Editor:
It is disturbing that two recent letters to MyBurbank contain unsubstantiated claims, innuendos, and personal attacks in an attempt to scare voters. I am not surprised, considering these candidates are members or supporters of DSA (Democratic Socialists of America), a Marxist/socialist organization that calls for the end of capitalism, abolishing private property in housing, and internationally denies Israel’s right to exist.
Both authors talk about the large percentage of Burbank voters who are renters. At the same time, they dismiss the broad endorsements David Donahue and Samantha Wick have received from LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, the Burbank Police Officers Association, the Burbank City Employees Association, and the “Don’t LA My Burbank” group. Renters are already protected by law under the Burbank Tenant Protection Ordinance. I ask these writers: Why did you choose to live in Burbank? If you prefer the City of Los Angeles, where the majority of DSA is based, why didn’t you choose to live in LA? I have lived in Burbank for 37 years and moved here because of its small-town feel. I assume the two authors, Kyle Anderson and Dan Kleiman, moved here with very different ideas of what Burbank is and without the historical context to understand it. Forty percent of Burbank residents are homeowners, and their rights need to be protected as well.
Neither Donahue nor Wick are MAGA supporters, nor do they shill for corporate entities in Burbank. Unfounded personal attacks concerning women made against Mr. Donahue are despicable, and I am frankly surprised MyBurbank allowed them to be published.
The Burbank City Council has voted multiple times to only allow BRT buses to run in mixed flow until ridership reaches Metro’s projected 17,000 daily riders, at which point dedicated lanes could be reconsidered. That was before state housing mandates like SB 79 entered the picture, pushing 4- to 6-story apartments without required parking within a half-mile of transit stops. Neither Donahue nor Wick oppose public transportation; they simply recognize that this BRT plan is a bad fit for Burbank. Metro has repeatedly ignored our Council’s votes on the matter. Yet now, incumbents Nikki Perez and Tamala Takahashi are signaling that they want to roll over and let Metro take away two lanes on Olive Avenue.
It seems individuals aligned with DSA are comfortable misleading the public about their true agenda, stirring up anger and fear just like the MAGA extremists they claim to oppose. Facts matter. Know who you are voting for and know who endorses them. Candidates Van Gorder and Sutherland are backed by DSA. As a Jew, I want to emphasize that DSA’s platform and candidates actively deny Israel’s right to exist.
Burbank is NOT Los Angeles. We should elect David Donahue and Samantha Wick to preserve what we love about our community.
Barry Sarna
Burbank
