[Editor’s Note: The ubiquitous City Council candidate complains about errors and perceived slanting in a recent story by another newspaper.]
In regards to my Candidate Profile featured in last week’s Culver City News, I would like to request you make the following corrections and omissions;
First, I am not a “former realtor,” as stated in Gary Walker's article. I currently am a realtor in good standing with the Dept. of Real Estate. I welcome the opportunity to find and sell good homes to the Culver City community.
It is interesting to note the way my positions were critically questioned while the other City Council candidates profiled got a pass on anything they said.
For example, I was called a “self-described environmentalist.” My environmental credentials outweigh those of all three of my opponents combined. Omitted from the article were my environmental credentials going back to 1969 when I formed the first environmental club in the history of Santa Monica High School. I was a government intern on Assemblywoman March Fong Eu's Environmental Committee, reporting on pesticides in the urban environment. I also worked as an intern for the Metropolitan Washington Coalition for Clean Air, investigating the EPA about air pollution in the inner city.
I have organized protests and demonstrations to defend the Santa Monica Mountains against overdevelopment. I take umbrage that my environmental credentials would be questioned.
I think the biggest omission bias was about my activities against the 33 registered sexual offenders in Culver City. I have been warning neighbors of registered sexual offenders living next door. I found that 80 percene of them were unaware that these molesters were within view of their children.
Mr. Walker seemed to question my integrity when he said I did not read the studies showing a 20 percent increase in rear-end collisions where red light traffic cameras are installed, despite the fact that I referred him to articles in the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly and to retired Culver City Police Lieut. Greg Smith who could corroborate my statement.
In fact, Mr. Walker quoted Officer McKinnon of the Police Dept. saying there was no noticeable increase in rear-end accidents since the cameras were installed.
This contradicts what the office of the City Attorney wrote in reply to my public records request of March 25. It said: “2. The City does not maintain a list of accident reports at red light camera intersections.”
If the city doesn't maintain a list of accident reports, how can they possibly try to question me on my veracity?
Mr. Zirgulis may be contacted at zirgulisr@yahoo.com
