Response to Mayor of Santa Monica's Email re: treesavers

Dear Mayor Pro Tem Richard Bloom,

Wow. I'm really stunned to read this response to my wife's email. Let's set aside your blatant disregard for the 10,000 people who signed petitions to save these healthy trees (evidence of their health clearly seen in their seeping stumps), let's set aside the City's callous disregard of a court order to not destroy any trees unless they were a threat to the citizens of Santa Monica, let's even assume that you weren't aware of the city's promise in writing to avoid construction before 2 p.m.; for you to characterize the city's actions as sparing my daughter further trauma is, to put it mildly, bullshit.

When your office defies the people, the courts, and gets 'high fives' from City Manager for being "The Man" (see below), it points to the specious nature of your arguments, it points to the callous disregard you have to people who have not only a different point of view than you, but also a point of view backed up by a court of law. May I remind you sir, like those who flagrantly flaunt the will of the people, or the will of the courts our country is founded upon, they very soon find themselves 'slated for removal.' I, along with other citizens of our city, resident for the past 30 years, in light of your actions with regard to this city 'beautification project' (and why not a 'project to ensure the safety of everyone who walks near a tree?') will do everything in my power to see that you are removed from office, and that those of your office who supported this illegal and immoral act, can spend some time in retirement, enjoying whatever canopy is left in Santa Monica.

I won't soon forget the sound of my daughter's voice, sobbing on the phone, telling me how the city had cut down her beloved trees, how she had been forced to watch their destruction while on her way to her school, how the city had completely disregarded the voices of those who had fought so diligently to save a part of their city they'd grown to love. The arguments the city has made for their removal; one expert claiming they were too big for the street, or because a branch had fallen, deaths were soon to follow - all rang hollow and untrue. The city meeting to explain why 300 more Carob trees had to also come down, also was after the fact. The City Forester's argument that other cities (Glendale) don't even allow their citizens to respond to city actions tells us all we need to know about how your administration views their role visa vis the will of the people. As citizen, and taxpayer, I for one am tired of hearing people in whatever administration tell us why we need to destroy things to save us - whether it's in Iraq, or in my backyard - because they've decided they know what's best for us. In defiance of a court order, in defiance of the will of the people, in defiance of common sense.

And as "Good job Brownie" became a rallying cry for those who will finally sweep away those in our country's current administration, I can only hope that Mr. Ewell's high fiving of "You're the man" can become a rallying cry to sweep you and those who voted for this heinous act, out of office.

For the record, someone happened to film my daughter crying in the street over these trees, and later put my wife's email about the incident over the footage. This will stand as an ugly memory of a cowardly act done in the dark of night, and I hope one day she can forgive us for not doing more to save her beloved trees. As a filmmaker and a journalist, I'm aware of how important it is to let a video tell the story. Here's the video which I'm forwarding to those in the media who've expressed an interest in our city's troubles. In front of First Presbyterian Church. No vilifying needs to be done here, Mayor Bloom, you've done that nicely for yourself.

Sincerely,

Richard Martini
Filmmaker/Journalist


From: Richard Bloom
Sent: Sat 5/17/2008 7:36 PM
To: sherry martini
Cc: P. Lamont Ewell; Kate Vernez
Subject: Re: City more concerned about disrupting businesses than traumatizing preschool kids who had to see trees in street

Hi and thank you for your email.

I am very sorry that your daughter was disturbed. However, given the threat of various individuals to act out in illegal and unsafe ways by doing things like chaining themselves to trees, I really don't see how the City had a choice but to act expeditiously in a way that prioritized public safety. Given the threats of others, perhaps your daughter was spared significantly more stress, by virtue of the city's action.

The city's decision had absolutely nothing to do with business and the notion that the City would willfully traumatize children in the service of business is, in a word, preposterous . Frankly, there is no time that this activity could have occurred that would have precluded exposing children to the program, which, in an of itself, does not strike me as a likely or predictable source of trauma to children.

