Editor:
I had the privilege of attending my first Santa Monica community meeting [Thursday night]. I no longer reside in Santa Monica, but my mother still does and she's not too thrilled about the proposed development that is being considered for 3032 Wilshire Blvd. so she asked me to escort her.
The evening's farce was hosted at my alma mater, Franklin Elementary. I say farce because it is quite evident that this project has already been bought and paid for by Century West Partners — the property owners. Why would I declare such outlandishness? Because apparently they donated $100,000 to current members of the City Council. I'm wondering how that is not considered an enormous conflict of interest. Who actually votes these clowns in? How are they never held accountable?
What was indeed beautiful was the overwhelming turnout from outraged Santa Monica residents who don't want this ridiculously designed edifice in their neighborhood further tainting what was once a "sleepy beach community." I was beaming with pride when the gentlemen (in the pink shirt and glasses) so beautifully and artfully condescended to the "other side" and whose only pathetic reaction all evening was to double-talk and evade; taking no responsibility whatsoever for how their little "project" will ultimately doom that area.
Have you ever witnessed a deer in headlights? That's what the "other side" looked like. They had zero answers for the most pertinent questions? Again, evading and riding it out because they know that they only have to suffer a little bit now while reaping the huge rewards (see profits) later.
Want to enjoy great television? Watch this event on whichever channel in Santa Monica airs these types of community experiences. If you live here or grew up here, you will most definitely feel a sense of pride as everyone banded together. We laughed (often mockingly), cried out with outrage, and now cling to the slim hope that this horrible idea will not succeed.
Why isn't someone/a group digging deep within the financial records of City Council members? I think that would terrify a few people, no?
This needs to be Santa Monica's new mantra: "Hold the City Council Accountable" — and let's not get started on the school board. What happened to Santa Monica?
Craig Yettra
Brooklyn, N.Y.
