> ## 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 employees chime in on election - URL: https://www.smdp.com/city-employees-chime-in-on-election/ - Published: 2004-09-25T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T05:10:54.000Z - Author: Carolyn Sackariason - Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import *Group of city workers supports bed tax hike* CITY HALL — More than 1,000 city workers this week have thrown their support behind three incumbents and one newcomer for the City Council race. The Coalition of Santa Monica City Employees have endorsed former school board member Patricia Hoffman, who is running for City Council for the first time. The coalition also endorsed incumbents Richard Bloom, Ken Genser and Mike Feinstein — who, until the coalition, hadn’t received one endorsement from a Santa Monica political action entity. In previous elections, Feinstein has gotten support from the police and fire unions, as well as the powerful Santa Monicans For Renters’ Rights, which has dominated city politics for more than two decades. “This endorsement is really heartwarming to me because these are the rank and file people working inside City Hall and throughout the city to provide the needed services that help make this a great place to live,” Feinstein said. “Their support really means a lot to me, and I’m proud they think my work on the council has earned it.” Hoffman, Genser and Bloom are backed by SMRR, as well as the Police Officer’s Association. The city’s Firefighters’ Association also backed Bloom and Genser, but not Hoffman. They opted for Herb Katz and Bobby Shriver, who also won the endorsement of the police. “I’m very appreciative that they’ve recognized my service, my experience and my ability,” Hoffman said, who also is endorsed by the coalition to protect a living wage; the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), local 660, which represents classified employees in the school district; the Santa Monica Democratic Club; the Los Angeles County Democratic Committee; as well as a host of politicians, community leaders and doctors. After a series of questionnaires, interviews and meetings, the political action committee representing the coalition of city workers decided that their candidates of choice had the best track record for supporting the issues important to them — safety, labor, community services and the local economy. “They’ve all proven that they’re committed to public service and to keep the city at full service,” said Lauralee Asch, president of the coalition. “We want to keep our members working and we don’t want to lose staff.” The coalition’s political action committee was formed this past fall in response to concerns about possible layoffs due to budget cuts in city services, general budget issues and the City Council’s discretionary control over the budget. City Hall has faced budget shortfalls in the tens of millions of dollars in the past few years. The current City Council has been able to balance the budget and eliminate the shortfall without having to layoff any employees. However, 31 positions were eliminated last year through attrition, retirement and reassignments. Another 13 positions were either eliminated or not filled in City Hall this year. “I’m very pleased and honored by their endorsement,” said Genser, who also is endorsed by SMRR; the police and fire unions; the Santa Monica Democratic Club; the American’s Democratic Action Club; a coalition to protect a living wage, and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), local 660\. He added that, despite how financially challenging the past few years have been, keeping staff at normal levels has been important to him. “We tried to keep (layoffs) to a minimum,” Genser said. The coalition of nine city employee bargaining units gave birth to their own political action committee in hopes of giving a voice to city employees in the political realm of Santa Monica. The coalition was formed as an ongoing employee organization to address matters of significant impact to the 1,400 non-safety employees in City Hall. As the coalition works closely with police and fire personnel to provide service to the community, they’ve worked hand-in-hand to review potential contenders and determine which candidates will support the best interests of employees and the community. “I am very proud to have the endorsement of the municipal employees, fire-fighters and police officers associations,” Bloom said. “We share the common goal of providing the highest level of service to the people of Santa Monica.” Along with financial backing, members of the coalition also will volunteer to help their endorsed candidates’ campaign by doing some of the leg work, making phone calls and canvassing neighborhoods. Political action committees have generally had a strong impact on election outcomes and are not uncommon in cities like Santa Monica and Los Angeles. However, because of the multitude of groups involved in politics in Santa Monica, political observers doubt whether or not the city employees’ PAC will make a significant difference in local campaigns. The bigger players — the ones with massive fundraising capabilities — will be SMRR, the Chamber of Commerce and the police union. Hundreds of thousands will be raised by candidates and their respective political action committees, sending mostly direct mail to voters in the next six weeks. Mailers will cost between $60,000 and $80,000\. Thousands more will be spent on door-to-door campaigning and newspaper advertising. The coalition also strongly endorses a “yes” vote for Proposition N, which would increase the bed tax 2 percent. The tax is assessed to visitors in local hotels. *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)