October 17, 2016

SMCLC's Local Election Recommendations

Vote YES on Measure LV (the LUVE Initiative):

Recently, our City government has been forced to acknowledge that Santa Monica has “never” seen our current “volume of traffic,” that we have reached “the tipping point,” and that we are “overwhelmed.” Our downtown regularly suffers from functional collapse. http://www.smclc.net/LUVE/LUVE9-7-16.html

Yet City Hall's proposed Downtown Plan continues its failed city planning and guarantees traffic and congestion will get much worse. The Plan would fast-track massive new development, reduce public input and advance high-rise hotels and more office projects. Already congested Lincoln would be developed cheek by jowl. http://www.smclc.net/PDF/PCDSP2-02-16.pdf

This election will have an important impact on our livability and sustainability for years to come.

That’s why we support Measure LV. It would give residents the final say on material development projects, forcing developers to come up with better projects that residents can support.

We urge a YES vote on LV.

Vote YES on Measure SM (the Oaks Initiative):

Measure SM would strengthen Santa Monica’s anti-corruption law, the Oaks Initiative, which prohibits public officials who confer a benefit on a developer or contractor from then accepting money or a job from them. SM would broaden who would be covered by the law to include those who give an illegal campaign contribution, not just those who accept it, and would force those who hide behind shell companies to reveal who they are. Finally, Measure SM would take enforcement away from our City Attorney who has refused to enforce Oaks.

Measure SM has no organized opposition. We urge a YES vote on SM.

Vote for Tony Vazquez for City Council

Mayor Tony Vazquez brings common sense to the City Council. He is a powerful voice for much needed diversity in the city and in our City government. In this cause he has been courageous in taking on entrenched interests.

Tony was a strong supporter of the investigation into the illegal firing of Elizabeth Riel. He supported giving Enron prosecutor John Hueston the tools needed to carry out a full investigation when some proposed either no inquiry or a constrained one. This investigation, originally proposed by SMCLC, uncovered ingrained problems at the highest levels of our City government, including illegal conduct, a cover-up and a disturbing lack of transparency.

Tony voted against the massive Hines Papermate development. While he is opposed to Measure LV as written, Tony believes that residents should vote on whether significant development projects get built. Recently Tony promoted the appointment of a neighborhood leader to the Planning Commission despite a concerted campaign to appoint a candidate who is more favorable to developer interests.

SMCLC supports Mayor Tony Vazquez for re-election.

Vote for Armen Melkonians for City Council

Armen Melkonians is a co-founder of Residocracy and a grassroots opponent of over-development in Santa Monica. He is an author of Measure LV which SMCLC also supports. After a Council majority approved the Hines Papermate project, he led the successful referendum to overturn it together with other community groups.

Armen would be a refreshing addition to the Council, injecting new ideas. LUVE’s passage and Armen’s election would send a message, loud and clear, that residents have had enough.

SMCLC supports Armen Melkonians’ election.