By Evelyn Jerome
We’ve all heard it before: “The People’s Republic of Santa Monica.”
It’s not really meant to be flattering.
What is Santa Monica’s political identity, and what should it be? Are we the “progressive” city everyone thinks we are? Were we ever “progressive” in the first place?
What does progressive actually mean? Does “progressive” refer to specific policies, like supporting union issues, rent control, or environmental protection?
I would argue that a “progressive” community is one in which all are invited to share their political views, and all views are respected. By respected, I mean that no one is ridiculed, booed, or otherwise made to feel that their opinions are not welcomed in public discourse.
According to my definition, Santa Monica never was, and still isn’t a “progressive” community. A haven for liberalism, maybe. But not progressive, because there have never been dissenting opinions until just recently.
How has our community changed? Young families have bought homes and condominiums, raising property values. Our schools are top-notch (so much so, in fact, that one-fifth of the kids in Santa Monica and Malibu public schools live outside our cities, but that’s another column).
As new residents have moved into our community, the spectrum of political opinion has expanded, and the powers-that-be feel threatened. Not everyone thinks that rent control has been good for the city as a whole. Not everyone thinks that we should deal with the plight of the homeless by offering public meals. Not everyone thinks that Target was a bad idea — some even think the city should encourage businesses to locate here.
But you don’t hear these opinions expressed too frequently, and when you do, they are often surrounded by a chorus of boos and hisses. So much for everyone having their say in this “progressive” town.
I have found that I make political points more effectively when I speak with people who don’t share my views. “Prove it,” people say to me.
So I say to those who have controlled Santa Monica for decades: Prove that rent control has provided housing for low-income workers. Prove that spending millions on the homeless has improved their overall quality of life.
Don’t feel threatened because new people have moved in, invested in their homes and businesses, and want to express their political views. A truly “progressive” city would encourage substantive civic debate, and work towards finding real solutions to the community’s problems rather than sticking with the status quo in fear of change. (Evelyn Jerome is a past president of the Los Angeles County Young Democrats, and a member of the New Democrat Network. To respond or to reach Jerome, )
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 4, 2003. Read the original PDF.