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2010
May
05_10_2010_The Costs of Low Transit Fares
05 05 2010 Your Yes Vote Should be in the Mail.html
05 17 2010 Public Transportation Social Service or Utility.html
April
04 26 2010 The Politics of Design Meets the Politics of Politics .html
04 19 2010 Another Poli Sci 201 Situation.html
04 12 2010 Perpetually Planning.html
04 05 2010 The Gruber Census .html
March
03 22, 2010 Change Happens.html
03 15, 2010 Tea Partying Not a New Thing .html
03 08, 2010 Other News.html
03 01, 2010 Politics Now, Politics Later.html
February
02 22, 2010 Measure T (Party) Redux .html
02 15, 2010 It's not the Traffic.html
02 08 2010 LUCE Change .html
02 01 2010 I NIMBY.html
January
01 25 10 To a Self Nurturing Activist Farewell.htm
01 18 2010 Inspire Yourself.html
 01 11 2010 A Serious Man .html
01 04 2010 Carrying On.html
2008
December
12 22 08 End of The Year Thoughts.htm
12 15 08 There We Go But For.htm
12 08 08 Not So Invincible.htm
12 02 08 Stair City East and Stair City West
November
11 24 08 Our Man in the House.htm
11 18 08 Altnernate Realities.htm
11 06 08 My Wasted Youth.htm
11 03 08 Who Are the Powers That Be.htm
October
10 31 08 The City Council Election Part 2.htm
10 30 08 The City Council Election Part 1.htm
10 29 08 The School Board Election.htm
10 27 08 Measuring and Propositioning.htm
10 20 08 When Conventional Wisdom
Masquerades as Common Sense.htm
10 13 08 Money on the Ballot.htm
10 06 08 Catch my RIFT.htm
  September
9 29 2008 Matrix2006-08.htm
09 23 2008 The Next Phase.htm
09 15 2008 Those of Her Elk.htm
09 08 2008 Of Clubs and Parties.htm
09 01 2008 The Unseen Place Around the Bend.htm
August
08 25 2008 That Other Election.htm
08 18 2008 Spelling SMRR.htm
08 11 2008 A Political Lull.htm
08 04 2008 Shoot the Birds.htm
July
07 28 2008 The Narcissism of Ten Feet.htm
07 28 2008 Shoot the Birds.htm
07 21 2008 Santa Barcelona.htm
07 14 2008 For Good or Ill.htm
07 07 2008 One Story.htm
June
06 30 2008 Its About Power.htm
06 23 2008 Guest Column The Son Also Speaks.htm
06 16 2008 What a Difference a Few Years Make.htm
06 09 2008 Steps at a Time.htm
06 02 2008 Post Battered Commissioner Syndrome.htm
May
05 27 2008 Spread the Risk but Not the Liability.htm
05 19 2008 Getting Fluffed and Folded by the City.htm
05 12 2008 When Not to Have an Opinion.htm
05 05 2008 Historical Hysterical.htm
April
04 28 2008 Oodles of Trouble.htm
04 21 2008 And There Was Light.htm
04 15 2008 Who Lost.htm
04 07 2008 Turn Up the Lights.htm
March
03 31 2008 Flying Right.htm
03 24 2008 Do You Want Fries with that Urbanism.htm
03 17 2008 96000 and counting.htm
  03 10 2008 Champions.htm
 03 03 2008 Meshuggah Means Crazy in Any
Language.htm
February
02 04 2008 Getting Primary Priorities Right.htm
02 11 2008 After a Super Tuesday.htm
02 19 2008 End Run with a Blunt Instrument.htm
02 25 2008 Democracy Big D.htm
January
01 07 2008 And if Denny Zane is 60.htm
01 14 2008 Move it LA.htm
01 22 2008 Crash and Learn.htm
01 28 2008 Not Yet Back in the Saddle.htm                       
2006
December
12 18 2006 Holiday Shopping
12 11 2006 He Don't Get No Respect
12 04 2006 Thundering Over Faux Guacamole
November

11 20 2006 How Soon We Forget
11 13 2006 Be Positive

11 06 2006 The 2006 Election Negativity.htm

11 06 2006 For the Record.htm

11 03 2006 The 2006 The 2006 Election the Local Propositions.htm

11 02 2006 The 2006 Election College and School Boards.htm

11 01 The 2006 Election City Council Part II.htm

October

10 31 06 The 2006 Election City
Council Part I.htm

10 29 2006 Matrix.htm

10 23 06 What's There to Say?

