Higher
Dear ER:
Why stop at 12 percent (“Hermosa Beach activists circulate hotel bed tax pedition,”)? Since no one makes a decision on where to stay based on the bed tax, take it up to 100 percent and then see if people do base their decision on it. Tax, tax, tax, tax. When will it ever stop?
David Reams
Website comment
Higher no more
Dear ER:
Everything went downhill for Hermosa after all the pot smokers and hippies left (“Hermosa Beach activists circulate hotel bed tax pedition,”). This is what happens when a bunch of greedy MBA’s take over a city.
Patrick LeFranc
Website comment
Everyone else does it
Dear ER:
I believe Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach bed taxes are at 12 percent. Not sure why it’s such a big deal (“Hermosa Beach activists circulate hotel bed tax pedition,”). The city needs money, and it’s better than increasing taxes in those of us who live here or have businesses here.
Doug Howarth
Website comment
Sailing forward
Dear ER:
Electing Christian Horvath to represent District 3 was a win for all of Redondo Beach (“Horvath ahead by 12 in pivotal District 3 election,” ER May 21, 2015). We have a fresh, new council member who is invested in his community, receptive to change and possessing a new vision for his city. However, Horvath is only the first step in a very long process of needed change for Redondo Beach. We still have very far to go before we have the financially stable and viable city we all want. Still, Horvath has the vision and platform to help get some of these ideas off the drawing board.
Peter Williams
Redondo Beach (District 3)
He said, she said. Council says?
Dear ER:
Now that the investigation of the “He said, she said” is complete, it is up to the city manager and the city council to set the facts straight (“Hermosa city manager launches investigation into Chris Miller incident,” ER April 29, 2015). There needs to be an apology from Police Chief Sharon Papas to Chris Miller and from the Chamber of Commerce for their overreaction and inappropriate responses. The Chamber also owes Chris Miller an apology for removing her from their board without supporting evidence.
Jackie Tagliaferro
Spending at will
Dear ER
Recently, the Manhattan Beach City Council announced a Separation Agreement with its at-will employee Human Resource Director Cathy Hanson. The council had the right to discharge her without cause. Rather, it agreed to provide her payments totaling approximately $100,000, including six months’ salary, without providing the public justification,.
The council, furthering its deviance from open government, failed to place on the item its meeting agenda, to provide an opportunity for questions from the public about the unnecessary expenditure of taxpayer dollars.
The Separation Agreement, suggesting an amicable “voluntary” resignation by Hanson, appears contradicted by the condition prohibiting Hanson from seeking “future employment, reinstatement and/or re-employment with…the City.” The council has set a precedent of encouraging other employees to litigate if they are asked to resign or are discharged.
The Manhattan Beach City Council needs to explain why Hanson’s at-will status did not result in discharge without these payments, especially as it is poised to seek higher taxes from its residents for storm water, street lighting, and other infrastructure and capital improvements.
Edward C. Caprielian, Ph.D.
Manhattan Beach
Down from the hill
Dear ER:
We moved from Palos Verdes to Redondo Beach a few years ago to downsize and enjoy the beach and the waterfront. It didn’t take long to find out that something was very wrong with the way Redondo Beach is managed. The power plant company AES and the Chamber of Commerce pretty much run the town and the majority of City Hall officials. Soon after we got here Mayor Aspel and his council majority voted to give away the waterfront to some shopping center development company, taking our valuable coastal land away from the citizens and gifting it to a private corporation to do with as they pleased. Next, we watched Mayor Aspel and the Chamber of Commerce being the head cheerleaders for AES’s scheme to bypass the normal planning process with “Measure B.” This measure would have given AES power to do as they pleased with their side of the waterfront, causing extreme increases in traffic and a huge condo-commercial development to nearly match the monster that is there now. Mayor Aspel and friends vetoed Councilman Bill Brand’s motion to put this up to the vote of the people, shutting the rest of us out completely.
My vision was to continue making the improvements to the pier that have already started under public ownership and work our way around the waterfront to retrofit and beautify everything to match a new and better plan. I am in touch with two non-profit organizations that will help us with funding and will keep the waterfront in the hands of the people of Redondo Beach. One is the “Trust For Public Land.” The other is “Rails To Trails.”
Barbara Epstein
Redondo Beach
Like a rolling stone
Dear ER:
The 25th Annual Dylanfest was a remarkable event (“’Forever Young,” ER April 30, 2015). As with the Dylanfest in years past, this day went wonderfully well. We sang with joyous tears to the absolutely perfect performances by REnee Safier, Andy Hill, and Marty Rifkin.
Dora Perez-Meyer
Torrance
Good growing
Dear ER:
On behalf of Hermosa Garden Club I would like to thank the following for their generous donations to our plant sale raffle: Alliance Auto Care, Amber’s Cove, Arico’s Hallmark, Baja Calif. Fish Tacos, Banner’s Stationers, Bay Club, Belamar Hotel, Bluff Cove Olive Oil Co., Bisto Farms, Buona Vita Trattoria, Cee Jay’s for Flowers, Charlotte & Russ Lesser, Chef Hannes, Costco, Creme De La Crepe, Deep Roots Garden Center, Fran’s Hallmark, Fringe, Fritto Misto, Gaetano’s Restaurant, Gum Tree, H&H Nursery, Hennessey’s, Hook & Plow International Garden Center, islands Pacific Jeep, Jackson’ Food & Drink, Joe Oliveri Hair Design, Just Jenn Hair, Kellogg’s Supply, Inc, La Capilla Mexican Restaurant, La Playita Restaurant, Lido di Manhattan, Lilly Pad, Linda @ Hair Mechanics, Liz Nails, Lucky Plants, Manhattan Bread & Bagel, Marina del Rey Garden Center, Marriott Manhattan Beach, Martha’s 22nd Street Grill, Mary Kay, Andrea Conrad, Mediterraneo, Mimi’s Cafe, Pancho’s, Panera Bread, Patrick Molloy’s, Paul Martin’s American Bistro, Peter’s Garden, Phuket Thai, Pink Berry, Rainforest Flora, Ralph’s Market, Redondo Beach Brewing Co., Redondo Grooming, Restful Sleep, Rizzo’s Pizzeria, Rod’s Charbroiler, Ruby’s Diner, Sacks on the Beach, Scotty’s on the Strand, Shear Heaven for Pets, Sharkeez, Simms Restaurants, Sol Baby, Soothe Your Soul, South Bay Gardens, Sprouts, Super Cuts, The Comedy & Magic Club, The Green Store, The Kettle, The Monogram Shoppe, The Rockefeller, The Source, Trader Joe’s, Uncorded, Von’s Market, Voyager Excursions, Watermans, Wild Birds Unlimited, Yak & Yeti, Zanes Restaurant.
Juleen Jackson
Hermosa Beach
Get off the pot
Dear ER:
What a joke. The Redondo council was elected to take action. Not hire more attorneys, form task forces and blither about incoherently. AES owns the land and has a deep pocket. The longer we wait to strike a deal on development of the AES property, the more at risk we become of having no input on what happens. Stop the kabuki dance and make a deal.
Fred Katz
Redondo Beach
