2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? Mr. Myers should have been asked to step down at the first indication he was not going to meet the basic obligations of an employee of the city. If he refused to resign, I would have fired him on the spot, without any $82,000 bonus in either case.
3. Has Santa Monica gone too far in becoming a regional entertainment mecca? What do you propose? Anything for arts and entertainment seemed to be a major SMRR goal. They have put all of their revenue eggs in one basket. They may have gone too far. I will be very careful to avoid the congestion and mess they have created.
4. Assess the city's recent record on managing growth in Santa Monica. Abysmal. They have gone from one section of the city to the next without regard to the effects of how development in one area will affect the financial viability of another. I will bring the entire city's interests into the decision-making process.
5. What is the cause and what is the significance of the length of City Council meetings?
We havean excellent computer system available to everyone. I would insist on this form of communication rather than the lengthy and repetitive process now used. I would continue with the televised format so that the people know what has been decided.
TOM PYNE
Age 48. A hospital administrator; president-elect of Chamber of Commerce; planning commissioner; endorsed by Save Our City.
1. What's the biggest problem facing Santa Monica and what, specifically, would you do about it? Rising crime and the threat to personal safety--a symptom of a bigger disease. The City Council has not been listening to real community concerns, makes decisions based on political reasons and has a philosophical bias out of sync with the community.
2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? Yes, in July when he refused to draft the anti-encampment ordinance. We cannot allow an unelected city official to decide what his job will be.
3. Has Santa Monica gone too far in becoming a regional entertainment mecca? What do you propose? We have enough. It is not appropriate to have additional regional attractions drawing tens of thousands in their cars. It is appropriate to revitalize the Pier, the Promenade and the Civic Auditorium.
4. Assess the city's recent record on managing growth in Santa Monica. It was the SMRR-controlled council that set the rules for all recent major building. It sought developers to build Colorado Place, the Water Garden, the Arboretum, the defunct Airport Project and the beach hotel. I would not have voted to develop the airport and beach hotel had I been on the council.
5. What is the cause and what is the significance of the length of City Council meetings?
We have a council out of control that pontificates on every issue. They should put their own political agendas aside, listen more to city staff, stop preaching, stop micro-managing and limit their comments.
BELOVED GIFTGIVEN QUAIL
Age 41. The homeless candidate; urges compassion for disenfranchised, and need for community standards.
1. What's the biggest problem facing Santa Monica and what, specifically, would you do about it? The biggest problem is spiritual and attitude-based: lording it over and dominating rather than truly serving. Allowing homelessness to deteriorate until people are so fed up they accept police-state tactics is part of a plan to isolate some as expendable.
2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? No. Only when adequate alternatives are provided can anyone constitutionally, legally or morally be cited or arrested for sleeping in public.
3. Has Santa Monica gone too far in becoming a regional entertainment mecca? What do you propose? Cities do need revenue bases, and the Pier, rather than neighborhoods, seems to me an excellent place to have enterprises that provide jobs for youth.
4. Assess the city's recent record on managing growth in Santa Monica. We should continue the moratorium on development as least six months or a year to do an exhaustive inventory of what we have and how it could be better used.
5. What is the cause and what is the significance of the length of City Council meetings?
One cause is much citizen involvement. The other is council persons posturing and expounding so as to appear politically correct. The council limits public input by putting off crucial decisions until late at night, sometimes deliberately, to slip things by people.
PATRICK REGAN
Age 53. Assistant film director; says street people at film locations around the U.S. talk reverently of migrating to Santa Monica.
1. What's the biggest problem facing Santa Monica and what, specifically, would you do about it? Paying for a bloated city government.
2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? Yes, when he farmed out writing of the encampment ordinance. I would probably have voted to fire him earlier because he was so unctuous.
