Guns and pizza
Dear ER:
This is in response to your article “Group protests Open Carry pizza dinner,” [ER Jan. 27, 2011]: In my opinion, gun control advocates are misguided. There have been many studies showing that gun control does not reduce crime, and in fact, states that have instituted more lenient gun ownership laws have had the largest drops in violent crimes.
However, regardless of one’s stance on gun control, it is unconscionable, especially in this economy, that Santa Monica resident Suzanne Verge would in so many words encourage people to boycott Brooklyn Pizza simply for allowing citizens who exercise their Second Amendment rights to dine there. (“We wanted people to know they don’t have to support Brooklyn Pizza.”)
Small businesses are struggling enough without irresponsible shouts for a boycott simply because one doesn’t agree politically with their patrons.
Additionally, Verge claims to know that the open-carry advocates “don’t know what [they’re] doing,” and have “no training.” On the contrary, all the gun owners I know are very careful with their weapons, have had courses on firearm safety and self-defense, and practice regularly at firing ranges.
My wife and I tend to make our own pizza at home, but I will make a point of ordering a pie from Brooklyn’s in the near future, and in doing so, support our Second Amendment rights.
Joe Ferrell
Manhattan Beach
It’s just pizza
Dear ER:
With some dismay, I have been following the antics of the Open Carry fanatics as they have tried to stir up controversy and call attention to their members who obviously have self-esteem issues.
However, while my heart is with those who protested the SBOC meeting last week at Brooklyn Brick Oven Pizza, I am afraid that these well-meaning people are simply giving the SBOC the publicity and attention they crave.
My main concern is that my friend and all-time favorite South Bay pizza maker, Bobby Udovich, has been falsely described by some as supporting the aims of the SBOC, simply because he served them dinner. This is truly a case of “don’t shoot the pizza maker.”
Unlike at the South Bay Galleria, there are no laws or regulations that would have allowed a small, individual establishment such as Brooklyn Brick Oven Pizza, to bar the SBOC from holding a dinner meeting there. To do so would not only be turning away paying customers, but could have risked a discrimination lawsuit, which I believe these people would not hesitate to pursue in order to gain even more attention for their misguided cause.
Mark Warshaw
Hermosa Beach
Public indecency
Dear ER:
How is it that a larger-than-life picture of 10-time World Surfing champion Kelly Slater [at Spyder Surfboards on PCH] is a violation of Hermosa Beach’s city code, and yet the City has no objection to the mannequins on the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Eighth Street who sport larger-than-life triple D’s with nothing more than pasties and a thong?
Susan Darcy
Hermosa Beach
Gun insurance
Dear ER:
Open Carry: show me your insurance card.
Each time I see the open carry advocates in the news I have to say – really? What purpose are you demonstrating other than bringing another variable the police will have to deal with and will probably result in the needless loss of life.
So I was thinking: when you go out on the street in your vehicle you have to show financial responsibility. So why is this needed for a car which can kill and not a gun which can kill and maim much easier? Since you want to keep asserting your “right,” fine. You can go ahead as long as you have proof of insurance, training, and waive liability.
You see I know something about guns and their use in the commission of crimes and as a deterrent. I was director for seven years at a company called Brinks. You may have heard about it as we delivered cash to virtually every bank and ATM around in armored cars. All my employees carried weapons and had to go through extensive training, background checks, and be certified monthly on the gun range.
Most of my staff were former military and many were trying to get into law enforcement. The only group better trained in firearms use and safety are peace officers. Both of these are therefore much better trained than your average “open carry” advocate.
At Brinks we were regulated by the ATF, had to keep meticulous records of all firearms issued and ensure any incident was reported in a timely manner. Failure to do so could result in huge fines or suspension of our license to operate. That brings up a good question about liability and responsibility. If a large company has to abide by certain rules and regulations, why not individuals who want to “brandish a weapon in public.”
