By Chris Plourde
As we come up to this election, consider that the mess that is Santa Monica is not the result of policy choice or political affiliation, homelessness or monster mansions, poverty or affluence, high or low wages, affordable housing or development, but the result of a lack of simple civility, good manners and common sense.
The root of this may be called the “Santa Monica Syndrome,” where the suspicion that everyone else is dealing in bad faith is used to justify one’s own operating in bad faith. That seems to be how Santa Monica works: Bad faith is assumed by all participants of all participants, and so the cycle continues and creates a city which is overwhelmed by spite and vitriol.
This makes you a remarkably hard neighbor to have, a bit like living next door to a screamer.
Consider the following effects your actions have on your neighbors: • You’ve managed to double our travel time to the 10 freeway by creating multiple transit barriers on every route between Ocean Park and Pico. • You’ve essentially eliminated free public parking on your streets and in your parking lots, the time allowed on Third Street isn’t long enough to see a whole movie, much less go to dinner and a movie. • Your private jets take off over our homes, making sustained conversation difficult to impossible, and leaving us to clean up the sooty film they leave on everything from cars to children, from plants to pets. • Your dog parks are reserved for your dogs alone, while many of your residents visit our one dog park because it is more “friendly.”
In short, the fact that you can’t deal with each other in good faith impacts everyone around you.
I’d like to hold out the hope that Santa Monica can overcome this, but any mental-health professional will confirm that personality disorders are incredibly hard to cure.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 29, 2002. Read the original PDF.