Hi Kevin,

Please re-think, if you would, the eliminating of any of the candidates from the planned “Squirm” gathering next Monday [10-15]. Apparent intention to do so now seems to compromise the effectiveness of that important meeting.

We seem now at a critical turning point, both locally and nationally. Why, even this notable day’s [typing this on 10-11-12!] arrival of this year’s “caps-melting open-freezer-affect” damper cold air seems almost a world trumpeting that important change is on the way.

Some would certainly quibble about how best to tackle our Santa Monica key walnuts—expo or trolley, development and traffic, genuinely affordable housing, arts, education, infrastructures, needed-business nurturance, space usage, City reputation, taxation, etc., etc.—but, hopefully few would deny that our social contract to keep this small town both economically viable and worth living in is now on a worrisome brink; much the same needs-management precipice our Nation (and beyond) seems now also facing.

Even without what is coming with our newest “enemy”, the environment, when it comes to talk of solving City problems, “divided we fall” seems now a cautionary reminder more true than ever.

A part of the long-abiding challenge each of us bears to change in real ways how we day-to-day live, is our now heightening need to change also the ways we converse. In the ‘60’s, the import of “living simply so that others may simply live” came to some general awareness. Now, half-century very fast forward, “It’s the environment, stupid” takes center stage and “living simply” is even more important and yet more difficult a need to satisfy. If we are to honor that need, our personal-change modeling will also require we greatly and quickly redouble others-including efforts already pursued. Our world of over 7-billion [and growing] now presents us with a much different set of group tasks if we are to live, simply or not.

Please include all the slated voices next Monday.Thanks, Kevin.

David Latham, Santa Monica