> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce endorses Katz, Shriver, Morea and Dinolfo for City Council - URL: https://www.smdp.com/campaign-2004-20040915/ - Published: 2004-09-15T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T05:03:57.000Z - Author: Carolyn Sackariason - Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homeless, Homelessness *Fantastic four: Chamber hands out endorsements* CHAMBER OF COMMERCE — Officials here made their choices Tuesday on who they think have the best chances to overthrow a city administration they claim is dedicated to operating by the status quo. The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce voted to endorse incumbent City Councilman Herb Katz, as well as newcomers Bobby Shriver, Kathryn Morea and Matt Dinolfo. The four candidates were recommended by the chamber’s political action committee, which interviewed 11 people vying for four open seats on the City Council. The committee drilled candidates on issues of utmost interest to businesses and residents alike — homelessness, affordable housing, traffic, government bureaucracy, future development and City Hall policies perceived as anti-business. “There was a lot of debate,” said Kathy Dodson, the chamber’s CEO and president. “It was a decision (the board) struggled with.” Dinolfo, 56, ran unsuccessfully for a City Council seat in 2002, garnering 7,481 votes. A physician at UCLA, who lives north of Montana Avenue, Dinolfo is viewed by some as one of the more moderate candidates, with some leanings toward Santa Monicans For Renter Rights, the group that’s dominated City Hall for more than two decades and is the chamber’s arch nemesis. But he’s pro-business and in line with many chamber officials. “This is going to be an important election,” Dinolfo told the committee last week. “These people have been here for a long time, and I would ask, ‘Are they serving your needs?’ This is Morea’s first official attempt at city politics. However, the 40-year-old got a taste of it when she mobilized her neighbors to get permit parking in the Pico Neighborhood on the eastside of Santa Monica. Since then, Morea has gotten more involved in city issues. So far, she hasn’t particularly liked what she’s seen. “The city, as it stands, is not really responding to the people,” she told the committee. “It doesn’t look out for my interests.” Shriver, 50, is brother-in-law to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. He also is the son of Sargent Shriver, the 1972 Democratic Vice Presidential nominee, and Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics. Shriver currently is chair of the California’s State Parks and Recreation Commission. The 17-year Santa Monica resident was endorsed partly because of his state and federal government connections, as well as his proven track record of working with bipartisan elected officials on a host of issues, including the Special Olympics and AIDS in Africa. Shriver told the committee that his successes in life have been when he’s brought people together and worked with them cohesively. He has vowed to bring a new spirit of partnership, working together, respect and civility to City Hall. > “We have to work together. There are serious issues out there. We need reasonable togetherness to get things done.” > “I’m more business-friendly and will serve your needs.” “I’ve been a bit stunned by the animosity between the people in (City Hall) and residents,” he told the committee. “The way to be successful — (the chamber) is needed and so are the SMRR people. I don’t want this to be Bobby on the white horse to save the day, because that’s a dopey idea. Shriver got involved in city politics after he was cited by City Hall late last year for violating a 56-year-old law governing hedge heights. The way City Hall handled the situation — sending him a letter threatening $25,000 in fines a day until he cut his hedges — incensed him enough to run for local office. “My experience is they micromanaged my life in a mean and bullying way,” he told the committee. “It’s not professional and it has to stop. That’s why I am running.” City Councilman Katz is a longtime Santa Monica resident who is experienced in city government, serving on the architectural review board and the planning commission. He owns an architectural firm and is a vocal opponent of City Hall’s policies including traffic calming measures, government bureaucracy and vagrants. He suggested last week that one way to deal with the local vagrant population could be to convert a beach parking lot at night so homeless people could sleep there, and by day, it would be used for parking. He has said that the past four years on the City Council has not been satisfying for him because he’s in the minority. “I’m hoping we get more on the council, this is not fun,” he said. “We need to break this political machine.” The chamber will raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for their candidates, as well as campaign for them and encourage other chamber members to vote and fundraise for their choices. If the chamber’s candidates win the election, SMRR will no longer hold the majority on the council. SMRR has endorsed newcomers Patricia Hoffman, Maria Loya, and incumbents City Councilman Ken Genser and Mayor Richard Bloom. The SMRR-backed candidates were interviewed by the chamber’s political action committee, but were seen as not in tune with the chamber’s business interests as much as the others. “We set out to find candidates that not only represent the fabric of our community, but will also contribute to the quality of life in our city,” said Eddie Guerboian, the Chamber Chairman-Elect. “What we do in this election will have an impact on our community for years to come, and we need to make sure that every resident understands the choices they have and the opportunity to create meaningful change in Santa Monica.” City Councilman Michael Feinstein, who is seeking reelection, failed to get the SMRR endorsement, despite that the group supported him in his last campaign. Candidates Bill Bauer and David Cole, who are running as a slate with Morea entitled “Team For Change,” were passed up by the chamber despite being aligned on many issues. “You want candidates up there (voters) can relate to and trust,” Dodson said. “It really came down to their positions and electability.” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 15, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/091504.pdf?ref=smdp.com)