I couldn’t believe how much money it will cost, pre-inflation, to beautify the Arroyo running through Simi Valley.

Although the city plans to break the project down over nearly 20 years, that still translates to roughly $3 million a year, and even with “kind donations” listed as a potential source of funding, this project just doesn’t seem practical at this point.

I’m all for a beautiful city, proud of the remodeled and newly landscaped homes, neighborhoods and business centers all through Simi, yet right now our city’s economy is the thing that needs a facelift.

This spring alone our school district demonized the color pink, handing out slips of the dreaded color to let us know that nearly 200 teachers wouldn’t be getting that shiny red apple come September.

They were forced to jump into the substitute pool and are now packed in so tightly, no one can swim, including myself.

Local businesses have faded from sight, as have the custodians, sales associates, accountants, managers, supervisors and security guards who run them.

The day after Labor Day witnessed a serpentine line of jobseekers, including myself, winding out of Mervyns and waiting hours to interview for the opening of Halloween Adventure.

Every day the paper gets more and more emaciated and laments more and more job losses.

Every day more tents pop up in the desolate fields of our state, and they belong to neither Ringling Brothers nor camping enthusiasts.

Every day people are losing their jobs and moving back home. Every day I am calling in for sub jobs that don’t exist.

Every day, along with the rest of our state, I am scouring storefronts and classifieds for the For Hiring and Help Wanted signs, and waiting for the approving handshake and smile that let us know we have the job, and the green to satiate our creditors.

We must ask ourselves, is this a beautiful state?

What could those 60 million slips of green paper do for us now, in 2009, instead of 2029? What could just one-twentieth of that money do for us now?

How much better would things be if we could use that money to hire some more teachers, some more cashiers, some more clerks, some more baggers, some more managers, some more aides, some more accountants, some more doctors, some more police officers, some more firefighters? Tiffany Wiseman Simi Valley