Enough is Enough

August 11, 2002

Dear Editor,

For many years the Pico Neighborhood has shouldered the burden of the City of Santa Monica’s projects and developments such as:

• The I-10 Freeway that cuts through the Pico Neighborhood, which displaced hundreds of low-income families
  
• The Recycling Plant (for the entire city) was placed in the Pico Neighborhood
  
• City Yards which act as storage of city equipment and as temporary landfills for the City of Santa Monica
  
• All of which has increased noise and air pollution that has had a detrimental impact on the health of children and families in the Pico Neighborhood.

Along with the negative impact of these developments the community has had to endure years of gang violence, poverty, deteriorating housing, racial segregation, less affordable housing, unhealthy community-police relations, educational achievement gaps and lack of representation in the City’s decision-making bodies.

The City of Santa Monica is in the process of placing another project in the Pico Neighborhood without the involvement of our community. We, the residents of the Pico Neighborhood, are not against OPCC or their services. We feel that homeless individuals in Santa Monica should have access to services that will help them get back on their feet.

However, we do not agree with placing these services in close proximity to residential areas and in communities that already have to deal with a host of societal problems, which the City continues to neglect.

AS WORKING CLASS FAMILIES WE SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!! We are asking the City of Santa Monica to take responsibility and rectify the years of Environmental Injustice in the Pico Neighborhood. Our community is already overwhelmed. It is the responsibility of the City to ensure that these projects and developments are spread throughout the city and not just concentrated in one community.

The Pico Neighborhood needs more affordable housing, increased investment for youth services, family support services for single parents and an economic development plan that will expand job opportunities for Pico Neighborhood residents. All of these serious needs deserve compassion and attention from City leaders.

In order to effectively address these issues and improve the quality of life, Pico neighborhood residents must be informed, involved and engaged in developing a comprehensive solution.
Maria Loya