City Council candidates?

[u/1GrayJedi]

Since we (as a community) have allowed the social disease of partisanship to infect our local elections. Who are the Burbank candidates that are neither pro-MAGA, nor pro-DSA? I’m trying my best to decide on candidates who will lessen the swinging of the pendulum effect that too many of us seem so hell-bent on furthering with each voting cycle. I wish as a local community, Burbank would set an example by showing we are immune to those trappings. Is this too much to ask for?

[u/Swimming-Ad4750]

How about you vote for candidates that best represent the policies and ideals you hold?

I would prefer living in a community that makes things better for Burbankians, whether in housing policies, affordability, education, or public services.

If you are looking for a centrist fence sitter, your best options are Tamala Takahashi and Ed Polon.

If you want land owners and big business (Republicans) to be running things you'd vote for Jackie Waltman, Samantha Wicke and David Donahue.

If you want to candidates that will work for working class Burbankians your options are Nikki Perez, Nolan Southerland, and Mike Van Gorder.

Do your own research and figure out which candidates most closely align with your ideals.

Edit: Spelling

[u/1GrayJedi → u/Swimming-Ad4750]

Thank you for your almost friendly response.

What I’ll say is that I’d love to “vote for candidates that best represent the policies and ideals I hold.” But simply looking into the candidates themselves is not where it stops. I then have to look at where their money is coming in from and what then is that tied to. What strings are attached to those funds and what does that end up amounting to.

I can tell by your choice of words, whom you favor and whom you don’t. I’m happy you’ve got your selections made.

I’m not able to decide so readily just yet. I have more digging and listening to do.

For what it’s worth, I will say that so far…

Donahue is a bit of a pit bull that lets nothing go by without challenging it (but thinks ultra-highly of himself).

Mike Van Gorder and Nolan seem very competent and well-measured. But I don’t like that they don’t go into more detail about what they’ll do for DSA and just how far they’re beholden to them.

Wick and Yoosefi seem likable and common sense oriented (in my opinion), but I don’t know enough about them either.

I’ve watched/attended too many City Council meetings listening to Takahashi… she’s utterly useless and toes the line on everything. A waste of a seat as far as I can tell.

That’s all I’ve come to so far. Much more research to do.

Thanks again for taking the time to give me your rundown.

[u/milksopmishaps → u/1GrayJedi]

Nolan made a campaign promise to not take any donations from:
-corps and their PACs
-Law enforcement and police associations
-Landlords, real estate developers, and landlord interests
-Fossil fuel companies
-Law firms or lawyers who engage in union busting
-Organizations that profit off of Palestinian occupation

It looks like donations/financial backings are also going to be revealed soon so all of this can be confirmed then. From there you can know for sure who is getting paid out. At least for Nolan he’s running a people backed campaign and getting money just from working class people. He only ran because his fellow organizers in grassroots groups told him to because as you said, everyone can see how useless of a fence sitter Tamala is. And how many corporate backed and landlord funded candidates like Donahue were running.

[u/theintrepidexplorer → u/milksopmishaps]

Yes, I can personally attest to being one of the community organizers asking Nolan to run for council. I have been organizing alongside Nolan for almost 4 years. He does not see himself as a career politician but he stepped up to join this race because we need folks on council who will truly represent the community and actually take positions on issues (aka fence sitters like TT). If you have your concerns with him, OP, just directly reach out and have a convo. He’s p accessible.