By Jeff Bender Santa Monica
Todd Flora is a seven-year renter-turned-homeowner, and unfortunately, it seems he’s delusional either way (SMDP, Oct. 27, page 7). His commentary is a laughable piece of propaganda. Comparing the concerned residents in Santa Monica who have the courage to tell it like it is around here to the swift-boat veterans? Give me a break! His allegiance to his beloved local political party has obviously precluded him from seeing the facts objectively. By his reasoning, we should just accept the fact that Santa Monica has major problems, and do nothing to fix them, because other cities have problems too. A vote for the SMRR-endorsed candidates is a vote for business as usual here, a vote to change nothing.
Maybe Todd can’t say what SMRR really is because he is a member of this group that is big on ideology but lacking any real life, common sense solutions. The residents of this city need to wake up and see SMRR for what it really is — a political machine that has, and will continue to, whore our city out for whatever money and political power they can gobble up. Saying that SMRR cares about the renters here is like saying President Bush cares about the environment. I think that S.M.R.R. needs to change it’s acronym to S.M.B.R., to represent who they truly care about (Santa Monicans for Bum’s rights).
As a lifelong resident of Santa Monica, I want this to be a city where I can take my kids to the park and not have to worry about getting accosted by a transient. A city where one can walk downtown without being overwhelmed by the smell of urine and human feces. A city where you can get a cup of coffee without being panhandled. SMRR’s “reliable record of accomplishment” has made none of these things possible. This is one of the many reasons I’m voting for anyone who is not remotely associated with this political brainchild of Denny Zane’s that should have been aborted 25 years ago. This is why I’m voting for the independent thinkers running for city council: Cole, Bauer, Morea and Shriver.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 30, 2004. Read the original PDF.