Political snub gets personal
Political infighting between city council members has led to inconsistent votes on environmental issues that have come before them.
Two city council members think there is a hidden political agenda behind their colleagues’ refusal to support a campaign to save California’s old-growth trees. That’s because they supported a federal campaign two years ago that sought to protect federal forests from road building and logging.
Council members Pam O’Connor, Ken Genser and Bob Holbrook wouldn’t lend the council’s endorsement to an environmentalists’ campaign to save old-growth trees last week. They said the issue had little relevance to Santa Monica.
Mayor Pro Tem Kevin McKeown and Mayor Mike Feinstein — both Green Party activists — think their colleagues did it to spite them for previous political disagreements.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 4, 2002. Read the original PDF.