Our insurance people told us each bullet is worth about $1 million in liability. So there was a lot of actuarial discussion about liability when we went from six round revolvers to 10 round .40 pistols. The fear was the insurance would hurt our bottom line so we over compensated in our training to make our employees safer.
Even with this high level of training in my seven years I had to go to four funerals of employees killed while just doing their jobs, often over a few thousand dollars.
So I have a few ideas to let our “open carry” citizens carry and protect the rest of us at the same time.
1. Must have certified training approved by local law enforcement
2. Proof of insurance – say approximately $1 million per round the weapon holds
3. Waiver to the City where they are carrying for injury, or loss of life to any open carry advocate
4. Agree to accept all liability and claims arising from the injury or death at their hands or caused to innocent by standers
5. Hold harmless any city for any damages when they decide to “open carry”
The one thing is certain: we would be having a very different conversation if the open carry citizen in Tucson had completed what he set out to do. In his own words, he was a split second away from killing the wrong guy.
You see, the gunman was already disarmed and on the ground when he ran out of his store with a loaded weapon. After seeing a man holding the gun, he slammed him up against the wall and was about to shoot when he saw another man pinned on the ground.
Part-time weekend warriors who want to intimidate other citizens for some lack of (pick your Freudian definition here) don’t have rights without accepting responsibly. Making them responsible is just the reasonable thing to do and for the safety of the rest of us.
Name withheld
Disgusting
Dear ER:
The local [Pier Plaza] bars fail to close the lids on the dumpsters and shut the gates after the bars close late at night. Most locals understand the stench that comes from this disgusting alley [to the south]. Something needs to be done.
As a fellow surfer this disgusts me because the seagulls are dumping the trash everywhere and the catch basin will drain to the ocean in the next upcoming storm event.
However, there is a basic solution which can be addressed. It is called a trash enclosure. This trash enclosure is a roof that covers the trash bin. Not only will the keep the birds from getting their early morning feed on, but will also keep the bums from collecting recyclables.
Name withheld
Watching our waste
Dear ER:
I am writing to express my support for maintaining the services of Waste Management in the current bidding for the City of Manhattan Beach’s solid waste removal contract. While it is often useful to get competing bids to obtain a better price, in this case, I think it actually served to demonstrate what a great price we are already getting.
The fact that the competing bidders (who knew exactly what they needed to bid) only beat the WM bid by a nose indicates that there really isn’t room to go down in pricing. So what else is left to evaluate? Quality of service. In that case, WM is the clear winner and in fact we have been getting benefits in excess of dollars paid.
WM has done an excellent job of providing not only great collection service but also an outstanding group of employees that is always courteous and conscientious, even with the residents who don’t take the time to properly put out their waste, recycling, and greens for pick-up.
We have all benefited by certain “extras” provided by WM, such as the highly successful, and much touted by the City, composting program. We and various neighbors have greatly benefited by this program, and we really appreciated that it is staffed by experienced and enthusiastic people who also happen to be friends and neighbors in the community.
No less than the investment of over $500,000 in a home for our new city manager, this program is a long-term investment in our community that only works if it is done well, as it currently is. Since neither of the competitors even has such a staffed program, I am gravely concerned about the efficacy and viability of this program going-forward.
On the flip side, both of the two competitors bidding have current problems that concern me greatly:
Crown: Clearly does not have the demonstrated credentials for servicing a residential city of our size. It is unclear to me why we should take the risk with an untested entity when there is no material benefit, financial or otherwise. This city, particularly in the Sand and North Manhattan areas, has very limited access for vehicles. WM has a great history of carefully and successfully navigating those difficult areas.
Athens:
1. Residents of a city currently being serviced by Athens are so angry about poor service, etc. they actually set up a site to protest call “Stop Athens.”
3. Athens [is accused of sponsoring a lawsuit against] Monterey Park, to try to prevent them from going out to bid. Do we really want a hauler that is known for suing the cities it works for? We know WM didn’t sue when we went out to bid.
