> ## 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. # Change is in the air in Santa Monica - URL: https://www.smdp.com/change-is-in-the-air-in-santa-monica/ - Published: 2004-10-28T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T05:21:13.000Z - Author: Guest Author - Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homeless, Homelessness *Bill Bauer Richard Bloom Herb Katz Bobby Shriver* The underlying theme for a regime change in City Hall has emerged largely as what many citizens see as quality of life issues — issues that haven’t been effectively addressed by the current administration. It appears as though people are dissatisfied with their city government’s responsiveness to their concerns, specifically regarding the homeless population, city bureaucracy, and traffic and parking issues. The political group that has been in power for the better part of the last 25 years, Santa Monicans For Renters’ Rights, has respectable ideals and values that in a simple world should be followed unwaveringly. But, as we know, it’s not that simple in the real world. And it’s not that simple in Santa Monica. In promoting its social ideals, SMRR has fallen short on listening to the people of Santa Monica and has moved further away from reality. If citizens want change, it can’t happen by re-electing SMRR incumbents who will continue pushing the status quo by holding a majority vote. However, the SMRR ideals and values are still vital to keeping Santa Monica’s character intact, and not selling out to big business and developers. That’s why we need a mix of both SMRR and independents on the City Council, with team players who can build a consensus. What we don’t need is the same majority making the same ill-fated policy decisions that have brought us where we are today. Fortunately for Santa Monicans, they have more than a dozen people to choose from, many of whom are intelligent, committed and have leadership qualities. Unfortunately, there are only four seats open. If Santa Monicans truly want change, they can make it happen at the polls on Nov. 2\. If they want effective leadership, a responsive government and a fresh perspective, Bill Bauer, Richard Bloom, Herb Katz and Bobby Shriver are the best candidates to reach that goal. Bill Bauer A former Daily Press columnist, Bill Bauer has had his eye on City Hall for years, serving as an effective watchdog. We like that. What we like even more is Bauer’s motivations: He’s honest, he’s not beholden to anyone, and he’s running because he wants to improve the city for residents. Bauer has been a volunteer for the police department and the Red Cross for years, exhibiting a commitment to improving Santa Monica. We feel his track record as a volunteer will translate into excellent service as a councilman. And we believe he will put many hours into the job, doing his homework fully. If elected, we expect Bauer to put aside his inflammatory rhetoric and attempt to work collaboratively with the council. We also believe that with the right mix on the council, his colleagues will keep him in check. If not elected, Bauer can continue his work on the opinion pages of the Daily Press. Richard Bloom Richard Bloom has done an excellent job serving as mayor and as a councilman. He is level headed and keeps order on the dais. Serving on many ad-hoc boards, commissions and committees, he’s gone above and beyond what’s required of his position. He has proven that he is genuine when he says he cares about Santa Monica. He doesn’t bring his ego into politics and truly enjoys public service. He has just hit his prime as an elected leader, and he should be allowed to continue working for the people of Santa Monica. Bloom is a team player and has proven that he can lead when it’s needed. He understands the city’s budget and has the institutional knowledge required to respond in tight economic times. With that said, Bloom has voted on some policies and laws that have proven to be ineffective, directly impacting residents’ quality of life. Two of those laws relate to the homeless population. But Bloom has dedicated himself to helping end homelessness in Los Angeles by taking a regional approach, and is moving closer to getting other cities to share some of the burden. He serves on a panel that includes 80 leaders throughout the county to address the issue. Bloom deserves another term to strengthen his track record on this issue. Herb Katz Watching Herb Katz the past few years on City Council has been painful at times, not because of his actions but because of his evident frustration about being in the minority when the council is faced with making reasonable decisions. His campaign literature touts him as the “voice of reason,” and we believe he is. Katz has said that the past four years on the City Council have not been fun, mostly because he has had to make concessions and compromises on policy decisions after realizing that his vote would be in the minority. Given the right make-up of moderate and liberal thinkers on the council, Katz can be an effective leader. He has the experience not only as a councilman and a longtime Santa Monica resident, but also as a business owner. Katz is the only member of the current council who owns a business with multiple employees. Given the recent problems business owners have faced with City Hall bureaucracy, we believe Katz will continue to promote and protect small-and medium-sized businesses in Santa Monica. Katz has proven that he is independent and tells it straight. He also has a sense of humor, something of which the current city administration desperately needs more. Additionally, Katz is succinct and gets to the point quickly in public meetings. City Council meetings have turned into long-winded conversations between city staff and city council members, virtually leaving the public out of the process. Bobby Shriver If it’s new energy and changing the face of city government that citizens want, Bobby Shriver is a candidate who no doubt fits the bill. He’s bright, energetic and passionate about Santa Monica. In addition, Shriver is a consensus builder who has proved during his campaign he’s eager to get down to business. If elected, we hope that Shriver’s role as a local politician will eliminate the divisiveness between City Hall and residents. Shriver has been able to bring groups together who historically fall on opposite political lines. He’s supported by several SMRR leaders, the chamber of commerce, other business interests, local unions and the education community. That combination of support is rare. Shriver’s notoriety will serve Santa Monica well. He comes from a family that has dedicated itself to public service, and we have no doubt he will carry that legacy into Santa Monica. Plus, you can’t ignore the fact that his brother-in-law is the governor of California and that he has an uncle in the U.S. Senate. When Shriver says he will call upon state and federal government to assist in local issues, we believe him. Perhaps more importantly, he has a better chance than anyone of actually making it happen. Propositions Measure N: The hotel bed tax 7BF, Yes No Measure N will increase the hotel bed tax, known as the transient occupancy tax, from 12 percent to 14 percent, generating roughly $3.5 million annually. We have reservations about the measure because it would make Santa Monica’s bed tax 1 percent higher than Marina del Rey’s hotel tax, potentially