10 16 06--Rolling Out the Not Welcomat

10 09 06 And Living Is?

10 02 06--Body or Soul?

September

09 25 06--The Six and a Half Seasons of Southern California

09 18 06--Off the Top of Your Head Planning

09 11 06--Convenient Fictions and Unintended Consequences

09 05 06--Values or Data?

August

08 07 06 A--Santa Monicans Dream.htm

08 21 06--How I Found China.htm

08 28 06--Summers Over.htm

July

07 10 06 Going Coastal.htm

07 17 06 From the Police Blotter.htm

07 24 06 On the Other Hand.htm

07 31 06 Transported.htm

June

06 05 06 Just Saying No.htm

06 12 06 Catching Up with the News.htm

06 19 06 A More Perfect City.htm

06 26 06 Taking Liberties.htm

06 19 06 A Strong City Manager form
of Government

May

05 01 06 Jane Jacobs is Dead.htm

05 08 06 Make Room for Some Vets.htm

05 15 06 More Parking More Parking.htm

05 22 06 Back to the Beach Again.htm

05 30 06 Politics in Paradise.htm

05 31 06 Politics in Paradise Part 2.htm

April

04 03 06 The Beach Belongs to the People.htm

04 10 06 Not Only in Santa Monica.htm

04 17 06 Grocery Store Urbanism.htm

04 24 06 More California Dreaming.htm

March

03 06 06 Eddie Lopez One of Us.htm

03 13 06 Goodbye Eddie.htm

03 20 06 City of Many Victims.htm

03 27 06 Unscrambling Eggs.htm

February

02 27 06 Talk About an Agenda.htm

02 20 06 Gym Teacher Wisdom.htm

02 13 06 Dont Forget the History.htm

02 05 06 Posh Environs.htm

January

01 03 06 They Paved Paradise.htm

01 09 06 Value Investing.htm

01 16 06 The Whole Nine Feet.htm

01 23 06 I Love LUCE.htm

01 30 06 New Emerging Theme Distrust.htm
2004
December
12-27--Christmas For All
12-20--Everyone into the Pool
12-13--Matters of Height
12-6--Developer Fatigue
November
11-29--Tall Order
11-22-Suspicious Minds
11-8-- Up on Morals Charges
11-3--Write What You Know
11-1-- All Politics is (a) Local, (b) Not Local, (c) Important, (d) All of the Above
October
10-29-- The College Bond and the College Board
10-28-- The SMRR Challengers
10-28--The Independent Challengers
10-27--The Chamber Challengers
10-26- City Council Candidates: The Four Incumbents
10-25--They're Fighting City Hall
10-21-- What, Me Worry?
10-18-- Guide from the Perplexed
10-11--Gangs? What Gangs?
10-4--Is North Korea Bush's Poland? Is Traffic Improving?
September
9-27-- The Matrix
9-20--A Landmark Tale of Two Garages
9-13- Back to All Politics is Local
9-6--The Big One 
August
8-30--The Slow Days of August
8-23--Purple State
8-16--Off the Grid
8-2--More Prius on My Mind
July
07 26 04 Feeding the Stereotype
7-19-- Faux Pastiche Revival
7-12-- Unusual Marketing; Politics as Usual; a Busy Week at City Hall
June
6-21--A Good Night's Work
6-14-- The 55 Percent Solution
6-7--Where Ordinances are Ordinary, the Claude Rains Award and Big Hedges
May
5-24--How to Have Clout in Santa Monica
5-17-- Bully Bully Bully
05 10 04 Seaview
5-10-- My New Hero
5-3-- We Must Remember This... and That
April
4-26-- My New Best Friends
4-19-- Small D Democracy in Action 
4-11-- Building a Better Downtown 
4-5--Downtown Again, Sure n' Begorra
