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# Which way is the wind blowing?
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/which-way-is-the-wind-blowing-editor/
- Published: 2005-02-17T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T06:07:16.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Promenade, #archive-import

*By Vincentt Garofalo Santa Monica*

Kevin McKeown has an interesting way of dealing with city issues. It works like this: He sticks his finger out the window and feels which way the wind happens to be blowing that particular day.

As a political activist working on the Third Street Promenade who asked to be exempt from the current rotation policy that governs “Heartland vendors,” (those who sell bumper stickers and buttons) and religious people working on the Promenade) Mr. McKeown had no problem violating our constitutional rights. Councilman Kevin McKeown noted that while evangelists and political activists could likely be exempted from the ordinance under First Amendment rights, “that doesn’t mean they should be.” I asked heartland vendors, “would Gandhi rotate? if you’re part of a community, you should work as part of that community.”

So, in regard to the “dog beach” I would have to say that the wind was blowing southeast that day.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 17, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/021705.pdf?ref=smdp.com)