By Zelia Grund
City Hall is complaining they will lose money if the trees are not removed. Well, if so, why then doesn’t the city cut down all the ficus trees on Second and Fourth streets at the same time? They plan to cut the other half of them in a year or so anyway, which will cost the city much more money because they will probably have to redo the sidewalks again. And why bother replanting since those new gingko trees lose all their leaves each winter and may cause people to slip and fall on them? Why not just have potted plants or tiny potted trees that can easily be removed when they get too big in a few years and may provide too much shade and give off too much oxygen. Or better yet, why not artificial plastic trees, like the Winterlit Xmas tree. That would conserve water too for this sustainable city.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 22, 2008. Read the original PDF.