I don't know how anyone could have had the authority to promise you that "no work" would occur before 2 pm, given the scope of the work. However, it sounds like the actual felling of the trees took place outside of that time frame.

We hired Lamont Ewell because he is a superb leader and manager who cares deeply about our community. Like you, he is a resident. As I am, he is strongly supportive of a diverse and healthy urban forest. This project promotes that goal, particularly given the failing state of the 23 trees that have been removed. Mr. Ewell has my full support.

I am sorry we do not agree on this issue. However, I do not believe that vilifying hard working and dedicated city staff serves any purpose.

Thank you again for sharing your opinions on this matter,

Richard

---
Richard Bloom
Mayor Pro Tem | City of Santa Monica
Santa Monica City Hall


---Chair, Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission
---Councilmember, Westside Cities Council of Governments

From: P. Lamont Ewell
To: Richard Bloom >
Sent: Sat, 17 May 2008 9:39 pm
Subject: RE: City more concerned about disrupting businesses than traumatizing preschool kids who had to see trees in street

your'e the man! well...my man anyway. thxs


> From: sherry martini
> Sent: Friday, May 16, 2008 4:42 PM

> Subject: City more concerned about disrupting businesses than traumatizing preschool kids who had to see trees in street
>
> On the morning of May 16, 2008, while walking my daughter to her preschool at 9:00 a.m. on 2nd and Arizona, we came upon a horrific sight. All of the trees we had fought so hard to defend had been cut down. Their stumps were still exposed, seeping life-giving sap, and the remains of the trees were strewn about the middle of the street, taking up an entire City blocks. My daughter saw the trees before I did and began crying, huge sobs. I was quick to follow. The City Manager, Lamont Ewell, is quoted as saying"We felt it important to carry this work out as early as possible to minimize the impact to the public and businesses." It is clear the Mr. Ewell is more concerned about businesses than about small children. Over 100 little kids had to see those exposed stumps, with no advance notice given, so that parents might explain the situation to their children before being dropped off at school. Mr. Ewell, why did you choose to cut the trees down on a school day, during school hours, or shortly before, without any notice to parents, and by and through that traumatizing our kids in order not to disrupt businesses? The City Engineering Department had promised me in an e-mail that no work would be done in front of the school before 2:00 p.m. in order not to impact the children. This promise was not kept. Why am I not surprised. We should all take a good look at Lamont Ewell, the City Manager who said he takes full responsibility for the trees coming down. Who is he? What does he stand for? Who hired him and why? Who controls him? He clearly does not embrace the heart of the City -- a City that loves and cherishes its trees. In fact, City Councilman Kevin McKeown seems to be the only person who knows his City and its people.
>
> Sherry Martini
>

Santa Monica Trees taken down illegally

This is a video of my wife Sherry and daughter Olivia in front of the trees in Santa Monica that were cut down by the city in spite of a court order not to do so. 23 were cut down. My daughter Olivia was traumatized. Sherry wrote the text in an email to the treesavers web page, and incredibly, the footage is of Sherry holding Olivia in her arms while she sobs over the loss of the trees. I happen to be in Rome at this moment, and this is just heartbreaking to see.



Here's the letter I wrote to the Santa Monica paper:

Shame on you City Hall. Allowing our City manager, in collusion with the City Forestor to slaughter dozens of trees in the middle of the night is truly heinous. The City Manager, Lamont Ewell, was quoted as saying"We felt it important to carry this work out as early as possible to minimize the impact to the public and businesses." Our 5 year old was sobbing as she arrived at school that morning, because the city had killed the trees she'd grown to love and depend upon for shade and fought so hard to protect. You've certainly given her a lesson in city policy she won't soon forget; that despite 10,000 signatures of citizens, their City used the dark of night to do what was clearly wrong, in contempt of court and in contempt of the city. The only thing I can tell her is that the City Council, like these condemned trees, has slated themselves for removal. That everyone who voted for this project, carried out this travesty - the City Council, the City Manager and the City Forestor should begin to look for work elsewhere, as their employment by citizens of Santa Monica has been slated for removal in the following election. Hope you find somewhere else to ply your talents at ignoring the desires of the citizens of your community.

