A laughing matter
By Jerry Manpearl Santa Monica
Excuse me. You didn’t endorse Patricia Hoffman because she is an optimist? She is not interested in the quality of life issues that our community is interested in? Look at the facts! Affordable housing? She is on the Board of Directors of Community Corp., an organization that builds and maintains affordable housing for working people and their families and for the disabled and for senior citizens. The Promenade? She is vice-president of the Bayside District Corporation Board. They have the tough job of making sure that the downtown remains vibrant for the people of Santa Monica as well as our guests. Local education? She served on the Board of Education for eight years, was president twice, and continues to serve on the Intercultural Committee and the Financial Oversight Committee. Are affordable housing, the downtown area and the Promenade or the school system not concerned with the essence of quality of life issues? Or am I being cynical?
Have you not attended the many community forums this election season and heard her passionate and articulate comments regarding problems in our City and how she thinks they should be addressed, e.g., the homeless, traffic congestion and development issues? And finally, quality of life issues, including public safety, are also of primary concern in our all of our neighborhoods. She has worked effectively in this community both while on the School Board and since. The Santa Monica Police Officers Association has endorsed her along with education community leaders and too many residents and business owners to list.
She has earned these endorsements because she has been so effective. But she knows that there is much work ahead of her. And because of her success in the past, she knows that by serving on the City Council she can move this city and our neighborhoods in the directions they seek. It is sad that such a combination of accomplishments and outlook on life, not to mention her strength as a political woman, was the reason for your oversight, rather than your endorsement.
Editor: I had to laugh at the letter written by Michael Gruning to the Daily Press (SMDP, Oct. 29, page 4.) While Gruning waxes enthusiastically about how “business interests” have supported CEPS (Committee for Excellent Public Schools) In their efforts to gain permanent funding for Santa Monica-Malibu public schools from the City of Santa Monica, he omits some facts.
Last year, the business interests threatened school supporters with a vigorous anti-parcel tax advertising campaign if their proposal included an escalating tax scale based on improvements to properties. The Measures “S” committee caved and now hundred-million dollar properties such as Santa Monica Place and the Water Garden pay the same $225 unfair and regressive parcel tax as a small Pico neighborhood condo owner. Our children were denied millions in tax revenues. Gruning doesn’t want you to know about that.
Gruning also complained about a Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights mailer that said that “homelessness is a top priority that needs to be addressed and yet, the problem gets worse.” How does he explain his Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee’s endorsement of two candidates that advocate for more homeless services?
City Councilman Herb Katz advocates homeless encampments on the city owned beach parking lots, potable toilets in the allies and a detox center for drunks and drug addicts “in the heart of downtown.” Chamber supported candidate Matteo Dinolfo wants portable toilets throughout the downtown area and city-paid health screenings for transients.
It seems that Gruning, who is a member of the Chamber PAC and former chamber president is contradicting himself and has a double standard when it comes to being up front. But what would you expect? Gruning and the Chamber have their own team they want to be elected and they’ll say just about anything to make that happen. The question is, does that make them any better than SMRR who they accuse of being less than forthright?
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 30, 2004. Read the original PDF.