Full Name: Terence Later
Endorsements: Pending
Current office/profession: Entertainment Consultant/Producer
Previous Experience: Working tirelessly as a Community Activist
Education: Kathleen Mott’s Pre-School, Will Rodgers Elementary School, Pilgrim Lutheran Elementary School, John Adams Junior High School, Lincoln Junior High School, Fernald School at UCLA, Santa Monica High School, Santa Monica College, UCLA
Date/place of birth: July 15, Santa Monica Hospital
Biography: Born and raised in Santa Monica, and have lived here all my life. My parents were active in the community with many service organizations. That was the beginning of my foundation of giving back to the community. I have worked over the years to make our community a better place, I have always believed in giving back to my community what has been given to me.
Spouse/Children: N/A
Neighborhood of Residence: Raised on Euclid and Broadway, moved to Tenth and Pearl, then on to Dogtown, back to North of Montana. Currently in north east Dogtown.
Community Activities: Working with and fundraising for such organizations as The OPCC, Boy Scouts, Salvation Army, and The Clare Foundation to name just a few. Working in the areas of drug and alcohol counseling, and gang prevention.
Candidate Statement: As your Councilman I will: Be accountable in representing the 89,000+ citizens of Santa Monica. Making sure City Hall deals honestly with residents by connecting fees to actual costs of services. City staff are public servants, not “back door” tax collectors. I will also continue to demand transparency and government accountability. I worked tirelessly with Ralph Nader’s team to defeat Prop W in 2006, which would have gutted the anti-corruption rules passed decisively by 59 percent of Santa Monica voters in 2000. Support responsible, limited growth and development in Santa Monica. I worked with Mayor Bobby Shriver, Ted Winterer, and Kevin McKeown on Prop T in 2008 to limit development. I will also limit traffic and produce sensible parking alternatives for residents as I did in 2006, pressing for new parking meter technology that is in place today. I will also make the fines and the appeals process for parking tickets more equitable. I will also Maintain Rent Control as it stands today. No new taxes. Put senior exemptions and sunset clauses into any future bond initiatives. I fought for this language to be placed in Prop V in 2006 and will continue to pursue it.
We as residents are tired of the city council redlining the budget and exploiting the senior citizens and renters for political ambition. We should set aside a portion of our shoreline for a dog beach; work to allocate our City resources to strengthen our Police and Fire departments; expand and maintain our parks; Protect our city’s environment and keep our beaches clean; and the most important priority is supporting and improving our schools.
Our city’s annual budget is in excess of $600 million dollars. I agree with Mayor Bobby Shriver that the added sales tax initiative is not necessary. What is necessary is a balanced City budget. Shame on our City Council for obliging elementary school students to stand in front of our grocery stores and on street corners selling lemonade and candy to fund their arts programs.
