My Macmillan Dictionary defines “cabal” as “a small group of people secretly united to advance themselves or their aims by scheming and intrigue.” It’s a perfect description of the Santa Monicans for Renters Rights’ Steering Committee.
SMRR has dominated local politics for 25 years. Its members dominate the City Council, School Board, Rent Control Board, city commissions, city boards, citizen task forces and neighborhood groups. To say the organization has clout is an understatement.
The steering committee sets SMRR’s philosophy and priorities. It evaluates and suggests courses of action on everything from dealing with its critics to selecting and backing issues and candidates in local elections. It is the tail that wags the dog.
SMRR has two co-chairs who also co-chair the steering committee. Long time activist, former mayor and councilman Denny Zane is one. Patricia Hoffman is the “titular” co-chair and the other “real” co-chair is still Nancy Greenstein.
The group meets in private, one Saturday a month in the Santa Monica Air Center. The public is not invited. The press is especially unwelcome. Behind closed doors, they set policy and determine strategies designed to carry out the organization’s agenda in both the municipal and educational arenas.
Steering committee members have power and influence that reaches into all areas of Santa Monica life. They try to exert SMRR’s control over every organization they belong to.
Surprisingly, most are homeowners, not renters.
Zane is a co-chair and has been a SMRR leader for two decades. He was on council in the 1980s, but he is still a major force behind the scenes and has often been referred to as the “power behind the throne.”
As a political consultant, Zane has acted as a manager or advisor for numerous local campaigns, including both school parcel tax proposals and the Measure U college bond proposal as well as the Santa Monica College Madison Theater project.
Hoffman is a member of the downtown business advocacy Bayside District Corp. Hoffman also is on the Santa Monica/Malibu Unified School District financial oversight committee and is on the board of Community Corp. of Santa Monica — a city-sponsored affordable housing developer.
She’s a former chair of and is active in the Santa Monica Democratic Club. Hoffman is a former school board member and also was on the Measures EE and S Ad-Hoc School Parcel Tax Committees.
Greenstein sits on the SMC Board of Trustees and the Vector Control Board in addition to being a board member and past president of the American Civil Liberties Union.
She served on the boards of the Visitors and Convention Bureau, Charter Review Commission and is the former chair of the Pier Restoration Corp. Greenstein is employed as director of police community services at UCLA.
Greenstein supposedly stepped down as SMRR co-chair last year to run for the college board of trustees. However, since the election, Greenstein and Zane still run SMRR meetings.
Linda Sullivan is chair of the Pier Restoration Corp. and a member of the SMC bond oversight committee. Sullivan has a long history of political activism in the community along with her husband Robert Myers, the former city attorney and a homeless rights activist who is not on the steering committee.
Julie Lopez Dad also has a long history of involvement in the community. She is a member of the planning commission and past president of the Santa Monica Democratic Club.
SMRR treasurer Roger Thornton also is on the steering committee. Thornton keeps a low public profile. As SMRR’s treasurer, he receives a stipend.
Steve Alpert is the brains of the committee and a part-time political consultant. He was on the recent Measures EE and S Ad-hoc School Parcel Tax Committees and is on the board of the Santa Monica Democratic Club.
Architect Ralph Mechur has a number of developer clients doing business in Santa Monica, including CCSM. Mechur led the Save Our Schools/Ad Hoc Parcel Tax committee and was campaign manager/spokesman for the recent Measure S parcel tax proposal.
Long time community activist, labor and living wage supporter, Delores Press is a former Rent Control Board chair and chair of SMC’s Madison Theater Task Force. Press is on the SMC Personnel Commission and, like Alpert, is a representative of the 41st Assembly District of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party.
Former mayor and city councilwoman Judy Abdo is on the board of the Metropolitan Water District. She’s active in many local issues and is a vocal prolabor and living wage supporter. Abdo is an administrator in early childhood development at the Santa Monica/Malibu Unified School District.
Planning Commissioner, former Rent Control Board Commissioner and North of Montana Association board member, Jay Johnson rounds out the 11-person steering committee. One seat is unfilled.
Monthly meetings are usually attended by a bevy of city and school heavyweights. Councilman Kevin McKeown, councilman Michael Feinstein, Rent Control Board Chair Betty Mueller and former Rent Control Board member and living wage advocate Bruria Finkle attended the June meeting.
Planning commissioner Arlene Hopkins was in the house along with Phil Hendricks, president of SMC’s classified employees union; Parks and Recreation commissioner Joe Weichman and three members of the school board — Emily Bloomfield, Maria Leon Vasquez and school board vice-chair, Jose Escarce.
Ocean Park Community Center Executive Director John Maceri was a guest at the August meeting where he presented OPCC’s controversial plan for expanded homeless services at 1751 Cloverfield Blvd. Typical of the steering committee, opposition representatives were not invited.
The SMRR Steering Committee’s strong pro-labor, pro-affordable housing and pro-homeless agenda has overshadowed even its historically strong pro-renter agenda. It’s the “social engineering over resident needs” cabal that drives SMRR.
It’s this secret, almost socialistic clique, along with big labor and other special interests, that calls the shots and manipulates virtually every aspect of civic life in Santa Monica — and you probably didn’t even know it exists. (Bill Bauer is a longtime Santa Monica resident and a freelance writer).
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 22, 2003. Read the original PDF.