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The Empty Seat : What's at Stake?DEBATABLE DIFFERENCES By Jorge Casuso It's undebatable: The seven candidates for Santa Monica City Council have little to argue about. That seemed to be the consensus after a nearly two-hour forum sponsored by the local chapter of the League of Women Voters Tuesday night. The placid affair, taped for later television broadcasts, featured front runners Richard Bloom and Susan Cloke, who were absent from a boisterous debate before a group of landlords Monday night. But despite the opportunity to highlight their differences, both candidates said little that distinguished their positions on key issues. Bloom, the candidate for Santa Monicans for Renters Rights, said the task at hand was "preserving Santa Monica for the future." Cloke, who is backed by many property and business owners, vowed to "protect and preserve the city and welcome the future." And all the others agreed. By and large, the candidates applauded a decrease in crime (although last year saw 12 murders, and a serial rapist has recently claimed seven victims, two of them in Santa Monica). They bemoaned traffic congestion and parking woes, backed a living wage for the city's workforce and welcomed more affordable housing. Writer Donald Gray broke from the pack by calling for council districts that ensure every neighborhood in the city is represented. (No resident of the Pico neighborhood has ever been elected to the council.) Frank Juarez, a manager with the phone company, focused on the violence that claimed two of his nephews last year and the problems that plague the youth in the Pico neighborhood. Teacher Marc Sanschagrin lamented that the city is spending $100,000 for an unnecessary election and found it unbelievable the council couldn't find a single person to fill the seat. Peter Kerndt, a physician, advocated prenatal care and teaching tolerance to curb racism. Long shot candidate Jon Stevens distinguished himself with his single-minded pursuit of electronic democracy and free Internet service for every resident of the city. "Thomas Jefferson was the father of democracy," said Stevens, who has lost his three other bids for a council seat. "I would like to be the father of electronic democracy." Susan Cloke, a community/policy planner, pointed out that she was the only woman in the race, while attorney Richard Bloom noted he was a member of the League of Women Voters. On April 24-25, Santa Monica will make history by holding its first two-day weekend election. So with Santa Monicans for Renters Rights currently holding four of the seven council seats, what difference would winning a fifth seat make for the powerful political organization? Plenty. A fifth seat would give SMMR the clout to take property for the public good by eminent domain, rezone land, reallocate funds from the budget throughout the year and fire the city manager, city attorney and city clerk. With the SMRR majority on the hunt for new park space and land for affordable housing, the special election could be one of the most important in years. Until election day "The Empty Seat" will be filled with the latest news from the campaign trail.
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