March 29, 2024 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Letters to the Editor:

Dear Editor:

I hope my fellow Santa Monica and Malibu Republicans realize: The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District hopes we won’t notice this month’s election to decide whether our current parcel tax of $346 per year should be increased to $544.

The school district is spending an extra $260,000 to pay for a mail-in election that will conclude May 25—just two weeks before the June primary. Why?

According to one news report, “The extra expense, [Parcel Tax Committee Chair Neil] Carrey said, is worth it because research shows the tax would likely fail if it were part of the statewide ballot. One factor that would hurt the tax on the June ballot, he said, is that more Republicans are likely to vote in the primary . . . .”

Republicans should crash this party and vote NO on Measure A!

Larry Davlos,. Santa Monica

Dear Editor,

I think that in deciding whether Santa Monica should be the site of future races, residents must be given some consideration. These races that are supposed to provide economic benefits to the city do not do so, according to newspaper reports that the LA Marathon, in fact, prevented people from their normal weekend shopping in Santa Monica and that business (aside from certain hotels and restaurants) was down that weekend. What then is the benefit to Santa Monica and its residents?

1. In May the LA Marathon shut down two key residential streets: San Vincente and Ocean Ave.

2. Barely two months later, the Santa Monica Classic on May 16 will do the same, barring residents on those streets from pursuing their normal weekend activities of shopping, visiting family, enjoying a trip or a show downtown. For those of us who work, weekends are the only opportunity to do these things and the city is stopping us.

3. Although Trinie Garcia-Valdez in the Community Events Office told me that promoters pay back to Santa Monica for services such as police, garbage removal and bus re-routing, there are uncounted costs. For example, the city employees who have to do the rescheduling and make arrangements for barricades etc. This is time taken away from serving the people of the city.

In summation, I can understand city officials wanting to be part of the LA Marathon which garners world-wide attention, but cannot condone other for-profit races which bring unnecessary disruption to the lives of residents and no real benefit to Santa Monica. The only ones who profit are their promoters. I believe the City Council would best serve its constituents by turning down all such future race requests.

HP Epstein, Santa Monica

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