By Francisco Juarez Santa Monica
Regarding the letters from Mr. Rosenfeld, “See how they like it in Pico” and Mr. Johnson, “Appeasing the thugs is no answer” (SMDP, July 31, page 4), I believe that these two gentleman should go pound some Venice sand.
Printing both of these cynical and subtly racist letters about the neighborhood where most people of color in Santa Monica live and use the park was too much for me to stomach.
Rosenfeld, formerly from Venice, and Johnson, still in Venice, need to know that their tactics are off target. Their comments are damaging and may cause other uninformed non-minority readers to nod their heads and usher in the next level of gen-trification that already has a hold in the corridor.
If, and I agree there are, problems of gangs, violence and drugs are issues, publicly pointing a finger at the neighborhood and its leaders is unfair to those tenured and hard-working families who take pride in their homes and work to maintain decent lifestyles and, also, to those who use the system to address its problems.
The city leaders, namely the City Council and its staff, should be well aware of the problems and they should be held responsible and accountable for providing fair, equitable and solid solutions. The problem over the years has been the Band-Aid approach that this and all of the past administrations have paid to this part of the city. If you want to fix a problem, don’t be half-ass about it. If, for example, the mode is to change the city charter to protect a segment of the city then that might be the way to go.
If Oscar de la Torre is leading an effort to turn “at-risk” youth around, why does he have to be criticized? If the problem is so obvious to Mike and Don, Oscar should either get more support, or alternative methods that compliment his efforts should be sought. And, as for “frivolous squandering” relative to what you call spray paint art, don’t try and judge what art work is in Santa Monica, that is what the Arts Commission, the Architectural Review Boards and, ultimately, the City Council are for (whew).
If claiming how long I’ve lived here, worked, or, if establishing myself as a former member of the Virginia Avenue Park Advisory Board and the Parks and Recreation Commission had any effect, or, if telling you that you can’t move away from violence (cold case: Juarez brothers murdered on Lincoln Boulevard), things may not seem so simple to these “blokes.” However, many a better man and woman have preceded and followed my roll in past Pico politics and, like I said, little has changed for this part of town. It makes me wonder (1) is political fodder stored in the Pico Corridor on purpose, and, (2) are there any “thugs” working on the library at Seventh Street and Santa Monica Boulevard.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 5, 2004. Read the original PDF.