By Jon Mann Santa Monica
Bill Bauer’s column (“City’s priorities are backwards,” Oct. 15) is barking up the wrong tree. The (City) Council’s motives in this matter seem to have little to do with the public interest, and more about city employees, tourism, raising taxes, development and commercial interests.
I don’t believe the so-called city “experts” are to be trusted, but that they support an agenda to get rid of as many trees as possible so the promenade can be expanded to include Second and Fourth streets. It is an outrageous exaggeration that 23 trees are rotted, split, off-balance or top-heavy and can’t be saved. We already lost the ficus trees that used to shade Pico Boulevard. What trees will be next?
Instead of excluding the public from the decision-making process there should be a town hall meeting on the subject, and an interactive public forum on this topic should be added to the city Web site for those who can not attend.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 17, 2007. Read the original PDF.