Editor:
Thank God Santa Monica has a Bill Bauer. Thank God someone cares about Santa Monica. Thank God someone is finding out and exposing the "clandestine," "citizen" and "neighborhood groups" and their true leaders and purpose; the ones that seem to occasionally materialize out of nowhere ("Is SMRG fabulous or phony?" My Write, Aug. 26).
Where do those groups come from?
Having resided in Santa Monica for nearly 55 years, when a new neighborhood group materializes out of nowhere (with no public call to arms, organizing for change or to start a group), you wonder how the group really started, and whether, once again, it's only one or two business owners claiming to be a "neighborhood group" only to obfuscate the facts of who they are, what they are and what they truly seek.
I applaud Mr. Bauer. He is the only one who seems to care enough to get to the bottom of this issue (and all the others he covers and tries to clarify for the good of the citizens of Santa Monica).
He seems to find out:
1. Who is running them?
2. Who they truly represent?
3. What they really want?
I applaud Bill Bauer for all his efforts to educate us, to inform us who these groups are and who is truly behind their efforts. Only that way can we understand their purpose and the true message they are attempting to communicate to us.
And then, and only then, can we make an educated decision on what our options are, to agree with them or disagree, which is what I think citizen and/ or neighborhood groups and how they influence our decision-making process is all about.
Thank you, Mr. Bill Bauer. Thank you for helping educate me. Thank you for bringing transparency, clarity to what seems to be others' obfuscation of the facts for their own good; not mine, yours, or others.
Fiona Gonsier
Santa Monica
