> ## 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. # SMRR campaign: Candidates vying for key endorsement - URL: https://www.smdp.com/smrr-campaign-candidates-vying-for-key-endorsement/ - Published: 2004-07-27T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T04:46:06.000Z - Author: Guest Author - Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homeless, Homelessness *Candidates weigh in on all things Santa Monica* *By Daily Press staff* With the election season officially getting underway earlier this month, candidates for the City Council are positioning themselves. The city’s most powerful political group, Santa Monicans For Renters’ Rights, at their annual convention this coming Sunday will choose three candidates to endorse for the November election. The endorsements are important for a variety of reasons, but mostly because SMRR will raise tens of thousands of dollars for their candidates of choice, as well as bombard voters with direct mailers outlining their platforms and going door to door canvassing for them. SMRR, whose members pay $35 annually, will probably spend between $60,000 and $70,000 on mailers — their most powerful election-year tool — supporting its chosen candidates this year. SMRR was formed in 1979 out of a coalition of organizations that banded together to sponsor the local rent control law. The powerful, left-leaning group since then has spearheaded a variety of progressive local measures. In 1981, SMRR gained a majority of seats on the Santa Monica City Council. It has retained control over City Hall since then — except between 1984 and 1988, when it lost its majority. Five of the seven current council members were endorsed by SMRR. The organization prides itself on strict environmental and recycling policies to aggressive tenant protections, new affordable housing projects and the success of the Third Street Promenade. Strict building standards put in place by SMRR have helped control growth, party officials said. Between 3,000 and 4,000 people belong to SMRR on any given year. Before each election, SMRR mails out to targeted groups up to eight “slate” mailers, which list its endorsements on candidates and ballot measures. The cost of doing that makes it prohibitive for most independent candidates to successfully campaign against SMRR-backed opponents. Opponents of SMRR have long worked to break the organization’s stronghold on local politics, saying the progressive group doesn’t respond to resident and business complaints about homelessness, traffic and City Hall bureaucracy, among other issues. That’s why several political action committees have been formed — to prop up their own candidates and seek to toss out the SMRR-controlled City Council. None of the PACs have endorsed candidates yet, but are expected to by September. More than 30 people have pulled nomination papers to run for City Council and about half of them are expected to seriously campaign for one of four seats open. Five hopefuls will be vying for SMRR’s City Council endorsements, three of whom are incumbents. They are current Santa Monica Mayor Richard Bloom; City Councilman Ken Genser and Councilman Mike Feinstein; Patricia Hoffman and Maria Loya. They met with SMRR leaders this past weekend and were asked their views on the state of the city and where they plan to take it if they were elected. Here the Daily Press asked the candidates to tell residents why they are interested in the SMRR endorsement: 1\. Why are you seeking the SMRR endorsement? Why do you think it’s important? 2\. What do you believe SMRR stands for and how is that aligned with your political beliefs? 3\. What do you believe are the top three most important issues facing Santa Monica? How will you specifically address them? 4\. With many forces aligning to challenge the SMRR platform, how will you respond to the entire Santa Monica population and its concerns? RICHARD BLOOM: Question 1: SMRR’s endorsement means that Santa Monica’s premier advocacy organization trusts a candidate to protect tenants and affordability — and much, much more. SMRR has always represented a broad cross-section of Santa Monicans in a democratically run process, in which hundreds of residents participate. As a result, the SMRR platform addresses all of the major issues in our city. The SMRR platform also largely reflects my own personal values. Daily Press readers may wish to see the platform for themselves at www.smrr.org. Question 2: SMRR stands for public participation in local government, strong neighborhoods, maintaining an affordable community, support for public education, environmentalism... and the list goes on. While the SMRR platform reflects my beliefs, I believe that as mayor, one of my most important, and difficult jobs is to try to find common ground. Some residents are not SMRR members — though they are welcome to join. All should know that SMRR’s platform encourages broad community participation, including opposing viewpoints. This is one of the many reasons why I believe the organization maintains high credibility and success in our community. Question 3: The overriding issue in Santa Monica continues to be maintaining a great quality of life. The city has begun the process of reviewing its master plan which will provide a critical roadmap for the future of the city. We need to continue to work locally and regionally to improve our transportation system to relieve traffic and parking problems. Homelessness continues to impact our community and I am committed to making sure that an appropriate regional approach is implemented. I’m proud of my record on parks and have presided