October 21 2022
Some very powerful and entrenched interests are lying about Councilmember Lana Negrete. Why? Because their political and economic power comes from electing candidates who are beholden to them.
Voters should know the truth about Lana Negrete.
Lana Negrete is a renter who strongly supports rent control. Full stop.
Lana has lived in rent-controlled housing in Santa Monica for over 30 years (as a child and now as a mother raising her family).
Having benefited from rent control, Lana has a deep public and personal commitment to protecting it – now and forever.
Yet Lana is being mischaracterized by a powerful Santa Monica group in a desperate campaign to unseat her.
Lana’s father, like many older residents, is also a long-time renter. When he received an alarmist email from Santa Monicans for Renter’s Rights (SMRR) he was confused. He knows his daughter supports rent control. But SMRR’s message that “our rent control law is under attack” so “don’t vote for Lana Negrete” worried him. Which was the whole point. Sow fear, uncertainty, and doubt to purposefully mislead voters.
SMRR and Big Development lost two council seats in the last election when the “Change Slate” was elected. They lost again when a council seat opened up and a resident-friendly Council appointed Lana, not SMRR’s or Big Development’s candidate.
Lana won the Council appointment because she is committed to putting residents’ interests before developers and protecting Santa Monican’s quality of life over special interests.
SMRR and Big Development want its favored council candidates to win. So they are trying to defeat this long-term renter who staunchly supports rent control by fundamentally mischaracterizing who she is.
Unite HERE, the hotel worker’s union, is putting big money behind defeating Lana.
Unite HERE is not just spending money on its own deceptive mailings, it’s giving money to SMRR to do the same thing. The union is in lockstep with SMRR’s council candidates who favor unrestricted, unsustainable development.
SMCLC and residents overwhelmingly support unions, fair wages, and benefits for workers - but the hotel union should not be driving Santa Monica’s land use or development decisions.
Undoubtedly, in the time remaining, more of these smear campaign missives will hit. They can only be effective if voters don’t know the real facts and who’s behind them and why. If you question Lana’s position – ask her. We did.