Respectfully,

Richard Martini

A clip from Cannes Man

Enjoy.

Tibet Protests and the Dalai Clique

I'm sitting here trying to untie the plastic wiring on some figurines I bought for my daughter. For those of you who have seen these additions to toys, tying them up to the box, making it virtually impossible to untie without pliers - I'm struck at the metaphor of how this is the way China has tied the feet of the world around it. The US is neck deep in debt to China, the toys, the clothing, our drugs, our food, everything is manufactured there (when a democratic, capitalist inclined, english speaking India waits next door) - and like the Tibetans bound in Drapchi prison, these toys are trapped in this box. Oh maybe that's pushing the metaphor a bit.

Some ingenious Chinese laborer has devised a way to make me never get this thing untied. Or perhaps, it's the prisoner's only way of reaching out to let us know how tied he or she is - sitting in a prison cell perhaps, making toys for people in the West. It reminds me of when I spoke to Robert MacNamara in Delhi. I asked him "Why has our country always aligned itself with Pakistan, when it's neighbor India, is democratic, a capitalist country and speaks English?" And he said "1. India's not capitalist, it has too many tariffs, 2. It's not democratic because it's not the same kind of democracy as ours, and 3.." at this point he put his arm around me, as if we were old friends. I thought "I'm being MacNamarized." He leaned over and said "off the record. They're a pain in the ass to deal with." So. I wasn't interviewing him, I wasn't a reporter, I was a filmmaker in Delhi, so as far as it being off the record - well, there you have it. Why we aligned ourselves with Pakistan and not India for forty years. And why all our goods are made in China.

Here's Elton John in San Francisco protesting on behalf of Tibet. Good job Sir Reginald (Elton).

This is a letter I wrote, published today in the Chicago Tribune. Enjoy.

(The original letter from the spokesman for the Chinese embassy was posted at the Tribune on April 7, complaining about the media being addicted to the "Dalai Clique.")

Tibetans speak for themselves

With reference to "Chinese restore order in Tibet," as a documentary filmmaker who interviewed Tibetan refugees who had recently arrived in Dharamsala, I think it's important to hear Tibetans speak for themselves about the Chinese occupation of their country.

Mostly children and monks, they make the dangerous trek over the Himalayas for many reasons, including the following:

*Parents send their children to learn Tibetan language and culture they can't learn at home.

*Some monks were tortured in prison for possessing photographs of the Dalai Lama or for putting up banners that read "Free Tibet."

*A doctor left because he was being forced to sterilize Tibetan women.

(watch the videos on the right panel to hear them speak for themselves.)

The language the Chinese government uses, claiming these protests are instigated by the "Dalai Clique" (separatist forces for Tibetan independence, both in and outside China), is reminiscent of Nazis blaming unrest in Poland on the Jewish ghetto. Trying to tie freedom-rights protesters to the Nobel laureate is telling of profound Chinese distaste for all things Tibetan.

I interviewed Han workers in Lhasa who spoke of their distaste for the food, the altitude, the people of Tibet; the only reason they remain is the triple wages they earned for relocation. If members of the Beijing Clique wants to earn the world's respect by hosting the Olympics, they might consider treating their adopted Tibetans as brothers instead of servants and claim the Dalai Lama as one of China's greatest resources.

--Richard Martini

Filmmaker

"Tibetan Refugee"

"Journey Into Tibet"

Santa Monica, Calif.

The "True Nature" of the Dalai Lama vs China's true nature

China Urges U.S. to see "True Nature" of the Dalai Lama

Wed Apr 2, 11:21 PM ET

BEIJING (Reuters) - China urged the United States to understand the true nature of the Dalai Lama clique, which it blames for stirring up last month's violence in Tibet, and support China's "just position," state media said on Thursday.

