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# Will the real Mike Feinstein stand up?
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/will-the-real-mike-feinstein-stand-up-editor/
- Published: 2004-03-27T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T04:04:21.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Pier, #archive-import

*By Robert Berger*

I found Councilman Mike Feinstein’s quote about honest government in your March 25 article on the beach and pier smoking ban quite ironic. The same Mike Feinstein that is now calling a ban of smoking on the beach and pier an intrusion on civil liberties is the same Mike Feinstein that was a passionate supporter of the smoke-free parks ordinance a year ago. If smoking in outdoor public spaces like the beach and pier is a “stretch” as Feinstein puts it, then why didn’t his voting on smoke-free parks reflect this belief? On Nov. 25, Feinstein voted in support of the motion calling for the drafting of the very same policy he is now publicly bashing through English and Spanish-language media. As an environmentalist, Feinstein should know that there is an even more compelling case for a ban of smoking on the beach than in parks with the added problems of coastal pollution. He also knows that cigarettes cause hundreds of fire incidents a year on the pier. He claims that he is very bothered by secondhand smoke himself while enjoying our beach, so he certainly understands the serious health aspects.

It is not for me to speculate why Feinstein decided to flip-flop on this issue at this point in time. Perhaps he can spend some of his time with the media explaining his inconsistency. The rest of City Council has been consistent in their core beliefs surrounding this issue, including Pam O’Connor, who voted against the policy. If Feinstein were truly concerned with individual rights, he might be concerned about the right that individuals have to clean air, a clean beach and a safe pier.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 27, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/032704.pdf?ref=smdp.com)