Bill Brand and I disagree on the one thing that defined his political career prior to election to the Redondo Beach City Council. He thinks the AES Redondo Power Plant would best serve our community if it became a park. I don’t believe that’s the best use for that property, when and if it becomes available for conversion from its current use. I will give him this, if a park or power plant were ever the only two options, Bill and I would be in complete agreement, bring in the bulldozers and plant some grass.
I’ve expressed this opinion in my Easy Reader column, Harbor Lights, and in public statements at Harbor Commission meetings. King Harbor, the focus of my column and my Harbor Commission work, lies in Bill’s district, District 2. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Bill and I looked at all the issues facing our common territory and found we agreed on more than we disagreed upon. In fact, it’s safe to say we both want what’s best for District 2, the Pier and King Harbor.
When you’ve disagreed, sometimes vigorously, with someone in the pages of a newspaper and other public discourse, you don’t expect to find that individual personally agreeable, at least I don’t. So it was a pleasant surprise after a few emails to finally talk with Bill on the phone and find we had a lot to talk about and it all transpired in a pleasant, harmonious fashion.
I believe in the ideal of citizen-run government and the value of diverse opinions. I congratulate Bill Brand for his election victory, welcome him to the council and look forward to working with him in coming years.
