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# Letter: Santa Monica Council should drop progressive spending amid state deficit
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/012803-story-20030128/
- Published: 2003-01-28T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T01:24:41.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homeless

*By Jan Tousignant Santa Monica*

Everyone knows by now that the state of California is in terrible shape. Our projected $34.8 billion deficit is greater than all the other state deficits combined. Putting aside the repercussions all of us are going to feel from tax hikes and program cuts, at the state level, we in Santa Monica need to focus on how our local government is going to manage the mandates for money in this time of shortfalls.

I personally think that more than ever, our City Council would be wise to think out of its political box. This means progressive politics needs to take a “holiday.” In its place should arise a more pragmatic and centrist reasoning. I know there currently is a two pronged agenda being funded. One deals with socialized platforms — the homeless, low and moderate housing, rent control, wage controls, unions. The other, ironically, pushes for more gold leafed projects in which to frame this city’s lifestyle — flashing cross walks ($4.5 million), a new main branch library ($40-50 million), state of the art street sweepers, and the like.

In order to buffer our city from California’s financial mess, our leaders simply need to re-prioritize expenditures. Social platforms should be reined in. Restrictive business dis-incentives need to be reformulated. Zoning and ownership encroachments should be put on hold. Bigger and more glamorous is not better — at least right now. Pet projects like the library replacement, cross walk lights, living wage campaign monies are not pressing issues right now. All of the above should be scrapped, and extra monies moved over to the education column. After all, what good is a gleaming, extra big library when the school district can’t even fund paper for its copy machines?

It takes a flexible public mind to leave political egos on the sidelines. But this is exactly what our city council has to do — take off its ideological garments and think, not in terms of constituencies, but in larger concepts of the greater good for all Santa Monicans.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 28, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/012803.pdf?ref=smdp.com)