Residents Stage Anti-Developer Protest

Tweet Earlier tonight, about 50 residents gathered outside a candidates’ forum in downtown Santa Monica to protest what they described as “massive amounts of developer money from around the country being used to buy Santa Monica’s election.” Developers from as far away as New York, Dallas and Chicago are funding what is shaping up as a half–million-dollar campaign to defeat Proposition T, a residents’ ballot measure that would limit commercial development to... Read More

Lies Are Being Told

Tweet To the editor:: There are lies being told in our community. And many of our community leaders (good people) will privately admit it, but are afraid to do so publicly because of the political and financial power of those who are telling them. Developers from around the nation are funding a deceptive campaign against Proposition T — the local measure that would place an annual cap on new commercial development in Santa Monica Let me say up front that I have not endorsed... Read More

Something’s Wrong with Prop AA

Tweet To the Editor: Something is wrong with the Measure AA equation – it is not about education at all. Only about 15% of students at Santa Monica College are from Santa Monica/Malibu, and that rate declines every year. Residents have paid for almost all of the building and construction costs of SMC’s eight sites since its inception in 1929. More recently we passed Prop U for $160 Million in 2002 when the college said there would be “no more college bonds for decades”.... Read More

Spinman Spins Out

Tweet Surf Santa Monica columnist Frank Gruber’s continuing attempt to portray City Hall “experts” as the heroes and residents as the villains almost always ends badly, but this time, he goes right off the rails. He writes “When Mr. Shriver endorsed RIFT he said that it was ‘common sense’ that new development will generate more traffic. The problem is that people who study traffic say that that is not quite true…” In fact, the “problem” is that the only “people... Read More

To the Editor:

Tweet Because of a particularly misleading statement in a mailer opposing Measure T which was received by residents on October 16, the Board of Directors of Friends of Sunset Park must reiterate its position in support of Measure T. The FOSP board endorsed Measure T with only one “no” vote. The lone dissenter is quoted on the cover of the “No on T” brochure as saying: “I studied the traffic analysis. Measure T won’t reduce traffic,” and he’s identified... Read More

Whither the Weather

Tweet By Ava Tramer Beaches Sunny and gradually warming Highs: 65-82; Lows: 56-60 Inland Clear and hot Highs: 83-94; Lows: 52-54 Deserts Hot and sunny Highs: 89-99; Lows: 66-68 And Santa Monica… All over the country the seasons are here, With trees changing color both far and near. Nights have grown chilly and with breezes biting sharp, Summer playthings outdoors are covered in tarp. The days are now shorter with night coming soon, And the rain pitter-patters in a familiar... Read More

CRAAP Co-Founders Disagree

Tweet Thank you for recognizing our poignant acronym for Concerned Residents Against Airport Pollution, even if it was not necessarily to your liking. Of course we prefer to use the full name of our group to educate people about us. It is interesting that most comments we hear regarding our acronym are positive, so I guess it’s a matter of taste. Although we, the group’s founders, find it uncomfortable sometimes to say CRAAP, we realize how apropos the acronym really is when... Read More

Sierra Club Endorses Three

Tweet The Sierra Club has endorsed three candidates for the Santa Monica City Council in the November 4 election. After what it described as “an extensive review of each of the candidates running in the election,” the Club has endorsed challengers Ted Winterer and Susan Hartley and incumbent Ken Genser, who’s running for a sixth term. Hartley, a lawyer, serves on the Airport Commission, was active in the Treesavers’ campaign to stop the City’s removal of a large... Read More

What’s In An Acronym?

Tweet Some twisted impulse seems to have overtaken local advocates of various causes. People who want to limit commercial development and reduce traffic call their group “Residents’ Initiative to Fight Traffic,” or RIFT, an odd moniker for a group that wants nothing so much as to unite residents to oppose City Hall and the special interests. RIFT has endorsed challengers Susan Hartley and Ted Winterer and incumbent Bobby Shriver, who’s seeking a second term, for the... Read More

To Bobby Shriver

Tweet I appreciate Bobby Schriver’s willingness to look at what is happening in our City from the perspective of the residents as evidenced by his support of Prop T. Another issue very much affecting residents is the ongoing growth of Santa MonicaCollege. We are proud to have a community college and one that serves a broad community. However it’s not fair for the college to continue to seek unfettered growth.Our financial support via the past 2 bond measures has... Read More