November 13, 2024 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Letter To The Editor: Why I Support Santa Monica Forward:

Dear Editor,

I am very happy to be a part of a community in which not only does the city provide amazing resources that are not available in other places but the civic engagement is astounding. Santa Monica is a place where community members truly care. I was not born here, nor did I grow up here but I am still a Santa Monican.

I moved to Los Angeles after college in 2010 and spent four years trying to move into Santa Monica. While I wasn’t physically a resident during those four years, that doesn’t mean I wasn’t a community member or stakeholder—I worked in Santa Monica, I went to parks, restaurants, and shops in Santa Monica, but it took me four years and five different job changes to be able to find an apartment in the city I could afford.

This majestic city we live, work and play in is not without its problems but I think we can work together to move forward and come up with the best solutions to solve them. I’m a supporter of Santa Monica Forward because I know that in order to maintain and improve our incredibly high standard of living, we need to anticipate the  problems of tomorrow and learn from the mistakes and missteps of the past.

I am particularly passionate about housing because I want to remain in Santa Monica and while I’m extremely comfortable with my current living situation, I don’t see myself living in a tiny studio for the rest of my life. I consistently hear from people who are already a part of our community that they can’t afford to live here. The housing/jobs imbalance is absurd. The fact that the city has been unable to build much housing in the past 25 years has only made it worse. Economic laws of supply and demand say that if you restrict the supply (don’t build housing), while increasing demand, prices go up—which is exactly what we’ve seen happen here. I’m not saying building more housing will solve all of our problems but it’s good first step.

I’m very proud to be a supporter of a group that is fighting for a diverse, sustainable and equitable Santa Monica.

Natalya Zernitskaya

Supporter of Santa Monica Forward

in Opinion
<>Related Posts

SM.a.r.t Column: Moving Ahead to the Future

November 10, 2024

November 10, 2024

As we write this, the election results are still trickling in. We’ll leave the deep analysis to others, but the...

Opinion: Fact Check: Why Vote Yes on Measure QS

November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

Despite living in a famously progressive region, Santa Monicans are not immune from the same political misinformation and disinformation that...

SM.a.r.t Column: Lack of Oversight and No Accountability

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

S.M.a.r.t. periodically invites guest columnists to write opinion articles on topics of particular interests to our readers. Below is an...

SM.a.r.t Column: “Help! I’ve Fallen, and I …!!”, Cries Santa Monica!

October 25, 2024

October 25, 2024

Maybe fallen, but slipping for sure from being a desirable beachfront community that served all equally, the local residents who...

SM.a.r.t. Column: Vote

October 13, 2024

October 13, 2024

In a polarized country or City every vote counts. Regardless of which side of any issue or candidate you support,...

SM.a.r.t Column: Fact-Checking Election-Season Windbaggery

October 6, 2024

October 6, 2024

Claim: The state is requiring Santa Monica to build 9,000 apartments.Answer: Partially true, partially false. Santa Monica has a pretty...

SM.a.r.t. Column: Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Can Help Save Lives and Revitalize Santa Monica’s Economy

September 29, 2024

September 29, 2024

We wholeheartedly endorse the candidates below for Santa Monica City Council. Their leading campaign platform is for increased safety in...

SM.a.r.t Column: Crime in Santa Monica: A Growing Concern and the Need for Prioritizing Public Safety

September 22, 2024

September 22, 2024

By Michael Jolly Over the past six months, Santa Monica has experienced a concerning rise in crime, sparking heated discussions...

SM.a.r.t Column: Ten New Commandments

September 15, 2024

September 15, 2024

Starting last week,  the elementary school students of Louisiana will all face mandatory postings of the biblical Ten Commandments in...

SM.a.r.t Column: Santa Monica’s Next City Council

September 8, 2024

September 8, 2024

In the next general election, this November 5th, Santa Monica residents will be asked to vote their choices among an...

SM.a.r.t Column: Part II: The Affordability Crisis: Unmasking California’s RHNA Process and Its Role in Gentrification

September 2, 2024

September 2, 2024

Affordability: An Income and Available Asset Gap Issue, Not a Supply Issue (Last week’s article revealed how state mandates became...

SM.a.r.t Column: Part 1: The Affordability Crisis: Unmasking California’s RHNA Process and Its Role in Gentrification

August 26, 2024

August 26, 2024

In the world of economic policy, good intentions often pave the way to unintended consequences. Nowhere is this more evident...

SM.a.r.t Column: They Want to Build a Wall

August 18, 2024

August 18, 2024

Every once in a while, a topic arises that we had previously written about but doesn’t seem to go away....

SM.a.r.t Column: Sharks vs. Batteries – Part 5 of 5

August 11, 2024

August 11, 2024

This is the last SMart article in an expanding  5 part series about our City’s power, water, and food prospects....

SM.a.r.t Column: Your Home’s First Battery Is in Your Car

August 4, 2024

August 4, 2024

This is the fourth in a series of SM.a.r.t articles about food, water, and energy issues in Santa Monica. You...