Just doing our jobs in Pomona

Lured by the false promise of excitement about the future of the day labor center, two TV stations sent cameramen to Monday's Pomona City Council meeting.

One set up on the left side of the dais, the other, a late arrival, on the right. He was assembling his camera as the meeting was under way, aiming and focusing about two feet from the elbow of Councilman George Hunter, who was standing there handing out Home Beautification awards.

Councilwoman Paula Lantz interrupted to ask: "Could the cameraman wait until after the presentation to set up the camera? I think it's disrespectful."

"Just doing my job," the operator said, somewhat disrespectfully, while continuing to practice focusing and swiveling.

The day labor center item didn't come up on the agenda until 9:51 p.m. For a change, speakers on both sides of the issue were respectful. The center's budget was trimmed by a modest 10 percent.

Only the cameraman on the left was still there. Sometime around 8 p.m., the cameraman who had made such a fuss had left.

I stuck around until 10:40 p.m., feeling I was in too deep to leave despite the lack of action. After all, my presence requires a complicated setup too, what with opening my notebook and uncapping my pen.