One of the city’s most important meetings was held last Sunday. The Santa Monicans for Renters Rights (SMRR) convention is where the powerful renters’ rights group, which dominates city politics, endorses its favorites for the fall election.
SMRR, and consequently the majority of those in our city government, seem to be more interested in weighty social issues and noble causes than dealing with local problems. How else would you explain the obsession with “social injustice?”
Some members of the SMRR women’s caucus are so fanatical about the “living wage” that it looked for a while as if they might not support Councilwoman Pam O'Connor in her re-election bid because she wasn’t passionate enough in her support of it.
Newcomer Abby Arnold’s platform was more of what most of the SMRR leadership had in mind. Arnold stated, “I’m running because I care so much about social and economic justice.”
Former Councilman Tony Vasquez waxed enthusiastic that Arnold “would champion social justice issues” and so-on and so-on.
On the other hand, O’Connor, it is widely believed, is running primarily to “continue in my regional role” on the powerful Metropolitan Transit Authority board of directors.
The political idealism extends to SMRR’s school board endorsees; just take a look at newcomers Oscar de la Torre, Anna Jara and Emily Bloomfield. And then there’s incumbent Julia Brownley, who carried on as if the entire community was made up of exploited, low-income workers whose social injustices must be dealt with.
But de la Torre is something else. He was the organizer of a labor rally advocating the unionization of a local hotel, which was held on the Samohi campus last April. The exploitation of Samohi students and public school property by de la Torre, some district staff and union bosses was self-serving.
And their actions offended segments of the business community. The result is that many businesses and “former” friends of the district, I’ve been told, are now reluctant to support our schools. Yet, to the SMRR membership who apparently places idealism over practicality, de la Torre, Brownley and other human rights candidates for the school board and other offices were more than worthy of wildly enthusiastic support.
6FB,SMRR’s agenda does not gone unrewarded. SMRR benefits from considerable union largess and manpower, so maybe that’s why “social justice” and unionization receives a lot more attention than educating our children and building a better community.
The “community” is renters and homeowners, old and young, single and married, retirees, people working for a living at all income levels, house moms and children — and we all want safe streets, responsible development, coherent traffic and parking management, good schools and a better quality of life.
With the exception of tenant harassment, there was very little rhetoric about community issues at this gathering. The recent series of shootings and the ongoing maiming of our children in the Pico neighborhood were barely mentioned even by candidates from the Pico neighborhood. Sadly, it seems that they care more about “workers rights” than our children’s safety.
We’re all being shortchanged — just like Joe Weichman who was seeking SMRR’s endorsement for College Board of Trustees. In the first ballot round, he received more than 20 percent of the vote, which required a second ballot. But, SMRR Co-chair Nancy Greenstein, who had just received SMRR’s endorsement for college board, adjourned the meeting before a second vote could be taken. Weichman got screwed, and Greenstein eliminated a competitor. So much for honesty, fair play and other noble causes.
Like Joe, we’re all being manipulated by those who say “we care,” but who are only out to stay in power and pander to their own big money interests — all under the guise of social justice.
Don’t kid yourself, folks. This does not portend well for the future of Santa Monica.
(Bill Bauer has been a resident for 32 years in Santa Monica and is a freelance writer.)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 9, 2002. Read the original PDF.