Something Seems Inconsistent

First Planning Commissioner Derek Shearer asked the Santa Monica City Council to fire Planning Director Ann Siracusa.

Then commission Chairwoman Eileen Hecht asked the City Council to fire Commissioner Shearer.

Early Wednesday morning, after refusing to hear from several concerned members of the public, Mayor (Christine E.) Reed, along with council members (David G.) Epstein, (William H.) Jennings, Herb Katz and Alan Katz, voted to honor Chairwoman Hecht’s request but not Commissioner Shearer’s.

More interestingly, those council members chose not to fire Chairwoman Hecht despite the fact that she was guilty of the very same offense for which they claimed they were firing Commissioner Shearer.

Something seems strangely inconsistent here.

Nothing in this letter should be taken as any slight on my part towards Chairwoman Hecht, Planning Director Siracusa or former Commissioner Shearer, all three of whom I hold in the highest esteem.

Such can no longer be said, however, of my opinion of the council members affiliated with the so-called All Santa Monica Coalition or of my opinion of their hand-picked successor to the late Ken Edwards, at least not following the events of last Wednesday morning.

Perhaps the city’s residents will do some firing of their own come November’s election.

WILLIAM F. WEINGARDEN

Santa Monica