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# Chamber vs. SMRR: ‘And the truth shall set you free’
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/chamber-vs-smrr-and-the-truth-shall-set-you-free/
- Published: 2004-09-25T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T05:11:29.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Malibu, #archive-import

*By GUEST COMMENTARY BY MIKE GRUNING*

Apparently some groups will go to any length and use any underhanded tactic to twist and distort the truth to fit their purpose.

In a letter to the Santa Monicans for Renters Rights (SMRR) membership last week, their chairman, Denny Zane, asked the following rhetorical question: “What is it that the business interests have against SMRR anyway?” He then offered an answer: “SMRR leaders have successfully worked to provide millions in city funding to protect local schools from drastic state budget cuts.” The implication is that SMRR was the impetus for and the engine behind the recent CEPS (Community for Excellent Public Schools) school funding initiative, and that the business community and the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce were either opposed to, or not part of promoting that initiative. This is a bald-faced lie.

The business community in general and the chamber in particular, have long been supporters of public education as is evidenced by our backing of Measure EE two years ago and the school funding measure, known as “Measure S” last year. In general, chambers of commerce are not typically supporters of tax increases, but we nonetheless were major proponents of Measure S, which was a tax of $225 per year on every parcel in Santa Monica.

Chamber members Robert Kaplan, Nat Trives, Ann Greenspun, and I worked for many months to fundraise among the business community to gather funding for ballot qualification. We walked the streets to get out the vote, which helped result in an extremely narrow victory at the polls. Our early and vocal support made a crucial difference in that razor-thin outcome. Measure S provides $6 million each year, which goes directly to our local schools. The chamber also sponsors a “New Educators Reception” each year to welcome the 150 or so new teachers to the Santa Monica- Malibu Unified School District. This reception is hosted by one of our chamber member hotels like the Le Merigot, Fairmont Miramar, or Four Points Sheraton and includes a gourmet buffet luncheon and goodie bags from local business for all the new educators.

Because business recognizes the importance of a well-educated citizenry for a stable, healthy community, and for a future well of talented employees to draw from, we were one of the earliest backers of the CEPS initiative. Current Chairman of the Board of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, Nat Trives and I were, and still are, members of the CEPS steering committee. For almost a year, Nat and I worked side by side with Denny Zane, the SMRR chairman who penned that scurrilous diatribe which denounced business and the chamber. Week after week, we sat together with Denny at CEPS steering committee meetings discussing how best to use the chamber’s influence and resources to pass our initiative. Robert Kaplan’s political savvy and insights were invaluable in strategizing and directing our course through the land mines of local politics. Former Santa Monica Mayor Nat Trives was a calming voice of reason, which helped us keep our eyes on the prize.

Perhaps Denny suffers from selective amnesia and doesn’t recall: ■ That he and I literally sat next to each other for countless sessions of phone banking, trying to gather the required number of signatures to have the ballot initiative qualify. ■ That we stood next to one another at the entrance to Grant Elementary School gathering signatures on open house night. ■ That while I was the chairman of the chamber board, I spent many nights and weekends personally gathering almost 500 signatures. If this is not an indication of my and the chamber’s commitment, I don’t know what would be. ■ Perhaps he does not recall all the time, money, and effort that former chamber board chairman, local attorney, and long-time champion of public education, Chris Harding spent in shepherding our initiative through the process. ■ Perhaps he has forgotten the press release photo of me in front of Bob’s Market signing the initiative along with co-chairs Shari Davis and Louise Jaffe, which officially kicked off our campaign. ■ Or that at the urging of the steering committee, I lobbied for and was successful in getting the official chamber endorsement from our board of directors for the initiative, which psychologically buoyed up the spirits of the CEPS committee, as well as sent a message to a hostile City Council that our initiative had broad-based support. ■ Has Denny forgotten that the chamber endorsement came only a week after City Council members gloated in a press release about “How happy we are that the chamber has chosen not to endorse the CEPS initiative?” ■ Or that the business community contributed more than $41,500 to the CEPS campaign with the following notable donors: ■ The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee: $2,500\. ■ Developer Mark Benjamin of Morley Builders: $2,500\. ■ Chris and Lori Harding: $5,250\. ■ The Law Firm of Harding, Larmore, Kutchel, and Kozal, including Tom Larmore’s $250: $1,750\. ■ HLKK’s landlord Robert Segal: $1,000 ■ First Federal Bank’s affiliate Seaside Savings: $7,000 ■ Developer Craig Jones: $10,000 ■ Hotels Casa del Mar and Shutters: $10,000.

Let’s compare and contrast that with SMRR’s contributions to the effort. Not only was SMRR not an early proponent of the initiative, which the chamber was, but also to this day they have yet to endorse it. One reason that SMRR never endorsed the CEPS initiative was for fear of alienating their SMRR-backed council members who were vehemently opposed to it. They lacked the requisite courage and took the easy road of silence. The chamber showed no such reticence or trepidation even though support from the chamber membership was not unanimous. That is what distinguishes true leadership.

We could try to compare the $41,500 that the business community has contributed to the SMRR organization’s contribution, but that would be impossible because SMRR did not and has not given one red penny to the cause.

Additionally, it was the chamber board, which unanimously endorsed the proposed 2 percent increase in the Transient Occupancy Tax with the hope that this increase in revenue would go to public school funding.

Lastly, compare the statements from various members of the business community praising proponents of the CEPS initiative for our local schools to the harangues from SMRR-backed council members Mike Feinstein and Pam O’Connor. From the dais at City Council, Feinstein petulantly beat up on the CEPS initiative, CEPS leadership, and the entire education community for having the temerity to want what was best for our children and for asking to share in the bounty of our city’s revenues. He denigrated our efforts as “slash and burn politics.” Fellow SMRR-backed O’Connor used epithets like “school-yard bullies and thugs,” to describe our sincere efforts at improving education.

That Denny Zane would take an issue like support for public education, which we had all come together on for the common good, and politicize it, is unconscionable. That he would go beyond that and outright lie about the business community’s constant and ongoing support for education, speaks to the heart of who he is as an individual and of what he is capable. I understand that this is an election year, but desperate and divisive strategies like his can only come home to roost. How can he face those who worked collegially along side him for the last few years? If the truth be known, simply ask the co-chairs of the CEPS committee what the business community has contributed to their cause. (Dr. Michael E Gruning is a steering committee member of CEPS and immediate past chairman of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce).

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 25, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/092504.pdf?ref=smdp.com)