Dantona resigns from landfill task force
By Darleen Principe darleen@theacorn.com

The Simi Valley Landfill Expansion Task Force is now one member short following the resignation of Jim Dantona from the controversial citizens committee earlier this week.

Dantona, who declared his candidacy for the state Senate last Monday, said he didn't want to see his decision to run used to "politicize" the group if he remained a member.

Last month, Mayor Paul Miller, calling the committee a political organization, denied the task force's request to be put on the agendas of the neighborhood councils.

"Now I can come out and talk about this issue again," Dantona told the Acorn. "I didn't want to give more fodder to council members or the mayor, who keep saying this organization is political."

Dantona is seeking the 2008 Democratic nomination for the 19th District- a district currently represented by Tom McClintock (RThousand Oaks).

The candidate had been one of the seven task force members, all handpicked by Councilmember Barbra Williamson, who formed the committee shortly after Waste Management announced its plans in April to double the Simi landfill area to 371 acres.

Since joining the task force, Dantona has always been openly opposed to the project.

Williamson, who leads the task force in an unofficial capacity, said she wasn't surprised by Dantona's decision to resign. "Obviously, I'm sad to lose him," she said. "But he has a whole new adventure in front of him, and I'm so excited."

Dantona worked as a consultant for WM for six years and said that one of his major contributions to the task force was his "firsthand" experience and familiarity with the waste hauler.

"There were some good programs that I put forward or tried to put forward when I worked for (WM)," he said. "But I slowly became disenchanted with them. They say one thing and do another."

Dantona said he had no official plans of running for the state Legislature when Williamson asked him to join the committee earlier in the year. Although he's stepping down now, he said he wouldn't "step away" from the group.

"I am totally supportive of Barbra Williamson's task force," Dantona said. "I will continue to be supportive of it in any capacity I can be helpful."

In recent months, the task force has been the target of criticism from city officials and WM representatives, particularly because of Williamson's choice to pursue the issue outside of the municipal sphere. The task force has also questioned WM's business practices by discussing past criminal charges and claiming that an agreement made with the city was a violation of a state antitrust law.

When asked his opinion on the response by the city and WM to the task force, Dantona said it was "unconscionable."

Asked to respond, WM spokesperson Kit Cole said this: "WM is committed to being a good partner with the community. WM employees are actively involved in local community groups like the Boys & Girls Club, the Police Foundation and the Simi Valley YMCA. We also provide significant financial support to charities throughout the community and have made our property available for the Boy Scouts Camporee each year."

"But, given that Dantona told us a month ago that 'this is all just politics,' we expect to hear more outrageous statements from him throughout this campaign," Cole said.

In addition to addressing other concerns like healthcare, Dantona said, he plans to continue working against the landfill expansion as part of his campaign for state Senate.

Fellow task force member Louis Pandolfi will be hosting a fundraiser for Dantona on Oct. 18, with a goal of raising $150,000 for his campaign. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, former lieutenant governor of Maryland and the eldest daughter of the late Sen. Robert Kennedy, is the main sponsor of the event, which will be held at Pandolfi's home.