October 31, 2022

Dear Editor,

In reading the response of Nicole Faries to my letter titled "Who Are The Real Right Wing Conservatives in Santa Monica," she clearly misses the point of my opinion letter ("Stop Throwing Stones," October 27, 2022).

The Santa Monica Democratic Club and its endorsed City Council candidates should not disparage other Democrats by falsely accusing them of being Republican and/or right-wing conservatives.

The impact of such rhetoric works to marginalize Democrats within our Party and create division along racial lines. Rather, they should focus on the issues that are affecting Santa Monica voters. As Democrats we must do better!

When Ms. Faries makes an effort to racialize A Brighter Future’s School Board endorsements, she gets it wrong by saying "all four are white."

The fact is that Esther Hickman self identifies as a Latina. Her mother came to this country from Ecuador and worked as a housekeeper and nanny. Public schools have recognized Esther as racially and economically disadvantaged since 1978, benefiting from school lunches and affirmative action.

ABF has proudly endorsed a diverse group of candidates for the City Council, College Board and School Board.

Even if all of the ABF School Board candidates were people of color, Ms. Faries would still be against them. Why? In fact, Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS) has become a booster club for the incumbents' behaviors, policies and practices.

ABF has endorsed Esther Hickman, Miles Warner, Angela DiGiatano and Stacy Rouse for School Board because our schools are in crisis, and we need a new school board majority in order to stop the downward slide of our once renowned school district.

Sincerely,

Maria Loya
Santa Monica