Ill-Conceived City Ideology Victimizes the Community

October 13, 2023

Dear Editors,

As a 22-year Santa Monica resident, I was shocked to read your October 13 article "Santa Monica Joins Lawsuit to Block Zero Bail," in which Councilmember Caroline Torosis is quoted justifying her No vote.

"[I have] seen first hand how pretrial incarceration hurts people, hurts families, hurts women," she said.

What about crime from nefarious characters against our law-abiding, tax-paying community hurting all of us -- families, women, and the most vulnerable among us?

And why should such nefarious characters be emboldened by lax policies and lack of law and order enforcement? Why should they stop preying on our community if there's no penalty?

Torosis is also quoted as saying that the old cash bail "criminalizes poverty and perpetuates inequality and injustice" and disproportionately affects "people of color."

Does she even realize that many of us -- again, law-abiding, tax-paying community members -- are also struggling to make ends meet?

Should being poor or a person of color entitle someone to commit criminal acts unpunished? Where's "equal justice" there? How about the community Torosis is supposed to represent as a councilmember?

Why are City officials like Torosis so anti-community? Why are they so dead-set on turning our beloved town into a criminal den, and turning law-abiding, tax-paying, voting community members into victims and collateral damage, as if we don't matter?

Why such discrimination against us, when our tax dollars fund City government and initiatives? Why are they making sure that our local Police Department cannot do its job, which is to protect and to serve our community?

So-called “petty crimes like property crimes, minor theft and vehicle violations” are NOT victimless. They are costing community members hundreds of hard-earned dollars every year, and our quality of life, preventing us from enjoying our city the way we used to, and are entitled to.

City officials like Torosis have repeatedly acted against the interests of our community, our safety and well-being, in the name of an ill-conceived ideology that is destroying our city.

That's akin to negligence and misrepresentation and discrimination against community members. It must be stopped, before our city falls into unsalvageable disarray.