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YourHub.com \\ Lakewood \\ Stories \\ Sound Off \\ Letter to the Editor

Murphy best choice for mayor

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Contributed by: Susan Konsella on 10/24/2007

As a Lakewood resident for 14 years, I am supporting Bob Murphy for Mayor. Bob has the experience, wisdom and diplomacy necessary for the job.

His credentials are endless: 8 years City Council experience, served on various advisory/planning committees, financial experience both in balancing the city budget and managing his own small business, leadership in facilitating meetings, developing relationships to accomplish goals.

This job is NOT an entry level position. Electing a candidate lacking experience in city government who is unfamiliar with the history and dynamics of the multitude of issues facing the state's 4th largest city would be a setback. Our city would lose credibility with other municipalities and state officials.

From what I have read about Rita Bertolli, she seems antagonistic and accusatory. I don't see how she is in any way more qualified than Bob Murphy. He has owned property and a business in Lakewood for years. She lists her home address as that of her parents. Do we really want a person leading Lakewood who has no practical experience or personal financial stake in the policies she will be developing? I'll be voting for Bob and for thoughtful, diplomatic and non-reactionary changes for our city.

Susan Konsella

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Showing 1-10 of 17 comments

Submitted By: Donald Ferega

posted on 10/26/2007 @ 11:40:27 AM

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Your objective comments are well stated and clearly point out the only logical choice for Mayor is Bob Murphy.

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Submitted By: Jon Ludwigson

posted on 10/26/2007 @ 11:26:54 AM

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Great points Susan. Bob is clearly the only candidate with any relevant experience with city government, managing people, working on budgets, or anything remotely related to BEING mayor.

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Submitted By: Anne Stavig

posted on 10/26/2007 @ 8:15:25 AM

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Thank you for pointing out the real dangers of a Mayor Rita Bertolli. She vilifies anyone who opposes her or her positions. She does not have the maturity or the experience to understand that good people can disagree, reasonably, on issues. As a strong supporter of the land exchange, I was deeply offended by her accusations and insults. Her adolescent vision that she is good conquering evil may be charming as a youthful display of passion but would be disastrous for running a city government.

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Submitted By: Allan Berger

posted on 10/25/2007 @ 11:39:29 PM

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Mr. Beck. I am not sure that Mr. Murphy is a lackey for the developers. I do know that he has received all of the developer's money. And I do know that he supported a land exchange heavily tilted in favor of developers, 110%. I don't know what his plans are for Lakewood, because he has not told us. What I am sure of is that Rita Bertolli will not be in the developer's pockets. And I have some ideas of her vision and plans. I wish we knew more, but Bob Murphy is not putting it here or on his website, or anywhere in written form. His campaign seems to be: "everyone important supports me, so you should too, and, by the way Ms. Bertolli is horrid." This is the same losing campaign used for the Carma exchange. It bothers me to no end.

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Submitted By: Allan Berger

posted on 10/25/2007 @ 11:14:13 PM

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Mr. Beck. Why did you favor an acre for acre trade? Was it that you thought that the acreage the city was getting was worth the same (or more) that the city was giving up, or did you feel like that, even though the city was getting a bum deal, it was worth it?

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Submitted By: Susan Konsella

posted on 10/25/2007 @ 8:46:27 PM

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Thank you Mr. Beck for expressing the frustration I've been feeling throughout this campaign. I feel that Bob Murphy has been made to be the bad guy and that he's willing to let all of Lakewood be snatched up by developers. It is so reactionary. Anyone can determine by listening to him and reviewing his experience that he listens to all sides to arrive at fair solutions. I am so tired of talk that developers are out to get us and ruin our city. As far as Mr. Berger's comment on Rita giving money she had saved on a down payment for a house to the "fight against development", I commend her at her age for saving the money in the first place...something many young people don't know how to do. But I also value self-sufficiency and independence and they are traits I expect to see exemplified in the leaders I elect. She may be self-sufficient and independent but by living with her parents while running for mayor, the perception is that she simply can't be taken seriously.

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Submitted By: Ralph Beck

posted on 10/25/2007 @ 5:05:35 PM

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Mr. Berger, Thank you for your well-stated response to my comment. My sincere apolgies for any perceived or actual (though unintended) distortion. Though I favored the acre-for-acre exchange (gulch included) over the loss of our park-connecting corridor, I too would have preferred an exchange that more greatly favored the city; and I respect the informed opinions of those who disagree with me on the entire land exchange issue. The intended focus of my comment below, which I apparently miscommunicated, was an expression of dismay over the villainizing of Bob Murphy and our city council as community-careless, development mongers. This is simply not true--and not fair.

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Submitted By: Allan Berger

posted on 10/25/2007 @ 1:58:17 PM

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Mr. Beck. You are distorting the reason many of us voted against the exchange. Most of us will agree that the master plan called for exchanging some park land for other land (now owned by Carma). Most of us will agree that an exchange of some sort would have benefitted the city. However, the master plan did not state EXACTLY how much land was to be exchanged. That was left up to the city. Mr. Rock said he negotiated the best possible deal. Perhaps he did. But, it was a deal that gave vastly more benefit to Carma than it did the city. That is why the people I have spoken to voted against it. If the land had been a more even exchange, the measure would have passed. Most of those I spoke to gave little weight to Rita's argument that the deal was illegal.

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Submitted By: Ralph Beck

posted on 10/25/2007 @ 11:29:59 AM

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Susan, thank you for stating what should be obvious. Sadly, Mr. Murphy, our current mayor, and the other decent folks serving on our city council have been portrayed as anti-community, blindly pro-development villains. The primary reason: they sought to honor the Rooney Valley Master Plan. Ironically, this plan was a citizen-initiated, meticulously researced proposal focused on preserving open space (and adopted by the City of Lakewood years before Carma purchased land in the Rooney Valley). Referring to a similar event in San Diego, journalist Rachel Laing described precisely our current political situation: The motives of government and business are typically assumed to be evil while the "agitators'" motives are rarely questioned. "it's automatically assumed they're just 'concerned citizens' " (Voice of San Diego, 12-19-06).

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Submitted By: Allan Berger

posted on 10/25/2007 @ 8:13:25 AM

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Ms. Beranich, if the park was a dumping ground, it was the city's fault. They did not put money into it. The value was the land, not the current use or disuse. As for spending money, Ms. Bertolli has decided to use her money as she saw fit. It is extremely presumptuous of you to condemn her choices. Perhaps I should question why you continue to pay your mortgage instead of putting it all into Bob Murphy's campaign, since you clearly think that having Bertolli as mayor would be so horrid.

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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Susan Konsella

Lakewood , CO

Susan Konsella has posted 1 story and 3 comments since joining on 10/24/2007. Susan Konsella 's average story rating is 3.09.

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