Opposition for Guerra

Dear Editor:The Downey Patriot's front-page story on candidates for City Council mentions that Councilman Mario Guerra is running unopposed for a second term. ("Candidates Pull Papers, Make Promises," 7/22/10) Mr. Guerra is unopposed so far because it is very difficult to beat an incumbent. Potential candidates know this and weigh their chances of success against an incumbent. Thank goodness for term limits, as Guerra would be on the Council many more terms if Measure G had passed. At least he's termed out in four years. Guerra claims a record of accomplishment during his first term, and he'll be the first to tell you about it regardless of the forum. What he won't tell you about is the legacy he and former councilman, realtor, developer and financier, Kirk Cartozian, left behind in the so-called "mansionization" of Downey, which has ruined the quality of life and valuation of neighborhoods all over the city. These homes, the ones that were finished, are out of scale and character with adjacent homes and are an eyesore. Worse yet are the many homes which were left unfinished and abandoned when the real estate boom went bust, which blight our neighborhoods. Guerra says he wants to finish what he started during his first term. He should start now by getting "his houses in order" and do something about all of the uncompleted "speculative development" houses which dot every neighborhood in the city, instead of spending so much time talking about his record of accomplishment. - Brian Heyman, Downey

********** Published: July 29, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 15