Image: Candidates respond to a “lightning round” question on whether they support the “Great Park” concept for the area that is now Santa Monica Airport. Image via Airport2Park/Twitter.
Santa Monica Next will not be hosting its own debate or candidate’s forum this year, however in order to bring the candidates to you, we’ll be transcribing portions of each debate so that you can read the candidate’s in their own words. Today, we feature the opening remarks from each candidate from this weekend’s Neighborhood Association Candidate’s Forum. The organizers have pledged to put the video online, but as it’s not at the time of publishing, we offer a link to a video shot on Jason Mastbaum’s phone until it is.
So here are the opening statements from each of the ten candidates, to the best of our AI transcription program and my year can do.
Ellis Raskin
Great. Thank you very much to the organizers for this event, for putting this together today.
Hi everyone. My name is Ellis Raskin. I am an environmental attorney, which means that I work with communities and stakeholders across California to build cities to prepare for 21st century challenges.
So voters, before you cast your vote this November, you have to ask yourself some important questions: do Santa Monicans feel safer than they were four years ago? Do Santa Monicans participate in a city that is more affordable than it was four years ago? Have we done meaningful things to address homelessness in the last four years? I think the answer to those questions are “no.” It’s time now to elect leaders who have the skills and experience to address those challenges. As I said, as an environmental attorney, the former chair of the Planning Commission, I’ve created programs to address affordability.
As a former legal staffer for the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department, I’ve created use of force programs to deal with bad guys, and I have the skills experience to lead us in the future.
And I hope I have your support.
John Putnam
Hello, my name is John Putnam. My wife, Sophia, and I have been in Santa Monica 30 years. We raised our children here, and we care about the city deeply.
The main thing I’m really concerned with is what’s happening with the homeless addiction and the drug use in our city. We didn’t look at effectively changing and addressing these in a real, real way.
I asked the question, “Why?”
Why are we ineffectively addressing this issue in a way that is going to be hard for all of us to be able to get behind and fix. My main issue, though, is with the entire addiction problem, homelessness and all the other areas of our city that are being taken over by this cost. Thank you.
Natalya Zernitskaya
In politics. 35 is to be 60. I don’t look like your typical seasoned candidate, but my 12 years of community service here in Santa Monica, including my policy work as president of the League of Women Voters of Santa Monica, and my work with the city’s audit subcommittee, have uniquely prepared to tackle our city’s challenges with proven solutions, not promises.
I’m a refugee from the former Soviet Union who doesn’t want anyone to live in fear like I once did. As a professional financial analyst and due diligence analyst, I know how to rework the city’s budget to give our first responders the 21st century tools and staffing they need to keep us safe. I developed homelessness reduction policies that are working in other cities, and I have the skill set and expertise to create a more robust, dependable economic recovery plan. Please read more about me. Email me if you have any questions. Thank you. Thank you.
Wade Kelley
My name is Wade Kelley, and I am here to stand up for human rights, and I hope you are too.
In Grant’s Pass versus Johnson, this ultra conservative Supreme Court said that cities now can determine whether or not homeless human beings have the right to sleep or be criminalized. In her dissent of that ruling Justice. Sotomayor said to keep people from sleeping is cruel and unusual punishment, and goes against the Eighth Amendment of our Constitution.
So Santa Monica we have a choice. We can stand with Trump’s ultra conservative Supreme Court and criminalize homelessness like Mayor Brock would like to do, or we can stand with Justice Sotomayor and others who want to stand up for human rights.
We can’t keep beating down on those that are down already. We need to lift up the most vulnerable and work towards solutions. We need to build more affordable housing. We need to have more programs that help people and lift people up. We don’t want to keep beating people down, and I want to work towards solutions, and I hope you do too.
One more thing, yay. Judge Carter,
Phil Brock
I am Phil Brock. I’m a second generation son of Santa Monica. I grew up on our beaches, body surfed our waves, played at our sports field, including this one at Lincoln Middle School…because this is where I went to school.
I need to finish a change we’ve all been seeking to help us thrive. I’m pro-resident, pro-business, pro-safety. That’s pro-Santa Monica.
Pragmatism must be paramount in remaking our government into a leader city that responds to residents and lets us flourish.
