By Mark Shepherd Santa Monica
Santa Monica’s rent control is officially more un- American than even China, which recently decided to uphold private property rights.
The divisive and essentially valueless Rent Control Board should follow communist China’s lead and vote itself out of existence. Immediately, almost all city renters would receive a $160-a-year windfall and relations with landlords would improve. There is nothing the board does that cannot be handled by common sense, lease agreements or, if need be, small claims court, as in virtually every other city in the nation.
When it comes to city sustainability, economic vitality and cultural diversity, the Ellis Act and vacancy rent decontrol are the best things that have happened to Santa Monica since rent control was foolishly adopted more than a generation ago. I don’t blame voters. Voters elected George W. Bush, at least once, and look at what he’s done.
Rent control is a grossly inefficient way for government to redistribute wealth — that is a fact beyond dispute. Despite increasingly desperate rhetoric spewed by the SMRR faithful, Santa Monica rent control was never about social justice or economic diversity. It’s about luck, pure and simple. If you happened to be renting here before vacancy de-control in the late 1990s, you are pocketing a monthly cash windfall, whether you’re a rich doctor, elderly on fixed income or a long-term incumbent city councilman.
And you know what? Right on. More power to you. Stay as long as you can — though we certainly need new faces and ideas on the City Council. Because that lucky windfall will continue with or without an elected rent control board and its sidekick — the bloated, over-priced rent control staff that recommends annual rent “adjustments” that, amazingly, give the lowest percentage increases to those in the most expensive apartments.
Clearly, we don’t need the rent control apparatus. It doesn’t help the renters. It doesn’t seem to help anyone, except itself. Will the city wise up and follow communist China’s lead? Hell no. And few things have been, and will be, uglier to watch in civic affairs than proponents of this dying beast, bitching and moaning with scare-tactic speeches, self-justifying reports and alarmist surveys as the clock ticks toward its inevitable, overdue grave.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 24, 2007. Read the original PDF.