Santa Monica Will Pay
Remember George Russell Weller? He's the old guy who, back in 2003, killed 10 people and injured more than 70 when ploughing his car uncontrollably through the Santa Monica Farmer's Market. It was a hideous accident for which, you would think, Weller and his insurers alone would be liable. But no.
The 2nd District Court of Appeals has ruled that the city of Santa Monica bears some culpability for Weller's catastrophe because it failed to adequately shield shoppers from a recklessly confused 86-year-old behind the wheel of car. That means victims can sue the city, and taxpayers will ultimately end up paying the bill for Weller's crime.
I can understand victims' urge to hold someone accountable, and even to get some just compensation. But it's not reasonable to expect municipal governments to be able to proactively defend us from every hypothetical disaster. Sometimes terrible things just happen, and no one is responsible for them other than those who actually did the deed.
All that will happen as a result of this ruling is Santa Monica taxpayers will pay millions -- millions that won't be available for policing, safe streets, and other real responsibilities of municipal government to make our lives safer. Thus, by "failing" to account for a hypothetical crime, Santa Monica will be exposed to more all too predictable ones.
11/02/07. BOY WHO STARTED FIRE WAITS FOR WORD. That 10-year-old boy with a penchant for playing with matches reminded me of my 6-year-old daughter who had the same problem. We talked to her about the danger of that kind of game. Nothing, she kept on doing it. One day, I was in the backyard and I heard her screaming. I ran back inside and she (my-6-year-old) was sitting on the toilet screaming as the waste basket was burning. I grabbed the basket and dumped it out of the house. I went back in and she was still sitting and craying. Very quietly I asked her what happened. I don't know, she said. I held her in my arms and I repeated the question. I got the same answer. My wife came home and we talk (again) about the problem and what to do. We were going to look for counseling. Two days later, just after dinner, the 6-year-old and I were seated around the table while the rest of the family was watching TV. I heard a constant click-click-click. I looked under the table and sure enough she had her arms hidden under the table holding a lighter and clicking away. Gently and firmly I took the lighter away, held her hand faced down put the lighter under her hand and clicked. She screamed. My wife screamed. The other children screamed, but I held steady for a few seconds. Later, when she was safe in her mother's arms and everyone was quiet we had another talk. I asked her, did it hurt? She nodded. I moved my finger from her hand up to her arm up to her neck and I touched her hair. All this, I said, could have burned and hurt you very much, and hurt us. She looked at me. I would have cried because you were hurt. Mother and your sisters would have cried. The next time my 6-year-old used a lighter was at the age of 18 when she started smoking. Recently we were at a meeting and Police Officer were present and they told me that if I did now what I did 31 years ago I would have been arrested for child abuse. Well, I don't know the parents of the young incendiary, but, if they had taken some steps to curb those impulses, a lot of people would not have suffered.