I have decided to withdraw my candidacy for City Council. I did not take this decision lightly. And I feel that all of you- even those who may not have supported me (though I cannot imagine who they could be)-deserve to know why. I love Malibu and I have learned a lot from this process, as brief as it was.
I am not withdrawing because of the misinformation that is spread by certain people who write so many letters to the editor that they should have their own permanent columns. Spreading falsehoods is not really what free speech or democracy is all about. I can only imagine your letters next week. I am not withdrawing because some have tried to deflect the real issues by focusing on Ozzie Silna. Ozzie and I agree on certain issues and totally disagree on others. Regardless of his views, I want to go on public record as saying that there are few people who are as selfless and caring about their community than Ozzie. He has done more for Malibu than a dozen of his detractors put together. Finally, I am not withdrawing because I don’t have the thick skin to withstand the personal attacks. Growing up in New York and 20 years on Wall Street prepared me for tougher than this. These things only arouse my fighting spirit.
I have decided to withdraw for one and only one reason. As my knowledge of the job increased during the campaign, I realized that it will require a time commitment that I cannot deliver. And though the reasons that compelled me to run have not diminished, to solicit your votes knowing that I cannot devote that time would be a violation of your trust. Better to disappoint now, than to win and then fall short of what you deserve.
Just a few closing remarks to my fellow candidates. I hope you all abide by a sense of decency and civility in your campaigns. Animosity is a negative emotion that drains from our collective community. It polarizes people and does nothing to foster solutions. It reduces the dignity of all of us. To Walt, Jay and Pamela, good luck. You are willing to make a personal sacrifice to hold this office. I commend you and hope that, should you win, you will serve with integrity. To the incumbents, Ken and Jeff, should you prevail, I can only beg you, as a citizen and neighbor, to do the right thing for all of Malibu, not just the interests of a few.
The Bay Company deal that you wholeheartedly supported would have irrevocably sold out our community. No matter how you try to spin it, it was a bad deal for Malibu. There is no shame in soliciting the help of professional land use advisors in the next round with the MBC or any other developers. On the Local Coastal issue, some have accused me of being pro Coastal Commission. To say this is an inflammatory remark that is untrue. The facts are indisputable. We submitted an LUP and the City Council withdrew it. We could have had a locally drafted plan, now we have litigation, millions of dollars worth. To seek praise for fighting a problem that you created is somewhat odd.
Finally, I implore the entire post-election City Council to seek out the views and concerns of everyone, not just each individual’s supporters. Can you all imagine what we could accomplish if we took all this energy and applied it to common goals? To paraphrase Ben Franklin, let us all doubt for a moment our infallibility and join together to make and keep Malibu a place that our children, and their children, can proudly call home. I hope you, my fellow neighbors, will understand and respect my decision. I thank you, one and all, for your understanding.
W. William Winokur