Embarrassed citizen

Dear Editor:I'm not sure if you had a reporter at this dog and pony show, but I am outraged by the clowns elected in office sitting up in front of citizens putting on a farce at Tuesday's City Council meeting. What a joke our mayor and other council members are. It was as if I could see through the act and see that they have no care or concern for the citizens of Downey. I am embarrassed to call them our elected officials. I stayed for the meeting where they were so proud of a paper-mache replica of a rocket and used city funds to send these kids to Kansas City (for the All America City competition). I remember growing up in Downey when the city actually brought businesses in like Rockwell and made real rockets that went to space and we would celebrate that. Look at our city seal; there are real rockets, I mean real rockets, not a paper-mache one. I am concerned as a homeowner in Downey that these people wearing nice suits are just putting on a show and just going through the motions of being a city official. There were concerned citizens who came to voice their opinion about the water rate increase but it was obvious that they could care less about the people who took time to have their voice heard. For the past 16 years the city has known our water system has needed major attention. City officials are feeling the pressure of Prop 218 and instead of putting a plan together between city and citizens, their solution was to just reach in the public pocket and make us pay by an increase of up to 150 percent. The entire time council members would preach how good Downey's water is but they all were drinking from bottles of Dasani water and pouring into paper cups. I actually brought this up when the mic was open and Councilman Mario Guerra replied "this is Downey water," making reference to the Coca-Cola bottling factory. I was born and raised in a city that was admired. Now I say I'm from Long Beach. -- Andrew Davis, Downey

********** Published: June 30, 2011 - Volume 11 - Issue 10