Political Campaigns
In all the thirty-eight years that I have lived in the Golden State, I have never seen a campaign mailer that is just downright dirty as the one that 2nd District Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas has financed to get his candidate Alex Johnson elected to the LAUSD School Board District 1 seat.
Even the late Richard Daley, Tom Pendergast, and Huey Long would spin in their graves if they saw it.
I am urging this commission to charge Mark Ridley-Thomas with gross violations of ethics and human decency and to order him to send out another mailer apologizing to the voters of the LAUSD District 1 and for Alex Johnson to withdraw forthwith from the race for this seat.
We cannot and should not have this man in any position that allows him the ability to govern over people’s lives and the ability to stick his dirty hands into the public coffers.
I am certain the late Marguerite Poindexter Lamotte would be terribly ashamed and angered of the tactics being orchestrated by both Mark Ridley-Thomas and his financial backer Maria Elena Durazo of the LA County Federation of Labor for this despicable act.
Thank you,
Pedro Baez
Water Conservation
Now that CA is finally taking more steps on water conservation it would nice to see the city and its residents supporting these with more proactive actions. I know we do not have a city water department but the city could still use robocalls and announcements in local papers to spread the message. In particular, homeowners need to advise their gardeners (and themselves) to stop using open hoses to clean up and also run sprinklers after cutting lawns. It is also those gardeners that often set sprinklers, many of which sprinkle a lot of sidewalk.
Peter Smith
Protecting the San Gabriels for our Community
I grew up in Culver City during the time when, if we were bored, our parents would say, “go outside and play.”
I would pack a few graham crackers, leash my dog, and hike for hours with my friends. During these hikes, we collected leaves and bugs, and watched birds. We were not sophisticated bird watchers but that didn’t seem to matter. We just enjoyed being outdoors, surrounded by nature. I was lucky to have these experiences in the outdoors growing up. Now, I want to help young people growing up in the L.A. region experience nature and the outdoors.
This summer I am working as a “wrangler” at Camp Max Strauss, in the San Gabriel Mountains. Children from the inner cities come to camp, stay for a week, and immerse themselves in a variety of recreational and educational activities. We wranglers teach the children how to approach and ride a horse and they learn about the beautiful mountains near the camp. I see firsthand how it vital it is for these young people to have this open space to run in and explore. That’s why I was thrilled to see that Congresswoman Judy Chu has introduced legislation to permanently protect the San Gabriel Mountains, which make up 70 percent of L.A. County’s open space.
Our children need these mountains for clean air and clean water, and for outdoor recreation and exercise. As a community, let’s stand behind Rep. Chu and her effort to protect these important natural spaces for all Californians to explore, enjoy, and grow up in.
Melanie Vansell