In the next general election, this November 5th, Santa Monica residents will be asked to vote their choices among an array of potential candidates for City Council. As in our National US election, Santa Monica perhaps faces the most crucial election in decades. The Council will have to wrestle with many other complex and publicly divisive issues as well, among which are crime, public drug consumption, safety, homelessness, and a myriad of related problems. Also, the State of California has mandated unprecedented and unmanageable growth. Only a united City Council can begin to effectively thwart the excesses of the out-of-control growth that these myopic State laws have enabled. Council action can ensure that the shape of our city’s future is not radically altered and that all new and future development respects what residents have valued as essential and non-negotiable quality-of-life issues that affect us all.
The Council will also have to tackle many other complex issues, such as well-managed, verifiable and accountable city expenditures and budget demands that prioritize and respect the resident’s SAFETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE.
Finally, the next City Council will have to try to fix all these problems with a bare-bones City budget since the City budget has not yet recovered from Covid, the retail collapse, the crime surge, and numerous lawsuits.
We in SMART recommend that Santa Monica residents consider this slate of four the “Fantastic Four,” we would say, as they represent a new and energetic force to achieve our goals of good governance and good planning.
Phil Brock, Mayor, and Council Member
Dr. Vivian A. Roknian
Oscar de la Torre, Council Member
John Putnam
Hi, I’m Phil Brock, a second-generation native of Santa Monica. I grew up on our beaches, body-surfed our waves, and played on our sports fields.
I am a product of Santa Monica schools, and I’ve spent decades volunteering for local charities and our city government. I work hard for each of you on our city council and now, as your Mayor.
We have faced unprecedented crises over the past four years, and while I’m proud of the work we’ve done, there is more to do. Common sense tells us that crime and homelessness must continue to be my focus in Santa Monica, and more must be done to make our city safe. I have consistently demanded the expansion of our police force and pressed for Los Angeles County and the State of California to do more to combat homelessness in conjunction with our own efforts.
Construction out of scale for our beachside city continues to shadow the skyline because of state mandates, and more open space is of utmost importance. While I have tried hard to change city hall’s culture, many of our problems have been rooted in decades of mismanagement, machine politics, and a lack of practicality. Remaking the system has taken longer than I anticipated.
I need to finish the change we’ve all been seeking to help us thrive. I am pro-resident, pro-local business, pro-safety. That’s pro-Santa Monica. Pragmatism must be paramount in remaking our government into a leaner city that responds to residents and lets us flourish. I’m Phil Brock, and I’m YOUR champion on the Santa Monica City Council. Brock the Vote!
Dr. Vivian A. Roknian has been actively involved in various community services, particularly focusing on healthcare and education. Her commitment to the community is evident in her professional and personal endeavors, for example:
1. Healthcare Support: Dr. Roknian has extended special savings and services to frontline workers, including those in healthcare, hospitality, police, and fire departments, especially during the pandemic.
2. Education and Training: She has trained over 2,000 dentists in implant dentistry, dental extraction techniques, bone grafting, sinus augmentation, and advanced dental prosthetics. She is also a faculty member at the Resnik Implant Institute, shaping the curriculum and teaching methods for aspiring implant dentists.
3. Fostering a Safe and Inclusive Community: Inspired by her family, Dr. Roknian is dedicated to driving meaningful and lasting change in Santa Monica to ensure a flourishing community for the next generation. She aims to enhance public safety and ensure that public facilities are clean and inclusive for all residents.
4. Addressing Homelessness: Dr. Roknian is committed to finding effective short-term and permanent long-term solutions to the homelessness crisis in Santa Monica.
5. Supporting Local Businesses: Dr. Roknian plans to create jobs and provide support to small businesses to help them thrive.
6. Protecting Tenants’ Rights: Dr. Roknian is dedicated to preserving and protecting rent control to ensure affordable housing for residents.
7. Improving Emergency Services: Dr. Roknian wants to ensure faster response times for 911 calls, including fire and paramedic services.
8. Enhancing Public Amenities: She advocates for fully funded parks and libraries to benefit the community. Oscar de la Torre has been a dedicated public servant and a strong advocate for the Santa Monica community. Here are some reasons why he is considered a valuable member of the City Council:
1. Public Safety: Oscar has worked to enhance public safety by hiring more police officers and contracting private security for the 3rd Street Promenade.
2. Homelessness and Mental Health: He has strengthened services to transition mentally ill and unhoused individuals off the streets, addressing one of the city’s most pressing issues.
3. Community Engagement: As a lifelong resident of Santa Monica, Oscar has a deep understanding of the community’s needs and has been actively involved in local issues. He founded a youth center and works daily to expand affordable housing and educational and economic opportunities for residents.
4. Accountability and Transparency: Oscar is committed to holding the government accountable and restoring public trust. His leadership focuses on enforcing laws, protecting renters, and supporting policies that advance environmental, economic, and social justice.
5. Experience and Dedication: With a background in public administration and 18 years of service on the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education, Oscar brings a wealth of experience and dedication to his role on the City Council. Oscar de la Torre’s proven leadership and commitment to the well-being of all Santa Monicans make him a valuable asset to the City Council.
John Putman’s commonsense platform addresses the concerns of all residents with a focus on public safety, rent control protection with a path to homeownership, and inclusive education for all students. As a long-term Santa Monican, Putman has a historic view of the city and the progression of public safety issues related to the homeless epidemic, mental health, drug addiction, and the uptick in street crime.
While Putnam joins “The Change” slate in the call for an increased presence of law enforcement officers on patrol, he also supports compassionate care for those in need, which is backed up by a substantial record of voluntary service dedicated to providing goods and services to kids, low-income families, and healthcare workers during the COVID pandemic.
Accountability is important to Putnam. He joins the Change Slate in calling for financial accountability and measurable benchmarks for expenditures earmarked for homelessness initiatives, and a new path forward for the City of Santa Monica.
SMART, Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow, is an ad hoc group of architects and other professionals formed about ten years ago. Our mandate was to advocate for moderate, thoughtful, and well-designed development. Development that respected the existing scale of our community and that would respect the capacity of our existing infrastructure. We have done this in our published articles, vocal advocacy, and service on City Commissions.
We would appreciate your support and consideration of our recommendations for a new and effective city Council.
By S.M.a.r.t Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow
For previous articles, see www.santamonicaarch.wordpress.com/writing
