Let’s See Who Shows Up
This piece originally ran in The Healthy City Local.
Good jobs and good housing are the goals of progressive economic policies, and both are on the agenda of the Santa Monica City Council tomorrow night. Good...
Gruber: Is a Boot About to Drop at SMO?
(This article initially appeared at The Healthy City Local)
I became active in Santa Monica politics more than 20 years ago, and from the start of my involvement people told me that come 2015, the City...
Editorial: To Help End Homelessness in Los Angeles County Vote Yes on H, Tell...
Every night, tens of thousands of people bed down in shelters, in their cars, or on the street. The causes are myriad. Some are homeless because of bad luck. Some are trying to escape...
When the Wealthy and Privileged Hijack All the Narratives—Including Convincing the Poor that Housing...
This piece was originally published on Santa Monica Next's sister site, Longbeachize.
It’s frightening when the wealthy hijack the narratives of the good. And they did so brilliantly in 2016 and will continue to do so this...
Beginning the End at SMO
With the latest developments concerning the future of Santa Monica Airport (SMO), I’m willing to say that we’re at the beginning of the end. One way or another, the future of the airport will...
Gruber : Does Racially Polarized Voting Exist in Santa Monica?
This post first appeared on The Healthy City Local.
The next step in an analysis of the California Supreme Court’s decision in the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) case the Pico Neighborhood Association brought against...
SMRR to members: go away
At the Santa Monicans for Renters Rights (SMRR) convention on Sunday a friend asked me if it was more fun attending the convention now as a regular member than as a candidate, referring to...
Senate Bill 827, Equity, and the Need for Coalition Building in the YIMBY Movement
Last month, State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) released a draft of his legislation, Senate Bill 827, which would upend zoning rules throughout California.
The bill, aimed at making it easier to build housing at...
More Riel Politics: The Hueston Report
Last fall I wrote a series of five articles (which start here) about the firing of Elizabeth Riel by the City of Santa Monica, in which I analyzed the documents and depositions that came...
Downtown Santa Monica Ain’t Broke
This piece originally ran on Healthy City Local.
There are good ideas in the Downtown Community Plan (DCP): ideas about the role of Santa Monica’s downtown, about nurturing community in “our town” with more and better...
SM Spoke and Safe Streets Alliance Urge Passage of Item That Would Lead to...
Note: the original letter to Council called for passage of Item 16-E at last week's meeting. Given that the item wasn't heard and was pushed forward to next week's meeting; I have updated letter...
Opinion: Is This SMRReally Happening?!
Santa Monica Next received the following opinion piece with a specific request that we not use the writer's name. After a back and forth, we consented to publish it because the author feared reprisal,...
An Open Letter from Santa Monica Mayor Ted Winterer on Diversity and Immigration
Tuesday night, the Santa Monica City Council passed a resolution reaffirming its commitment to an inclusive city and that makes clear the beachside city won’t cooperate with federal authorities on enforcing immigration laws. Below is an...
More on Santa Monica’s DCP: Discretionary Review and Parking
This post originally appeared on The Healthy City Local.
As I’ve written in two recent posts, tomorrow night the Planning Commission will review the Santa Monica Downtown Community Plan (DCP). After staff makes revisions to the...
Moving Goal Posts and New Players: The Plight of Anti-Development Politicians
When it comes to the goals of the anti-development side, as soon as one goal is achieved, a new, more extreme goal is created.
After Tuesday night’s City Council meeting Councilmember Sue Himmelrich might understandably...
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