Sore Winners
Last night, as the City Council’s final review of the planners’ “Strategic Framework” for the revision of the land use and circulation elements of the General Plan (LUCE) got underway, four Council members were out of sorts.
At the previous review, they had voted to approve increases in height and density limits, as recommended by the planners. And they had prevailed: 4-3 . They were winners! But they were not happy.
Apparently, not everyone was pleased with their vote. Perhaps they got emails. Or phone calls. It wasn’t clear. Of the four, Mayor Pro Tem Richard Bloom was the most vociferous, but he wasn’t very
explicit.
Surely, he must have noticed at some point or other that a great many residents want less of everything, not more. So he couldn’t have been surprised that not everyone liked his vote for more.
And, in fact, he wasn’t surprised.He was outraged, Bloom does outrage well, And often. He is particularly outraged by challenges to his authority. As he famously said, during the ficus tree war, “When a decision is made, it must be respected.”
The other YAYs – Mayor Herb Katz and Council members Bob Holbrook and Pam O’Connor — share Bloom’s view, but their reactions are milder, though O’Connor is inclined to explain, at length and often, how the “process” works, and the Council’s rights and powers as “policy makers.”
In this instance, in addition to resenting the challenge to their
authority, the four were also disturbed that people didn’t understand that their vote for more was not binding, and was by no means the final vote. They suggested that the media probably didn’t make that clear.
But, as Council members Ken Genser and Bobby Shriver, who had voted NAY, pointed out, the vote for increased height and density, as ecommended by the staff, now has added weight and legitimacy, and, as Shriver said, “momentum.”
Genser and Shriver are right, of course, and Bloom, Holbrook, Katz and O’Connor know it, and that’s what made all that outrage and righteous indignation and hurt feelings such a waste of their gall and our time.
Displeased with how THEY vote?
Vote with YOUR vote in November!
From today’s Santa Monica Daily Press, referring to the Council vote to study the creation of a Tree Commission::
“The lone vote in opposition to the staff study was Councilmember Bob Holbrook, who was one of six city officials who supported the beautification plan in its entirety. Holbrook said he didn’t believe it would be the best use of resources, pointing out cases in the past when staff was asked to study an issue, only to return back to a council who voted against the recommendation.”
By that standard, Mr. Holbrook should have been opposed to further staff studies related to LUCE. I guess he’s only opposed to having staff study projects that he is against, and favors spending resources on projects that he is for.
The majority of City Council members have clearly forgotten their responsibility to represent the voters. They have become onvinced, instead, that they are the rulers, not the representatives. Holbrook is not up for reelection this year, but Bloom and others are, and should be booted off the Council without ceremony or delay.
Bloom has consistently voted YES to increase densities, heights, eliminate public review of project proposals and the like. If you read his campaign literature you would conclude he is hypocritical and does not deserve to be re-elected. I quote…”Santa Monica cannot continue to accommodate traffic-generating developments that irrevocably change the character of our city.” A copy of this campaign flyer was passed around the Council chamber during the meeting. That is why Bloom was so mad, make that embarrassed!
November we residents shall have an opportunity to remind our (very) wayward council members just WHO the decision-makers and (ULTIMATE) policy makers are under a democracy. They work for us, and they will be fired. We shall start with the Council. Then, certain staff in the City Manager’s office and the Planning Dept will need to look elsewhere for new jobs in “high growth” communities.
Thank you SM Dispatch for your excellent articles on the disaster unfolding on CityTV.