> ## 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. # City Council: No on recall, no on Arnie - URL: https://www.smdp.com/city-council-no-on-recall-no-on-arnie/ - Published: 2003-10-07T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T03:02:01.000Z - Author: John Wood - Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import *Local politicians sound off on today’s election* With California voters set to decide today who should fill Sacramento’s top job, local politicians reiterated their distaste for the recall election and for the movie-star Republican many believe will walk away victorious. Despite that Gov. Davis has made some poor choices, most of the council members characterized the recall as a waste of time and money that has diverted attention from the mammoth problems facing California. But if the recall does go forward, council members are split on who should take over. One said he hopes to see the Green Party’s Peter Camejo, while others want Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante to step in. Not one of the council members polled endorse Republican front-runner Arnold Schwarzenegger. Last week, Schwarzenegger attracted more than twice the attention from media outlets as his closest competitor, Bustamante, according to a study by Factiva, a Dow Jones and Reuters company that counted prominent mentions in major media sources. Schwarzenegger also is leading many polls as the most likely to succeed Gov. Davis. Some of the council members said Schwarzenegger is a movie star not prepared to work as a politician. Others pointed to criticisms he’s gotten from women and civil rights groups. Still others said a Schwarzenegger win could mean less money for Santa Monica City Hall. Here, City Council members explain their positions on today’s historic recall election: • Mayor Richard Bloom Are you for or against the recall? Why? “I am 100 percent opposed to the costly recall. The recall is a narrowly funded conservative attack intended to nullify the results of the last election. This subversion of the democratic process must be turned back.” If Gov. Davis is recalled, who should be governor? Why? “I will be voting for Bustamante as the person most likely to heal wounds and protect local government. Camejo has some good ideas, but he has been unable to establish himself as a serious contender. In a close election, a vote for Camejo is a vote for Schwarzenegger.” If, as some polls suggest, Schwarzenegger is elected as the next governor, what impact do you think he will have on Santa Monica? “The polls do not suggest Schwarzenegger will be elected — rather, they suggest his base is abandoning him and the election is up for grabs. God help us if Arnold Schwarzenegger is elected. His promises will lead to devastating cutbacks to local government. This will dramatically reduce Santa Monica’s ability to provide basic services including fire, police and funding for schools.” • Mike Feinstein Councilman Mike Feinstein did not return telephone calls or e-mails from the Daily Press. Since first being investigated for allegedly misappropriating a $10,000 contribution to the Green Party of L.A. County, he has repeatedly refused to comment to the Daily Press. The L.A. District Attorney’s Office is currently deciding whether to file charges against Feinstein and an announcement is expected by the end of the month. • Ken Genser Are you for or against the recall? Why? “I’m adamantly against it and I think it’s a misuse of the recall process. It’s wrong to use the recall process when one group just generally disagrees with the policies of elected officials.” If Gov. Davis is recalled, who should be governor? Why? “Let me be clear, I hope he is not recalled. But I think it should be Bustamante because we don’t need more gridlock in Sacramento. We need people that are willing to work together to work on solutions to the problems confronting the state.” If, as some polls suggest, Schwarzenegger is elected as the next governor, what impact do you think he will have on Santa Monica? “I think Santa Monica will suffer as will the rest of the state. We’ll have someone that said he wants to govern by initiative. Someone who apparently doesn’t understand the fiscal realities of the state and seems to think all it takes to be a leader is to recite famous lines from movies.” • Bob Holbrook Are you for or against the recall? Why? “Against. I think it should be reserved for when someone has committed a crime or in some other manner greatly embarrassed the office. I don’t believe Gov. Davis has done either. It’s a referendum on popularity. We might as well say, ‘Let’s serve until there’s a bump in the road’ and then the Legislature can say, ‘We don’t like this person.’” If, as some polls suggest, Schwarzenegger is elected as the next governor, what impact do you think he will have on Santa Monica? “I don’t think there’ll be much change. He’s definitely an opportunist. He has a lot of ties in Santa Monica, he’s apparently very well liked by most people. He attends St. Monica’s Church... his offices are here in town, his business interests. Probably we’ll see a lot more news conferences.” • Herb Katz Are you for or against the recall? Why? “Against the recall. I think it’s a bad precedent to be set in any forum unless there’s malfeasance and there wasn’t. I don’t think he’s a bad governor. I think he’s done some stupid things... but recall begets recall. This is no way to run a government.” If Gov. Davis is recalled, who should be governor? Why? “I’m not going to answer.... I don’t want to state my opinion.” If, as some polls suggest, Schwarzenegger is elected as the next governor, what impact do you think he will have on Santa Monica? “I don’t think Arnold can do the job. I don’t think much is going to change if Arnold Schwarzenegger gets elected. Here in Santa Monica I think it’s going to be the same business as usual until the next election. I don’t think he can help us or hurt us.... I don’t think he can affect much change, statewide or locally.” • Kevin McKeown Are you for or against the recall? Why? “This recall reveals the role that paid petition circulators and behind-the-scenes big money continue to play in corrupting our democracy. But the actual question on the ballot is whether or not to retain and thereby validate a pay-to-play governor who just last November lied to us about the severity of the state budget shortfall. The Green Party has taken no position, yes or no, on the recall vote, committing itself instead to ongoing efforts to clean up corrupt politics — but I personally cannot bring myself to ask friends to vote for Gray Davis.” If Gov. Davis is recalled, who should be governor? Why? “Santa Monicans shouldn’t be forced by the two major parties to hold their noses when they vote, but once again that’s the choice the Republican and Democratic state leaderships have given us. Because I decline to support Davis, I’ve been accused in print of ‘hitching my wagon to the conservative Republican agenda,’ which I hope gives a good laugh to those who’ve watched me fight for renters’ rights and fair wages and benefits for local workers. I’ll be voting for the Green Party’s Peter Camejo, who stands with me — and many Santa Monicans — for fair taxes, supporting schools, a statewide living wage and universal health care.” If, as some polls suggest, Schwarzenegger is elected as the next governor, what impact do you think he will have on Santa Monica? “Schwarzenegger has the remarkable potential to be an even bigger disaster than Gray Davis, and this clarifies the inherent failure of our current two-party system. How many Santa Monicans will feel compelled to vote defensively against Arnold, instead of with hope and enthusiasm for someone they believe in? Multi-ethnic, multi-cultural California needs multi-partisan politics, not a sad choice between a woman groper and an already failed governor. Despite it all, I continue to believe in democracy. Everyone, please vote.” • Pam O’Connor Councilwoman Pam O’Connor could not be reached for comment. Are you for or against the recall? Why? If Gov. Gray Davis is recalled, who should be governor? Why? If, as some polls suggest, Arnold Schwarzenegger is elected as the next governor, what impact do you think he will have on Santa Monica? *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 7, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/100703.pdf?ref=smdp.com)