over an unprecedented rehab and expansion of our park system. Excellent public education is vital. I spearheaded the effort to double our contribution to our school district. My activism on these issues will continue. There are many other important issues in our great city. Some of them are not citywide, but are extremely important to those who are impacted. For example, we need to fairly revise our approach on hedge heights, we need to work harder still to eliminate jet traffic at Santa Monica airport and to more effectively address issues in the Pico Neighborhood. Question 4: I do not believe in the “SMRR vs. the world” paradigm. SMRR is certainly an important factor in Santa Monica politics. However, important as it is, SMRR is not the only meaningful endorsement. I believe voters understand this and use all endorsements as a guide. Frankly, I believe there are groups who will seek to limit the voice of the broad base of Santa Monica residents. For example, it is hard to imagine that the chamber of commerce, whose PAC will likely spend huge sums of money to affect the outcome of the election, is interested in anything more than fostering a development bonanza in Santa Monica. This, in spite of residents’ clear opposition to non-sustainable growth. As mayor, I am proud to have facilitated and listened to a broad public debate. I am seeking re-election so that the voice of every Santa Monican will continue to be heard. MICHAEL FEINSTEIN: Questions 1, 2 and 4: As with my previous two campaigns, I plan to seek endorsement from groups and organizations with which I share common goals and objectives. SMRR has a very positive platform that I support, on quality-of-life issues for our community like housing, environment, education and social services. Twice before SMRR has endorsed my candidacy. I am forever grateful for that support, because those endorsements have played an essential role in my having the opportunity to serve our entire community. This year, I will again place my faith in the SMRR grassroots membership and seek their support. I will also continue to listen to and learn from all parts of our community. I’ve enjoyed broad-based support across political lines in the past, because people appreciate the independent, common sense role I’ve played on the council. For example, in my successful 2000 campaign, I received the endorsements of a dozen groups and organizations. Looking forward, I remain committed to being an effective councilmember for all Santa Monicans, as we strive to work in partnership to maintain this unique and beautiful place we call home. Question 3: All issues are important. Which issues stand out vary day to day, person to person. Our community suffers from a chronic shortage of parks, fields and open space. I will continue to successfully champion the direct purchase of land for open space by the city, and will pursue new interagency cooperation to create even more land acquisition opportunities. On traffic, parking and development, I’ve consistently opposed large-scale, inappropriate, traffic-generating developments in our community. I’ve successfully advocated for increased public transit, more walkable neighborhoods, adequate parking in our commercial districts, and reducing unnecessary commutes by promoting jobs/housing balance and community-serving small business. As we head into the first update of our city’s general plan in over 20 years, I also believe there is an intangible called “community character” that we must preserve, while at the same time welcoming and positively channeling inevitable change. That includes maintaining safe, friendly neighborhoods of appropriate scale. It includes maintaining what is left of the small-town, beach community atmosphere that brought so many of us here. It includes open and responsive government, where people feel pride and ownership of their civic life. And it includes the ability of youth and families to remain here and thrive. KEN GENSER: Question 1: I am seeking the SMRR endorsement because it validates my commitment to the protection of rent control, more affordable housing, funding for education, and overall, a more livable community. For over 25 years, SMRR has fought for renters’ — and all residents’ rights. A SMRR endorsement is important because voters recognize SMRR as an organization with a purpose, a history and a track record of advancing the interests of the residents of Santa Monica. Question 2: As a democratic organization, SMRR has a comprehensive platform adopted by its members. It reflects the values of most residents of Santa Monica. It includes policies that call for the preservation and expansion of affordable housing opportunities, enhanced support for public education, safeguarding our environment, protecting our residential neighborhoods from the impacts of commercial development, public participation in municipal decisions, and, of course, defending renters’ rights. I support the platform and will continue to work to implement these community values. Question 3: Limiting the list of issues that are important to our community is not easy; issues that are significant to some are less significant to others. I consider the following three issues as among the most important: ■ Land use: The city is embarking on rewriting its General Plan and zoning laws. We must be sure to maintain a livable scale, provide opportunities for more affordable housing, create more parks, protect neighborhoods from overflow traffic and parking, and ensure that the public has meaningful input in project approvals and future land use decisions. ■ Education: The city has