putting Santa Monica at a competitive disadvantage. Still, we support it — partly because the local tourism industry does, too. City officials publicly have said the revenue generated by the tax increase will help them fulfill a promise to fund schools under a new agreement with the school district. City Hall will give a minimum of $6 million annually to local schools for at least the next five years, and Measure N will provide about half of that money. We caution city officials, however, to be transparent about how extra money is spent. City Hall has conservative estimates about how much money the tax will raise, and the public should be part of deciding where the extra revenue would go, if there is a surplus. The hotel industry wants some of the money to go toward increasing public safety, and some of the revenue has been earmarked for the Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, to promote tourism. We expect the CVB to be transparent about how it spends the money as well. Measure S: SMC bond Yes No Measure S is a $135 million bond that would be used for a variety of building projects at SMC. It would also be used to purchase or develop properties and public amenities in Santa Monica and Malibu. Our biggest problem with the proposal is that it was introduced to the community only four months ago and then approved with little public input. The first proposal was a $175 million bond. When the SMC Board of Trustees voted against putting it on the ballot, the bond was reduced by $40 million. The board approved that proposal within days of voting down the first one, and there was virtually no public notice about the meeting. We also have reservations about tax hikes in general. The fact that SMC just passed a $160 million bond measure for facilities in 2002 makes us seriously doubt that now is the time to give the college more money for more facilities. Residents already are paying for several bonds and tax hikes on a variety of programs that were approved in the past several years. Measure S could provide Santa Monica and the college with some sound opportunities, including acquiring more open space, a childcare facility and a new performing arts theater. But the problem is we don’t know specifically how Santa Monica taxpayers would benefit. The city of Santa Monica and SMC have yet to come to an agreement, which, in our opinion, should be sealed before we give any money to anyone. SMC is facing serious financial constraints. As a result, the college has had to slash programs and staff. What good are new facilities if there is an inadequate amount of teachers and student programs? Also, SMC has thrown its weight around in the community for a long time, straining its relationships with City Hall and residents. The public is wary of SMC’s size and its impacts. We have a message to SMC: Be nice to your neighbors. We hope, too, City Hall will work with SMC to mend the faltering relationship. Putting education first The Santa Monica Daily Press also supports these local residents who have shown their commitment to the community and to improving education: SMC Board of Trustees: Susan Aminoff Charles Donaldson Rob Rader Santa Monicºa-Malibu Unified School Board: Jose Escarce Maria Leon-Vazquez Kathy Wisnicki Endorsement notes... All Daily Press endorsements came with considerable debate. That is to say two things: We hope we’re right, but we also trust those candidates who aren’t elected this time around will continue to stay involved and make Santa Monica a better and more interesting place to live. They have a lot to bring to our community. With that said, we felt it would be irresponsible not to explain some of our decisions. n David Cole is running with Bauer on a slate called the “Team for Change.” Cole is an outspoken critic of City Hall and has reiterated that he is an independent candidate, not beholden to anyone. He makes decent points about where government has gone wrong, but much of his campaign has been based on what’s broken and less on how to fix it. Cole is a committed community member, and his volunteer work is more valuable to Santa Monica in that capacity than serving in office. n The Daily Press endorsed Matt Dinolfo two years ago in his bid for a council seat. He is a proven leader and a moderate. But he has been conspicuously absent the past two years, not engaging himself in the community as much as he ought to have. It was a close call, but in the end there were too many other qualified candidates who have proven an ongoing commitment to Santa Monica. n Mike Feinstein is a smart and independent thinker who has introduced some innovative policies. But he has failed to show that he is a true community leader and team player. Although some might argue that Feinstein is effective when he gets frustrated and angry, which occurs frequently, we believe it is counterproductive, ineffective and creates divisiveness. True community leadership means playing well with others and not allowing emotions to dominate politics. Feinstein has let his ego get in the way of improving life for all Santa Monicans and being part of an effective, responsive government. n Ken Genser has a proven track record, is dedicated and extremely committed to Santa Monica politics. His institutional knowledge has been instrumental in public policy making. But after serving 16 years on the council, it’s time to give someone else a turn. Still, we wish there was another seat open for Genser, because he’s a reasonable man with valuable knowledge and an enviable historical perspective. n Although we wanted to endorse a woman and think Patricia Hoffman had the best chance of winning a seat, we simply felt she will not move Santa Monica toward meaningful change when it comes to quality of life issues. As a self-described optimist, Hoffman thinks life here is pretty good. It is, but there are serious issues that need to be addressed, and we need elected officials who sympathize with a broad base of their constituencies. n Maria Loya comes from a neighborhood that has been under represented for decades. Although we believe the City Council should have a member from the Pico neighborhood, Loya isn’t ready for the job. She has virtually no specifics on how she would affect change in the city, and often uses government jargon to mask that weakness. Loya repeatedly employs an underdog mentality when it’s not needed and resorts too easily to fighting rather than working collaboratively. Citizens are not best served by that type of rhetoric. n Kathryn Morea also comes from the Pico neighborhood, where crime has overrun citizens’ quality of life. We wish that Morea had the experience needed for elected office, because Pico needs representation. Her experience in local government entailed spending three years to get preferential parking for her neighborhood, which, in our opinion, doesn’t amount to adequate experience. We hope Morea continues to stay involved, bringing her ideas to fruition with different issues and in different forums. The remaining candidates, Jonathan Mann, Linda Armstrong and Leticia Anderson, haven’t provided enough information for us to gauge where they stand on local issues. Two other candidates who will appear on the ballot, Leah Mendelsohn and Tom Viscount, have dropped out of the race. *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 28, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/102804.pdf?ref=smdp.com)