(Originally posted to Nextdoor Glendale, CA September 13, 2020)
Last week I posted a video of the Glendale Housing Authority – September 1, 2020 (Spaghetti Western Style). And I highly recommend this fine action-packed western adventure filled with heroes, villains, and do-nothings. https://nextdoor.com/news_feed/?post=160296239
Today I’m going to take a closer look at the exchange that happened at that meeting which demonstrates the contrast between a real public servant and a self-serving politician.
The Housing Authority meeting really started out like a Marx Brothers movie, with the only official business being the confirmation that there was no official business. Had Ardy Kassakhian not spoken up, we would have paid six Housing Authority members and five City staff members to do – nothing.
However, Mr. Kassakhian used the opportunity to speak up against this waste of time and money:
“I actually have a comment. If I may, Madame Chair. So a number of times this body, the Housing Authority meets with hardly anything on the agenda. We meet simply to approve minutes and we open and close. I know that there’s a stipend associated that we receive as Authority members. And I – Personally it does not sit well with me that I am earning a stipend for simply opening and closing a meeting that has no items on the agenda. And I’d like to see if there is any – I’d like to ask the City Attorney if there is something that obligates us to meet when we have no items on the agenda, or whether the minutes can be pushed. I believe they can. And hopefully through the reduction of these meetings, we’ll be able to not only save some money, but also not go through these, what I believe, are somewhat useless exercises.”
Those sound like the words of a true public servant, placing the well being of the City above his own personal gain at taxpayer expense. Every friend, neighbor, and relative that I’ve shown this segment to has been taken aback, impressed with the stand that Ardy Kassakhian took at this meeting.
After Kassakhian spoke, Ara Najarian injected some comments that were neither relevant to the discussion, nor truthful. Without naming the “Glendale City Government Watch” group on the Nextdoor.com platform, he used the opportunity to complain about criticism he has received here, instead of discussing Kassakhian’s proposal. Najarian only got eight words out before he turned the subject into one about himself.
“Oh boy! Are you suggesting we ‘go dark?!’ — I sorta went there with the City Council meetings when I was Mayor. Uhm, and some of the criticism I got on certain social platforms – who’ll not be named – was that we ‘re trying to stifle the public input. I don’t have an objection with your proposal. But I just want you to be ready. That I have caught and am catching a lot of heat almost every week on that certain social platform – and you know who you are – um, about going dark. So, um, I just wanted to raise that. I don’t have an objection to it. I understand that it’s a, that there is some cost savings involved that you mentioned. But… [turning to Phil Lanzafame] you guys… you guys know what I’m talking about [Najarian chuckles].”
Without addressing Najarian’s foreboding, threatening the grim specter of social media criticism, Kassakhian explains his reasoning behind his proposal. He goes even further with suggestions of how the public’s needs can be accommodated while still avoiding wasteful spending. Additionally, councilmember Kassakhian suggested ways of researching and assessing how much need there is in the community for the Housing Authority to meet, so that it can serve citizens efficiently.
Najarian responds with what sounds more like a ‘pity party’ than anything that is relevant to the topic being discussed:
“Yes, I agree. And it’s a good thing that you brought it up. Because if I brought it up, it wouldn’t go anywhere.”
Okay, so let’s look at what’s really going on here.
Ardy Kassakhian proposes eliminating Housing Authority meetings that accomplish nothing but waste taxpayer money.
Ardy Kassakhian is taking action on behalf of the Glendale citizen, and is even willing to forfeit his stipend to benefit the City. (*** Note that he and Councilmember, Dan Brotman, have each offered to cut their monetary compensation as Council members in half for the sake of healing the City’s budget.)
He also suggested a plan of research to investigate the impact the schedule change might have on the Glendale citizen, so that they will be accommodated when they need to bring relevant matters to the Authority.
On the other hand: Ara Najarian eliminated a far more important City meeting, City Council, where the public frequently calls in to discuss items on and off the agenda. It’s likely the most watched and attended of all City meetings, and the single meeting that addresses all needs of the city’s population.
He did it on behalf of an already highly paid staff (City Manager, Yasmin Beers, and City Attorney, Michael Garcia) who claimed they needed more (paid) time off to take care of City business. He did not do it on behalf of, nor with intentions to serve, the citizens of Glendale. There was no savings to Glendale, and it cost citizens more by maintaining status quo expenses while providing Glendale less service. Beyond some lip-service about “Special Council” meetings, Najarian never considered the impact his actions would have on Glendale citizens, and never suggesting researching what that impact would be. His foolish elimination of a monthly City Council meeting has:
- Diminished the input potential of two new council members, Dan Brotman and Ardy Kassakhian, who deserve all the time they can get to make honest change. He’s robbed them of an opportunity to do the best they can job for Glendale. And the people of Glendale didn’t elect them so they can meet 3/4 of their potential.
- Been maintained into the COVID-19 pandemic, when communications and information between the government and the public are more important than ever.
- Limited discussion time available for Glendale’s recent budget hearings, at a time when public health and economic recovery are of utmost concern to Glendale citizens.
Each demonstrates Najarian’s lack of foresight, inability to plan, and failure to serve the Glendale public.
So, who did he serve? With City Manager Beers’ enjoying more days off before her upcoming (well funded) retirement, does Najarian still think she needs more time off? Does City Attorney, Michael Garcia, need more time off in light of the fact that Glendale hires plenty of outside counsel to manage legal battles? How about new City Manager candidates, Director of “Community Development”, Philip Lanzafame, and Assistant City Manager, Roubik Golanian? Combined, we paid them about $687,000 in salary and benefits in 2019. Did they need more time off? They sure did a lot of nothing at the Housing Authority meeting on September 1, 2020.
Najarian’s ridiculous analogy demonstrates his dishonesty, didn’t contribute to the topic of discussion, and was used as a segue to badmouth the Glendale City Government Watch Nextdoor group. His attempt to scare off Ardy Kassakhian with projections of social media attacks is absurd. But Najarian prefers to ignore, or doesn’t recognize, the fundamental differences between his and Kassakhian’s actions.
Omitted by Najarian was that he has been a member of this Glendale City Government Watch group since June 11, 2020. His wife is a member too. And Councilmember Najarian even ‘liked’ one of my comments as recently as this week (he left it one of those little red hearts, indicating that he loved the comment). It seems a bit hypocritical… okay, maybe more than a bit.
But if Najarian needs recognition for cancelling City meetings like the Housing Authority, he can claim that.
It appears that the Housing Authority bylaws requiring meetings every Tuesday were changed to accommodate Najarian’s City Council ‘dark days.’ That way Housing Authority and City Council meetings could be scheduled on the same days.
If he were a clock, he’d be right twice a day.
Nextdoor thread comments – used with permission:
It’s so funny that Najarian is complaining about criticism from a group that was formed in response to a censorship move by the City designed to protect HIM from criticism. He and Yasmin Beers attempted to silence Glendale citizens by having comments turned off in Nextdoor Public Information posts last May.
And now he tries to scare Kassakhian with the social media group “who’ll not be named.”
Both Dan Brotman and Ardy Kassakhian have commented here and received warm receptions. Twice, Dan Brotman was attacked here on a false premise. Brotman either defended himself, or had the benefit of others coming to his defense.
But for all of the posts and comments here about Najarian, nobody has come to his defense. That alone should tell us something about him. He’s apparently not well liked or supported. He’s a Councilmember only because, for the most part, Glendale doesn’t vote.
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