Criticism of Brimhall Unfair

Re Nick Quidwai’s letter “Now Is the Time for Brimhall to Retire” (Nov. 30):

Until now I have never felt compelled to respond to anyone with whom I disagree. Mr. Quidwai seems to be my one exception. I really do not know him and have only had one phone conversation with him. He would have you believe that he is the watchdog of our fair city and will crusade for the rights of the underdog. He is proud to be in this country and away from his native Pakistan. He is a regular speaker at council meetings. He has berated everyone from council members to staff and city management.

We have a saying in this country, “Never kick a man when he is down!” His criticism of our city manager, Grant Brimhall, was despicable. We are all hoping for Mr. Brimhall’s swift recovery from heart bypass surgery.

Mr. Quidwai takes aim at Mr. Brimhall’s supposed manipulation of city funds and compares Thousand Oaks’ financial stability to that of Orange County. I would like to know, where is the proof behind these accusations?

Mr. Brimhall’s good reputation and financial expertise are well-known throughout the state of California. Could Mr. Quidwai open his personal finances to the general public and prove to us that he can even handle that aspect of his life? What expertise does he have that would allow us to believe he is more qualified to judge how our tax dollars are managed?

My grandparents, like Mr. Quidwai, also were immigrants to this country. Unlike him, they chose to embrace the goodness of their new homeland. They raised their children to be good citizens, and if the children found injustice, they were encouraged to work for change in a civilized and respectful manner. They found that in this country everyone had a voice that could be heard. In their native land that voice would have been silenced in the blink of an eye.

I suggest that Mr. Quidwai get down on his knees and thank the God he always refers to for allowing him to enjoy the freedoms of this great country.

JUDY GOLUBICS

Thousand Oaks