October 1, 2024

Dear Editor,

It’s beyond ironic that former Mayor Kevin McKeown, who abruptly resigned rather than take a position on the draft Housing Element, now blames Council members de la Torre and Brock for the mess that ensued (“Demand Accountability, Follow the Money”).

In fact, the City Council majority, led by Kevin McKeown’s fellow SMRR member Mayor Sue Himmelrich, voted to approve the draft Housing Element in June of 2021.

The Council, including de la Torre and Brock, based their decision on City staff and Planning Commission recommendations that it met all the certification criteria. Again, City Staff, with SMRR Councilmembers' support, recommended the actions that Council took.

The state’s unprecedented rejection of the draft Housing Element followed intense lobbying against it by developers and their Astroturf allies, like Abundant Housing LA. Developers and their friends wanted much more housing built throughout our city, including eliminating single-family zoning.

Those are some of the same folks who now appear to be funding the SMRR pro-densification slate ("More Than $1 Million Raised for Council Race," September 27, 2024).

For over 40 years, SMRR has had control over Santa Monica’s development cycles with Kevin McKeown having been on the Council for many of those years ("SPECIAL REPORT -- Who Runs the City?" September 20, 2024).

If you like the direction our City has been going and now want to see densification on a scale we’ve never previously witnessed, then yes, the SMRR candidates are the ones for you.

But if you’re concerned about the livability issues that SMCLC champions then only Oscar, Phil, Vivian, and John are the right choice. But don’t take our word for it; go meet them, talk to them. And then vote!

Diana Gordon
Co-chair, Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City (“SMCLC”)