Under a bad spelll

Editor:

Hasn’t anyone else noticed the sign in front of Roosevelt Elementary School? I cringe every time I pass by the northeast corner of the heavily traversed intersection of Montana (Avenue) and Lincoln (Boulevard).

Among the boldly posted notices: “Thank you, First Federal, Pavillions and Staples.”

Exposing students to the spelling error is bad enough, but particularly egregious as the school is located directly across the street from Pavilions Market!!

Good going, SMMUSD.

Jenny Fisher
Santa Monica



Justifying the homeless

Editor:

Nothing really changes in Santa Monica. I have lived here for 52 months and I find it fascinating that they allow homeless people to sell and use drugs between California and Arizona (avenues) along Ocean Avenue — three blocks from the police station on Second Street. There is a theory that they let these people do this because it will show the community that there is a homeless problem so taxpayers can feel comfortable that their money is going to the problem, and this keeps the 50 are 60 government-subsidized companies for homeless and drugs in Santa Monica in business, making money off the backs of others.

Santa Monica will always be a second-rate place if the police department and city allow this activity to keep going on. Also, it smells like piss up and down the Palisades. Santa Monica is using the same formula they use on Skid Row, but this is a problem because Santa Monica is a place of beauty and a different socio-economic population then Downtown LA, which is trying to change and grow in the right direction. Eventually, Downtown LA will change for the better and we’ll see more of a homeless problem because of the lack of authority and decision-making.

Matthew Muzio
Santa Monica



Give preference to the deserving

Editor:

Parking near the beach is a complicated matter, requiring creative solutions to fairly provide access to a scarce commodity (“Knocking their spots off,” Jan. 22, page 1).

It is true that the California Coastal Commission does not look favorably on creating yet more preferential parking districts, making beach access more difficult.

However, the commission does not object to a city charging for that parking, even in residential neighborhoods. So, one alternative to creating yet another preferential parking district is to install nicely designed meters on those residential streets favored by beach or Farmers’ Market parkers. There could be one master meter per block and residents could be exempt from paying to park at the meters. One variety of this idea is to create a residential parking benefit district and give residents a cut of the parking revenue to use to improve their neighborhoods. Parkers could be given a debit card for coin-free parking.

I would love to see a pilot program of this kind near the beach or Santa Monica College.

Barbara Filet
Santa Monica