Mark C McLellan AGE: 46 OCCUPATION: Real estate MARITAL STATUS/CHILDREN: Married/no children YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? HOW LONG? Wilshire at Euclid. Seven years. YOUR RIDE: 2001 Lexus RX300 OWN OR RENT?: Own YOUR PASSION: My wife, photography, travel. The great outdoors. WHAT ARE YOU READING? “The Art of Happiness,” by His Holiness the Dalai Lama THE WATER AROUND THE SANTA MONICA PIER IS SOME OF THE MOST POLLUTED IN THE STATE AND POSES A SIGNIFICANT HEALTH RISK TO SWIMMERS. HOW DO WE CLEAN UP THE BEACH?
As a community, we must support candidates on a national, state and local level that have a strong commitment to a clean environment. Also, the citizens of Santa Monica cannot bear the burden alone, the city and county of Los Angeles must take a more active approach to treating this regional problem. Finally, on a personal level, we must all do everything we can to help out — curb your dog, pick up your trash, properly dispose of used oil, etc. These steps may seem small, but when everyone pitches in, the end result is dramatic.
WHAT’S A HIDDEN GEM IN THE CITY?
The greatest day of joy in my life was when I married my wife in the rose garden at Palisades Park. It is a very special place.
Homelessness is far and away our city’s most pressing issue, according to daily press readers. What new ideas do you bring to the table? Do service providers help the down-and-out or merely attract more homeless and enable them?
The city is currently engaged in a comprehensive review of our homeless services. I support this study. With over 20 years in the medical field, I learned the value of understanding the outcomes of an approach to a problem. I am not sure, as a community, we have a true handle on the correlation between the services we provide and their outcomes, and until we do, it is very difficult to measure what we are doing right and what we can do better. That said, our current approach to homelessness is not working.
BEATLES OR STONES?
Being a rocker at heart, my first inclination would be the Stones, but if choose, I must... “Eleanor Rigby.” Enough said.
HOW DO YOU SPEND A DAY OFF IN SANTA MONICA?
Doing anything that gets me outside. Climbing stairs, hiking, bicycling, surfing, strolling the Farmers’ Market, eating lunch at a sidewalk cafe watching the world go by.
Residents and elected officials often clash over the issue of gang violence — some advocate more enforcement, others call for more intervention and prevention strategies. Where would you focus resources?
We must have a very strong enforcement response. Adherence to the law is not optional. However, a major battle is lost once the problem reaches the level of law enforcement intervention. We will always have individuals in a society that do not respect the law, but there are a lot of young people that would benefit greatly from a prevention strategy and I believe this approach will provide the greatest success in the long run.
If you could have lunch with any three people in history, who would they be? (spouse and children excluded) jesus christ, abraham lincoln, michelangelo 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 a local businessman. I work for Marcus & Millichap as a specialist in Multifamily Housing. The first thing I would do is work with business owners and the good people in City Hall to see what can be done to help eliminate red tape. Next, the driving force behind our planning must be to build a more sustainable community. Residents need easy access to all types of businesses in their local area. To do this, we must have a multi-use component to our development going forward so that people can live, work and shop in an area that is close to home.
What’s the biggest threat facing the quality of life in santa monica?
The erosion of the middle class is the biggest threat to the quality of life in Santa Monica. The middle class is the backbone of the community. And unfortunately, housing for the middle class is disappearing at an even faster rate. Every day, I listen to parents and grandparents talk about the loss they feel because their children and grandchil-dren cannot afford to live here. We are breaking up the very structure of the family that is so vital to us all. We must do better.
COMFORT FOODS?: Home cooking, soda, gumbo, chicken and dumplings, BBQ, chocolate.
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?
Yes, the city needs more parking spaces. People are attracted to Santa Monica because of our weather, beaches, shops and attractions. Additionally, a large number of people now commute into the city for work. Until we have in place the mass transportation necessary to handle the burden, it is a sad reality that today we need more parking.
I support light rail, subway, enhanced bus routes and more bicycle lanes for Santa Monica. As we continue to develop this infrastructure, we must also continue public outreach that educates visitors and residents about our alternate transportation opportunities. And as far as incentives go, I believe most people want to do the right thing and with education and encouragement, and perhaps free bus rides for a week for local residents, we can change minds and behaviors.
FREE FORM. WHAT’S PUTTING A BURR UNDER YOUR SADDLE?
Like most residents, I too have great concerns about homelessness, traffic, parking, gang violence pollution, education, affordable housing and the erosion of our middle class. These problems are real, but I honestly believe solutions are obtainable. One thing I have witnessed on the campaign trail that concerns me is a perceived need to pit one group against another — landlords vs. tenants, business vs. residents, etc. Good people can have real differences on key issues, but we all benefit more when we work to find the common ground that we can build upon instead of focusing on what divides us.
WHY ARE YOU SO SPECIAL?
I don’t really think of myself in that way. I try to be a good son, brother, friend, husband and neighbor. Hopefully, one day soon I will be a father and I will do my very best to raise a happy, kind and considerate child that will contribute to making this world a better place. As the youngest of 12 children, I was raised to give back to the community.
For over 20 years, I worked in the medical field for Fortune 500 companies like Kodak and Johnson & Johnson helping to improve the quality of life for others.
Like most people, I am just trying to do my best to make each day matter.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 1, 2006. Read the original PDF.