“I never intentionally would misinform the public,” Toni Atkins said re: the Kroll report’s allegations. “We had a lot of professional people that the city paid very good money to [advise] us, and the advice we got was not good. And, not to push the responsibility a hundred percent on somebody else, [but] the council as a whole and individual council members including myself should have asked more questions. …It all broke down, and we all share some responsibility for that.
“…to supporters: ‘I did my best to serve you. I did my best to serve the city. And mistakes have been made, and I am part of the process that made those mistakes. And the focus has got to be now to fix it, so that people like me can still run for office and do a good job and know they are going to have the right kind of [experts] advising them.”
from this week’s GLT Letters to the Editor…
“…in Councilwoman Toni Atkins district, District 3, there are 67,756 registered voters; only 10,163 valid signatures would be needed to launch a recall.”
— Hillcrest resident George Wedemeyer
“I like the analogy in the publisher’s editorial of 9/21/06 about Atkins’ supporters being Kool-Aid drinkers. In my opinion, however, the GLT over the years has been the pitcher that has served the Kool-Aid. This community has a long and storied history as a great big mutual admiration society that never questions the motives of carpet-baggers, charlatans, and grifters coming to town, being wined, dined, and lauded by our prominent community members, given a Nicky or some silly Mr. or Ms. Gay-whatever title, and then silently slipping out in the night when yet another scandal erupts.“
— Jim Krupiarz, former GLT co-owner (with Michael Portantino)
