I attended a recent candidate’s forum with my 8-year-old daughter, who quietly cartwheeled in the back until one seminal moment in the evening when Beverly Taki admitted voting no on the parks bond. My daughter hurried over and whispered “I know who I am NOT voting for: Beverly. Kids will have nowhere to play because of her.” My daughter asked why Beverly voted no. I replied that Beverly thought the bond was not specific enough. In dismay, my daughter responded, “The bond was for parks for kids to play ball in. That is not specific enough for her? Where is her kid going to play when they take away the Bluffs and, since she voted no on the bond, we have nowhere else to go?” I told her Beverly’s son was now a senior in high school, so Beverly didn’t have to worry about that.
I resolved not to trust my child’s hometown to someone so out of touch with the urgent needs of our community. Beverly was the only candidate who declared she voted no on the bond, while 62 percent of the Malibuites voted for the bond. Beverly was campaigning at Saturday’s Little League Opening Day Parade, trying to capture the votes of those who value kids. “Mommy, tell them what she did when she got the chance. What she actually did is more important than her smiling today.” I agree. And I hope for the kids’ sake that other voters do, too.
Deirdre Roney