Re: “Mark Arabo named to Del Mar track operator” (March 18): California taxpayers should be furious that Gov. Newsom appointed Mark Arabo to another state commission. As your reporter notes, a Superior Court judge ruled that Arabo grossly mismanaged the nonprofit Neighborhood Market Association, which my colleagues and I worked tirelessly to build. That ruling was upheld by a unanimous appellate court in 2021, leaving no doubt that Arabo treated our association’s treasury “as his own personal bank .”
Contrary to Arabo’s claim, the evidence proves he drained our association’s bank , left vendors unpaid and decimated our hip. Arabo inflicted immeasurable harm on hundreds of small-business owners and the customers they serve in communities of need. Taxpayers must question why Gov. Newsom has repeatedly ignored these facts and appointed Arabo not to one, not two, but three positions of influence in state government. We must all demand answers now from the governor.
— Arkan Somo, president, Neighborhood Market Association