WM has been a good partner to the city for many years now. They do not deserve to be fired; there is basically no financial benefit and our current great service is put at risk. They have earned their place as our waste management provider. There are plenty of other opportunities to cut costs, many of which have yet to be explored. If we want to focus on cost, there are plenty of unexplored areas of meaningful savings and not at the expense of quality service.
Alice P. Neuhauser
Manhattan Beach
Bar buddy
Dear ER:
If the name Kit Bobko is a political showstopper, how would you feel to be named Newt Gingrich? Bruce Greenspon’s letter of Jan. 18 is right on target — it is not the man’s name that is the problem, it is his actions and voting record. He is a proxy for bar owners, hoping to parlay that donor base into some other office. He could care less about Hermosa Beach or its residents. Witness the parking pass fee fiasco as only the latest in many examples.
Tom Utsch
Hermosa Beach
Do you care?
Dear ER:
The HBCSD strategic planning committee’s meeting two weeks ago was missing one key element — community participation.
A dismal head count of 65-75 concerned parents showed up at this meeting to learn that our school district is in dire straits. This from a community that has approximately 1,500 children in its district and a population of over 20,000.
At the least, 500 people should have showed, a couple of thousand had most school parents showed and at best, 5000-10,000 community members concerned not only with saving our schools, but saving our community as a whole should have shown up in force.
To be frank, your property values, your net worth, your community and your city’s school district are at stake. The options on the table are, unfortunately, as bleak as most political elections, however the option that must be explored fully is the financial independence of our school district. This will take radically bold ideas and participation on the part of our community members and its elected officials.
The Strategic Planning Commission’s final meeting will take place on Feb. 16 in the MPR room at the Hermosa Valley campus. How important is Hermosa Beach to you?
Ron Siegel
Living lagoon
Dear ER:
At the last Redondo Beach City Council meeting, the council asked staff to study options for the Seaside Lagoon [“Seaside Lagoon is saved for another day,” ER Jan. 3, 2011]. Here is my suggestion.
I would like to propose an alternative use for the Seaside Lagoon that may save the lagoon as a seaside park for public use and relieve some liability issues with the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board.
My proposal is to transform the lagoon into a living lagoon, similar to Baja Reef, once part of Marineland Water Park on the coast of Palos Verdes.
Baja Reef was a popular saltwater pool where families could rent wetsuits, fins, mask and swim with the fish, observe ocean plants and other sea animals. It was entertaining and educational for all.
Presently, the Redondo Beach Sea Lab on Harbor Drive in Redondo Beach operates a similar and successful attraction, without the swimming with the fish, which could be expanded to the Seaside Lagoon.
Both facilities use the same sea water pumped through the power plant, yet the Sea Lab has not been targeted by the Water Board for extreme fines as has the City of Redondo Beach.
This proposal should not cause the city of Redondo Beach any additional financial burden such as cementing in the lagoon, filling it in with sand, or making it a hotel site.
Just let the sea water flow, fill up the lagoon with living things and let the public pay to “Sea Redondo” a one of a kind Living Lagoon Sea Park on our California coast.
This attraction would be safe for small children, the elderly and those who cannot swim who want to observe a lagoon and coastal sea life without the fear of large ocean waves.
I can assure you that many, who are involved in coastal and ocean activities, will come to the aid of the Sea Lab to stock the lagoon and have the Living Lagoon open for Summer 2011.
Therefore my recommendations are:
1. Have staff contact the Sea Lab Program Director, Brent Scheiwe. He can work out any details in taking over the operation of the Seaside Lagoon. He would be the lead man interacting with the power plant to solve water quality problems with the LARWQCB.
2. Staff should contact Bob Meistrell of Body Glove, who too is supportive of the proposal and ask him to coordinate the stocking of the Living Lagoon.
3. Set up a meeting with all interested parties with the Director of LARWQCB and LA County Supervisor from the 4th District to iron out the use of sea water and discharge of the sea water from the living lagoon back into the Harbor.
4. If option no. 3 will take too much time to open the facility for summer 2011, I suggest skipping it and just open the Living Lagoon and mop up the issue later.
