About nine years ago, a fifth-floor balcony in a Berkeley apartment building collapsed, tragically killing several students gathered on it and injuring others. Investigations suggested that poor construction and maintenance, especially problems with waterproofing that […]

On December 10, the new City council will be seated fresh from their dominant win in the recent elections. There are surprising parallels between the national elections where MAGA swept the board and the Santa […]

As we write this, the election results are still trickling in. We’ll leave the deep analysis to others, but the reality of our city’s tough challenges looms large, regardless of who sits on the Council. […]

Despite living in a famously progressive region, Santa Monicans are not immune from the same political misinformation and disinformation that afflicts civil discourse elsewhere in the United States. As backers of Measure QS, we feel […]

S.M.a.r.t. periodically invites guest columnists to write opinion articles on topics of particular interests to our readers. Below is an article written by Nikki Kolhoff about the controversial ½ billion dollar Santa Monica School District […]

Maybe fallen, but slipping for sure from being a desirable beachfront community that served all equally, the local residents who lived here, the small businesses, and the tourists that came from all around the world […]

In a polarized country or City every vote counts. Regardless of which side of any issue or candidate you support, your viewpoint will not prevail unless enough of you and your supporters actually vote. Voting […]

Claim: The state is requiring Santa Monica to build 9,000 apartments.Answer: Partially true, partially false. Santa Monica has a pretty big housing problem. Originally, the city was told to plan for 8,895 new homes by […]

We wholeheartedly endorse the candidates below for Santa Monica City Council. Their leading campaign platform is for increased safety in Santa Monica.  Phil Brock, Mayor, and Council MemberDr. Vivian A. RoknianOscar de la Torre, Council […]

By Michael Jolly Over the past six months, Santa Monica has experienced a concerning rise in crime, sparking heated discussions about the future of public safety, tourism, and economic development in our iconic beachfront city. […]