The trailer for the hit film “American Beauty” kept flashing different sweet scenes, then asking the viewer to “look closer” because things were not really what they seemed. I am asking Malibu to “look closer” at the newly amended Campaign Finance Ordinance. I have challenged the constitutionality of the $100 contribution limit and asked the City Council to choose a legally defensible limit, such as $500, which has been in effect in all Malibu city elections except the last one.

Our Interim City Attorney, Mr. Terzian, has twice publicly told the council that he thought the $100 limit was low. I’m challenging this limit now, before a developer challenges it and a court decision leaves us with an unlimited contribution limit. Think about the prospect of the Malibu Bay Co. being able to make unlimited contributions.

Suddenly certain candidates are jumping on the “I pledge to take only $100 no matter what” bandwagon. This is political sleight of hand. A candidate can lend their own campaign unlimited funds and then forgive the debt. We are all smart enough to realize what mischief can be made by lump sums coming out of a candidate’s personal accounts with no names or faces to appear on campaign reports. Essentially, candidates have no real contribution limits other than how well-heeled they are or what money can be funneled into their personal accounts. A hidden support base can have a fund-raiser after the election is over to retire the debt and then who knows or cares. (Remember, Malibuites — it happened in our very first city election!)

From a practical economic standpoint, it makes no sense to have had a $500 limit for four elections and then reduce it by 80 percent, while the cost, in the upcoming election, of newspaper ads, printing and postage will each have risen between 30 percent to 35 percent in the same time frame. The $500 of 1992 would now be worth $325. (I called local papers, two printers and the bulk mail division of the Post Office.)

The dimmest bulb running for City Council knows that embracing Slow Growth and protection of Malibu’s lifestyle are the keys to winning. They just have to proclaim it. Smile, take the photo with the cute kids and the horse — must be a real Malibu protector, right? “Look closer,” Malibu. Even candidates’ closest supporters don’t know their true voting records or real agendas many times. It doesn’t cost much to say, “Hey, vote for me, I’m for slow growth and I promise a playing field in every pot.” To have an informed electorate requires more effort and effective voter education — and that costs money.

In addition, the new Campaign Finance Ordinance is in direct opposition, in key areas, to the California state’s campaign finance ordinance. Essentially, if you are complying with the city’s ordinance, you will be in violation of the state’s. Given all the outside legal consultants Malibu has used, I am confounded that there was never a consultation with a political legal expert before this ordinance was adopted. “Look closer” City Council, before every single candidate winds up in a nightmare of reporting with no way to satisfy both city and state, other than the shady and intensive prospect of “two sets of books.”

Remy O’Neill

Dear Board Members:

My name is Brittany Graves. I am in eighth grade at John Adams Middle School and a percussionist in our Wind Ensemble. I have been playing percussion for my three years at John Adams (and I played the violin for two years at Grant) and hope to continue in high school. I believe that you should not cut the music in elementary schools music programs because that is where our kids get their start on music. Just look at our high school (Samohi) and how good all the musicians are there. Do you know where they started to become what they are now? Yeah, that’s right elementary school. As most of you know, the Samohi orchestra is performing at Chicago’s prestigious Midwest Clinic music convention, not to mention that this is the first time a California public high school has been invited there in half a century. And once again the kids in this ensemble have probably started in elementary school. I know that I have probably repeated myself over and over again, but I am hoping that I got my message across to you to not cut music from elementary schools!

I really hope that you will consider your decisions.

Brittany Graves,

eighth-grade percussionist at John Adams Middle School

‘Twas the holiday season and all through the land,

Bowls of eggnog were brewing, many parties were planned.

From the branches and eaves, colored lights were all hung,

And pianos were tuned so the carols could be sung.

But something was lacking this particular year:

A strange and mysterious disappearance of cheer.

And listening closer, folks could all plainly hear it,

The deafening silence of a lack of true spirit.

The experts assembled in a moment of urgency,

To examine what some called a national emergency.

And the public demanded they learn at all cost,

If the spirit of Christmas indeed had been lost.

But in spite of the hours they spent on their quest,

And the millions of dollars and all of the rest,

When the final report was submitted for reading,

The results it contained were in no way misleading.

The consensus of those in the know, it appeared,

Lent truth to suspicions that all of us feared,

That the spirit of Christmas had been changed in a flash,

To mass merchandising and a strong flow of cash.

“Could this be the end,” the public was reeling,

“Of chestnuts roasting, of holiday feeling,

Of gathering families and long distance calls,

Of pine cones and tinsel and Christmas tree balls?”

“No!” cried the children. And the grown-ups cried, too.

“There must be an answer or something to do.

We can’t take this news being caught in a lurch.

We must gather together and organize a search!”

And search they all did, both the young and the old,

From the warmth of the West to the North and its cold.

But the looking was hard and in spite of their vim,

The chances of finding the spirit grew dim.

Then just when it looked like the looking was through,

When smiles turned to frowns and emotions were blue,

A child in Maine sat upright with a start.

“I found it!” she screamed with her hand on her heart.

