Open letter to Chatsworth mayor Bob Pringle;

Dear Mayor Pringle,

Nothing, and I mean nothing, demonstrates the lack of openness and absence of communication in Chatsworth better than your election flyer that arrived in the mail yesterday. For Chatsworth residents who may have missed it, I have posted it here.

Your flyer lists your experience on numerous boards and committees, for which I commend you. But it does not contain a single word about what you have done in any of those positions, especially as Mayor over the past four years. And it is silent on what you intend to do in the next four.

The flyer says nothing about current issues that the residents of Chatsworth are talking about during this election campaign such as the recent huge tax increase, the continuing subsidies by Chatsworth of the businesses on the Sunset Strip through the bio-digester Agreement, and road maintenance. Nor does it mention a single upcoming issue such as how you propose to cope with the pending large increases in policing costs.

I thought the purpose of elections is to give voters an indication of candidates' thoughts about dealing with issues that we all know exist, the principles that will guide candidates in addressing problems that will surely arise, and the candidates' plans and ideas about changes and improvements. Silly me.

With respect, your flyer sends four messages to the residents of Chatsworth, all of which are variations on the same theme. First: "No matter what the issue, trust me." Second: "I don't need to bother informing you about issues and seeking your thoughts and ideas because I know what you want and need." Third: "Everything is fine." And fourth: "Just pay your taxes and keep quiet."

Yours truly,

Trevor Falk
Chatsworth