Ouch! Yet more nails in Malibu’s public relations coffin surrounding the LA Times editorial called “The NIMBYs of Malibu.” This comes on the heels of Lechuza Beach’s gates and Mitrice Richardson’s disappearance. In case you missed it, the editorial focused on Malibu residents’ protests about a proposed fire camp of low risk inmates whose previous camp was destroyed by the Station Fire. The editorial failed to point out two important points. First, we already gratefully house one of five such camps in Malibu’s Encinal Canyon. Second, the residents ‘opposition came only because they were not told of the plan until it was almost a done deal. Had they been given an early explanation on how valuable these camps are to a community, it probably would have ended differently.
The members of these crews have been chosen because of exemplary behavior, and some of them have gone on to become firefighters after release. This is just another example of how the City of Malibu has done a really poor PR job. Instead, we brag about ridiculously expensive high-end shops and a hugely expensive City Hall renovation. Let’s hope the new City Council sees the need for a PR campaign that lets outsiders know who we really are.
Susan Tellem