The Lie of "Boulevard Only" Development

Most TPC clients are "tri-morbid," meaning they are suffering from mental illness, physical disability, AND substance addicted. That's just who we need in our neighborhood, near our schoolchildren.

Dear Council, et al:

I live on 9th street, a block from three boulevards-Wilshire, Santa Monica, and Lincoln. This means I'm literally surrounded by 8-story "stack and packs," while being told the fiction that this grotesque sop to developers "won't affect the neighborhoods of Santa Monica" and will help "solve homelessness." Ha!

This is, like so much that we hear from SMRR, a lie flown in on the wings of money-in this case Hedge Funds (Cypress Equity, I'm looking at you). While we were sleeping, the city was sold out from under us by SMRR, who took us from 1,000 state mandated RNHA units to almost 10,000, not out of altruism, but out of pure politics. You see RNHA, in truly Soviet language, stands for Regional Housing Needs Allocation. And more apartments, equals more power for Santa Monica For Renters Rights (SMRR!). Forget about supporting generational wealth by helping people into starter condos, (which would turn citizens into investors in the city and give them the ultimate rent control). Sorry, that takes them off government teat and makes them too independent.

The reality is that SMRR, our establishment government, has presided over everything that's gone wrong in Santa Monica the last ten years, from the train, the riots and looting, the sneaky overdevelopment deals, the starving of our police force of funding due to their aversion to law enforcement, the trenchant criminality, and supporting the braindead "harm reduction, care in place" model for our endless supply of addicts. Oh, those addicts and drug dealers are living carefree in place alright! And now SMRR wants to take control of the council with the new SMRR Four running in November. These living examples of the Peter Principle include Barry Snell, Natalya Zernitskaya, Dan Hall, and my favorite, Planning Commissioner Ellis Raskin. Great planning Ellis-you've really done a perfect job destroying the vibe of our city!

Observer Staff

Under construction, what turned out to be a large, out-of-scale, and ugly building at Lincoln and Broadway. It will probably remain empty the way most of the new multi-unit housing is empty. They are investments for rich people, not affordable housing for working families.

Anyway, several neighborhood groups have reached out to me about the two towers of supportive housing smack in the middle of a neighborhood that's only divided by Wilshire. They are rightly outraged to have so many deeply ill people foisted on their quiet neighborhood. Below is their information. Pass it on, get on their mailing list, sign the petition, write the council, join a neighborhood group, and get involved.

Do you think Santa Monica has gone off the rails? Then remember, vote for anybody but the SMRR Four this fall. They are not the people I would trust to run my HOA, never mind turn the city around and prepare us for the Olympics.

To sign the petition opposing mentally ill "residents" near two schools, go to https://www.change.org/p/safety-trust-residents-demand-transparent-process-for-developments