March
3-22-- Happy News; or, a Tale of Two Cities
3-15--Woof Woof
3-8--Don't Go There
3-1--Tea Tea and Marriage Marriage 
February
2-23-- Propositioned
2-15-- Print the History
2-9--As Santa Monica Goes, So Goes... Pacific Palisades?
2-2-- Five Pound Box of Money (Empty)
January
1-26--No Time Like the Present
1-19-- $200,000 SUV's, An Exceptional Appointment, and Quake Memories
1-12-- We Must Remember That
1-5--Not a Year for None of the Above
2002
December
12 30 02 Domino Effect.htm
12 23 02 Where Angels Fear to Tread.htm
12 16 02 Score Another For Grown Ups.htm
12 09 02 Cant See the Retail.htm
12 02 02 Handsome Sandy.htm
November
11 25 02 Who Takes the Low Road.htm
11 18 02 History There is No Escape.htm
11 11 02 Happy in the Aggregate.htm
October
10 31 02 Pick em.htm
10 28 02 Thank You Voters in Advance.htm
10 22 02 Clarification.htm
10 21 02 Print the Perception.htm
10 14 02 Measure for Measure.htm
10 07 02 Last of a Series.htm
September
09 30 2002 The Epidemic.htm
09 23 2002 Inoperable.htm
09 16 2002 Old Time Civic Religion.htm
09 09 2002 Up the Alley Down the Street.htm
09 03 2002 More Architecture More French.htm
August
08 26 2002 World Class City of the
Self Deluded.htm
08 19 2002 Who Owes Who.htm
08 12 2002 Its Getting Hot in the Kitchen.htm
08 05 2002 There but For.htm
July
07 29 2002 Zoned Out.htm
07 22 2002 Talking the Talk.htm
07 15 2002 Dolce Far Niente.htm
07 08 2002 Its the Air Or the Water.htm
07 01 2002 Would the Real Santa
Monica Please Stand Up.htm
June
06 24 2002 Thanks for the Ironies.htm
06 17 2002 A Question of Priorities.htm
06 07 2002 When the Wind Blows
North North West.htm
May
05 31 2002 If You Lived Here.htm
05 24 2002 Squeaky Wheel Planning.htm
05 17 2002 Its a Shanda.htm
05 10 2002 A Freeway Runs Through It.htm
05 03 2002 Memories of a Bad Time not Forgot.htm
April
04 26 2002 Grief Enough to Go Around.htm
04 19 2002 The Light of Day.htm
04 12 2002 Black Diamonds Ice Thin Cover.htm
04 04 2002 Landmarking.htm
March
03 22 2002 Dead Ends.htm
03 15 2002 Hats On Heads Over
Hearts and in the Ring.htm
03 08 2002 Prop U.htm
03 01 2002 The Silence was Golden.htm
February

02 22 2002 Could Judge Order Trial by Combat.htm
02 15 2002 Man Bites Dog.htm
02 8 2002 What if We Measured Our Plans in Cubits.htm
02 1 2002 Building for Tomorrow.htm
January
01 25 2002 When More is Less.htm
01 18 2002 Civic Minded.htm
01 11 2002 Follow the Anchovies.htm
01 04 2002 Tourist in LA.htm
2000
December
12-29-2000--Traffic, Traffic, Everywhere, but What's a Guy to Think?
12-22-2000--My Favorite Words
12-14-2000--Mental Caries
12-7-2000--Who Do We Think We Are
November
11-30-2000--Hold 'em, Al
11-22-2000--Thanksgiving 2000
11-16-2000--Feel The Pain
11-9-2000--SMRR and Its Discontents
11-04-2000 -- Election Initiatives: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, theUnnecessary and the "What did you say, I can't hear you?"
October
 
 
 
 
September
 
 
 
August
 
 
 
 
July
 
 
 
 
June
 
 
 
 
May
 
 
 
 
April
 
 
 
 
March
 
 
 
 
February
 
 
 
 
January
 
 
 
