PROPOSITION 8 SHOULD BE STRUCK DOWN
by Jerry Brown The California Supreme Court finds itself center stage tomorrow when it will hear oral arguments on whether it should uphold Proposition 8′s ban on same-sex marriage. The case touches the heart of our democracy and poses a profound question: can a bare majority of voters strip away an inalienable right through the initiative process? If so, what possible meaning does the word inalienable have? The state faced a dilemma like this... Read More
NO OUTSIDERS NEED APPLY
I just read the article “no outsiders need apply” and was surprised to hear that in a progressive city like Santa Monica, this kind of political “fix” is allowed. I applaud the applicant for sharing a perspective on the crumby politics of this city. Too bad, in this new era of transparency, this is what we learn. julie kirkham Venice SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "NO OUTSIDERS NEED APPLY", url: "http://www.santamonicadispatch.com/2009/03/no-outsiders-need-apply/"... Read More
To the Editor Last week, the City Council played the equivalent of the child’s game of scissors, rock, paper when they appointed Gleam Davis to replace Herb Katz. The paper as I see it was the blizzard of writings that favored Mr. Winterer as the putative appointee because he had come in behind the affirmed elected candidates without being carried to office? Bobby Shriver spoke passionately about the efficacy of calling for a special election... Read More
CORRECTION
Two numbers cited in “An Open Invitation” below are inaccurate. In fact, Ted Winterer won 12 percent of the vote in the November City Council race, and Prop T lost by 11 percent. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "CORRECTION", url: "http://www.santamonicadispatch.com/2009/03/1062/" }); Read More
Letters to the Editor
To the Editor: 93% of Americans consider the arts to be vital to providing a well-rounded education. Parents and teachers know that the arts help students succeed. Studies demonstrate that access to arts education increases student engagement in learning, decreases truancy and drop-out rates, and helps students develop skills such as effective communication, critical and innovative thinking, cooperation, and flexibility. These are essential to California’s... Read More
AN OPEN INVITATION (NOT) FOR CITY COUNCIL SEAT
by Dinah Minot, an > applicant 02/27/09 Despite the fact that I applied for the vacant city council seat appointed last Tuesday in Santa Monica, I didn’t expect to get it. But I didn’t expect it to be a scam either. And following the appointment of Gleam Davis, there is barely a mention of the farce in any local papers. Here’s what happened from an applicant’s POV. Six council members had the task of appointing... Read More
Whither Boring
By Ava Tramer Beaches Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers Highs: 63-69; Lows: 47-56 Inland Partly cloudy Highs: 62-75; Lows: 42-51 Deserts Hot and mostly sunny Highs: 70-81; Lows: 47-59 And Santa Monica… A weather haiku: Potential showers But still many sunny days Can you say: “Boring”? SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Whither Boring", url: "http://www.santamonicadispatch.com/2009/03/1054/" }); Read More
Correction
As we reported in the following story, we lost track of the vote switching. For the record, Bob Holbrook switched his vote from Ted Winterer to Gleam Davis before Councilman Kevin McKeown switched his vote from Winterer to Patricia Hoffman, rather than vice versa as we reported. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Correction", url: "http://www.santamonicadispatch.com/2009/03/1052/" }); Read More
Is This Any Way to Run A Democracy?
Tuesday night’s City Council meeting was a cross between Samuel Becket’s “Waiting for Godot” and the Abbott and Costello “Who’s on First?” routine. The Council was charged with appointing someone to replace Council member Herb Katz who died shortly after being re-elected last fall. If the members failed to agree on a replacement or chose not to make the appointment, they would have to call for a special election and leave... Read More
Whither Spring
By Ava Tramer Beaches Partly cloudy Highs: 63-70; Lows: 50-53 Inland Mostly cloudy Highs: 67-72; Lows: 43-48 Deserts Mostly sunny Highs: 75-82; Lows: 50-55 And Santa Monica… We’re on the homestretch here – winter is almost over. In about a month, spring will officially be here. I know you’re probably tired of the bitterly cold weather (lows in the 50s) and harsh wintry mixes (scattered showers). For those of you who... Read More
