The Season of (Graffiti) Giving

There are many items I would prefer to comment on. For example, the proposed $45 million bond issue, Nelles, and Greenway Trail. But the graffiti is back. After a few weeks of quiet, the vandals decided to usher in December and the Season of Giving with their own present to our corner of Whittier Blvd. and Philadelphia Street. It appears that they had a party here, as there are several different monikers. Thanks, guys! Now go home and leave us alone!

More graffiti, all from the same guy.

It must be a "Back-to-School Special" or the last hurrah of summer, becasue we really got hit over the weekend. In fact, the negatively industrious little buggers vandalized along Whittier Blvd. from at least Mar Vista to at least Philadelphia Street. Please, someone catch them and punish them, so they will stop wasting our time and resources, and littering up our property with their vandal's marks.

Regarding the Fred C Nelles property across the street, I think they should reopen it as a prison just for graffiti vandals. I am sure we could fill it up if we put more effort into catching these miscreants.

Once again, I hadn't planned on using this blog just to vent on the ills of graffiti, but a bright ray of sunshine in the war on vandalism shone on Whittier today. At Californian High in unicorporated Whittier, LA County Sheriffs deputies caught an 11 year old and two 14 year olds tagging. Three others ran away, but the caught three fingered them. Read the http://www.nbc4.tv/news/9775582/detail.html

Note that this occurred at 2 am. What is wrong with the parents of these six kids that their little darling are out vandalizing government property in the wee hours when they should be home sleeping? Slam the parents. Prevent the kids from getting drivers licenses until they are eighteen, and put the parents on probation. If the kids are caught tagging or vandalizing again, then take away the parents' licenses until their kid is eighteen. Perhaps staring at the prospect of being without the ability to drive legally for seven years will force them to take responsibility for their children. Also, put the kids into child protective services, because if would then be obvious that the parents are not acting in the best interests of their children to let then break curfew and vandalize.

Get tough if you want change. The same thing goes for the border situation, Iraq and the global war against Islamic Facism. But those are topics for another day.

Onward and upward!

I hadn't planned on making this a blog only about graffiti around my family's business. However, I was greeted by a new batch of graffiti around our place this morning, so here it is. These fine, upstanding citizens have absolutely no respect for other's property, even the city's sign directing people to Uptown. "Welcome to Uptown - get out while you still can!" is the message this graphical litter promotes.

They are even reaching new heights by climbing onto our wall to get to an elevated sign. If only these misguided souls would put such effort into their schoolwork.

There was a news items yesterday about a mother who was caught driving her son around to do his tagging. Great example. Take away her driver's license, confiscate her vehicle and put her on graffiti removal detail until the kid turns eighteen. Ditto for the kid. Slam the parents as well as the kids if you want to affect change.


The trash can by the bus stop is always being vandalized.


Today's estimate to cover over the graffiti vandalism is about $50 in time and materials. I have a gent on staff who spends otherwise productive time covering over these intrusions. What a waste!

Graffiti. The coward's way to express himself. Hit and run markings by misguided people who vandalize other's property with their unintelligible scrawls. The cost ever increases as we constantly cover it over, creating a patchwork of covering paint, reluctant to fully repaint for fear that it would just be a fresh canvas for these uncaring thugs.

As a public service, I will post the graffiti the day that it occurs at my family's business (Rasmussen Gas Logs & Grills, corner of Whittier Blvd. and Philadelphia Street in Whittier). Because of the time stamp ability of the blog, I submit that the police can use these postings to compound the charges against the graffiti vandals when they are caught, with the hope that the result will be a felony charge.

Here are the fresh graffiti markings from today, August 28, 2006. I estimate the cost to cover over these markings was $25.00 in paint and labor and would testify under penalty of perjury to the same.

Onward and upward!

Welcome to my new blog. For over fifteen years, I have submitted letters to the editor of the Whittier (CA) Daily News on subjects that really moved me, bugged me, or just made me want to get it off of my chest. I usually had good reaction from friends and family. In fact, my fellow Rotarian, Ralph Peck, a longtime gadfly, newsletter writer, gentleman and all-around great wit, encouraged me to "take over from him" (he was in his mid-80s at the time, and he passed away almost two years ago at the ripe young age of 99). Ralph always spoke on issues of patriotism, civic duty and common sense, all with his own brand of wit. Although I could never replace Ralph, I aim to use this blog to put in my two cents on subjects of interest to me, inlcuding current events in Whittier, California, the US and the world. The newspapers and radio talk shows produce plenty of subjects for comment, as do my personal experiences as a business and property owner, parent and citizen.

Besides, with a blog, I don't have to worry as to whether the editor deems my postings worthy for public consumption. Onward and upward!