Santa Monica Malibu Council of PTAs Supports Measures AA, SM
By Rebeca Kennnerly The Santa Monica–Malibu Council of PTAs has voted unanimously to support Measure AA (Santa Monica College Career and Educational Improvements) and Measure SM (Santa Monica Utility Users Tax), and to take no position on Measure T (Residents Initiative to Fight Traffic). “Our Santa Monica Malibu Council of PTAs has a long history of advocacy, including participating in local races. While PTA as an organization is non-partisan, and can not weigh in on... Read More
Whither the Weather 9/28 – 10/4
By Ava Tramer Beaches Mostly sunny Highs: 72-76; Lows: 62-64 Inland Clear and sunny Highs: 92-97; Lows: 59-62 Deserts Hot hot hot Highs: 102-104; Lows: 73-78 And Santa Monica… I’ve heard of rain and a thing known as snow, And of lightening and thunder too. There’s something called hail And I think sleet and ice, And apparently wind that makes you feel cold. But how do I know that these things are real, That people are telling the truth? For in Santa Monica,... Read More
Congress Developing Plan for Wall Street
At midnight last night, DC time, the members of Congress who are charged with developing a plan that will resolve the Wall Street crisis announced that they had “a framework” for the plan, but had to put it on paper before they could release the details. They also said that a vote on the plan could come on Monday. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Congress Developing Plan for Wall Street", url: "http://www.santamonicadispatch.com/2008/09/congress-developing-plan-for-wall-street/"... Read More
Paul Newman Was Perfect
Paul Newman died Friday. He was 83, and had lung cancer. He was a great actor. His range was enormous. He did rogues, villains, heroes, crooks, cops, fathers, sons, cowboys and lawyers — every sort of man. He did comedies and dramas with equal ease, and readily admitted that he’d appeared in some turkeys, but if he ever gave a bad performance I haven’t seen it. He was unstinting – in his work and his life – incapable of withholding anything. After appearing... Read More
America’s Last, Best Hope
This vast, glorious and profound country has been brought low by 40 years of trivial men in the White House. Their small, mean dreams have spawned the slow-rolling nightmare that now envelops the entire country. They have too often seen the Constitution as means, not end. They have increased their power and restricted our freedom. They have sanctified greed and given Wall Street license to loot the country in the name of “the free market.” They have overseen the transformation... Read More
There Goes The Neighborhood
According to a recent story in Surf Santa Monica, “downtown Santa Monica has been undergoing a major makeover.” Among the “nearly three dozen projects [listed in the story], which range from those in the planning process to those that only await a final inspection, “ are an $80 million Big Blue Bus maintenance facility, the $8.2 million “pedestrian and streetscape improvement project” on Second and Fourth Streets that was ground zero in the battle of the ficus... Read More
More Quetions About Measure AA
SMC and the Measure AA promoters and beneficiaries seem to be concerned about its passage. SMC is lobbying the Associated Students (AS) for $425,000 to promote their third bond in six years, per the Sept. 25 SMC Corsair http://www.thecorsaironline.com/home/. Associated Student funds are comprised of “mandatory” AS fees paid by virtually every student — they are not part of tuition. Since 85% (25,000) of SMC’s students are from outside Santa Monica,... Read More
New Round of PCH Lane Closures
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will close a northbound lane of Pacific Coast Highway (SR-1) between Escondido Beach Road and Winding Way Monday, September 29 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for work by Southern California Edison. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "New Round of PCH Lane Closures", url: "http://www.santamonicadispatch.com/2008/09/new-round-of-pch-lane-closures/" }); Read More
Prop SM: The Facts
By Peter Tigler There are two things to consider when voting on Prop SM: What is being taxed and where is the money going. The City of Santa Monica wants to add a 10% tax on all data moving point to point, no matter how transmitted. Simply put, this authorizes not only a tax on cell phones and “texting”, it paves the way for taxing internet access and satelliteTV. It also allows the taxing of technologies not yet in use, and adds service calls and rental equipment... Read More
Bad Timing for a Bogus Bond
The Santa Monica College Board of Trustees demonstrates a disturbing level of cluelessness by asking the citizens of Santa Monica to assume $300 million of Measure AA debt at a time when the financial infrastructure of the United States is imploding on a weekly basis. Ordinary citizens concerned with their employment prospects, retirement prospects, property values, future taxes, insurance costs, etc. are being called upon by SMC’s Board to give and give generously—for the... Read More