Billy Lafay
Strong, gentle
Dear ER:
With the Redondo Beach School Board election at hand, it is important to support those who we know have the attitude and fortitude to get the job done. We need to continue electing individuals that clearly have our children’s safety and education as their priority. It is with this in mind that I support Anita Avrick and hope others will join me.
I have worked on projects and served on committees with Anita for at least the past 10 years. My experience is that she is strong yet gentle – meaning she can fight like a tiger if it is important to our schools but she can also be seen gently nudging youths to find their right path and to be the best that they can be.
Anita was named Redondo Beach School District Educational Advocate of the Year a couple of years ago for good reasons. Anita gives her time, energy and know-how to help in the difficult tasks of helping our schools get what they need.
I encourage everyone to vote. When I cast my vote for two new School Board members, I plan to vote Anita Avrick and Laura Emdee. I hope you will too.
Barbara ramsey-Duke
Redondo Beach
High standards
Dear ER:
The next RBUSD school board will deal with decreasing dollars for students. They will deal with the challenge of finding new revenue streams to offset the horrendous cuts coming from the state level. They will do this all the while maintaining the current high academic standards that we, as Redondo Beach residents, have come to expect from our school district.
As a teacher in RB for over 20 years, I am going to vote for Arda Clark for RBUSD School Board member because I truly believe she will serve all the students in RB respectfully and more importantly – responsibly.
Amy Santa Cruz
Madison Elementary Teacher
Arda backer
Dear ER:
As a Redondo Beach landlord, I tell my prospective tenants that the schools in town are the best in the South Bay.
As a retired teacher of 36 years at the elementary school level, I respect and value the current tasks at hand for the RBUSD School Board. After the mail-in ballot election, two new board members will be seated.
I want to be able to tell my tenants that the school board, which sets policy and supports each student in every class, is comprised of folks who have excellent communication skills, excellent budgetary knowledge, and great life skill sets.
I believe Arda Clark has all the qualities to be a great school board member. Arda has my support and I hope she has your support as well.
Katherine Moore
Hermosa Beach
Lesser is more
Dear ER:
I served with David Lesser on the Manhattan Beach Planning Commission from 2005 through 2008. David and I were also rivals in the 2007 Manhattan Beach City Council election. That rivalry, however, never diminished the great respect I have for David as a dedicated public servant.
David has lead the effort to amend our building code to make it easier to remodel homes as an alternative to simply tearing them down and building up to the lot line. He has worked to maintain the “small town feel” that makes Manhattan Beach such a livable and desirable city, while giving due deference to the property rights of homeowners.
David is the most thoughtful of planning commissioners. He is thoroughly prepared and has provided valuable input to the planning commission in resolving the issues before it. He has always been fair and open minded in reaching a decision.
David has more experience in city government than any of the other candidates. He has served as chairman and will have served as a member of the planning commission for almost six years. He served as a Manhattan Beach Parking and Public Improvements Commissioner for a year and a half. This seven and a half years of service on the two top city commissions gives David valuable insight in how our city works and how to get things done for our community.
Do yourself and our community a favor by voting for David Lesser on March 8.
Bob Bohner
Manhattan Beach
Too much meat
Dear ER:
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines released this week by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services are continuing a 30-year trend of recommending replacement of animal products and other fatty foods in our diet with vegetables, fruits, and whole grains (http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/). The recommendations reflect widespread concern with the epidemic of obesity and other precursors of killer diseases, particularly among our children.
In a National Public Radio interview, distinguished Harvard University Professor of Public Health Walter Willett complained about the Guidelines’ lack of transparency in failing to call for an outright reduction in meat consumption. He should know.
In 1977, drawing on two years of hearings by the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs chaired by Sen. George McGovern, Willett authored the original “Dietary Goals for the United States.”
When the meat industry learned that the report’s key recommendation was to reduce meat consumption, it forced McGovern to destroy all copies of the report and to replace “meat” with “saturated fat.” It then abolished the Committee, voted McGovern out of office, and taught government bureaucrats never to challenge meat consumption again.
