Testing Their Resolve in the New Millenium

By Teresa Rochester and Jorge Casuso

Ken Genser, Mayor: "Well, my resolution is to get more sleep."

Kevin McKeown, Councilman: "I resolve to cultivate community consensus with renewed vigor and hope the shock of a century's start helps us focus on long-term shared goals and the legacy we'll leave."

Jerry Rubin, activist: "I going to wear my shorts a couple of inches longer. I don't know why. Maybe I won't. I think I'm going to make a resolution to make less fasts and hunger strikes after the one I'm going on at midnight [on Dec. 31]…I'm going to try and maintain a positive attitude and not get overly frustrated. I already know that there are tireless challenges when you are an activist."

Herb Balter, landlord, president of ACTION Apartment Association, a grassroots landlord organization: "My resolution is to keep the fire burning in my belly until the aggression that is the Santa Monica City Council is overturned. I want all property owners to feel the same way (I do). The last 20 years as a landlord have been hard. We are entering a brand new century and they still want to take landlord's properties away."

Dennis Zane, Former Mayor and founder of Santa Monica for Renters Rights: "I have been thinking about this. I have one professional one, one political one and one personal one. My professional resolution is to diversify my client base. My political resolution is to work on or develop and help build a consensus for a long-term funding plan for the school district. My personal resolution is to spend a lot of free time with my wife and little boy."

Pam O'Connor, Mayor Pro Tem: "I don't do them [resolutions]… maybe because of my work with universities my psychological year, my planning year runs September through September. Fall to fall is more my benchmark season. I do more in terms of setting goals and I periodically set goals. What I do like about this time of year is everything slows down a bit."

Susan McCarthy, City Manager: "My husband and I have been talking about resolutions, if they're a good idea or a bad idea. Usually you disappoint yourself. I guess I'm not a believer in resolutions."

Richard Bloom, Councilman (with help from his son, Emmett): "1. To buy my kids anything they want. 2. To turn the RAND property into a giant swimming pool or a skate park or a stage for Woodstock 2000. 3. To stop letting my kids write my resolutions."

Bob Gabriel, former councilman and long time Santa Monica business leader: "I'm not one to make resolutions. I'm hoping that together between the business community, residents, city staff and City Council that we can give some practical solutions to traffic and parking in this community so that we can make it easier for people. What's going to happen if we don't come up with a solution is that the prosperity of the city could be affected. People won't be able to shop conveniently and use the services of the community."

Louise Gabriel, president of the Santa Monica Historical Society: "Ours is for a permanent home for the Historical Society Museum."

Paul Rosenstein, Councilman: "Well, I hope the city continues to prosper and we don't strangle on our own successes. I'm going to resolve to work to make Santa Monica a better place."

Mike Feinstein, Councilmember: He wouldn't reveal his resolution for this year but said that last year, "I tried to get more of a life, to have a social life." The year before that he resolved that while on the basketball court, "I'd just try and play a really clean defense."

Bob Holbrook, Councilmember: "To have more fun, that's my resolution, to enjoy life."