I'm a resident of the Cordova mobile home park and attended the hearing at City Hall on the evening of Dec. 3, the first-ever hearing appealing a rent increase.

Your reporter stated that "dozens" of residents of the affected mobile home parks appeared; the attendance was actually in the hundreds.

The decision on the rent increase had clearly been made beforehand, and after many eloquent speeches on behalf of the residents, the city attorney patronizingly told us we had the right to appeal, but they actually had no power to address our request.

The person representing Cordova was a member of the panel, but although she excused herself from "deliberations," she was permitted to speak on behalf of the park owners and stated that it was she who had actually decided on the amount of the rent increase.

This is a clear conflict of interest.

The appeals panel is weighted in favor of park owners, and the evening's entire process clearly shows that in Santa Clarita, "rent control" of mobile homes and concern with the problems of less-affluent residents is a myth.

The hearing was an insult to the attendees.