> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Santa Monica Hey, City Council... Duh!
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-hey-city-council-duh-editor/
- Published: 2004-03-26T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T04:04:09.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Pier, #archive-import, Homeless

*By Brian Gray Santa Monica*

Once again, it is time for the DUH! Awards of 2004\. One award goes to the entire City Council. This body of politicians get the award for their “do as we say, not as we do” attitude. The rules for City Council meetings state that council members are restricted to 10 minutes for any one agenda item.

They yak on and on like Tuesday, March 23, when it took three hours just to get permit parking debated. Yet, have a member of the public talk and their two minutes are up. Let’s police the amount of hot air coming out of your mouths, councilmem-bers. Another award goes to Mayor Richard Bloom. He uses the so-called “legal” agenda of a City Council meeting to give his favorite “charity” — the homeless — $9 million for a “hotel.” Yet, when he ignores the plea of parents for consistent school funding and they start to make a charter amendment for consistent funding, he says that they are making a mistake.

That, they cannot do what they want, that is not right. Sort of like the fire calling the kettle black, wouldn’t you say, Mr. Mayor? Finally, an award goes to Councilman Mike Feinstein. His quote, after Tuesday’s meeting — “It doesn’t feel like clean, honest government.” — relating to banning smoking on the beaches and pier, has to be the all-time laugher. Honest government? From him? He who won’t account for $10,000 of other people’s money. (There is a dispute within Feinstein’s political party over where a $10,000 donation went after Feinstein deposited it into a personal bank account). Then you vote on a committee to stop a lawsuit against yourself? At least Councilman Kevin McKeown recuses himself on matters affecting schools at council meetings. Take a lesson and look in the mirror, Mr. Feinstein. There is dirty, unclean government. So to all of them... DUH!

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 26, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/032604.pdf?ref=smdp.com)