A final word from Toby Keeler

It has been one month since the Calabasas election, yet some still find it necessary to justify the incumbents' victory by bashing the challengers.

Get over it . . . you won! Mr. Pope, in particular, is part of an "insiders club" whose sole interest is controlling power in Calabasas at any cost.

In his letter to The Acorn of March 29, he claims I ran "a divisive, untruthful, hypocritical, mudslinging campaign." Nothing could be further from the truth. What we did do was match these muckers at their own game.

The tens of thousands given to Groveman by developers and special interests is a matter of public record, and what was approved for Shea Homes is not what was built. No lies. True statements.

Pope points to Mr. Bozajian's Open Space Initiative and the acquisition of Soka as parkland as "visionary." Yet both he and Mr. Groveman were major supporters of Measure C, the massive Malibu Valley Inn and Spa which would have developed 152 acres adjacent to the historic King Gillette Ranch.

This 588-acre, $35 million dollar prize was purchased on behalf of the public by the National Park Service, State Parks, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the Wildlife Conservation Board, the Coastal Conservancy, the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission, L.A. County, local cities, plus generous private contributions.

The city of Calabasas, as Mr. Pope claims, neither initiated nor significantly participated in this key parkland acquisition. Talk about hypocrisy.

Enough already. There is ample time before the next election cycle to see how the future develops.

Will the performance-based Calabasas General Plan be updated to a higher density field day for developers? What higher office will Mr. Groveman seek next? And when will the voters finally lose patience with the cronyism that has gripped city hall? Toby Keeler Calabasas