In an ideal world, representatives would be able to really represent the people who trustingly appointed them. However, it seems that in every level of political representation, other agendas creep into the overwhelming situations that are constantly being presented. Then there’s the problem that occurs when everybody wants something different. No matter how much a representative works for the people, they can’t please everyone. Corruption always tries to creep in-some electives respond to fawning and power taints some people. Or some representatives think they are acting for the people and what the people want-but it really is what they want.
Many of the situations that need representation include the health, safety and welfare of the very people that these electives are supposed to be representing. It is disheartening when the majority of the people want something strong enough to show up in numbers to fight for it; yet, their well thought-out reasons fall on deaf ears.
Recently, many complained about fluoridation of our water. There were many intelligent rebuttals, but it still happened. Now we are not only fighting another LNG project, but also have to live with more fire fear because of the proposal of camping in the residential and wilderness areas of Malibu. Why must we have to fight our own representatives about such a blatant problem? Nearly 70 people showed up at last Tuesday’s meeting with the Planning Department-only two were for the proposal (both did not live in Malibu or in the Santa Monica Mountain area). There were wonderful presentations showing why camping in the Santa Monica Mountains in the areas proposed was a health, safety and welfare risk toward the citizens of these areas. Yet, at the end of the meeting “no one got it.” So now the people of Malibu have to represent themselves. What a shame that all this energy and time must be given to fight this when it is evident that it is just a plain bad idea.
Alessandra DeClario