By Tony Street
Well, let’s see. One year later and it seems that Santa Monica is exactly where it was last year (and the year before, and the year before that, and …) As I scrolled through the SMDP archives from 2002 and 2003, I lost count on the number of stories and opinion pieces having to do with homeless, Pico gang shootings, the City Council and, of course, the perennial favorite, rent control.
It’s been one year since I left and I can see things a little more clearly from the perch of my new city. A place where there are no homeless people relieving themselves near my dwelling, where there are no gang shootings near low-income housing, where there is no rent control, and where the City Council, although not perfect, actually wants to maintain a nice place to live and to do business.
Santa Monica is doomed to be forever exactly what it is now if the residents of the city do not take the power back from the old, hippy-dippy, SMRR-controlled council members. Every other problem flows from there.
So, to all the people who have opined, ad nauseum, and offered their insights into the perpetual problems plaguing Santa Monica — stop whining and vote these people out of power. They care more about maintaining the homeless population than they do about your children’s education, your quality of life, your businesses, and on and on.
They still think it’s the 1960s when “flower-power” was their mantra: Look at their ages, where they were educated, their family status. It’s all about them and what’s best for them and their hallucinogenic world view: A view that says, “Hey man, we shoud all be responsible for one another” (subtext: Even if it means that you will have to live a standard of life below your expectations). They don’t care, because they like the current quality of life in Santa Monica. It’s a constant reminder to them of the “good ‘ole days” when love was free and long-haired, bearded, smelly people were around you all the time.
Come on, Santa Monica, wake up! The ’60s are over. It’s a new day. Take back your city. Vote them out. Say “no” to “low-income” housing projects. Say “no” to the lie of rent control. Say “no” to supporting the homeless. Say “no” to anti-business practices. Say “no” to the whole lot of them and make Santa Monica a place where you can again be proud to live.
Maybe then I’ll come back.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 19, 2004. Read the original PDF.