He has virtually no money to spend on his campaign, but Marc Sanschagrin
feels he has a message that will appeal to everyday citizens of Santa
Monica.

"The other candidates have outspent me a thousand to one," Sanschagrin said,
"but it's that people like me are out there so we can have a voice."

A 4th- and 5th-grade teacher at McKinley Elementary School, Sanschagrin
decided to run after the city council decided to hold a special election
because they couldn't agree on someone to fill the empty seat.

"I'm incensed that the present council could have filled that seat with
any civic-minded citizen, but they didn't think anyone was worthy," he
said. "So they spent $150,000 of our money to hold a special election."

Sanschagrin has lived in Santa Monica for 7 years and has
taught at the elementary school for 11. High on his list of
priorities is development, which he said is not being planned well.

"It's too much, too fast," he said. "People used to joke the city is
turning into Beverly Hills by the Sea, but it's more like Miami Beach,
California. And I don't want to live in Miami Beach."

Sanschagrin's plan to curb development is to only allow a new building if
another building of the same size is removed.

"I would implement a zero-sum formula," he said. "And businesses will
have to supply all their own parking. The city shouldn't have to supply
parking."

He is also adamant about protecting the city's low-income housing,
especially in the face of vacancy decontrol.

"Low-income housing protects the diversity of our city," he said.
"That's critical for Santa Monica to retain its unique character. My
classroom is a rainbow of faces and talents and I don't want to lose
that."

Sanschagrin doesn't give himself great odds to win the election. But if he
doesn't win, he hopes another independent does.

"I'm very positive about the other candidates," he said. "Don Gray and
Frank Juarez have brought issues to the forefront. If you're not going
to vote for me, consider one of the other independent candidates."

But Sanschagrin said he will be a winner no matter how the election turns
out.

"It's been a tremendous education for me," he said. "I've learned an
awful lot about city government, and that's something I can teach my
kids."