Everything seems mostly the same. We rise each day. We praise the pristine weather in Santa Monica (or perhaps take it for granted). We work. We snack. We binge watch “The White Lotus.” And we act as if everything’s normal.
It’s not normal to have armed soldiers on our nation’s streets. It’s not normal to cheer the assassinations of fellow citizens. And it’s not normal for the President to vow vengeance on half of the country.
Even if it were possible to whistle past the grave national news and keep our eyes on our shimmering horizon, we couldn’t avoid the tempestuous waves reaching our shore. Because it’s also not normal for one of the wealthier communities in the world to be on the brink of bankruptcy.
Last week, Santa Monica announced “fiscal distress.” The mayor requested the word “emergency” be deleted from the official municipal resolution, since it would trigger legal repercussions. City Manager Oliver Chi apologized for the word choice, but regardless of whether we call the resolution an emergency or merely a “crisis,” it’s a dire declaration.
However, it shouldn’t be a surprising one, because we’ve been warned for some time of the fiscal disaster caused by the perfect storm of COVID after effects, disrupted retail, and the hundreds of millions of dollars in child molestation lawsuits. We’ve been partially living off our savings for years, as if everything will be fine. What Chi did with the resolution was send up a flare, saying things are not fine. Things are a little scary.
When people are scared, the first impulse is often to look for someone to blame, and some are holding the Council accountable. There’s no question that council members make mistakes, but they also make less than minimum wage and are expected to understand the intricate details of everything from zoning ordinances to wastewater management. I’m as guilty as anyone of sometimes holding them to impossibly high standards, but none of them were even elected when these problems originated.
Other residents are pointing fingers at Chi and accusing him of destabilizing the situation. There have been a slew of resignations since his recent arrival, most notably from the trusted police chief, Ramón Batista, which has alarmed and agitated many in the community. Batista’s leaked resignation letter implied demands had been made of him that violated “the letter of the law,” which has left a shadow over the administration. But if Batista truly believed there was any malfeasance, as a by-the-book lawman, he would have been obligated to initiate an investigation, and he has not.
Meanwhile, Chi has been clear about his goals and accountable for his actions. “Each decision—from the appointment of new organizational leaders to the recognition of budgetary challenges—has been intentional,” he stated in an email last week to city staff, which outlined his upcoming plan of action, focusing on public safety, clean streets, business development, affordable housing, and staff unity. He described a “period of realignment that will allow us to stabilize our organization and strengthen Santa Monica.”
Whether or not he can accomplish his ambitious objectives remains to be seen, but with the federal government acting more like an adversary than a partner and the drastic drop in international tourism, there seems good reason for giving him some leeway. I’m not saying give him a free pass. With the city at a nadir, we need to be vigilant, but that’s different than being paranoid.
We’re living at a time when too many people believe they’re victims, or at least believe someone is victimizing them, which becomes an excuse to lash out. To say things that shouldn’t be said. Or maybe even to pull a trigger.
Last week was also the anniversary of 9/11, a day that proved we’re not the only people prone to attacking those we blame for our problems. I remember standing on Fifth Avenue, gaping at the flaming chasm in the north tower only minutes before the building disintegrated. But the extraordinary thing about 9/11 is that although it was one of the worst days in American history, there was also something hopeful about it. We united in our grief—and in our determination to rebuild.
Can we do that today in Santa Monica? Can we use a lesser catastrophe as the catalyst to rise above grievances and focus on helping one another?
“No outside organization can solve the crises we face,” Chi also wrote in his email. “Only we can rebuild our local economy, restore safety and trust in our community.” He was speaking to city staff, but he could be speaking to all of us. We can't pretend things are normal. They’re not. But we can resolve to fix them.
Devan Sipher can be reached at Unmuted.SMDP@gmail.com