June 6 is election day. A number of prominent Democrats are running for Fran Pavley’s 41st California State Assembly District seat, which represents Santa Monica. Two local women are running. Both are, shall we say, to the left? Here are my random observations thus far on the candidates and their campaigns.
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education president Julia Brownley has been on the school board since November of 1994. She’s received the endorsement of the powerful Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights political organization co-chaired by Denny Zane.
Zane’s firm, Urban Dimensions, is consulting for Brownley’s campaign. According to recent campaign filings, Zane has been paid $23,000 for his expertise so far. I can’t help but notice that Brownley is just the latest candidate, parcel tax or bond campaign that’s put Zane on their payroll and received SMRR’s endorsement.
As a school board member, her undying commitment should be to the district. But in April 2002, pro-labor Brownley participated in a labor demonstration and union organizing drive against the DoubleTree hotel. Hotels and other businesses interests contribute financially to the district. Yet Brownley eagerly endangered a major source of support and good will for the schools she’s entrusted to govern to further her own cause.
To me, it’s bad judgment. It tells me that Brownley will vote her own extremist agenda before the will of the voters. Her campaign Web site says she led the campaigns for both recent school parcel tax increases even though these regressive taxes place an unfair burden on the poor, seniors and those on fixed incomes.
With 10 years of Brownley, racial tensions are still high throughout the district, there are displine problems within classrooms and the school system’s finances are in question. On her campaign materials, Brownley takes credit for many successes within the school district but I would argue that many issues remain and are not addressed.
Bottom line, if you like higher taxes and “agenda,” I can’t think of a better candidate than Brownley.
Kelly Hayes-Raitt also is running.Without Zane and SMRR’s support, she’s doomed.
Her ballot occupation listing as a “city women’s commissioner” is a major faux-pas. She owns a public relations firm that specal-izes in political consulting. The intent of the ballot designation is to give an accurate description of what the candidate’s primary occupation is.
Hayes-Raitt resigned from the Santa Monica Commission on the Status of Women in January to run for Assembly and the ballot designation was approved in March. And, “women’s commissioner” is neither a paid job or her real occupation. When a candidate is this dishonest about the way she earns a living, she’ll probably be dishonest about other things, too. No integrity. No vote.
Calabasas Mayor Barry Groveman knows how to get votes in Santa Monica. Showering us with lots of glossy brochures with big color pictures. It works every time.
His campaign literature strongly emphasizes that he’s a protector of the environment. He also endorses universal affordable healthcare and good transportation management. He’s a strong supporter of public safety. Groveman seems like a “common sense” kind of a guy, which is refreshing considering the social engineering that goes on here. However, there’s one thing bothering me.
A couple months ago, Groveman made headlines for passing a ban in Calabasas on smoking in public places which sounds too much like Santa Monica’s “fresh air” enforcers. I don’t want politicians to mother me. So, Mr. Groveman: Stop acting like mom. There are bigger fish to fry and polluters to smoke out.
Nevertheless, front-runner Groveman seems to be the most balanced of the candidates and will get my vote.
Also running is attorney and teacher Jonathan Levey. His platform is similar to Groveman’s on major issues such as transit, environment and schools. However, Levey was a former vice president to Catellus Development Corporation, one the largest, most powerful and politically connected developers in the country.
In his campaign materials, Levey brags altruistically about being a part of a project that transferred more than 400,000 acres of nearly worthless California desert land and created a natural preserve. Levey doesn’t disclose that this “land swap” provided $56.5 million in cash and valuable land for his former employer, according to published reports.
It’s even more interesting is to see who and what special interests are supporting candidates for various state offices including Brownley, Groveman, Hayes-Raitt and Levey. Their contributors and campaign finances are all online at: http://cal-access.ss.ca.gov/Campaign/Candidates/. Fascinating reading.
Required public disclosure will probably tell you more about who’s running than all the glossy brochures clogging your mailbox. Be informed and vote intelligently. (E-mail: Bill is an “independent” Santa Monica voter who is voting as a “Democrat” in the primary.)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 22, 2006. Read the original PDF.