They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but apparently not to our City Council.
Last Tuesday, community activists Pro Se and Joe Paolucci were denied a request to show a video during the “public input” portion of the City Council meeting. They were annoyed by Councilman Michael Feinstein’s apparent lack of patriotism and indifference about the World Trade Center disaster.
Their video consisted of a 20-second clip from city-managed City TV’s cable coverage of a recent council meeting where it appears that Feinstein was grinning, laughing and smirking during the Pledge of Allegiance and later during a presentation on the WTC disaster.
Mayor Pro-tem Kevin McKeown refused to let the segment air because it was “a video show and tell” and that Se and Paolucci should address the council personally.
“Show and tell” not withstanding, if the video were about unionizing hotel workers, you know it would’ve been shown. Here, it’s all about controlling presentations, deflecting criticism and blowing off those who question City Hall’s agenda.
A couple of weeks ago, Pico activists tried to show the City Council a six-and-one-half minute video entitled, “An urgent message to our neighbors.” The video refuted claims made by Ocean Park Community Center Executive Director John Maceri about a proposed expanded homeless shelter and drop-in facility slated for 1751 Cloverfield Blvd.
OPCC’s proposal to relocate its homeless services was a hot topic at the Aug. 12 council meeting. Nearly 200 people had put in requests to speak on the issue. Time limits were invoked, restricting speakers to no more than two minutes.
A number of Pico neighbors asked Mayor Richard Bloom to let them pool their two minutes so they could play the controversial video which featured a walking tour of the neighborhood around OPCC’s project.
The relationship of 1751 Cloverfield to Crossroads School a couple hundred feet away and to homes and apartments a few hundred yards down Cloverfield, as well as the Water Garden and Ralph’s Market a block away, flew in the face of claims that OPCC’s project would have a minimal impact on the area.
The City Council refused to allow the video. Its action, once again, raises questions about freedom of speech issues in the “People’s Republic of Santa Monica.” As an ultimate slap in the face, some councilpersons accused Pico activists of misrepresentation, spreading lies and disseminating false information.
We all knew the outright gift of housing and transit funds to OPCC was in the bag. The City Council’s treatment of OPCC critics was further proof that City Hall was doing everything it could to limit criticism and manage opinion on yet another pet project.
Even the city’s own City TV refused to air the video even though it was in itself a major news story at the time.
Because of this, Pico neighborhood activists are preparing to take legal action against the city on freedom of speech issues.
Members of the City Council are not pleased when their pet projects are criticized and are quick to censor when one of their own are about to be upbraided by the public.
The City Council was warned about possible Brown Act violations last December after a citizen found a private note circulated by then Mayor Feinstein as to the state of the April 16, 2002, council meeting (”boring”) and to vote “no” to hear from two members of the public who submitted late requests to speak.
Indifference or “dissing” people is par for the course when elected leaders disagree with what you have to say and have already made up their minds on an issue.
All of this reminds me of a council meeting about five years ago when a number of us addressed the council about the city’s annual review of homeless services. When members of the public spoke critically, a number of councilpersons snickered and fooled around.
One public speaker commented that councilpersons must think that complaints were funny because some of them were joking, laughing or inattentive. Councilman McKeown exploded, demanding to know who the culprits were. The speaker refused to say. McKeown lectured the speaker for name calling, but not most of his fellow coun-cilpersons for their rude, disrespectful behavior.
So, add one more great myth about our city government. When they say “we hear you” and “we listen,” don’t believe it. The truth is you’ll get used to it. (Bill Bauer is a longtime Santa Monica resident and a freelance writer.)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 5, 2003. Read the original PDF.