Mayor Hall responds
In light of the selection of Rodney L. Muhammad's opinion piece, "Turns out neighborhood blight is a problem I'll have fix myself," republished in The Californian Nov. 17 as the Letter of the Month, alongside Kern County Supervisor Michael J. Rubio's excellent response, I feel it necessary to provide my missing piece of the puzzle to complete the picture.
I responded to Mr. Muhammad's original allegations with a letter dated Nov. 3 and postmarked Nov. 5. An excerpt: "There was nothing 'canned' in the response made by my office to your original inquiry (about illegal dumping and related issues). My assistants and I discussed your email and how best to respond to your concerns ... We determined the area was within the county and directed you to the office of Supervisor Rubio. Further, we outlined some of the ways I am involved in community cleanup programs. These programs are not past accomplishments but ongoing."
The letter was returned to the mayor's office by the post office because the address provided by Mr. Muhammad is apparently insufficient. The letter was also emailed to Mr. Muhammad and there has been no notice that the communication was undeliverable.
I categorically deny that Mr. Muhammad's concerns were dismissed or ignored. My office did everything we could to direct his concerns through the proper channels and address his issues in a timely, respectful manner. Furthermore, since we did not receive a response to the information we provided we believed Mr. Muhammad was satisfied. That was clearly a wrong assumption since his inflammatory letter was published not once, but twice ... and declared Letter of the Month!
HARVEY L. HALL
Mayor, city of Bakersfield
