By Marilyn Brennan Santa Monica
In this past week, there have been several meaningful letters printed that bemoan the downward slide of what once was a beautiful little city on the ocean. In Friday’s paper, Robert Pawloski writes a heartfelt letter (“So much for this city being green,” May 25) about the demise of the lovely trees on Second and Fourth streets that the “brilliant” city planners/City Council members have decided must go. You see, the trees beautify where they want to see ugly — so down these lovely, living trees go. And we pay them to decide this.
And if you think ugly is not their intent, just look at all the monstrosities of buildings going up. The one that is a real eyesore is the parking structure put up in from of the Civic Center. Even parking structures can look better. And then, after the ugly thing was up, someone decided that putting Howard Johnson-colored banners would look really classy. What a mess! The designer/architect must be one of the ones with friends in high places that Bill Bauer speaks of in his columns.
Then there is the traffic; the no-leaf blower laws no one enforces; smoking laws the city doesn’t enforce; the almost-tripling of the bus fare for seniors; the raising of bus fares for students; the drug addicts and alcoholics taking over the city; and the countless apartment/condos going up, pouring more and more and more traffic into the streets.
Letters are written to the SMDP daily about these issues and the people who create the problems just yawn and go back to business and usual. Why not? We had a chance last year to send a message at voting time, and instead, reelected the people who, over the years, created the downward slide we are in.
As you walk past the Third Street Promenade on Broadway toward the ocean, you are assaulted with the heavy and pervasive odor of urine. You know the Grove and Universal CityWalk know how to keep clean, why is this a challenge for Santa Monica? The rent charged on the promenade should ensure a pristine place for all to enjoy. Now, only the street people enjoy it, as they do the parks, the alleys, the doorways, the yards, etc.
I would so love to write a letter about the beauty of Santa Monica. Once, I could have, and I profoundly hope to be able to do it again. I will when the responsible people do something to reverse the urban blight now invading the city.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 1, 2007. Read the original PDF.