By Tony Street Santa Monica
So, the city can’t meet the 1990 Prop R 30 percent affordable housing mandate?
Well, hell, let’s just come up with another socialist, hare-brained idea. Or, as Yale educated, “low-moderate income,” rent-control-living Mayor Pro Tem Kevin McKeown says, “... We must revisit our affordable housing policies and make some changes.”
Let me help. Considering the vote for Prop R was taken over a decade ago, and the demographics of Santa Monica have changed dramatically (albeit at the consternation of the socialists and limo liberals in our community), I think the results would be decidedly different. So, let’s take another vote on Prop R and see what the results are for today’s Santa Monica.
Joan Ling, executive director of Community Corp. of Santa Monica, indicates that two-and three-bedroom apartments are needed to fill the affordable housing needs of families wanting to live in Santa Monica. Why is it that Santa Monica owes “families” an apartment by the beach? And, what the hell is somebody doing with children if they can’t afford to pay rent? By the way, I’d like a house for my family north of Montana, Ms. Ling. What can you do for me? Are there any plans for “affordable mansion” programs?
And, finally, Ms. Ling cautions that if we don’t keep building affordable housing, “no one will be able to live here unless they make $200, 000 a year and [she] doesn’t believe that that’s the kind of community any of us wants to see, including those who make $200,000 a year.” Oh, really now? Hum. Let me see. Uh. Nope, she doesn’t speak for me. And I would guess that the scientific survey (read: her socio-political-emotional gut) on which she basis her statement doesn’t include a sample from those of us who are paying through the nose to live here and are forced to live side by side with people who should be living somewhere else less expensive. By the way, are there any affordable housing units being built north of Montana next to the million dollar properties? Or is this little social experiment just for those of us only making $199,999 per year or less? Here’s a suggestion — those of you “200K plus” people that Ms. Ling “knows” want affordable housing next to their 800K condos, cut a check each year for, oh, I don’t know, $100,000 to her corporation. That should be plenty of money to cover the difference she’s in need of. Unless, of course, there really isn’t that much support for affordable housing.
Not to worry liberal Santa Monica, if things start to get a little too gentrified for you here, you can always go slumming in Venice!
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 19, 2002. Read the original PDF.