Los Angeles might be known for its palm trees, but what most people don’t know is that these trees ain’t native.

Our neighbors to the south have not only graced our presence in the human form, Mexican fan palms have absorbed much of our city’s landscape.

“But as it turns out, palm trees, particularly Mexican fan palms, feature big, spiky fronds that fall off the trees in the Santa Ana winds that sweep through in winter. The palms clonk cars, and occasionally pedestrians, said city officials, who also say that palm trees do not clean as much carbon monoxide from the air as do shadier trees.”

The New York Times recently featured an article about our $600,000 palm tree upkeep, that they see as being unnecessary. I beg to differ…these trees are as much a part of our social makeup as our Spanish-speaking comrades.

I’m already giving up an immense amount of money to the federal and state governments; I would at least like to have a little aesthetic beauty available to me on my commute to pay Uncle Sam.

Que locura!