Education Group Weighs in on Local Races

By Olin Ericksen
Staff Writer

October 4 -- An influential education group this week graded the top City Council candidates, but made no further endorsements, rounding out the list of local unions, clubs and organizations weighing in on Novembers’ hotly contested race for three open council seats.

The Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS) -- which helped pressure the City into more than $6 million a year in funding for the local district – had already endorsed one of its top members, Gleam Davis, in July, even before candidates had qualified for the ballot. (see story)

On Tuesday, the group gave passing grades to three other candidates -- Mayor Bob Holbrook, Council member Kevin McKeown and Planning Commissioner Terry O’Day -- and rated incumbent Pam O’Connor as “unreliable.”

“The rating was based upon O'Connor's public disdain for the constituent movement that led to the City's contract providing ongoing funds to our schools and her lack of commitment to support future funding,” the group said in a statement Tuesday.

O’Connor, who referred to the group as “schoolyard bullies” in a heated council meeting two and a half years ago, eventually voted for the proposal to carve out millions in funding, flying across the country to cast one of the deciding votes on the measure. (see story)

CEPS supporters had suggested that if the City did not act, the group had enough signatures to place a measure on the 2004 ballot to secure the funding.

“It is in no way a grudge,” CEPS Chair Sheri Davis said of O’Connor’s rating. “But we certainly did take her comments into consideration.”

CEPS had to weigh O’Connor’s criticism of the group and its proposed ballot measure against her position on the MTA at a time when City officials are working to bring light rail to Santa Monica by 2015, Davis said.

“It was not an easy decision,” Davis said.

But after an interview with O’Connor in which her previous comments were discussed, CEPS decided against grading the incumbent as “reliable.”

“We were disappointed with the interview,” Davis said of the encounter.

O'Connor noted that she was the only incumbent seeking election to vote for the funding. McKeown had to recuse himself because he worked for the district and Holbrook was absent.

"Bottom line is I don't promise votes in exchange for anything," O'Connor said after the interview session. "I have one of the strongest records in supporting education."

O'Connor pointed to her support for after-school education programs, the new Santa Monica Main Library and her work to resolve the dispute over the Bundy campus.

Mayor Holbrook, a former School Board member; McKeown, who works as a computer consultant for the district, and O’Day were all rated as “reliable” on education.

“All three have demonstrated an understanding of the needs of our public schools and have stated their intentions of continuing to provide support to our schools and our children in the future,” the CEPS statement said.

CEPS’ ratings come less than one week after the City’s public safety unions made their coveted endorsements.

Both unions voted to endorse Holbrook and McKeown, but the Police Union chose to endorse O’Connor to round out the ticket, while firefighters backed O'Day.

The police union – which surprised local political observers in 2002 when it campaigned against Holbrook --- has seen significant changes in its top ranks.

McKeown and O’Connor -- incumbents on the slate of what is arguably the city’s most powerful political group, Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights -- have a long history of tepid relations.

At the SMRR convention, McKeown endorsed Davis but not O'Connor. Davis received the third coveted endorsement from the powerful renters group, which has retained control of City Council for nearly two decades.

SMRR currently holds four seats on the council, with McKeown, O’Connor, Ken Genser and Richard Bloom giving the group is slim one-vote majority.

Two key local organizations -- the Chamber of Commerce and the Santa Monica Democratic Club -- chose to back only two candidates in the race for three open seats.

The Chamber, which dissolved its powerful political action committee this election year, backed Holbrook and O’Day.

Holbrook, a pharmacist who has been on the council for 16 years, has long had the support of Santa Monica’s business community.

The endorsement of O’Day – an environmental executive who owned an alternative fuel car rental business – came as more of a surprise.

O’Day had considered seeking SMRR’s endorsement, but did not file his candidate questionnaire in time, leading political observers to speculate he would run as an independent.

The Democratic Club – which has boosted its membership in the past two years – backed voted to back McKeown and Davis, widely viewed as the most liberal of the candidates.

The Coalition of Santa Monica City Employees, which is comprised of roughly 1,500 City Hall employees, was the only group to back the three incumbents -- Holbrook, McKeown and O’Connor.

Keeping its focus on education, CEPS also picked candidates for the School and College boards.

Incumbent Nancy Greenstein and challengers Louise Jaffe, an education activist; David Finkel, a retired judge and former City Council member and Tom Donnor, the college’s former Chief Financial Officer and interim president, all received endorsements in the race for four open College Board seats.

In the race for four open school board seats, incumbent Emily Bloomfield, along with longtime education activists Kelly Pye and Barry Snell, picked up CEPS endorsements for the School Board. Incumbents Oscar de la Torre and Shane McCloud failed to win the group’s support.

Snell -- an accountant -- was endorsed despite being on probation with the state board of accountancy for practicing without a license and bouncing a check for the subsequent fine. (see story).

Davis said it is Snell’s “commitment to children that is important,” earning him the endorsement from CEPS.