Supervisor Kathryn Barger simply doesn’t care about We the People, who couldn’t afford, (even as an entire community), to donate to her campaign coffers — unlike the landfill that could afford it, and did. Thanks so much, Ms. Barger, for taking a note from the Clintons’ “pay to play” gamebook. You’ve betrayed all of Val Verde, leaving them unrepresented by you, their so-called representative.
When I say “all” Val Verde I mean it, as a vote to stop payments to their community from the landfill passed unanimously. That’s right, unanimously. How often does that happen? They wanted their health much more than the money offered by the landfill, and they wanted Barger to respect the written agreement with the landfill regarding tonnage limits, height limits, etc., which had all been met. While the former extension was the promised last one, Kathryn Barger voted to let them double their size and stay open – for another 30 years.
You don’t need to go to Washington, D.C., to find a swamp, as I learned during four years on the Castaic Area Town Council. Political cronyism is perhaps more dangerous than avowed enemies, as it acts as an army of disguised saboteurs behind our own lines. Barger oversees the town council.
Despite the landfill receiving violations for accepting prohibited materials, community concerns about these materials reaching the water table, and residents’ claims of deteriorating health, Barger decided to ignore this entire community’s mandate, and their pleas to her. Not only is Val Verde economically disadvantaged, they also have zero local political representation thanks to Barger’s vote to make the landfill one of the country’s largest, right in our own backyard. The community also felt completely betrayed by the Castaic Town Council, which purportedly represents them, and who willingly agreed to give up their right to freedom of speech by agreeing to the landfill’s terms to neither speak negatively about the landfill, or allow their families to, either, in order to not have the landfill rescind their payments in the future. If they can’t speak out, how can they represent? They can’t. The only concern I heard them voice was about how much money they’d get. Beyond shameful. It’s indecent, and anti-American.
Shouldn’t public servants try, at the very least, to avoid even the appearance of wrongdoing and conflicts of interest? If they don’t, what does that tell you? How exactly has Barger served her constituents – constituents who relied on her, after she swore, like the local council, to represent our Constitution and Val Verde? How does one do that, and then betray the people the Constitution was written for?
The Castaic Area Town Council is evidently only a rubber stamp for the county, who makes it look as if they offer representation to their citizens. When the stakes (or contributions?) are high enough, the will of The People might mean little, because it’s not about The People, but careers and egos. Unaccountable Americans still fight under horrible conditions to protect not only us, but also more vulnerable populations as well, from having to experience this tyrannical exploitation we now evidently, to our shame, allow and expect in our elected “public servants.” For your own kids and grandkids, don’t let this go unchecked.
Barger can call herself a conservative or a progressive or whatever — it doesn’t matter — she is a career politician. We need to send a message, or they’ll never believe us, and why should they? Vote Barger out, before she sells us down the Santa Clara River too, like she did Val Verde.
Richard Hood
Santa Clarita