To this day, “saturated fats” remains a code word for meat, dairy, and eggs.
Jack Matler
Hermosa Beach
Healthcare concerns
Dear ER:
I couldn’t agree more with Roger Repohl’s well-written article “Healthcare for the Tucson victims?” [South Bronx to South Bay, ER Jan. 27, 2010]. Healthcare is a universal need, no less than our public education, welfare and social security systems.
My husband and I are both in our 50s, and are without medical insurance for the first time in our privileged lives (and just how that happened to us is another outrageous story, but I won’t get into that here).
We have always enjoyed good health and low group rates for PPO or HMO coverage, and were able to take advantage of preventative services and good medical care on those rare occasions when we needed it. But those days are gone, for us. We currently have no protection from financial disaster, should one of those “levelers” like an accident or a life-threatening illness strike one or, God forbid, both of us before we are able to secure replacement plans on the open market.
But if you’ve never gone through it, you probably have no idea just how hard it is to get health insurance on the open market. We sure didn’t. My husband’s been declined by two companies, so far, because of his height/weight ratio in something called the body-mass index. As for me, my application has been in limbo for a month now.
Having had a PPO or HMO plan for so long, we haven’t seen an actual medical bill in decades. So, we have no idea how high the cost of healthcare has gotten to be. Recently, I asked my brother’s father-in-law about the cost of his bypass surgery last year, just to get a sense of a worst-case scenario.
He said that the hospital bill was over $120,000, and that didn’t include his surgeon, anesthesiologist, labs, post-care or medications. Fortunately for him, he’s covered by Medicare and a supplemental plan, so his financial losses are limited. Right now, ours are not. And now for the violins:
We have worked hard all our lives, and have turned bittersweet layoffs in 2009 and 2010 into the sustainable self-employed status we enjoy today, and we’ll hopefully be able to enjoy for the balance of our lives. What scares us most though, is knowing that everything we’ve saved, built and invested in, over our 30-plus years together, could evaporate in an instant, throwing us into financial ruin and shattering our plans for the future.
Of course the loss of one’s health, or God forbid, one’s life, would be emotionally devastating to a spouse, and certainly would shatter their plans for the future, adding financial woes to that scenario would truly be a personal catastrophe.
So, from my new perspective, while the Court decision about mandated healthcare being unconstitutional may be well reasoned under the law, it doesn’t change the fact that a public solution to the healthcare crisis in this country has never been more desperately needed than now.
Name withheld
Redondo Beach
Imagine
Dear ER:
“Carpe Diem” – Seize The Day. We, the residents of Manhattan Beach, should not view recent revelations as vulnerabilities, but as opportunities to enhance the greatness of our city, to reinforce what we mean to each other, and to recognize that without community there is no life.
We must treasure our strengths — caring, compassion, generosity, and resiliency — to “seize the day” by forging a vision of what we want to become — to advance values, such as civility, respect, and tolerance in which we can take pride and want transmitted to our children.
We must call on our leaders — civic, spiritual, social, volunteer, nonprofit, business, labor, educational, and media — to provide the guidance in establishing concrete goals and action plans — not to decide what is best for us, but to establish the process by which we decide what is best for us.
Imagine community forums to examine issues critical to our vitality. Imagine — with the wisdom of mentors — dialoguing with each other on promoting our freedoms; protecting our rights and civil liberties; establishing ethical standards; and, enhancing our quality of life. Imagine dialogues on championing citizen participation and guaranteeing our voices being heard and in making decisions affecting our families and neighbors. Imagine furthering our commitment towards preserving our environment — Sun, Sand, Sea.
Imagine forums where — with the counsel of experts in community building — we strengthen our competencies in self-governance, including the knowledge and skills for identifying shared values within our differences and forging consensus. Imagine seizing the day!
Edward C. Caprielian, Ph.D.
Manhattan Beach
