Malibu is in desperate need of a reality check. We are in a time when the economy is disastrous, when jobs are lost and people are angry.
And then there is Malibu!
In the midst of all this, our city is thinking of parks. The most ridiculous park is Trancas Canyon Park, a seven-acre public park with its total construction cost of approximately $3.4 million. To achieve this park, an entire mountaintop has to be removed, entailing significant grading. What will happen to the local wildlife, and what will happen when the really big rains come and the water roars over the mountain?
We are living in the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area. We have tens of thousands of acres of great hiking and parks areas all open to local and general public.
Every year we have scary fires when the Santa Ana winds come racing over the hills. It takes down everything that is directly in its path. Last year the fire cost $1 million dollars a day. Should we not see to it that we can lease the tankers needed to fight these fires? Should we not see to it that we can pay our fire departments enough money so that fire protection rules and regulations can be enforced? Should we not see to it that these firemen don’t have to waste their time standing on the highway in Malibu holding out their boots for donations?
Last year, we in California had hundreds of fires. We have to learn how to get it right. We have many expensive houses in Malibu that were bought for investment purposes and are empty. Malibu’s rules are not tough enough to get rid of them. We also have too many eucalyptus trees, not native to California. They are 70-foot high potential fireballs and they should be cut in half if not removed.
I am sure I’m talking for all the taxpayers who pay for putting out these fires. Our cities have to be more responsible with our money and think ahead about disasters.
Gisela Guttman