The actions of Mayor Tom Hasse, as revealed in the June 8 issue, are distressing for several reasons. You would expect this kind of behavior from an irresponsible teenager at best. It does call into question his judgment, not to mention character, and the “agreement” he negotiated with the Malibu Bay Company. While on the surface it is presented as advantageous, in reality it is in direct conflict with all the electoral promises he made on behalf of the environment and to protect Malibu from over development.
The revelations of his blatant disregard for the law, including the warrant for his arrest, indicate a character flaw and perhaps explains why he could so readily stab in the back those who ushered him into a position he clearly is not suited for. We must ask ourselves if anyone, who has so little respect for the law, should be in a position where he can pass judgment, establish or change rules and regulations–and–have the opportunity to gain financial and political benefit from such a position. And indeed, could anyone in such dire straits, one who has such casual disregard for what is right, resist the temptation to take undue advantage from any given situation?
It is especially galling because of the keen disappointment he represents to all those Malibuites who worked so hard to get him elected because they believed in him. They believed in him at a time when nobody wanted him. Let’s not forget he won by a scant 29 votes in spite of the efforts on his behalf–efforts that turned out to be very costly for some of his most ardent supporters.
No, Tom Hasse isn’t the man his supporters believed he was. His easy shift from the ideals he espoused to aligning himself with those he once so egregiously maligned is further proof of his unsuitability for his position.
I think all of us who live and take pride in our community deserve better. I think it is preferable to deal with a straight and open opposition than with the covert, hypocritical machinations of political opportunism. The question remains, what other “surprises” can we expect from the “Mayor”?
Dan Segal