Other Letters

Council member O'Connor Barking Up the Wrong Tree(house)

March 28, 2001

Dear Editor,

I strongly disagree with Council member Pam O'Connor's statement (in the March 26 Letters page) that Levy is being hoodwinked by his attorneys in this playhouse fiasco. In my opinion, this is a gross misrepresentation of the case. I have been following this story for several months now, and my understanding is that Levy has been treated unfairly by the City Council.

I believe Levy should be commended for fighting city hall and defending his rights, and the rights of other Santa Monica residents. Clearly, Levy was mislead by the City Council, not his attorneys. I applaud Levy's cause and sincerely hope that justice will prevail for little Jacob.

Liz Tate
Santa Monica

March 28, 2001

Dear Editor,

If Council member Pam O'Connor really does not know the facts pertaining to Miss Garai's and Mr. Genser's duplicitous roles in the Levy's ordeal, I question her competence.

If, on the other hand, she does know the facts but still continues to publicly condone their conduct, I question her integrity.

Either way, O'Connor ought to be ashamed of herself. Her behavior is an embarrassment to the City of Santa Monica.

I can only hope that at least some other members of the City Council can be counted on to demonstrate the intelligence, maturity, courage and moral fiber to step forth and do the right thing.

Victor Durgess O'Hara

March 28, 2001

Dear Editor,

In regards to your March 22 article "City Seeks to Oust Playhouse Attorney" story, I find it funny to hear the City whine about unfair competition. The City is one of the biggest offenders and the biggest problem in equality when it comes to code enforcement.

I too have had questions about Chris Harding and some of the lawsuits that he files. But I also realize that he is an attorney and he must fight for his client in the best way he knows how. But I think the true story is within the code enforcement process.

I recently read Council member O'Connor's misguided letter to your Website. If you can, please indulge me for a minute. Code enforcement is supposed to work in two ways: proactive on the City's part, or, complaint driven. The Levy's neighbor did have a right to call a City official or City staff member with concerns in regards to a large structure that they perceived to be illegal.

But the problem is -- and this is where the Levy's and the law firm of Harding, Larmore, Kutcher, and Kozal are in the right -- that a City Council member wrongfully approached and levied pressure against a City staff member to be heavy handed and enforce a law that was non-existent. And only after the City came and threatened this family with enforcement procedures against their child's playhouse did this family have to hire someone to defend them when they knew they were not in the wrong.

The bottom line to this is that an overzealous council member pushed for code enforcement on someone else's property so aggressively and recklessly, it did not give the staff or the property owner the proper time to look at what the complaint really was, and what the real use of that structure was for. But only after the City got so overzealous with this property owner, did they realize they were in the wrong, and they had bit off more than they could chew.

For me, I believe in code enforcement. There are so many problems that the city turns their back on, knowing there is a clear violation. But yet, they come after the little guy on a regular basis.

I applaud the Levys for having the courage and the finances to stand up and fight for their child's right to have a playhouse.

Chuck Allord
Santa Monica

March 27, 2001

Dear Editor,

City Council member Pam O'Connor is either willfully and intentionally distorting and misrepresenting the truth, or she has succeeded in deluding herself to such an extent that she actually believes her own political propaganda. I'm not sure which is worse -- malevolence or psychosis -- but I find it particularly disturbing when these qualities are exhibited by individuals entrusted with power as our elected representatives.

To portray Levy's neighbor, Tunde Garai, as an innocent victim in this saga clearly belies the facts: after demanding that Levy make significant changes to his five year-old son's playhouse and then granting her approval, she surreptitiously went behind his back and attempted to peddle her influence with then-Mayor Ken Genser to have Jacob's playhouse torn down. Garai is no more an innocent victim here than is the proverbial snake-in-the-grass.

Certainly, O'Connor knows these facts. Why, then, does she persist in such public posturing and grandstanding? Where was her concern for the rights of the Levy family, which had been so grossly and consistently violated? Why is she deflecting the real issues and instead attempting to defend the indefensible behavior of Garai and Genser? The answer is obvious: to cover up something she wishes to hide.

On behalf of reasonable and upstanding citizens of Santa Monica, the Levy family has our gratitude and thanks for not capitulating to the capricious whims of City Hall, and thereby revealing the true character of O'Connor, Genser, and their cronies, whose own hubris, thirst for power, and hypocritical spitefulness has blinded them to the rights of truly innocent members of our community.

Maykami L. McClure

March 26, 2001

Dear Editor,

This whole controversy over a Santa Monica family's effort to build their child a playhouse has gotten out of hand!

The story should be is a simple one: A man wants to build a playhouse for his son, gets the city's permission, and builds it.

But wait! A neighbor changes her mind...and the man still tries to be a good neighbor, and makes modifications. Then the city changes its conditions, and the man is still trying to be reasonable.

But enough is enough! Maybe the city made a mistake. But, Mr. Levy played by the city's rules...it's not fair to change them after the fact. I'd hire a lawyer, too!

Santa Monica, move on! Surely the city has more important issues it should be dealing with than harassing a dad and his 5 year old son.

Charles Galbraith

March 23, 2001

Dear Editor,

How many ways can City Council members screw a law-abiding citizen? Apparently more times than we really want to know.

This is the most ridiculous move by the City Council since... well, since the City tried to make this family tear down their playhouse.

Is the City running scared from a five-year old's fight for justice? How unbelievably ridiculous that the City would deprive this long-time Santa Monica family of representation.

I smell a cover-up. Thou doth protest too much. If the City isn't guilty, why would they now start making charges that pitifully tries to throw blame in another direction?

It is clear that this family is really trying to do something for other families in Santa Monica to prevent additional unfair intervention from City Council members. They have not only built a play-house for their five-year old son, but they are trying to build and support a sense of security for all of us.

They should be applauded. They're fighting for us.

Susan Leslie