When the experts arrived, the glow hadn’t subsided,

From this sweet youngster’s heart with the spirit inside it.

Then a wondrous discovery made their own hearts beat quicker,

‘Cause they found the same glow in everyone’s ticker.

So, the spirit was there, not lost, just in hiding.

In everyone’s heart, the glow was residing.

And as soon as they stopped with their external quest,

The experts proclaimed, “What’s inside is the best!”

So, the ending is happy for this holiday tale,

This short bit of verse celebrating Noel.

We all know this story couldn’t happen for real,

In the age of computers and the fast food meal.

We’re much too perceptive. We’ve got it together.

There isn’t a problem we all can’t weather.

We’re perfectly safe. So, I’ll say without fear,

“Have a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year!”

Robert Allan Curtis

My earliest childhood memories are of the joys school music imparted to me. Songs I learned in elementary school remain in my heart, where many other things learned there have evaporated into the mists of time.

Please, please give the gift of music to today’s children, so that they may carry that inspiration and strength into the challenges of the 21st century.

Rosalie Grace Heacock

Last week a letter was sent to The Malibu Times encouraging community members to purchase Christmas trees and wreaths, garlands and MHS logo clothing from the high school lot on the Point. We absolutely agree and hope the sales there are a big success for the high school.

Continuing the idea of school support, we would like to encourage all of our community members who shop online to consider doing so at http://www.schoolpop.com and giving school credit to your child’s school. That school will receive a rebate. All of our schools are listed for potential credit. If you don’t have children at one of our schools, please select a Malibu school (identify city and state) and the school will receive credit. Each time you shop, select a different school here in Malibu. If you select one of the public schools, 20 percent of the rebate will go to the Education Foundation which gives financial grants to teachers throughout the district.

Our point in writing this letter is to say that we feel all schools in Malibu should benefit from such rebates. We are united in feeling strongly that all children, not just a few, should have the support of our community. Thank you for remembering all of Malibu’s outstanding schools, both public and private.

When you shop on line go to schoolpop.com and type in your school choice. You will be helping children all over our city.

Thank you and happy holidays to all of you.

Pat Cairns, principal, Cabrillo

Phil Cott, principal, Webster

Cynthia Gray, principal, Point Dume

Michael Matthews, principal, Malibu High

Terry Miller, principal, Our Lady of Malibu

To the SMMUSD Board of Education and Dr. Schmidt:

Our family moved to this area from a suburb of Philadelphia two years ago. Despite numerous friends’ warnings about the sorry state of public education and its funding in California, we rejected private schools and opted to live in Santa Monica so we could send our children to public school here. Certainly, we were attracted by the quality of the academics, but we were especially drawn by the outstanding music program. Imagine our shock to learn that the elementary music program is now threatened.

It is difficult to convey what playing the violin, and exposure to music more generally, has done for our 11-year-old daughter (a sixth-grader on the Concert Orchestra at Lincoln). Involvement in music has fostered our daughter’s self-confidence, poise and interest in the arts. It has helped her develop discipline, good study habits and a belief in the value of hard work. It has helped her understand that teamwork is about individuals with diverse talents coming together to create a larger whole. It has helped her develop an appreciation for positive aspects of our culture. Imagine a sixth-grader who goes around the house humming Vivaldi, or whose favorite compact disc is Bach’s double concerto, or who thinks that Mozart led a fascinating life. Imagine a sixth-grader whose favorite school day is Thursday, because that is the day the Lincoln Concert Orchestra rehearses. Imagine a sixth-grader who looks forward to high school so she can be on the Symphony Orchestra and travel to Chicago. And we know that our daughter is not alone.

The feature that makes the SMMUSD different is the music program. Stairway to the Stars is a unique, magnificent, awe-inspiring spectacle that demonstrates what children are capable of when they are engaged, stimulated, and taught and directed by adults who love what they do. Eliminating the elementary school component of the music program would eat away at the core of the district’s (and the city’s) personality and values, and would have ripple effects on the students for years to come. A good education is about many things, including instruction in the music and arts that both reflect and shape our traditions and culture. To paraphrase Richard Dreyfuss in the movie “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” if you teach reading and writing but take away music and the arts, soon children will have very little to read or write about.

Please preserve the elementary music program. Please do the right thing for the city, the district and, most of all, the children.

Jose and Eileen Escarce

Parents of a Lincoln sixth-grader and a Franklin second-grader

Debra Bianco and Remy O’Neill of Cornucopia Farms have asked Councilman Harry Barovsky to apologize for making a motion at City Council to audit the books of all nonprofit organizations that benefit from our city tax dollars. In case Ms. Bianco and O’Neill haven’t noticed, Harry Barovsky has never responded to personal attacks. To my memory he didn’t during his campaign and hasn’t in his tenure of office. The council in their infinite wisdom voted 5-0 to audit the books of Cornucopia Farms and every other organization that receives the largess of our tax dollars. I have two questions. Why haven’t Ms. Bianco and O’Neill asked for the apology of all the other four councilpersons who voted to audit the books of Cornucopia Farms, and why can’t we stop the politics of personal attacks in our city?

Bud Favilla