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# Santa Monica Leave the blowers behind
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-leave-the-blowers-behind-editor/
- Published: 2007-06-13T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T01:05:33.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By John Hoelle Santa Monica*

As I type this, I am listening to the incessant racket of yet another leaf blower across the street, the man lazily blowing around a few leaves so that they wind up in the gutter. The noise could just as easily be a weed-whacker or another gas-powered mower. It seems like most days I end up closing my window in frustration because the neighborhood peace is constantly under attack by these machines. Today, I was awakened by a leaf-blower in the alley behind my girlfriend’s house. It was 9 a.m. this time, but not long ago someone fired up one of these machines at 7:15 a.m. We called in a noise complaint. I can only hope the managers of the building behind her were at least contacted.

Why are leaf blowers still being used, in an alley or anywhere else? If gardeners used a broom, maybe our gutters wouldn’t require street cleaning once a week.

Lawn care equipment burns fuel inefficiently and is a major polluter, and Santa Monica would do well in leading the nation in requiring lawn care equipment to be electric powered, reducing emissions and noise.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 13, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/061307.pdf?ref=smdp.com)