What the Chumash Elder Said and Time for Action

June 8, 2003

Dear Editor,

Fools Rush in where fools have been before. On Friday the 6th of June the majority of Santa Monica College teachers held a successful vote of no confidence aimed at the leadership of their college president, Dr. Piedad Robertson. (“SMC Faculty Votes No Confidence in Administration,” June 9).

Dr. Robertson is only guilty of cutting Santa Monica City College costs in line with the abridged funding from the State. A strident group of teachers have suggested a special parcel tax of $400 per parcel be placed on the next ballot for approval to replace the $9.6 million State shortfall.

Have the teachers forgotten that the voters have already placed additional burdens on the property owners with the approved Measure U, a $160 million addition to property taxes for the rebuilding and expansion of the college's physical plant.

Measure U will be on our 2003 tax bill along with the recently passed Measure S parcel tax and school taxes override Measure X and Measure Y along with copious other special interest taxes. There is the upcoming vote on a special Recreation Tax in Malibu along with a doubling of moving traffic violation fines on Pacific Coast Highway to generate more city monies.

Where will the pleas for more property taxes end? How many more hours must property owners labor to prop up local government before they lose their land?

Harks back to the legend of the advice given at the dedication of Santa Monica Mountains, Tapia State Park, in the late 1940's. According to tale, when the State of California was preparing for the dedication, the Park Rangers took several locals and some Native Americans, who claimed to be descendents of the Malibu Chumash, to view the site of the park.

A Chumash Elder and his son were in the party and the Elder upon viewing the site (he spoke only Chumash and his son translated for the State Park's people) asked if he could make a special blessing to the "Earth Spirit" at the dedication.

The State Park's official accompanying the group promptly approved the request. On the day of the dedication the Chumash Elder's comments into the microphone were brief. The Park's official asked the son if he would translate what his father had said. The son, laughing raucously, refused
to translate.

So the State Parks people took a tape recording of the dedication to other Native Americans with knowledge of the Chumash language. They too laughed and refused to translate the Elder's message.

Finally, an official government translator was summoned. When he finally stopped laughing the translator relayed the message addressed to the "Earth Spirits" by the Chumash Elder -- "Watch out for these Piuma's behinds -- they have come to steal your land."

And that is all I have to say (sure).
Tom Fakehany

June 9, 2003

Dear Editor,

The Santa Monica City Council needs to substantially increase its financial support to the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District.

The fact that more than 2/3 of Santa Monica voters supported Measure S and the unprecedented size of the recent rallies focused on K-12 Public Education funding, gives the Santa Monica City Council, as our Elected Officials responsible for stewarding our community, a mandate to do whatever is necessary to support and enhance the quality of K-12 Public Education in Santa Monica.

In this case, that means increasing and reallocating the current and future SMMUSD Joint Use Agreement budget allowances.

The City Council should not need to be reminded that the 2/3rds super majority who voted for the passage of Measure S are also Taxpayers in the City of Santa Monica. It is the City Council’s responsibility to support and act on the Taxpayers and Voters will.

The City Council must consider at least doubling the amount of money currently budgeted for SMMUSD (currently only $3 million) and pledge to make up any shortfall in the current SMMUSD budget, which is now projected to be at least $7 million.

Now is the time for the Santa Monica City Council to show true community stewardship and act responsibly. Santa Monica voters and taxpayers have clearly shown where they want their tax dollars spent. Now it is up to the City Council to recognize that supporting K-12 Public Education is a significant Community Priority.

Mark Warshauer
Santa Monica

June 9, 2003

Dear Editor,

Whenever I return from a vacation, and I see the sun setting over the ocean, I feel incredibly lucky to be living in Santa Monica. But now that Measure S has won by a two-thirds majority, I feel even more fortunate to be living here. And as a parent of two children in the public schools, I feel deeply grateful, especially to those people who voted in favor of this measure even though they don't have any children.

But the $6.5 million that the generous citizens of Santa Monica have agreed to come up with will, sadly, only replace half of the thirteen million that will be cut annually from our school system's budget due to the severe cutbacks by the state.

Now it rests on the strong shoulders of the City of Santa Monica to make up the difference! The seven million dollars needed only represents two percent of the City's operating budget of $353.7 million dollars per year.

Education should be the City Council's number one consideration when they are deciding how to allocate the funds in their budget on June 17th! I urge the City Council to listen to the strong message that the citizens of Santa Monica are sending them: there is nothing more important to us than making sure that our children continue to receive the finest education possible!