This past week, Q-line asked: “What do you think the results of the Nov. 2 City Council elections mean?”
Here are your responses: ✆ “The three incumbents were re-elected on their track records. Bobby Shriver was elected due to the fact that he is Maria Shriver’s brother, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s brother-in-law, and Ted Kennedy’s nephew. Those are high flying credentials in a democratic community that is in love with celebrity. Still, his success will be measured on improving that which still exists, not changing that which exists.” ✆ “I have lived in Santa Monica for 50 years and I have never seen a city council as bad as this one. I’m very unhappy that we’ve brought in three Santa Monica people to be in the council, but we got rid of the worst one of all — Michael Feinstein. What Shriver will do I don’t really know because he’s new, so we have to give him a chance. I voted all the incumbents out. I didn’t vote for any one of them, but I guess my vote did-n’t do any good. If they don’t get rid of the homeless, I don’t know what we’re going to do. I can’t call the police because they can’t do anything about it. The city council doesn’t want anybody to bother the homeless. I’m unhappy we got three people from the old council.” ✆ “The overwhelming issue in Santa Monica is homelessness. Mr. Shriver addressed that issue very succinctly, utilizing full-page ads to indicate that he was the person to help find a resolution to the issue. With Mr. Shriver’s track record on the state level and with the inability of the old council to find solutions for the extreme homeless problem in Santa Monica, it is hoped that Mr. Shriver will bring a fresh look at the homeless issue in Santa Monica and be able to lead us into light once again in the community. Many thanks, have a great week.” ✆ “I think the votes of the Nov. 2 election reflect that big money and big political connections work to the detriment of the popular grassroots voters. Also, cronism, thank yous for past favors, and the promise of future perks also played a very negative effect. What’s fair about that?” ✆ “I’m delighted with the results of the Santa Monica election. Several of the people I voted for did not get in, but I’m delighted that Bobby Shriver did, being that I had high hedges years ago, and the city made a big deal about it and I said, ‘I’m Ann’s cutting me hedges down until you make one Jane Fonda cut ‘em.’ So that’s what happened. I’m delighted. We’ll see what happens. I know that this city is due for some change so let’s see if it happens. I certainly hope it does. But I think now we have a better chance for having, shall we say, more interesting and more fair politics of this lovely Samolicious.” ✆ “The election results remind me of third-world countries where they have incompetent dictators that ruin the society and then finally it’s opened up to elections and then the people vote for the same dictator again. It seems that the homeless problem in Santa Monica maybe isn’t so much a problem of the elected officials but of the people who elect them. It seems that the people of Santa Monica are either morons or they just don’t take the time to study why the problems are created in the first place.” ✆ “Instead of us showing compassion for the homeless in Santa Monica, it’s time that the homeless show compassion for the citizens of Santa Monica and the people who try to use the parks but cannot because of the invective hurled at them by the homeless, and to do this when children are around makes this especially onerous and that needs immediate attention and I hope that Bobby Shriver is the man who comes in charging on the white horse.” ✆ “If the people of Santa Monica vote in all these idiots that love the bums more than anything else, they’re going to have a lot of bums more than anything else, and maybe they deserve it.” ✆ “Although the Chamber of Commerce didn’t do too well in the election, I think the Santa Monica for Renters’ Rights probably fared worse for two reasons: One, they didn’t get their new candidates in, the two that were elected had been around for a long time, particularly Genser, who I think has been on the city council for almost two decades. And on top of that, they were reported to have spent over $100,000, that’s $50,000 for two candidates, that’s a lot of money to spend in a city the size of Santa Monica.” ✆ “The city council election has just supported the understanding that voters are not thinking what voting rights best serve us as taxpayers and registered (voters). The vote for Shriver was correct and I wish that he will tell us what he won’t do instead of what he will attempt to do. An added statement, how could Santa Monica citizens vote for the Measure S? Something is really wrong.” ✆ “I think the results of the recent election in Santa Monica show that Santa Monicans are sick and tired of the same old garbage spewing from city council and hope that Bobby Shriver, who had a very familiar name, might handle all of that and set people straight. I’m sure hoping that that happens.” ✆ “I think the results mean that the election was rigged. The only other explanation for re-electing three members of a group that has been so detrimental to our quality of life, is that the majority of voters, who are of course, renters, have been brainwashed into believing that without SMRR, they would lose their homes. SMRR council members have now taken on the role of certain cult leaders whose followers finally lose their ability to connect with reality.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 13, 2004. Read the original PDF.