ACTION Apartment Association

Protesters Urge City Not to Appeal Voting Rights Ruling

11/29/2018 7:38 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Spend taxpayer money on policing parks not paying expensive lawyers, and don't underestimate the ire of voters who oppose the City's plans to appeal the ruling in a voting rights case.

That was the message delivered Tuesday evening by more than 100 demonstrators who rallied on the steps of City Hall before marching into the Council chambers to confront their elected representatives.

At the rally and at the podium, they argued that the City should abide by Superior Court Judge Yvette M. Palazuelos' tentative ruling that Santa Monica had violated the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA).

AND, with video:

https://smmirror.com/2018/11/voting-rights-rally/

Vazquez to Step Down from Council Seat

11/29/2018 7:27 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Councilmember Tony Vazquez will step down from the council to assume the seat on the State Board of Equalization he won on November 6, the City said in a statement Wednesday.

The announcement came after City Attorney Lane Dilg -- amid speculation Vazquez wanted to serve on both bodies -- asked the California Attorney General whether the two offices are “incompatible” as a matter of law.

"The Office of the Attorney General has opined that the offices are indeed incompatible

AND

https://smmirror.com/2018/11/breaking-city-council-will-appoint-new-councilmeber-as-tony-vazquez-to-step-down/

Laws for tenants and landlords subject of upcoming forum

11/28/2018 11:35 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Santa Monica will hold a forum Dec. 5 to inform tenants and landlords about new local and state laws that impact them.

The most recent law the forum will cover is an ordinance passed by Santa Monica City Council in May that protects students and educators against no-fault evictions during the school year. Speakers will also go over City laws passed in the last couple of years, including one that bans discrimination against tenants who use housing subsidies and another that sets rules for landlords trying to buy out tenants.

Santa Monica City Attorney’s statement on Court’s ruling to deny Plaintiff’s attempt to prevent certification of local 2018 Council election

11/28/2018 11:30 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

“The City is pleased with the Court’s decision. Nearly 40,000 Santa Monica residents voted in the 2018 election. The Court’s decision honors those votes and rejects plaintiffs’ inexplicable effort to favor a past Council (also selected at-large) over the Council chosen by the voters just weeks ago. The result sought by plaintiffs would have moved our democracy backward, not forward.”

Lane Dilg, Santa Monica City Attorney

Judge Denies Request to Stop Certification of Santa Monica Election Results

11/28/2018 11:21 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The judge in the voting rights lawsuit against the City on Tuesday denied a request by the plaintiffs to halt certification of the results of the November 6 Santa Monica Council election.

The plaintiffs lead attorney, Keven Shenkman, downplayed the decision, comparing the City's reaction to a baseball team down nine to nothing celebrating a called ball.

"Congratulations to the City for winning nothing," Shenkman said.

AND

http://www.smdp.com/judge-allows-election-certification-to-move-forward-in-advance-of-final-cvra-ruling/171128

Proposed Santa Monica Council Map Places Three Incumbents in One District

11/26/2018 8:08 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

November 26, 2018 -- A map submitted by plaintiffs last week in a voting rights lawsuit against the City places three council members in one district, while leaving three districts without current representation.

The plaintiff's map carves the 8.3-square-mile City of some 92,000 into seven districts with approximately 13,000 residents each.

Under the proposed map Councilmembers Sue Himmelrich, Glean Davis and Kevin McKeown all reside in the North of Montana District (Number 3 on the map).

Portland ordinance to protect renters may be a model for other cities. But landlords are fighting back.

11/26/2018 8:02 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The ordinance requires landlords to pay tenants from $2,900 to $4,500 for a no-cause eviction, a rent increase of 10% or more, a “substantial change” to the lease or a lease nonrenewal.

Now, landlord groups that have sued to overturn the law hope they will prevail when the Oregon Court of Appeals hears the case in January, even as tenant advocates nationwide study the ordinance as a tool to prevent renter displacement.

Brock on Your Block: Santa Monica Voting Rights Trial

11/23/2018 10:28 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

In his latest Brock on Your Block, Phil Brock explores the voting rights trial the City of Santa Monica recently lost, speaking to Maria Loya, Oscar de la Torre and plaintiff attorney Kevin Shenkman.

See Video: https://smmirror.com/2018/11/brock-on-your-block-santa-monica-voting-rights-trial/

Plaintiffs in Voting Rights Suit Propose District Map, April Election

11/23/2018 10:18 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Attorneys for the plaintiffs in the voting rights lawsuit against the City asked the judge on Monday to adopt seven council districts and hold a special election in April.

They also asked Superior Court Judge Yvette M. Palazuelos to prohibit any further at-large elections and any council member not duly elected through district-based elections from serving.

How to Apply for Social Security: A Step-by-Step Guide

11/23/2018 10:10 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

If you're wondering how and when to start collecting your benefits, read on -- for a thorough review of just what Social Security is, how to get the most out of it, and how to apply for it.

AND

https://www.ssa.gov/forms/apply-for-benefits.html