Editor:
I consider myself incredibly blessed to live in a community like Santa Monica. It is sheer luck, serendipity that I live in a city that is so rich in amenities and services – excellent schools, quality parks & recreational resources, a great bus system, awesome libraries. And those are just the public amenities. Then there are the restaurants, the entertainment venues and, of course, the beach.
I had always considered our community to be welcoming and generous, one that recognizes that each of us is simply fortunate to live here. And, in that luckiness, we would show generosity and openness to others who want to join our community – empty nesters looking to give up a car, families seeking schools that could give their kids better opportunity, millennials seeking to live within biking distance of their job, and our own kids, returning from college or military service.
It breaks my heart that we may be on the verge of shutting the door on people who are simply looking for the same opportunities that we already enjoy. I guess it’s easy to forget that 80% of what is called “overdevelopment” is simply homes: homes for friends, family and colleagues – new neighbors who can enrich our community.
Sadly, the most apt parallel to Proposition LV is Donald Trump’s proposal to build a wall. Both are extreme measures that loudly communicate our antipathy toward those who are not already here. Is this what we have become?
Amy Anderson
Santa Monica
