Overreacting, Grateful and Reaping What they Sow

November 4, 2003

Dear Editor:

I think Frank Gruber overreacted in his most recent column about fences and hedges ("WHAT I SAY: Ungrateful Greens & Fences and Hedges," Nov. 3, 2003).

Gruber apparently thought it was hypocritical that Stephanie Barbanell, a woman who has crusaded to hold everyone else to the letter of every ordinance, is seeking a 10 ½ foot variance on the height of her front yard hedge. Gruber clearly has the misconception that City ordinances apply to those who are favored by SMRR.

Certainly you should be aware that the City’s ordinances only apply to bad people like landlords, developers, businesses, and homeowners with the wrong political affiliation. They are only intended to be a guide for the SMRR faithful. There is nothing hypocritical about Ms. Barbanell requesting zoning changes that she is entitled to.

Second, Gruber apparently thought it was hypocritical for Planning Commissioner Julie Lopez Dad, who has been actively crusading to terminate all ex-parte communication, with people likely to come before her commission, to be having an ex-parte meeting with Ms. Barbanell on her requested variance.

As mentioned above, those ex-parte rules are only intended for bad people like landlords, developers, businesses, and homeowners with the wrong political affiliation. Not only is it okay for Planning Commissioner Dad to meet with Ms. Barbanell, but as a SMRR political appointee it is her duty to help a fellow SMRR faithful circumvent an inconvenient restriction.

Third, Gruber seems to find it strange the Ms. Barbanell would use Santa Monica’s high crime rate as a justification for needing a two-story hedge. We all know the FBI statistics show that Santa Monica’s crime rate is the lowest it has been in 30 years, but those statistics do not take into count municipal crime.

Currently there is an epidemic of theft being committed by the land-marketeers on the Landmarks Commission. Any one with a 40-year old house can suddenly find themselves a victim. I do not think there is a better way to protect ones 40+ year old house from the land-marketeers, than hiding it behind a two-story hedge.

It makes perfect sense for Ms. Barbanell to seek protection from municipal crime, because the police are powerless to stop it. I hope this information, puts you at ease. After all, everything is as it should be in Santa Monica.

Sincerely,

Jeff Segal
Santa Monica

November 3, 2003

Dear Editor,

As a parent and community member in the City of Santa Monica, I want to express my gratitude for the support that has been given the Santa Monica-Malibu Schools. Thanks to the passage of Measure S and the Santa Monica City Council’s grant we will make it through the school year without severe cuts to school services.

I am also grateful to have the time to volunteer at Santa Monica schools where I see daily the necessity for a strong school infrastructure. Teachers and programs have high visibility, but without the support staff -- the custodial and maintenance, security, nurses, the computer technicians, the librarians and textbook staff, and office workers -- the teachers can’t do their jobs, and the quality of education suffers. Many of these support positions are only being funded on a year-to-year basis through the generosity of the City.

Since the State of California is unable or unwilling to make education funding a priority, we must step up as a community to ensure that our students have a high quality public education. Next year will be upon us sooner than we think.

Sincerely,

Chris Thornton

November 1, 2003

Dear Editor,

I wonder how many others find it ironic that the conservatives and Republicans are reaping what they sow in the city and county of San Diego? Apparently their fire departments were not sufficiently funded to fight the fires because for years the conservative citizenry voted down more money to address their fire departments' urgent needs.

Unfortunately, the entire state has suffered the intransigence of the Bush administration who sat on Davis's request for FEMA money to cull the trees infested with disease from the forest, and then rejected his request on the day the fires began. Once again, we all suffer because of their penny wise, pound foolish philosophy.