...When All is Said and Dunn

The paltry amount of votes that were cast on March 4th have been counted and re-counted and the citizens of Temple City have spoken. Granted, less than 15% of the citizens used their voting voices, but they were the only ones who chose to vote. So when the other 85% want to make a request of the current city council and are denied, they will have nobody to blame but themselves.

The headline in this paper last week was “Arrighi, Capra and Wong” and nothing else. At first I thought it was a new law firm here in the San Gabriel Valley. It could also have been a new ethnically diverse comedy team. I’ll get back to you in a while and let you know which of these choices the three council persons are closer to.

All of the winners and losers made their intentions known at a personal forum and in this paper two weeks ago. I have to admit I was disappointed that the personal forum wasn’t aired on local TV like it was a couple of years back. I definitely found it the most telling way to understand or try to understand what the candidates were all about.

When it was aired a few years ago, I actually taped it so I could rewind the answers that were given. This way, I could make sure I was hearing what I thought I was hearing. I must tell you there are still parts of that tape I can’t find an answer to the questions that were being asked of a couple of the candidates. I guess I wasn’t alone, because one candidate didn’t make the cut again this time and one did. So if you are a regular attendee to council meetings, be careful who you ask your questions of. You may never get a straight answer.

The paper’s version of Q & A was much more telling. Unfortunately it should have came out a little sooner so people could have chewed on some of the answers that were given. In most cases, just like when I was rewinding the videotape, it takes multiple readings to get to the answer, if there is one.

Now that our newest council members are about to take office we should take a look at what some of their answers were. If they choose not to take steps toward correcting the problems and fulfilling their visions we should hold their feet to the fire come next election time.

This is of course if you voted for the candidates based on their political stance and not because you thought they were cute, liked the car they drove, or their last name was the same as yours. If that last one is the case, according to the Clark’s Temple City phone book, it breaks down like this: Georgino-0, Arrighi-2, Capra-3, LeBerthon-5, Thomas-64, Wong-397. You can do with this information what you will, but it’s for entertainment purposes only.

What I am expecting to see from our new council members, two of whom have tried for the position more than once, is motion in the following areas.

Mr. Arrighi has had a “vision” for quite a while now and everyone I know wants to see it implemented. That is, the sprucing up of the entryways into the downtown area. Dan, I agree with you one thousand percent, but I’m sorry, I can’t wait twenty years for a couple of landmarks and landscaping. So what do you say we bump up that time frame a tad?

Mr. Capra has some pretty lofty visions for making a Wonderful Life here in River City, I mean Temple City. Again as lofty as it may seem, it is right on target with what this city needs, well almost. His picture includes a new larger Edward’s Theatre complex, complete with new restaurants and shops. Bravo, I couldn’t agree more and the sooner the better. Your first call should be to whomever was responsible for the new theatre complex at the corner of Main and Garfield in Alhambra, because it is gorgeous and is exactly what we need. Now the bit about the bridge that crosses over Rosemead to the TJ Maxx Shopping Center from the new theatre is a bit over the top. My gut feeling is that if your proceed with this idea it will one day be known as Capra’s Folly.

Then there is Ms. Wong. Due to her amazing economy with words I was hard-pressed to find any real solutions to problems that truly exist in our city. The only things that I was able to decipherer from her answers was that we have gangs somewhere here in Temple City and that somehow we are supposed to encourage the residents to shop in a city that has been over run with bridal shops and nail salons.

Judy, I’m sorry, but you are going to have to point out those gang members to me because in 43 years they have escaped my radar. Maybe they are hiding in one of those two story hotels disguised as homes that are choking off our school system or possibly they are running the bridal shops, if they are indeed bridal shops. As far as encouraging the residents in this community to shop anywhere but Ralph’s in the downtown area you stand a better chance of building Dave’s bridge by hand and by yourself.

So now that the metamorphosis is complete, and the old guard has been handed its walking papers, all you new council members are on notice. As soon as your swearing in is complete you need to move fast, because Pete and Freddy are out of excuses, and to be honest, they haven’t done a whole lot since taking office. So start getting the job done, because the only excuses that will be used if things don’t change will be your own.

And believe this campaign promise when I say, we will all be watching.

The Shrub Speaks: “Uhh -- we are working -- hard to bring a diplomatic solution. And uhh -- we've made some progress. After all, the IEAE asked that the Security Council take up the North Korean issue.” Mar. 6, 2003

Response by Mr. Dunn – “Uhh – President Bush, it’s the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),