I’m Phil Brock. I’m your champion on the city council.
We have faced unprecedented crisis over the past four years. While I’m proud of the work we’ve done, there is much more to do. Common sense tells us that crime and homelessness must continue to be my focus, our focus, in Santa Monica and more must be done to make our city safe. I consistently demand the expansion of our police force, press for LA County and the State of California to do more to combat homelessness in conjunction with our efforts. Brock the vote.
Vivian Roknian
Hi, I’m Dr Vivian Roknian. Thank you all for being here today.
I’ve been a resident of Santa Monica and called it my hometown for well over 40 years. I’ve been a registered Democrat for over 20 years, and met my husband in Santa Monica 24 years ago. Needless to say I have been here a long time and my heart. Is here.
I am a dentist, a mother, a small business owner and am very passionate about our city. I think it’s fair to say that this city is not the city that we knew 10 years ago, and it certainly is not the Santa Monica of 20 years ago. I’m asking you for your support in helping our city get safer again, be cleaner again, and take back our parks and our happiness.
Barry Snell
Good afternoon, everybody. My name is Barry Snell. I’ve been a 20 year resident in Santa Monica. My wife Kera and I have raised five children here, four have gone through the public school system.
I’m presently a Santa Monica College trustee. I’ve been there for nine years. I’m also a State Community College trustee. I spent four years on the school board, and I spent 12 years on the Downtown Santa Monica board.
I care very deeply about this community, and I show this by my public service. Over the 20 years of my time here, 16 of them have been for public service. In my day job as a CPA, I understand how to look at finances and really look at the equity of dealing with public finance. That’s why my platform is about affordable housing, about safety and increasing our ability to live comfortably in this community. I love this community. I care very much about it, and as you see today, I really have the plan to make things different.
Oscar de la Torre
Thank you. It’s great to be here. Good to see everyone here today to talk about the future of the city of Santa Monica.
My name is Oscar de la Torre. I’m a proud Democrat, I’m born and raised here in the city of Santa Monica, a product of our public school system.
I committed my life to public service. That led the attack on some of the city’s toughest public safety challenges, and I’m motivated to bring my years of leadership and governance experience to address the mental health, substance abuse and homelessness crisis we are now facing.
Our city needs proven leadership. The social conditions we are experiencing is unprecedented. I’m running for reelection to continue the progress we started in the 2020 election, when Santa Monica voters decided they wanted change.
We have been in office for four years, and don’t get it twisted. Some people will try to act like they’re new, but returning them to power is giving the establishment back the power that they’ve had for 40 years.
Ericka Lesley
Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Ericka Lesly, and I’m a proud parent to three sons. I’m also your Chair for the Santa Monica Rent Control Board.
I’m a proud graduate of Santa Monica College, where I was graduating from Public Policy Institute. We have a homelessness problem that is very apparent to everyone, but different from everyone sitting here, I’ve experienced homelessness.
There’s so many different layers to what homelessness is that it’s not being recognized, nor is it for the ways that we come out of it.
We need more public safety, and of course that means more police officers. There’s human trafficking within our city, there is drug use, and there are things that not everybody sees. But I want to bring everybody’s voice to the table. Bring all voices to the table of every committed relationship that we have here and every decision that we make.
Vote for me, for your voice at City Hall, thank you. Thank you. All
Dan Hall
Thank you to the planning committee. Thank you to my colleagues for joining me up here today. My name is Dan Hall. My pronouns are he/him.
I am a renter. I’m an Iraq war veteran, a former vice-president of Santa Monica Democratic Club, and current chair of the Santa Monica Pier Board.
I’m running to restore data-backed, policy-oriented, efficient and ethical leadership to our city council. I am committed to clean and safe streets and neighborhoods, housing affordability and inclusivity and a return to good government. That means transparency, accountability, ethics and efficiency with your tax dollars. And most importantly, it means following the law.
Today, I want you to ask yourselves, are you happy with the current state of Santa Monica? Are we better off than four years ago? Because if you’re not happy, like I’m not happy, we only have to look at who has held the majority for the last three years.
Since day one, I have been fighting for renters, for workers, for businesses and for residents. And I hope you’re in your support. Thank you.