China blames Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, whom it labels a separatist, for stirring up the Lhasa violence in which it says 19 people died. The Tibet government-in-exile says around 140 people died.

Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi "explained the truth of the Lhasa riots, and expounded the stance of the Chinese government" in talks with visiting U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, the China Daily said.

"He stressed that the measures taken by the Chinese government according to law had not only gained support from the Chinese people, but also won understanding and support from majority of the countries in the world."

U.S. President George W. Bush awarded the Dalai Lama one of the highest U.S. honors, the Congressional Gold Medal, in October and called on China to open talks with him.

Paulson met President Hu Jintao, Vice Premier Wang Qishan and Yang, among other officials. He is due to meet Premier Wen Jiabao on Thursday.

Paulson declined to say whether he had raised the issue of Chinese treatment of Tibetan protesters directly with Hu.

"I talked about this in an appropriate way. I'm not talking about what message I had for any particular leader," Paulson told reporters, but added he had expressed U.S. regret at the violence.

Chinese leaders accuse the Dalai Lama of orchestrating the wave of demonstrations from his home in exile in India, where he has lived since a failed 1959 uprising against Communist rule.

China says his intent is to disrupt the Beijing Olympics, which run from August 8-24, and to ultimately win independence for the remote, mountain region.

The Dalai Lama's representatives deny the charges and the 72-year-old has repeated that he is seeking greater autonomy for Tibet, not independence.

(Reporting by Nick Macfie and Glenn Somerville; Editing by Valerie Lee)

THE DALAI LAMA'S RESPONSE:

An Appeal to the Chinese People from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

Today, I extend heartfelt greetings to my Chinese brothers and sisters round the world, particularly to those in the People's Republic of China. In the light of the recent developments in Tibet, I would like to share with you my thoughts concerning relations between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples, and to make a personal appeal to you all.

I am deeply saddened by the loss of life in the recent tragic events in Tibet. I am aware that some Chinese have also died. I feel for the victims and their families and pray for them. The recent unrest has clearly demonstrated the gravity of the situation in Tibet and the urgent need to seek a peaceful and mutually beneficial solution through dialogue. Even at this juncture I have expressed my willingness to the Chinese authorities to work together to bring about peace and stability.

Chinese brothers and sisters, I assure you I have no desire to seek Tibet's separation. Nor do I have any wish to drive a wedge between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples. On the contrary my commitment has always been to find a genuine solution to the problem of Tibet that ensures the long-term interests of both Chinese and Tibetans. My primary concern, as I have repeated time and again, is to ensure the survival of the Tibetan people's distinctive culture, language and identity. As a simple monk who strives to live his daily life according to Buddhist precepts, I assure you of the sincerity of my motivation.

I have appealed to the leadership of the PRC to clearly understand my position and work to resolve these problems by "seeking truth from facts." I urge the Chinese leadership to exercise wisdom and to initiate a meaningful dialogue with the Tibetan people. I also appeal to them to make sincere efforts to contribute to the stability and harmony of the PRC and avoid creating rifts between the nationalities. The state media's portrayal of the recent events in Tibet, using deceit and distorted images, could sow the seeds of racial tension with unpredictable long-term consequences. This is of grave concern to me. Similarly, despite my repeated support for the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese authorities, with the intention of creating rift between the Chinese people and myself, assert that I am trying to sabotage the games. I am encouraged, however, that several Chinese intellectuals and scholars have also expressed their strong concern about the Chinese leadership's actions and the potential for adverse long-term consequences, particularly on relations among different nationalities.

Since ancient times, Tibetan and Chinese peoples have lived as neighbors. In the two thousand year-old recorded history of our peoples, we have at times developed friendly relations, even entering into matrimonial alliances, while at other times we fought each other. However, since Buddhism flourished in China first before it arrived in Tibet from India, we Tibetans have historically accorded the Chinese people the respect and affection due to elder Dharma brothers and sisters. This is something well known to members of the Chinese community living outside China, some of whom have attended my Buddhist lectures, as well as pilgrims from mainland China, whom I have had the privilege to meet. I take heart from these meetings and feel they may contribute to a better understanding between our two peoples.

