“What should SMRR focus on now?” Here are your responses: ■ “SMRR and the various apartment owners associations’ new agenda should be an agenda based on integrity. The majority of buildings in Santa Monica are known in the building trade as stick and wallboard — the very least expensive form of construction, which offers very little value to the consumer for rent dollars paid. SMRR should concentrate on the thousands of units that are being held off the market to give the illusion of a housing shortage. By doing so, it keeps rental prices high.” ■ “SMRR has outlived it’s usefulness in spades and a change is long overdue. Once again, the real problems of the city are being ignored. The city has been in such a steady decline I wonder if we will ever be the Santa Monica we used to be.” ■ “SMRR has done enough damage to the city. I think they should be packed up with the professional beggars, bums and nutcases and thrown out of town.” ■ “When an organization claiming to act on behalf of renters’ rights has turned into a front for a parcel tax, it is time to change to a more honest name.” ■ “I am so sorry SMRR has been in power as long as they have. I used to be a landlord here. I think that SMRR should concentrate on cleaning up the city and cleaning themselves up too.” ■ “I think SMRR should start concentrating on the betterment of living for Santa Monica citizens. Priorities 1-10 are as follows: One, get rid of the homeless in Santa Monica; two through 10, get rid of the homeless in Santa Monica. That should get the tourists back here and boost the economy while making the taxpaying citizens happy. How about it?” ■ “Tenants here are charged a rent-control fee of $132 a year. Los Angeles tenants pay $7 a year. Is it a renter’s right to pay more here than in LA? I think they should stop deceiving tenants by telling them that unless SMRR candidates are elected, rent control will be gutted and people will be thrown from their homes. This is a deliberate lie. The truth is that SMRR is a group of con artists using fear tactics to maintain power for 25 years. If it disappeared tomorrow it would make no difference to citizens here.” ■ “It’s true that rent control was originally meant for seniors who were on a fixed income. It has become the greediest system there is. I see pros and cons. I see people with money who were able to buy into apartments, jack up rents and flat out rob people. I, myself, tried to sue a landlord and was threatened by an attorney until my life was miserable. I am a senior on a fixed income who can’t really afford to move, and I know that if I did, the rent would be raised to three times what it is now.” ■ “SMRR should be focused on education for the students of our district. The quality of our education has declined dramatically and this should be the very first thing on the agenda.” ■ “SMRR should be immediately focused with leaving town. They have already ruined everything.” ■ “SMRR should shift their focus to removing the homeless from our streets. I hereby challenge the SMRR to push for actions to make our city look and especially smell better.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 24, 2004. Read the original PDF.