 
2009
December
 12 18 09 Big Plans.htm
 12 14 09 And Two Years Become Six.htm
 12 07 09 LUCE First Look at a First Draft.htm
November
11 30 09 Urban Cardiology.htm
 11 23 09 A Barnes Foundation for the 21st Century.htm
 11 16 09 Big Plans Afoot.html
 11 09 09 The Hits Keep Coming.html
11 02 09 When Politics Reach the Gaseous Stage.htm
 October
10 19 09 Baseballs Been Very Good to Us.html
 10 12 09 Just Who Is Unsafe.html
 10 05 09 The Expo Maintenance Yard.html
 September
09 29 09 With the Return of the Liberal Mean the Return of the New Left.html
 09 21 09 Return to Seaview Terrace.html
 09 14 09 So Much Goin On.html
 09 08 09 Revolution is in the Report.html
August
 8 31 09 Tough on Lefties Revisited.html
 8 18 09 Building Community One Meal at a Time.html
 08 24 09 A Sleepy Beach Island.html
08 10 09 Grown Ups Us.html
 08 03 09 Some Recent History Some New Thinking.html
July
July 27 2009 Complexity Is Reality.html
 2009July4BannersCollage.htm
07 20 09 Westside Narcissism and Left Wing Rhetoric.html
 07 13 09 The Most Beneficial Benefit.html
 07 06 09 A Glorious Fourth.html
 June
06 29 09 Thought Association.html
06 22 09 Since Ive Been Gone.html
  6 15 09 Denver Go for the Omelets.html
06 08 09 Thinking 'bout My Generation.html
06 01 09 High Irony Content.html
May
 05 25 09 Make the County the Solution.html
 05 18 09 A Quality Start.html
05 11 09 What to Build What to Bond.html
 05 04 2009--Thank You Steve Lopez.html
April
04 27 09 I'll be Happy to Have Been Wrong.html
04 21 09 Shovel and Bond Ready.html
04 13 09 Capital Ideas.html
04 06 09 More of Mencia.html
March
03 30 09 My favorite Words in conflict.html
03 23 09 Making a Center a Center.html
03 16 09 Change in Historic Contexts.html
03 09 09--The Convenient City.html
03 02 09 A Gleam in Her Eye.html
February
02 23 09 Outrage Whats Most Predictable.html
02 17 09--Transit and Good Urban Design Unite.html
02 09 2009--John Percival Jones would be happy.html
02 02 2009--The Commonwealth of Los Angeles.html
January
01 26 2009--Hail to the Chief.htm
01 19 2009 Herb Katz Would Have Loved This.html
01 09 2009 Deaths in the Family.html
01 05 2009 Happy New Century.htm
2007
December
12nbsp17 2007 Portable Landmark.htm
12 10 2007 Landmarking Another History.htm
12 03 2007 In the Flight Path.htm
November
11 26 2007 But Always Strong.htm
11 19 2007 The End In Sight.htm
11 12 2007 You Cant Win.htm
11 05 2007 Talking Trash.htm
October
10 29 2007 The Return of Railroad Avenue.htm
10 22 2007 It's Time to take the Pledge.htm
10 15 2007 Do Santa Monica Streets
Belong to Fewer People?.htm
10 09 2007 100 Solutions or One.htm
10 01 2007 Showing Respect for Transit Heroes.htm
September
09 24 2007 That Old Time Religion.htm
09 17 2007 Home Is Where the Parking Is.htm
09 10 2007 Pride and Despair.htm
09 04 2007 Unintended Consequences.htm
August
08 27 2007 Bay City Mystery.htm
08 20 2007 Summers Over.htm
08 13 2007 Apropos of Niente.htm
08 07 2007 Journey to the Past.htm
08 01 2007 Ariel View.htm
July
07 23 2007 Making the Best of It.htm
07 16 2007 One-Way Ticket Yeah.htm
07 02 2007 No Bang for My Hypocrisy.htm
June
06 25 2007 It Talkes a Village.htm
06 18 2007 A Bigger Mess Part 2.htm
06 18 2007 A Bigger Mess Part 1.htm
06 11 2007 Should Mum Be the Word.htm
06 05 2007 The Council and the District Part 2.htm
06 04 2007 The Council and the District Part 1.htm
May
05 29 2007 People Who Govern.htm
05 21 2007 Schadenfreude and the Peter
Principle.htm
05 14 2007 Quality and Quantity.htm
05 07 2007 A Big Part of the City.htm
April
04 23 2007 The Sky Is Falling Again.htm
04 16 2007 Getting to the Point to Point.htm
04 09 2007 The High Cost of Cheap Bus Fares.htm
04 02 2007 Turning Parking into a Park.htm
March
03 26 2007 Calming the Traffic Beast.htm
03 19 2007 Sometimes Less is Less.htm
03 12 2007 Tough Choices.html
03 12 2007 Public Meetings this Week.html
03 05 2007 Growing Old Urbanism.htm
February
02 26 2007 If Only Cars Could Go to School.htm
02 20 2007 Its the 40th Anniversary.htm
02 13 2007 A Faraway Perspective.htm
02 05 2007 Promenade to LACMA.htm
January
01 29 2007 Killing Machines and Deadly Streets.htm
01 22 2007 The Decline of Westside Civilization.htm
01 16 2007 Working the Late Shift.htm
01 08 2007 Ritual Column.htm
2005

