To see a previous issue of this column, please go to the "Archives" button above. 

If you have a story that you would like to have published, email us at editor@beverlyunderground.org.

Beverly Hills City Council, the 'Mock Election'

Over the last few months the City of Beverly Hills has been bombarded by advertising and campaigning. In a matter of days Beverly Hills voters will be electing three new people to the City Council.

      Among the candidates: Allison Margolin, whose primary position is to legalize the growing of marijuana within city limits. Margolin, who attended both Harvard and Columbia Universities, is a very well-educated candidate, but she clearly fails to comprehend the city we live in. Just take a stroll around the City, talk to its residents, and you will see that when it comes to such issues as illegal drugs, Beverly Hills is extremely conservative. What candidate in her right mind would run a campaign based on legalizing the growth of marijuana (for medicinal purposes, of course) as its main theme - especially in this city? 

      When citizens go to the ballots on Tuesday, I assure you they will not be voting to allow their neighbors to grow overflowing gardens of cannabis.

      Another candidate is Mike Hakim, who has gained much support, to some people’s surprise. A nice character, but his only qualification to run for City Council is that he is Iranian. Apparently that goes a long way in this city, a community with a prominent Iranian presence. He did indeed run a good campaign, but a stint as senior class president at BHHS is the extent of his political experience, and thus his experience within city politics is limited... at best.

      Barry Brucker has been an adept, capable member of the school board. I would personally vote for him to city council, but with a bittersweet feeling - we would lose a great school board member. Having said that, I find it saddening that half of the links on www.votebarrybrucker.com do not function. Not so professional. Barry, nice going with the lawn signs and those omnipresent coffee get-togethers, but your web presence just is not exactly working out.

      My favorite contender is the self-proclaimed "youngest candidate running." He obviously fails to understand that experience just might be useful when it comes to politics. True, outsiders often bring an "un-entangled perspective" into politics, but a lack of political experience should be made up by other experiences. Jacob Goldstein has neither. I always love to see candidates running that have the same chances of winning as I do in the lottery. I am all for the "new and fresh outlook," but it greatly disturbs me when a candidate brings a bobbing head figurine of President Bush to a City Council candidate debate.

      Perhaps he should have gone out and smoked a joint with Margolin after the debate - with the George W. figurine (it surely would not be the president’s first). No, that was crude. But the real question: what was he on when he thought a Jewish Kibbutz would solve the City's homeless "problem?" I thank Goldstein for taking a jab at politics, and having the courage to compete with older and more experienced candidates, but this year he simply does not have it cut out for him. Goldstein needs to learn some more about city politics and develop a coherent platform.

      The Measure A Montage Hotel project is by far the most controversial issue in the upcoming election. It has become all too prevalent for politicians to "flip-flop" on positions, and the Beverly Hills City Council nominees are no singularities. Many have switched position mid-campaign. Even though I am a supporter of Measure A, my respect goes to Marty Geimer, who has, unlike various other candidates, maintained a strong stance against the measure this entire time. 

      Perhaps my standards are just too high. Perhaps I expect candidates running for a prestigious body such as the Beverly Hills City Council to be running overly professional campaigns. Perhaps I am just out of my mind. But on March 8, the citizens of Beverly Hills will see if this election was indeed a mockery, and which three candidates will win the office. 

- Jim Moore

respond to this article

The Venoco Mess: Crude Oil On Campus Still An Issue

It has been so long since controversy has surrounded the oil well that freshman look at the derrick and still see it as the "Tower of Hope". The talk might have died down, but the potential danger has not. 

      To most BHHS students and parents, the Venoco oil well controversy is an issue long past. Local media coverage has, for the most part, subsided, and with it has gone the gossip and outrage surrounding the oil well. Such is the nature of presenting a complex issue to an audience whose mean attention span is conveniently measurable in seconds.

      While the oil well issue may be an aged one, it is nevertheless still a prevalent one. Last Thursday, a fence line monitor (mandated to be installed after the news of the possible oil well dangers first broke) detected unusually high levels of hydrocarbon emissions from the Venoco drilling site. Indeed, Venoco had thrown crude oil about their site… and campus. Oil reached a high pressure before nearly 42 gallons finally burst within the facility, and onto the baseball diamond and nearby metal bleachers.

      I love the local media in this city. It is so entertaining to see accounts of the amazing professionalism of Venoco's reaction to the oil spill, rather than a focus on the fact that an accident occurred, and that that is dangerous. These accidents happen all the time, and I can only imagine what was happening in Venoco’s good ole days when there was minimal oversight.

      Oversight, ah yes! Venoco has had to install a shiny new infrared fence line monitor to detect hydrocarbon emissions. Yes, the monitor alerted the AQMD for testing within an hour of the oil spill. Yes, Venoco managed to soak up the oil which had spilled on its plant, and some on BHHS property. But these actions happened after the infraction – after the oil was spilled.

      The new issue here, or perhaps I should say the aged one, is not a question of whether Venoco is running a dangerous operation or not, the issue is why the controversial element of the oil well has seemingly been vaporized.

      Last Thursday's incident is a perfect example of this. An accident occurs and practically the only mention it receives is that of the Venoco's routine handling of the event. In fact, most of the student body had no idea that such an event had taken place only a short walk away from most of their classes. Only a select few will ever question whether the possibility of dangerous toxin leakage or fire hazard should have been considered when reacting to Thursday's oil spill.

      Well I am questioning it.

      The saddening reality is that community and district leaders have succeeded in suppressing public concerns over the oil well. Time and again, superintendents, principals, and city officials deny the fact that the oil well could be dangerous. Come on! Sure it could be dangerous. There are reports that say it is. Why has this happened? Are the citizens of Beverly Hills too ignorant to remain concerned over what remains a health hazard on the BHHS campus? Perhaps, but that is doubtful at best. The real reason why this media suppression has happened is because we allowed it to. In response to last Thursday’s incident, Dr. Stepenosky brushed off the event as not a big deal.

      The recent oil spill serves only to illustrate the great degree to which the Beverly Hills community has gradually lost touch with the elements of the oil well controversy.. There has been an unfortunate yet dramatic drop in the number of citizens who continue to ask the question “What the hell is the oil well still doing at BHHS?”

- Dan Marino

respond to this article