Honorable Members of the City Council,

What is happening to the quality of life in Menlo Park? In recent weeks, I have become aware of the Council spending staff time and energy on crafting a more burdensome landscape ordinance that goes above and beyond the state guidelines in addition to a smoking ordinance that may restrict a homeowner from smoking in his or her own residence. What is happening to our rights to privacy and home ownership?

If any of you watched the Super Bowl ads this past Sunday, you'll probably remember the one that I think defines this Council quite well: the Green Police. It would have been quite funny if it didn't hit home so hard. It's beginning to feel quite a bit like a police state in Menlo Park.

I would like to respectfully register my whole hearted objection to your efforts to prescribe how we should act in our homes and what plants and how much lawn we should grow in our yards and how much water we can use. The message being sent by this Council is "we know better than you on how you should live your life at home". It is a breakdown in the quality of life of this City when the Council has to intrude this far into our lives.

Respectfully yours,
Mary Gilles
Partridge Avenue

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