December

12 19 05 Another Late Night Civics Lesson.htm

12 12 05 What's The Sudden Attraction.htm

12 06 05 The Policy Wonk Tour.htm

November
11 07 05 Just Vote No.htm
11 04 05 Whats Wrong Civic Center.htm
11 04 05 More Civic Center

October

10 03 05 Challenged.htm

10 10 05 When More was Okay.htm

10 17 05 My Chance to Be Nimby.htm

10-31--05--The Streets Belong to the People

10-24--05---South of the Border

September

9-26-05--Just a Bit Kinky Without the Mess

9-19-05--If You Lived There

9-12-05--The Essentials

9-05-05--New Orleans and Us

August

8-29-05--More Touristic Experiences

8-22-05--(They) Have Guestroom; (We) Will Travel

8-8-05--Graciousness and Theory

8-01-05--Why I love local politics and why I don't

July

7-26-05--Make 'em Walk

7-18-05--Glengarry Glen Santa Monica?

7-11-05--What's Wrong with These Pictures?

07 04 05 Civic Center--OPCOs Vision

7-04-05--Civic Center: Extra Innings

June

6-27-05--Anxious Aspirations

6-20-05--Personal Column

6-13-05--Smart Urbanism

6-6-05-- Folding a Flag

May

5-23--05--Affordable Housing for People or for Cars?

5-16-05--Disgruntled

5-9-Hedges, Housing, Buses

5-2--05--Meistering Fear

April

4-25--05--(Sub)urban Planning

4-18--05--It's Just Insane, or Should Be

4-11-05--Sounding Good, Looking Good, Feeling Safe

4-4--05--rinciples, Politics: Farewell to Suzanne Frick

March

3-28--05--Slinging It

3-21--05--Counting Cars

3-15-05--Ears

3-14--05--Who Cares?

