Frank, What Have You Been Smoking? and Cavorting's Legal

November 19, 2001

Dear Editor,

"What I Say" ("Homies," Nov. 16) is so far off base I can't believe it. When Frank Gruber thinks some neighborhood groups are the new power in town, I can't believe that Frank is so naive. This is just what they want you to believe. Don't fall for it. If Frank is right, you should believe that all the traffic calming, slow growth, homeless housing, union housing, historical movement, and so on, is the brain child of the neighborhood groups.

Well Frank, they are not. Just go back and look at the SMRR platforms from each election, and you will see that SMRR does express an opinion on the big issues, and that's where these groups you mentioned get their marching orders from. Frank must have been smoking some wacky tabacky when he was thinking SMRR is not driving the car after they chose the vehicle's make.

I can recall several City Council meetings when Denny Zane and/or Judy Abdo was guiding the council from the back of the room with hand signs and/or handing notes up to the dais. But, most of the time, council members receive email during the meetings.

Has Frank taken the time to look at who's on these boards? They are SMRR die-hards... Rent Control Board members, former Rent Control Board members, planning commissioners, ARB members, landmarks, social service, housing, and so on. So if they're at every meeting, now you know why! They are not just average members, now are they? They control these groups and I can put them together (council members and the individual groups they control) if I had the space. So, don't worry Frank. It's just another puppet show. Sometimes you can see the strings and sometimes you can't.

Frank had a few things right. These groups are not democratic associations, and they do not represent the views of most of the residents in their so-called areas. What Frank should be looking at is the money and the gift trail $$$$.

Plus, how come the City -- being the city manager, city attorney, public relation person, and City Council -- practices a form of discrimination by favoring some groups over others? For example, look at the city's Web site under "neighborhood groups." They are missing our group, Neighbors for a Safer Santa Monica, and other groups like Borderline, DARA, South Beach, Friends of 11th Street, East Pico Neighborhood Association, MSTAR, SPAN, and so on.

I guess our City doesn't believe in the right of free association. If you don't follow the party line in Santa Monica (that means the SMRR line), you don't get to be heard. Or, your views are not important.

Sincerely,

Chuck Allord
Chair of Neighbors For A Safer Santa Monica

November 16, 2001

Dear Editor,

Frank Gruber thinks that the neighborhood groups have power? He must be smokin' some awfully good stuff, especially to let them pull the wool over his eyes like they did.

Bill Bauer
Santa Monica

November 13, 2001

Dear Editor,

(Re: "Cavorting Homeless," Letters, Nov. 13) A council member, present or former, is a citizen like anyone else, with no greater or lesser ability to put a stop to a 'disrespectful, offensive display'.

Does letter-writer Anderson suggest the council member use his position to redirect police from the prevention of robberies, shootings or burglaries to focus on homeless persons who are drunk in public? Wouldn't that be a scandal! Just like Jacob's playhouse. Because that's what it would take: redeployment of resources.

The offense is on the books -- the City Council did their work. It is illegal to be drunk in public, and that is a crime that impacts homeless people almost exclusively.

The housed can get drunk in private. But there is no law against 'cavorting.' Similarly, in a democracy, showing disrespect is no crime. As for behavior, what Anderson may find offensive, another citizen may find cynically appropriate. After all, this was the Veterans memorial. Maybe Anderson's bums were Vietnam vets.