By Ms. Justin L.B. Gagnon Santa Monica
From the shifting sands of Santa Monica politics comes the diversionary tactic of offering its residents the inflated promise that when the hyper-developed, super-commercialized, monster Macerich “compound” is built to supplant the old Santa Monica Place, we will be a wealthier, happier community.
How is it possible that the city can afford to give serious consideration to such lofty goals as building a massive goliath downtown, complete with 21-story towers overlooking our coastline, when it can’t yet manage to care for, or deal with its 2,000-plus homeless population? Or maintain adequate affordable housing? Or build public restrooms for the hundreds of people who already patronize downtown Santa Monica? When the city says it wants to see more diversity in the community, is that just another way of saying they want to see more rich people replacing us, the middle class, and the working poor? Is it a way of saying they want more commercialism at the expense of less community. Can you say special interests?
Do we residents want to speak up now, or do we want to wait until we are forced to move out of the community because of overly commercialized interests, and an artificially inflated economy? While the middle class are being edged out of Santa Monica, and the poor and homeless are being given the brush off, (can you say gen-trification?) the rich folks are lining up to pay $3,000 a month plus, in rent. Just who is going to be paying for what? And who will really be getting the benefit of such a massive redevelopment plan? More residents need to get involved with our city’s planning process, and soon, or we are going to find ourselves being priced right out of our neighborhoods by some very tall demands.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 24, 2004. Read the original PDF.