The twentieth century witnessed enormous changes in many parts of the world and Tibet, too, was caught up in this turbulence. Soon after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the People's Liberation Army entered Tibet finally resulting in the 17-Point Agreement concluded between China and Tibet in May 1951. When I was in Beijing in 1954-55, attending the National People's Congress, I had the opportunity to meet and develop a personal friendship with many senior leaders, including Chairman Mao himself. In fact, Chairman Mao gave me advice on numerous issues, as well as personal assurances with regard to the future of Tibet. Encouraged by these assurances, and inspired by the dedication of many of China's revolutionary leaders of the time, I returned to Tibet full of confidence and optimism. Some Tibetan members of the Communist Party also had such a hope. After my return to Lhasa, I made every possible effort to seek genuine autonomy for Tibet within the family of the People's Republic of China (PRC). I believed that this would best serve the long-term interests of both the Tibetan and Chinese peoples.

Unfortunately, tensions, which began to escalate in Tibet from around 1956, eventually led to the peaceful uprising of March 10, 1959, in Lhasa and my eventual escape into exile. Although many positive developments have taken place in Tibet under the PRC's rule, these developments, as the previous Panchen Lama pointed out in January 1989, were overshadowed by immense suffering and extensive destruction. Tibetans were compelled to live in a state of constant fear, while the Chinese government remained suspicious of them. However, instead of cultivating enmity towards the Chinese leaders responsible for the ruthless suppression of the Tibetan people, I prayed for them to become friends, which I expressed in the following lines in a prayer I composed in 1960, a year after I arrived in India: "May they attain the wisdom eye discerning right and wrong, And may they abide in the glory of friendship and love." Many Tibetans, school children among them, recite these lines in their daily prayers.

In 1974, following serious discussions with my Kashag (cabinet), as well as the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the then Assembly of the Tibetan People's Deputies, we decided to find a Middle Way that would seek not to separate Tibet from China, but would facilitate the peaceful development of Tibet. Although we had no contact at the time with the PRC - which was in the midst of the Cultural Revolution - we had already recognized that sooner or later, we would have to resolve the question of Tibet through negotiations. We also acknowledged that, at least with regard to modernization and economic development, it would greatly benefit Tibet if it remained within the PRC. Although Tibet has a rich and ancient cultural heritage, it is materially undeveloped.

Situated on the roof of the world, Tibet is the source of many of Asia's major rivers, therefore, protection of the environment on the Tibetan plateau is of supreme importance. Since our utmost concern is to safeguard Tibetan Buddhist culture - rooted as it is in the values of universal compassion - as well as the Tibetan language and the unique Tibetan identity, we have worked whole-heartedly towards achieving meaningful self-rule for all Tibetans. The PRC's constitution provides the right for nationalities such as the Tibetans to do this.

In 1979, the then Chinese paramount leader, Deng Xiaoping assured my personal emissary that "except for the independence of Tibet, all other questions can be negotiated." Since we had already formulated our approach to seeking a solution to the Tibetan issue within the constitution of the PRC, we found ourselves well placed to respond to this new opportunity. My representatives met many times with officials of the PRC. Since renewing our contacts in 2002, we have had six rounds of talks. However, on the fundamental issue, there has been no concrete result at all. Nevertheless, as I have declared many times, I remain firmly committed to the Middle Way approach and reiterate here my willingness to continue to pursue the process of dialogue.