significantly enhanced its funding for public education. Unfortunately, the state has not lived up to its responsibilities, so we have further to go. As a community, we must work to provide our public schools with the funds necessary to properly educate our youth. ■ Public behavior: Anti-social behavior by some individuals in our community is once again becoming a more significant problem. We must not confuse this with homelessness, as most homeless individuals are law-abiding. We have the policies in place to prohibit the behavior that most of us find offensive. We must redouble our efforts to enforce them. We must make it absolutely clear that everyone in our city must conduct themselves appropriately in our civic spaces. Question 4: The voters of Santa Monica are intelligent and sophisticated, and are able to tell the difference between well-reasoned policy and empty rhetoric. They understand that there are no simple solutions to the issues that face us. I will continue to be straightforward in expressing my beliefs and explaining my reasons for them. I trust the voters to respond accordingly. PATRICIA HOFFMAN: Question 1: SMRR is a progressive organization with a strong platform and a commitment to the people of Santa Monica. I have been part of the organization for more than 20 years. The original vision that SMRR had for the city was one where tenants could feel safe and secure in their homes in the same way that homeowners could. This vision evolved into a platform that slowed down the massive development of Santa Monica, supported the schools, recognized neighborhood needs, restored and expanded our parks and expanded social service programs for children, families and seniors, and encompassed award winning environmental programs. The SMRR endorsement is especially important because it is given following an open democratic process that involves hundreds of politically active members. Question 2: SMRR continues to recognize the needs of the people who live and work in our city. The SMRR platform is online at smrr.org. My political beliefs are very aligned with the SMRR platform. It is a broad guide to a caring community. There are disagreements on implementation strategies and priorities. There is not agreement on questions such as how much growth is too much. And there has never been an expectation of lock-step loyalty within the organization. Because of these things, SMRR is a flexible organization that evolves and changes to meet the needs of the community without losing its core values. Question 3: Councilmembers work on so many issues within the city, it is hard to identify only three that are the most important. I will start with growth and development issues. The next Council will be updating the Land Use and Circulation element. This is going to set the standards by which we will grow for the next 10 to 20 years. I would want to ensure extensive public discussion and review before synthesizing a plan based on community input and sound planning principles. Also, under this umbrella, we need to work with the Planning Department on improving efficiency in the delivery of services. The processes need to be more user-friendly. Enforcement should focus on some of the more egregious violations. Implementing the Matrix recommendations is a good first step. Second, we need to address the issues of housing and homelessness in our community. Homelessness is a national disgrace that is a result of Johnson’s “War on Poverty” morphing into the Bushes’ War on the Poor. I would like to follow the example of the large cities that are taking a multifaceted approach, such as those in New York, San Francisco and the most recent addition, “Bring LA Home.” Housing, social services and work programs are part of this approach. We need job training and livable wages in addition to the safety nets of child care and health care that were once a larger part of the federal and state budgets. Finally, it is my belief that education affects all other city issues. It enables people to participate in civic life, and enhances the desirability of Santa Monica as a place to live. Education is a key issue facing not just the School Board, but the entire community. I will tend to education and the other quality of life issues that we cherish; clean air and water, the Big Blue Bus, first-rate schools and college, public art and cultural opportunities, parks, beaches and open space, public safety and neighborhood serving businesses. I would continue to focus the city resources on these issues as well as try to develop partnerships with other agencies. Question 4: I work with many different groups of people in Santa Monica. I am a homeowner and a former business owner. I listen well and am a team player who will work with others to solve problems. I have demonstrated active leadership in our community including two years as president of the Santa Monica-Malibu Board of Education. I am a vice-president of the Bayside Board of Directors and a member of the Financial Oversight Committee and the Intercultural Committee of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. I have a history as a consensus builder and will continue to work to bring disparate parts of our community together. MARIA LOYA: Did not respond to the Daily Press questionnaire. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/072704-01_02.jpg) (Photo: BY JOHN F. MULLER Special to the Daily Press) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/072704-01_03.jpg) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 27, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/072704.pdf?ref=smdp.com)