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# Council candidates on attracting business and closing Santa Monica Airport
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/103106-story-20061031-8/
- Published: 2006-10-31T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T21:56:22.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica Airport, #archive-import

Local businesses provide the majority of the city’s general fund revenues, yet santa monica has a reputation for being a difficult place to do business. How would you entice more businesses, different businesses, to open up shop?

I am against attracting any commercial interests that attract more people to Santa Monica during the day and create congestion. We are already inundated. I support small, locally owned businesses that cater to locals.

What’s the biggest threat facing the quality of life in santa monica?

The role of city council should be to aggressively support scientific and legislative efforts to address the jet emissions problem. The airport does not make any profit for the City and is extremely destructive to our health and safety. It is way past time for the city to confront the FAA to address pollution, safety and health concerns. Our city, as owner and operator of Santa Monica Airport has a responsibility to take a pro-active stance to investigate and expose negative health effects that are a direct result of airport operations. I am the only candidate who has made an unequivocal promise to work with community groups to close the airport in 2015, when both the 1984 Santa Monica Airport Agreement and other leases expire. In the interim, we should renegotiate the Santa Monica Airport agreement to address community concerns about air pollution, excessive noise and safety.

COMFORT FOODS?

Dr. Pepper and doritos does the city need more parking spaces, or will that just attract more drivers? What incentives should the city offer to get people out of their cars?

Cut-through traffic incursions could be reduced by eliminating any projects that bring traffic to Santa Monica. Traffic calming measures, are slowing down traffic during peak traffic hours. The council should severely restrict density and heights of buildings in Santa Monica and protect residential neighborhoods. I oppose anything that creates parking and traffic chaos, such as preferential parking for the car dealers on Santa Monica Boulevard. We need to stop expanding tourism and other attractions that double the daytime population of Santa Monica.

We need to stop attracting more international students to Santa Monica. The huge increase in Santa Monica College enrollments of non resident students who live outside the city is severely exacerbating the parking and traffic crunch. SMCC is supposed to be a community college, but it is a business that attracts students from all over the world.

FREE FORM. WHAT’S PUTTING A BURR UNDER YOUR SADDLE?

Every election season, I hear clichés like “it’s time for a change” and “to think outside the box.” We can’t do that if we keep voting for candidates and incumbents who represent the special interests that elect them. Elected officials are more interested in responding to special interests (who support their campaigns for re-election) and do very little to represent the residents of this city. Every time I run for city council, the incumbents usually get re-elected (and perhaps one other candidate who receive contributions and endorsement from the city employees, SMRR or other vested interests).

WHY ARE YOU SO SPECIAL?

I am the only candidate who dares to condemn and campaign aggressively against all special interests (other than the residents). I receive no contributions from any organizations having their own agenda. I have a plan that would restore power to the disenfranchised residents of this city. I would put the entire budget on the city web site (with a search function) so citizens can audit it online and conduct a thorough investigation into how all city revenues are being distributed. I am the only candidate who has dared to make an unequivocal promise to coordinate with concerned community organizations to shut down the airport. We should use that land for a large public park, and build low income housing (with parking) for people who have lost their residences in Santa Monica, or for people who work in Santa Monica and can not afford to live here. We can still maintain a heli-pad for emergency services.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 31, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/103106.pdf?ref=smdp.com)