Blurred lines?
As founding president of Alamitos Beach and executive director of the Council of Neighborhood Organizations, I take exception to the election of Isabel Arvea, district staff for the Councilman of the 6th District, to the board of the Wrigley Neighborhood Association. This blurs the lines between neighborhood associations and the council office. Associations are supposed to be independent, giving consensus, advice and complaint when necessary to the council office. No staff member of the council office should be on the board of any neighborhood association. The conflict of interest is clear, and it puts into question the very integrity of any vote, opinion or stance taken by the association. These are simple principles which to this date have never been challenged.
I urge Wrigley to rethink this move and bring the association back into line with the guiding principles of independence and non-partisanship which we all have adhered to.
In a perfect world, Isabel Arvea would simple step down, realizing this mistake, and her councilman should, in honesty, advise her to do so.
Robert Fox
Long Beach
Mr. Fox is correct. These “Blurred Lines = Conflicts of Interest”, whether real or only suggestive, make for poor government and an untrusting public!