Watching and listening to Walt Keller these past weeks, I began to wonder, “If Walt still has such a strong fire in his belly, why am I the one with indigestion?” Maybe it’s because I’ve already had two previous helpings of Walt, and neither one of them sat very well with me. I sympathize with Malibu residents who may be feeling ambivalent about Walt. After all, Walt is a bit like Malibu’s dad. He was a champion of cityhood decades before it happened. Without his tireless fighting, Malibu would never have won its freedom from the county. But history teaches us that soldiers don’t always make very good statesmen. The combative, abrasive, caustic Keller manner that helped with Malibu’s independence turned out to be exceptionally bad for governance.
Bickering and rancor reigned under Keller’s watch, while overzealous code enforcement made many residents feel as if they’d been selectively targeted just for disagreeing with Walt. Ironically, Walt now claims to be against overzealous code enforcement. It sure seems a convenient time for a leopard to change its spots. I think the real problem is that Walt still believes he’s Malibu’s dad. And like many dads, he’s having a hard time letting his kids grow up and leave the nest. He still believes that as long as we’re in his house, we should live by his rules. I obviously can’t speak for anyone else, but I grew up a long time ago. I have my own house and my own rules. I don’t need Walt’s.
Ken Cook