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# Donuts, dry cleaners and Chinese food
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/donuts-dry-cleaners-and-chinese-food/
- Published: 2002-04-01T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T00:12:31.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Business, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By JAKE ROCKLANDER Daily Planet Slave*

In a boon for fried dough, harsh chemicals and grease-hauling companies, the Slanta Monica City Council passed several new amendments to its building code during last night’s weekly meeting that some deemed “cutting edge.”

From now on, by city law, all newly-built or freshly renovated strip-mall developments within the city limits must contain a donut shop, a dry cleaners and a discount Chinese food restaurant.

"It was a hard-fought battle," Council moaner Brett Jarvis, said after the marathon meeting finally ended at 2 a.m., "but I think we – as a community -- all won in the end."

Some of his colleagues, however, weren’t so sure. "Yes it’s true these things are nice to see on every street corner in town, I agree," said Councilwoman Molly Veracose. "However, I’m very worried about my arteries – my children’s arteries -- and what this could do to our environment in the long run."

The city will set up a special fund, paid for though an increase in food tax passed by voters last November under the guise of a now-defunct city program that fed the poor, to subsidize landlords who must keep space vacant for one of the chosen businesses.

"The leadership of this city will be regarded as visionary in a hundred years," said Don Ut, president of the United States Donut Growers Association. "They didn’t choose bagels or croissants or scones, no! They chose donuts!

"And for that, we are thankful." But longtime Slanta Monica resident Mona Longhair, 48, was anything but thankful.

"This makes me sick, sick, sick!" Longhair said, spitting on the sidewalk for emphasis. "Yet again we – the little people of this city -- have been sold down the river in favor of so-called ‘business interests.’"

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 1, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/040102.pdf?ref=smdp.com)