Arcadians open-minded, right?

Woke up this morning to read that the Pasadena Star-News made their three endorsements for the April 13 Arcadia City Council election: Mickey Segal, Bob Harbicht and Peter Amundson.

by Scott Hettrick

Based on the editorial, it appeared that their decision was based primarily on the comments and responses from all six candidates at the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce forum Tuesday night at the Woman’s Club, which was also a sponsor along with Arcadia Weekly and the Arcadia Association of Realtors.

But the writers must not have been paying close attention or have bothered to read the profiles of the candidates prepared by The Arcadia Weekly and handed out and available at the forum, and must not have even been paying attention to Arcadia City Council matters at all for the last couple years because they said that Mickey Segal is one of three incumbent candidates. He is not.

Hmmm, what else did this article have factually incorrect?

Well, they also mentioned Mickey Segal’s “corporate lawyering skills.” Uh, he’s not a lawyer.

Hmmm, what else?

Three yard signs in house a few doors to the east of mine represent a mix of cultural candidates that the Pasadena Star-News suggests Arcadians are unwilling to embrace.

Well, of the 46 words they devoted to the three Asian candidates in the last two sentences of the 650-word editorial, they characterized all three as bringing “the same kind of volunteer commitments and conservative values as the incumbents.”

Um, in fact, the lack of volunteer commitments in the community has been one of the biggest criticisms about two of the candidates. Even the candidates would have to agree that only one of the three Asian candidates — Sho Tay — has come anywhere close to the level of volunteer commitments in Arcadia as Segal and Harbicht.

Hmmm, surely there isn’t any more mischaracterizations in one editorial, right? (Story continues below the following 10-minute video highlights gratefully submitted by Nick Zigic of Henry Nunez Real Estate for “Local View” of the introductory remarks by each of the six candidates at the March 23 forum.) –

Let’s see, in addition to the single forum attended by the writers, it appears that much of the commentary was based on the always valid and representative quick drive up and down a couple streets in Arcadia, after which they concluded that Arcadia is polarized along racial lines. They cited yards that had either signs of support for Asian candidates or Caucasian candidates, but never both with a single exception: “One gas station on First Avenue was the only location touting a mixed grouping of candidates.”

Another home in foothills displays signs of support for two Asian candidates and a conservative Caucasian.

Hmmm, I took a peek out my front door and looked at the yard of the house only a couple doors to the west and saw signs for Mickey Segal, Bob Harbicht, and Sho Tay, three culturally, racially, and religiously diverse American candidates, including one of Taiwanese descent who would be pigeon-holed in this ludicrous context as Chinese.

I looked a few doors down to the east and saw the same three signs in the front yard of another neighbor.

Truth is, where there are yards with signs endorsing only Caucasian or Asian candidates, it’s usually because there is only one sign in the yard endorsing a single candidate. I have yet to see a single home with signs for all three Asian candidates and very few with signs for even two Asian candidates in the same yard.

So, now the editorial has not only presented multiple factually inaccurate statements, but it painted a profile of two Arcadias, a Chinese Arcadia and a Caucasian Arcadia.

Matt Denny’s Ale House Restaurant

I’m not naive enough to believe there are not residents in town who prefer the separation, but it’s hardly accurate to paint a picture of the entire town divided down these lines and incapable or unwilling to consider the validity of any candidate based purely on race.

Another of many homes with yard signs supporting both Asian and Caucasian candidates.

If the writers were really listening at the forum and following the candidates and not simply trying to be provocative and sensational, they would hear Sho Tay stressing a platform of “One Arcadia” and “Community Unity,” and would have heard heard Paul Cheng saying he is in favor of enforcing business sign ordinances to keep Chinese language in the minority position. They would have heard Bob Harbicht, Mickey Segal, and Sho Tay speak contrary to the obvious and easy stance of English-speakers on the sign question and suggest that oppressing free speech by Chinese businesses is unconstitutional.

In fact, the much smaller and leaner Arcadia Weekly covered all of that much more accurately and thoroughly by editor John Stephens in today’s paper.

And, in fact, having been the moderator of that forum, I was pleased to see so many indications of the opposite of what the Star-News is suggesting. Each candidate was civil throughout. The topics of concern and questions raised by audience and Chamber members had nothing to do with race, but rather real city issues relating to traffic, development, candidate qualifications, etc.

I was also pleased to see more than 150 people in attendance despite this being the third all-candidate forum in less than a week that drew more than 100 people. Two young adult ladies I met after the forum told me they live in Arcadia but that this was the first time they had really paid attention to an election and become engaged in the process, and that they learned so much more about the candidates by watching them in person.

That was one of the best take-aways for me — that this election, with its diversity of age, experience, and culture, is sparking residents to pay attention and become involved.

The other take-away is that there is really no major or divisive issue of any magnitude in Arcadia, including race. We’re bigger and smarter and more adaptable than that; unlike the Star-News writers, who tried to characterize Arcadians as “unable to mix Asian names with Anglo ones.”

Hmmm, is this the pot calling the kettle black? Who was it that then went on to endorse the three White guys for City Council with barely any mention of the positives or negatives of the Asian candidates?

— By Scott Hettrick