Electricity, Politics and SMRR

November 4, 2000

To the Editor:

I am nauseated. Reading the Lookout, I don't know whether to puke, or cry. Actually any time I step out my door, I feel the same way. Our city, our quality of life, is under total unrelenting attack by the massed forces of money-before-anything- else philistines. Of course the timeless advance of their avarice probably can't be stopped, only forestalled.

Having a dike holding the forces of destruction back, probably only meant that when the deluge descended it would be all that much worse.

What is most disturbing, however, is seeing our own champion self-destruct before our eyes. Of course ours is probably not the first champion that gorged itself on the pomposity of its own successes. Throughout history many good citizens have paid the price of their government's folly, and fell before the onslaught of an invader. An invader generally with agents within. In our case the Trojan horse degorges itself of (over)developers, landlords, speculators, their attorneys and agents.

SMRR served our community admirably for years. Perhaps the undermining of their mandate by vacancy decontrol caused them to look elsewhere to seek added relevance. Perhaps, alas, power corrupts (you know the rest).

Did they understand the risk of rattling the cage of the hotel giants for the benefit of a very deserving, but small, non-constituency; thereby unleashing vast resources to support the very same Herb Katz, who presided over the authorization of a great deal of the very over-development that is currently choking our fair city?
We begged them to accept the responsibility of their influence in the schools, and not award their endorsements through prejudice or patronage. With this they alienated many of their prior constituents.

And let's not forget those stupid stupid, stupid arrogant beyond belief curb extensions; which infuriated all but the few constituents who are fortunate enough to commute via bicycle or birkenstock; not to mention their own fire department who they thumbed their noses at from the heights of those speed bumps in front of their own homes.

On account of those things we now have many voters jumping from the frying pan into the fire; into the arms of the wolves themselves. Permit me to repeat myself -- probably no single S.M. politician has been responsible for more large scale over development than the hon. Herb Katz, now running as a moderate.

Perhaps we will squeak through this election. Whether we do, or not, I hope good people learn something from these mistakes; for politics are surely precarious.

And I will sell my teeny bungalow for an obscene amount of money that will allow me to relocate in Iowa perhaps; where at least I won't be the only person with a real license plate on my car, rather than a new-car temporary tag.

Yours

Frank Schweitzer
Santa Monica

November 1, 2000

Dear Editor,

Lately, I have received many political mailers courtesy of the Santa Monica Hospitality Industry Coalition. These mailers have supported Prop. KK, improvements in public safety and a homeless problem solution. The most recent Santa Monica Hospitality mailer with an empty
shopping cart showed Herb Katz and Rob Ross taking a stand against the homeless problem.

However, about 6 weeks ago the same Mr. Katz and Mr. Ross were seen participating in a "fundraiser for OPCC" at The Shack.. The OPCC fundraiser's purpose was to raise money for a homeless youth drop-in center. At this homeless youth center drop-in center, the nation's homeless teenagers and runaways, who are currently roaming the streets of Hollywood, would move to Santa Monica. These are the same homeless youth and runaways portrayed on many national and local TV news shows that engage in drug abuse, prostitution, stealing and general
thuggery to survive.

If Mr. Katz and Mr. Ross are taking a stand against bringing more homeless to Santa Monica, then why were they attending a fundraiser for a new center trying to attract more problematic homeless youth. This is classic example of Hypocrisy. This is also the same Mr. Katz, who during his time on the City Council, approved many airport improvements that encouraged jets to land at the Airport. The 1984 Airport Agreement stated that the current fleet mix (that did not have jets) was to be maintained.

Now, Mr. Katz is talking about eliminating the jets to solve the airport noise problem. However, if Mr. Katz and other city council members would have followed the 1984 Airport Agreement and maintained the 1984 current fleet mix (NO JETS were in that mix), then the primary noise problem would not exist today. Another example of Hypocrisy by Mr. Katz.

Signed,

Buddy Turney
Santa Monica

October 31, 2000

Dear Editor,

Who is surprised at the tactics of the hotels and their friends?

I would say that Herb Katz should take care with whom he is associating. Selling your standing in the community to a bunch of liars and outsiders does not buy votes in this community.

$1 million at this point in the KK campaign has been spent. Now they want your
council. Now they are after the Policy making body of our city. It is more then shameful -- it is disgusting.

Bruria Finkel
Santa Monica

October 26, 2000

Dear Editor,

Southern Calif. Edison's negligence is responsible for the constant power failures in Santa Monica. Edison has allowed its infrastructure to decay and regularly fail. For at least two years now, I have been warning the City Council about this unacceptable situation.

In response, Edison has made vague promises to spend millions to modernize its equipment. The company has not once been specific about what it plans to do. Tuesday night it made more vague promises and added new excuses -- it blamed the city's processes and rodents. However, it did not give one example of how the city has been preventing it from moving forward. That is because Edison has never approached the city with a proposal. And Edison did not explain why rodents are any more of a problem in SM than elsewhere in the state.

Edison's engineers have admitted to the city staff that its SM infrastructure is the worst in the Edison territory.

The City Council has the responsibility of representing our residents and businesses in securing reliable electric power. We pay the same rates as all of Edison's customers, but we do not get dependable power. The costs to our city government, our residents and businesses should be borne by Edison.

The Council has failed this community by not aggressively seeking to get Edison to meet its responsibilities.

At our next meeting, I will again propose that the City pursue all avenues to redress the situation. If Edison will not get serious about improvements, the City should consider remedies like monetary claims against Edison for damages, legal action and appeals to the Public Utilities Commission. I have already spoken to a PUC Commissioner who has said the PUC could help us.

Until new infrastructure is in place, Edison must significantly increase its band aid maintenance to minimize further power failures.

Councilman Paul Rosenstein