This year the Chinese people are proudly and eagerly awaiting the opening of the Olympic Games. I have, from the start, supported Beijing's being awarded the opportunity to host the Games. My position remains unchanged. China has the world's largest population, a long history and an extremely rich civilization. Today, due to her impressive economic progress, she is emerging as a great power. This is certainly to be welcomed. But China also needs to earn the respect and esteem of the global community through the establishment of an open and harmonious society based on the principles of transparency, freedom, and the rule of law. For example, to this day victims of the Tiananmen Square tragedy that adversely affected the lives of so many Chinese citizens have received neither just redress nor any official response. Similarly, when thousands of ordinary Chinese in rural areas suffer injustice at the hands of exploitative and corrupt local officials, their legitimate complaints are either ignored or met with aggression. I express these concerns both as a fellow human being and as someone who is prepared to consider himself a member of the large family that is the People's Republic of China. In this respect, I appreciate and support President Hu Jintao's policy of creating a "harmonious society", but this can only arise on the basis of mutual trust and an atmosphere of freedom, including freedom of speech and the rule of law. I strongly believe that if these values are embraced, many important problems relating to minority nationalities can be resolved, such as the issue of Tibet, as well as Eastern Turkistan, and Inner Mongolia, where the native people now constitute only 20% of a total population of 24 million.

I had hoped President Hu Jintao's recent statement that the stability and safety of Tibet concerns the stability and safety of the country might herald the dawning of a new era for the resolution of the problem of Tibet. It is unfortunate that despite my sincere efforts not to separate Tibet from China, the leaders of the PRC continue to accuse me of being a "separatist". Similarly, when Tibetans in Lhasa and many other areas spontaneously protested to express their deep-rooted resentment, the Chinese authorities immediately accused me of having orchestrated their demonstrations. I have called for a thorough investigation by a respected body to look into this allegation.

Chinese brothers and sisters - wherever you may be - with deep concern I appeal to you to help dispel the misunderstandings between our two communities. Moreover, I appeal to you to help us find a peaceful, lasting solution to the problem of Tibet through dialogue in the spirit of understanding and accommodation.

With my prayers,

Dalai Lama

March 28, 2008

Note: translated from the Tibetan original

Tseten Samdup Chhoekyapa
Representative of H. H. the Dalai Lama

I've got news for the Chinese govt; the "true nature" of the Dalai Lama is not who they think he is. They've been absolutely wrong about him since they first met him. It never ceases to amaze me the idiocy of their arguments, and their complete disregard for reality. It's like the U.S. asking for the world to see the "True Nature" of Sitting Bull when he was a great Lakota chief, so they could continue to slaughter the Sioux.

I've had numerous posts on my youtube page from kids in China who believe what their govt has been telling them. It's amazing in this information age, that this drum beat from the Chinese govt is actually picked up by news agencies like Reuters. Why not just print; "Chinese are out of their minds again."

Now.. I must say, I've been to China - I like China - I had a film in the Shanghai Film Festival some years ago, called "Point of Betrayal" which was known as "Bei Pan" in Chinese. ("Back Stab") And the 3000 seat theater was sold out every screening - and after one screening, a man in a Chairman Mao outfit (blue pajamas) surrounded by Chinese soldiers came up to me and said "I want to ask you some questions about your film." I grabbed a young student who spoke English who had been at my screening, just to make sure I didn't insult someone, or that I understood what was asked of me. (I had introduced the film by saying "Comrades, thank you for coming to my screening!") So this man sat me down, surrounded by guards and said "Why did you make this film?" and I said.. "Because I felt it was a good story.." Not knowing what the answer was supposed to be.

And he said "I'm the film critic for the People's Daily, and I think everyone in China should see this film." I nearly fell out of my chair. The film was about respect of parents and how absolute money corrupts absolutely. Anyways, much to my relief, he loved my film. No one saw it in the US, but I can only hope someone copied it and showed it to all of China.

But I like Chinese people - I just happen to think that the 4% of the country that belongs to the party in power - the Communist party - is off their rockers. And once the rest of China realizes that these old blowhards don't speak for them, the country will transform into something else. But that's up to China.

I'm just saying - in a country that shows so much respect for its elders, you'd think they'd show some respect for their brothers the Tibetans. God forbid the Chinese are ever treated as poorly as they treat their Tibetan brothers.

That's a wrap.