3-7--05--Increase the Peace

February

2-28-05---Sig Alert

2-21--05--Survey This, Part 2

2-14--05--Survey This, Part 1

2-7--05--Don't Kid Yourself, Part 2

January

1-31--05--Don't Kid Yourself

1-24--05--The Sky's the Limit

1-17--50--Follow the Money

1-10--Progress

1-3--A Diebenkorn Moment
2003
December
12-22--03--Ripped from the Headlines
12-15--03--Harmonics and Disharmonics,
Points and Counterpoints
12-8--03--Soft Tissue Wounds
12-1--03--My Night at the Phil
November
11-24--03--Happy Thanksgiving and be Thankful the Planning Commission can't Continue it
11-17--03--The Peyton Place of Planning
11-10--03--Walling In and Walling Out
11-3--03--Ungrateful Greens & Fences and Hedges
October
10-27--03--Santa Monica: Population 85,000 Plus Two
10-20--03--Got Them Old Target Metaphor Blues Again
10-12-03---Running the Numbers
10-6-03--- Retail Santa Monica: Furniture, Chocolate,
and Politics
September
9-29--03-- Errors Typographical and Otherwise
9-22--03-- Swinging and Swaying
9-15--03--What Becomes a Neighborhood Most
9-8--03--Exigencies of Life
9-2--03--Plan Check
August
8-25-03--He has met the Enemy and he is him
8-18--03--Recall Me Anything but Late for Sausages
8-11--03--Lies, Damned Prevarications, and More Damned Distortions
8-4--03--A Noisy Noise Annoys an Oyster
July
7-28--03--Since I've Been Gone
7-21--03--The World of Matter
7-14--03--Old Dog, New Trick
7-7-03---Parking Schizophrenia
June
6-30--03--Seduced by Parking
6-23--03--Paying for Squeaky Wheel Government
6-16--03--Don't Spend it All in One Place
6-09--03--It's Only Money
6-02-05--The New Nihilism 
May
5-27--03--You Think We've Got Problems
5-26--03--Five Thousand Word Equivalent
5-5--03--Madison Site, etc.
April
4-28-03--The World is Watching
4-21--03--Tumbleweeds or Tipping Points?
4-14-03--Market Value
4-7--03--Two Chicagos
March
3-31--03--Back Near Broadway
3-24--03--When Less is Less
3-19--03--A Fateful 48 Hours
3-17--03--Who's Jerking Whom
3-10--03--Feel-Good Resolutions and Train Wreck Planning
3-3--Dedicated to Marco
February
2-24--03--Tough on Lefties
2-17--03--War, Peace and Tourism
2-10--03--Proressive is as Progressive Does
2-3--03--Take this Job, Seriously, and Let's Let the Good Times Roll Down Lonely Avenue
January
1-27--03--The First Rule of Economics: Talk is Cheap
1-20--03--Deficits
1-13--03--Survey That
2001
December
12 28 2001 Looking for a Silver Lining.htm
12 21 2001 Home for the Holidays.htm
12 14 2001 Something Causes Grumpiness in the City of Santa Monica.htm
12 07 2001 Without Prejudice.htm
November
11 30 2001 Westside Story.htm
11 15 2001 Homies.htm
11 09 2001 The World Series.htm
11 02 2001 The Santa Monica No Development Agency.htm
October
10 26 2001 Campaign 2002 Already.htm
10 18 2001 What Becomes a City Most.htm
10 11 2001 Take a Deep Breath.htm
10 05 2001 Now Then Where Were We.htm
September
9 28 2001 Looking Upwards into the Night.htm
9 21 2001 What Would Lincoln Do.htm
9 14 2001 Looking Over the Horizon.htm
9 07 2001 Some Have Greatness Thrust Upon Them.htm
August
8 31 2001 Parking Can't Live With It.htm
8 24 2001 Road to San Dimas.htm
8 17 2001 You Fought the Law and the Law Won.htm
8 10 2001 Free Recipe with
this Column.htm
8 3 2001 Better Here Than
in Philadelphia.htm
July
7 27 2001 Family Reunion.htm
7 26 2001 Louie Louie.htm
7 20 2001 Good Seats.htm
7 12 2001 Happy Birthday Santa Monica.htm
7 06 2001 Louie Louie.htm
June
6 29 2001 Join the Civic Center Process.htm
6 22 2001 Speaking of This.htm
6 15 2001 School Days.htm
6 08 2001 The Black Hole of Planning.htm
6 01 2001 Slow News Week.htm
May
5 25 2001 Not So Fast Please.htm
5 18 2001 Living the Living Wage.htm
5 11 2001 Politics Without Power.htm
5 4 2001 Clang Clang Clang Goes the Trolley.htm
April
4-27-2001-column Memo to MTA Board Be Bold.htm
4-23-2001 A Walk on the Pomenade.htm
4-20-2001-column Death Does
Not Become Us.htm
4-13-2001-column Build it and They Will Come.htm|
4-6-2001-column Once More with Feeling.htm
March
3-9-2001 -- Return to Target, A Play in Many Acts
3-2-2001 -- Mothers and Fathers and
Sons and Daughters
February
2-21-2001 -- Target: Tale of Two Cities
2-16-2001--Target: Panic in the Streets
2-13-2001 -- First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage,,,
2-9-2001--Listen to the rhythm of a gentle bossa nova
2-2-2001--To Review or Not to Review
January
1-26-2001-- Left-overs
1-19-2001--Pondering Equality
1-5-2001--Trip the Light Fantastic
1-12-2001--Take Yourself Public

If readers want to write the editor about this column, send your emails to The Lookout at mail@surfsantamonica.com .


If readers want to write Frank Gruber, email frank@frankjgruber.net The views expressed in this column are those of Frank Gruber and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of
The Lookout.
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