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# Deceptive living wage mailer blankets Santa Monica
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/deceptive-living-wage-mailer-blankets-santa-monica/
- Published: 2002-11-05T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T00:51:07.000Z
- Author: Andrew Fixmer
- Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*Flier falsely infers Democrats oppose Measure JJ*

Santa Monica’s congressman supports the living wage ordinance, but not according to a flier that hit mailboxes Monday.

The mailer — which even living wage opponents describe as deceptive — is designed to trick voters just before today’s election into believing California Democratic candidates don’t support the living wage ordinance, officials said.

A group calling themselves Democratic Voters Ballot Guide sent the flier which lists all Democrats seeking statewide office, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-West Hollywood), Assemblywoman Fran Pavley (D-Woodland Hills) and City Councilman Bob Holbrook as opposing the living wage ordinance.

State Senator Art Torres, chairman of the California Democratic Party, and Rep. Waxman both released public statements condemning the mailer and reiterating their support for Santa Monica’s living wage ordinance.

5BB,“We repudiate the malicious attempt by corporate opponents of Measure JJ to use the good name of elected Democrats to confuse voters,” said Torres in a prepared statement.

The only candidate on the flier that has come out against the living wage ordinance is Holbrook. Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamente, Rep. Waxman and Pavley — all of whom appear on the mailer —have endorsed Measure JJ.

The living wage ordinance, denoted as Measure JJ on the ballot, would require businesses near the coast that make more than $5 million in annual revenue pay their employees between $10.50 and $12.25 an hour, depending on whether health benefits are provided.

Officials with the No on JJ campaign denied responsibility for the mailer, and they said their campaign is not affiliated with the Democratic Voters Ballot Guide.

“We didn’t pay to be on that one,” said Seth Jacobsen, a No on JJ campaign spokesman. “Absolutely, I find that deceptive. I’m surprised it was done.”

Officials with Santa Monicans for Responsible Tourism — or SMART, the group advocating in favor of Measure JJ, feel the flier is deceptive but it will not likely have an effect on the outcome of the election.

“They are trying to cash in on the credibility of these candidates to push their issue which doesn’t have any credibility,” said Vivian Rothstein, executive director of SMART. “If they had politicians that agreed with them, then that’s who should be on there, not politicians that disagree with them.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 5, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/110502.pdf?ref=smdp.com)