The neighborhood forum for City Council candidates last night at El Marino Language School was a complete disservice to all nine candidates.­

­
They were only allowed two miserly minutes to speak at a well-attended event.

It also poorly served the residents. They were not even allowed to ask any public questions that might have helped them to allot their three votes come Election Day, April 8.

The two established candidates who had previously run for office (Mehaul O'Leary and Andy Weissman) did well for themselves in a status quo situation.

They had everything to gain by looking good and saying little. Nothing verbal was placed at risk. Each could have safe, near-private chats with a gaggle of folks near the safe confines of their personal table space.

While there are some in the other seven who could not buy my vote, each should have been allowed to respond to public questions from the very active and engaged Sunkist Park.

Maybe Candidate Brand X could have said something to gain himself or herself some votes, maybe even some free ink for their campaign in the press.

In my view, all nine are serving Culver City by running for public office.

They should have been shown a lot more respect for their community efforts. Just maybe, all nine candidates could have contributed ideas that would have benefited our community. Perhaps some real good ideas that the new Council majority could utilize for the benefit of all. But we will never know.