Ara Najarian Returns to Form: Playing the Victim

Just weeks after Ara Najarian gave a disingenuous apology for amplifying anti-LGBTQ disinformation on a cult-owned fake news channel, he returned to familiar fatuous form at Tuesday's city council meeting.

We wouldn't say "proudly."

On the agenda was a recommendation for the city to allocate up to $5000 to support an annual Pride in the Park picnic for LGBTQ families and allies. Ara, secure now in his mayorship, delivered a petulant rejection of the proposal, blaming the sponsoring community group (glendaleOUT) for an array of histrionic charges-- most notably, connecting them with this website. Apparently since Glendale Extremist Network hurts Ara's feelings and LGBTQ+ people existing offend his sensibilities, Najarian's brain conflated the two.

The $5000 request did not seem to be the real issue. Glendale has discretionary funds in its budget for exactly this type of community event.

Just last month, council member Elen Asatryan recently announced (with cringe fanfare) that Glendale will welcome the California State Open Chess Tournament for its annual 5 day event this fall. To secure the chess event, the city committed $12,000 with (dubious) claims that it would provide a "major economic boost." Ah yes, the notorious high rollers of the chess world.

Surely we can fund chess and community picnics in a city this magnificent. Wonder how much it cost to produce this video (with drone footage?!)

Side note: The press release for the tournament included a familiar name, dot818, CEO David Tonoyan-- a name devoted readers might recognize!

Tonoyan appears to be connected with an array of payday loan and dubious tech start-ups. He originally got the attention of this blog with his appearance on a list of maximum donation amounts made to fascist failson Jordan Henry for his first losing political campaign (Glendale City Council in 2022). Tonoyan also got a ton of money in forgiven PPP loans, keeping the tradition of possible grift alive and well.

Shaking hands with the guy whose LLCs donated to Jordan Henry campaigns in promotional videos. Check mate!

In the end, Ara Najarian refused to vote yes because he is definitely not a sad bigot with a giant grudge.

Sad fascist minions Mike Mohill, Scorchy Ray Shelton, and World's Creepiest Pool Man Tony Passarella came by to share their Greatest Hits of Off-Topic Sex Things during public comment. (Definitely do NOT bring your children to City Hall if you see these men approaching the podium.)

In a way, all of us has an El Guapo to face.

TL;DR - The grant vote will carry forward to next week's City Council meeting. Will there be three courageous votes to secure the funding for a community picnic open to all? It's Glendale, so who knows.