Earlier this year, the Chamber of Commerce established a political action committee to endorse City Council candidates, which has never been done before. The chamber will raise hundreds of thousands of dollars and tirelessly campaign for their candidates. How it proceeds from here will be critical for the future of Santa Monica, political observers say.
Through local voters, the chamber hopes to overthrow a city government that has been dominated by a more liberal-thinking group called the Santa Monicans For Renters’ Rights for the majority of the past 26 years. It’s widely known that the chamber and City Hall have for years had an adversarial relationship. The business community laments that policies set by the current administration create an unfriendly environment for residents and visitors.
So this week, Q-Line wants to know, “Do you think the Chamber of Commerce and its endorsements will represent your issues and views in the upcoming election? Why or why not?”
Call (310) 285-8106 before Friday at 5 p.m. and we’ll print your response in our weekend edition. Please limit your comments to a minute or less. It might help to think first about the wording of your response.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 16, 2004. Read the original PDF.