Union official feathers the rest of his comrades

Please allow an unaligned taxpayer an opportunity to reference Arleigh Kidd's comments published on April 17 regarding Tony Strickland's guest opinion from April 3.

Apparently, Mr. Kidd represents his own special interests, the United Association of Conejo Teachers union. Thus, for taxpayers, his opinion should be recognized in that context. It's interesting that Mr. Kidd replies to Srickland's article with a supposed quote that's not contained in the original commentary ("wants to protect working families by not having tax loopholes closed.")

This imprecise reference leaves us to question the context and credibility of the quotation and, by association, the entire position. Certainly, if we're left with this lack of rational foundation, then the other, more unsubstantiated generalities, such as those referring to those of Assemblyman Strickland's "ilk," are also called into question.

As a taxpayer, it's disappointing to observe that a teachers union officer and former public classroom instructor would offer such unsupported debate points.

Noting these deficiencies, Mr. Kidd conveys an unpersuasive case for the organization that he represents. Instead, we perceive employment of seeming verbal deception to persuade the public to retain funding for his special interests. Publicly labeled a "union thug" by a Conejo Valley Unified School District board member, Michael Dunn, in this very publication of March 27, Mr. Kidd clearly advances an agenda of higher taxes to forward the goals of his constituency.

If you google "Arleigh Kidd" and "Conejo," the search engine provides numerous references indicative of his activist and somewhat combative positions for the Conejo teachers union.

While welcoming everyone's sound opinion, perhaps we who read the Acorn to help form our views of officials running for elected office should consider not only "what" and "how" one expresses his opinion, but, also, "why." It might be interesting and revealing to learn of Mr. Kidd's personal financial motivations in so stridently objecting to Strickland's suggestions of lowering the our taxes and balancing the state deficit.

Paul Heron
Ventura