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# Residents wait for their ships to come in
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/residents-wait-for-their-ships-to-come-in/
- Published: 2005-07-02T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T07:22:11.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Community, Pier, #archive-import, Homeless

This past week, Q-line asked: “Which do you favor, rebuilding the breakwater or building a gangway off of the Santa Monica Pier?”

Here are your responses: ✆ “There is another option: Heal the bay first. Right now it’s dubious whether it’s safe to eat the fish caught in these waters. It certainly isn’t safe to swim in much of this area. As usual, Santa Monica puts the cart before the horse by advertising tourism for this filthy, unsafe city before cleaning it up and getting rid of the bums.” ✆ “It is interesting that the majority of crank comments, including my own, to the Santa Monica Daily Press have to do with traffic congestion, air pollution, filthy sidewalks, and overcrowding. Now the Santa Monica city nincompoop politicians, who are completely devoid of class and style, wish to construct another attraction next to the Santa Monica Pier that is already overcrowded with human and motorized congestion. Prudence dictates that we as residents of Santa Monica understand that motorized seagoing vessels pollute both the air and the ocean water. As residents, we should consider that the Marina del Rey boat harbor has never been a great success due to the high cost of sailing vessels and more in charges. And lastly, one would wonder how a boat harbor would help the rank and file residents of Santa Monica. We must keep in mind this project will be paid for with tax dollars from all of us that only a few of us will be able to enjoy.” ✆ “Since there is so much wasteful spending by the City Council, I think the galley is just fine. And give back some of the money to the people.” ✆ “A couple of dogs peeing on the sand is a no-no, but a fleet of boats dumping gas, poop, oil and garbage is OK?” ✆ “Brains and the City Council do not go hand-in-hand. The idea that the city or the taxpayers should pay for a breakwater rebuild or gangway at the pier is ludicrous. Has anybody on that inept City Council thought about letting the vendees or concessionaires pay for the gangway? Why is it that every time something has to be done in this city that benefits the vendees or concessionaires that the city has to put up the money. Why can’t it be asked of those who would benefit — in this case, the vendees and the concessionaires?” ✆ “I think we should have a breakwater rebuild — not the gangway, which will be full of homeless urinating on the gangway... But as far as the breakwater is concerned — build the breakwater.” ✆ “It would be a good idea to put up all that stuff down at the pier, assuming they can figure out how much it would cost. Once they estimate the cost, they should double it because when the city’s involved in it, it would cost more than when normal people do things. They’ve got to figure out if it would be worth it, if it won’t bring in very much money for what they spend they shouldn’t do it. But, if they do bring in some business, they should go for it. They could have tours, maybe boats to Catalina, fishing boats, things like that. And, if they have a boat that offers a three-hour tour, they should put the City Council on it. Hopefully they won’t come back.” ✆ “Over 40 years ago, when I was in the Junior Lifeguards, we used to jump off the pier. I thought it was a derelict piece of junk then, now it’s an expensive piece of junk. Having said that, if you have a pier you must have a breakwater. The question is how to pay for it. A breakwater should bring back commercial fishing business and about 20 anchorages. Can these support the $13 million cost? How about the non-profit PRC paying for it? No, I think its biggest contributor is the city of Santa Monica. Again, we are supporting private enterprise with taxpayer money so tourists and people from east LA can ride on the Ferris wheel. Why aren’t the Santa Monica taxpayers concerned about another dubious donation of their money? Because the lemmings get a free musical concert by music groups that no one would pay for — and that’s sure worth $13 million, plus what we have already put into this money pit.” ✆ “The breakwater versus the gangway. Have they forgot what the purpose of a breakwater was in the first place? To protect the pier in a storm. The gangway won’t do that. They need the breakwater to protect the pier from being washed away like it was before.” ✆ “One thing someone should give some consideration to is some form of access for small boat owners just north of the pier. I wooden platform of some sort. A wooden road that could be taken up at certain times of the year. Something that you could put over the sand that was 12 or 15 feet so people with sailboats could launch... I think they could set aside a small area there so people with small boats could roll them into the water and use their cars and trailers in the parking lot there. It wouldn’t be very costly and it could be managed.” ✆ “The sign entering the pier says ‘yacht harbor, sport fishing, boating and cafes.’ If they had the breakwater they’d be able to have all of those others, including cafes. It’ll be a big attraction for the place...” ✆ “Most definitely bring back the breakwater. Bring operational boats back and get the sport fishing half-day and full-day boats in there. Make that a functional pier and use it for what it was built for. That is the soul of Santa Monica, that pier. That would be a wonderful thing to make that functional again.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 2, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/070205.pdf?ref=smdp.com)