November 2, 2018 -- A rag-tag army of school parents and neighborhood activists is mounting a last-ditch effort to oppose a record $485 million school facilities bond on Tuesday's ballot.

Opponents of Measure SMS argue that there was no public debate before the School Board placed the bond on the ballot in July and that there is no fixed list of projects it will fund. They think the bond should instead be placed on the 2020 ballot.

Read More: https://www.actiontakesaction.com/admin/website/system-pages/?pageId=1837908

Santa Monica voters have lots of choices for filling three city council seats up for grabs on Tuesday: stick with popular incumbents, opt for some fresh faces with established track records in civic affairs, change course with challengers who want to get tough on crime and the homeless, or any mix thereof.

Read More: https://argonautnews.com/which-way-santa-monica-2/

November 2, 2018

California has an ambitious goal (SB100) of getting all the electricity for the entire state from renewable energy sources by 2045. The mandated incremental steps are 50 percent by 2026 and 60 percent by 2030. Currently, California gets about 27 percent of our electricity from renewable sources

Last week the City Council wisely took another important baby step toward NZE for the City by allowing it to shop for energy providers that will charge different rates for power with varying amounts of renewable content in their electricity flow. By paying 7-9 percent extra the City’s 48,000 residential customers and 8300 commercial customers can select getting their energy from 100 percent renewable sources, or for slightly less cost a 50 percent or a 36 percent renewable content. Because 100 percent will be the default number, unless you explicitly opt out, more people will pay the surcharge and treat it as an increased utility expense.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2018/11/inching-toward-electrical-independence/

An Open Letter to Residents of Santa Monica by Jay Johnson

Don’t Make a Bad Situation Worse
Dear Santa Monica resident, As a former president of the Santa Monica Democratic Club, former Rent Board and Planning Commissioner, current Santa Monica Renters Rights member and property owner, I think Proposition 10 is a disaster for Santa Monica tenants and property owners. It is poorly written and is almost impossible to change if passed. It will harm tenants, condo and single family homeowners, multifamily property owners and taxpayers and will impact your rights, finances and the city housing landscape.

Read More on page 7: http://backissues.smdp.com/110218.pdf

Santa Monicans living in older homes can register for a $3,000 state grant through Nov. 13 to retrofit their houses to withstand an earthquake.

Residents who own and live in a single-family home can qualify for the Earthquake Base + Bolt grant if their house’s foundation and crawlspace are not already reinforced. Houses built before 1980 are likely to buckle or slide off their foundations, said Janiele Maffei, chief mitigation officer at the California Housing Authority.

Read More: http://www.smdp.com/grants-available-for-residents-to-make-homes-earthquake-safe/170465

Opponents of Measure SMS argue that there was no public debate before the School Board placed the bond on the ballot in July and that there is no fixed list of projects it will fund. They think the bond should instead be placed on the 2020 ballot.

"People are printing their own fliers and walking them around," said Tricia Crane, who heads Northeast Neighbors, one of the groups opposing the bond.

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2018/November-2018/11_02_2018_Opponents_of_School_Bond_Mount_Last_Ditch_Effort.html

On November 6th four statewide ballot initiatives (or propositions) about housing will be put to voters. Potentially the most significant (Proposition 10) would allow local authorities to impose new rent controls.

But economists almost unanimously view rent controls as harmful and self-defeating.

Read More: https://www.economist.com/united-states/2018/11/03/rent-control-is-a-hot-button-issue-in-california-again

See Video at: http://www.smdp.com/council-candidates-solutions-for-climate-change/170384

As election day approaches, one topic will be beneath a magnifying glass — the city’s ongoing homeless epidemic. While some candidates have radically different views on how to solve the crises, one advocacy organization seeks to discuss their approach to the problem.

The Santa Monica Homelessness Steering Committee will hold its first “Coffee, Conversation and Change” event this Friday, an initiative meant to spark conversation to demystify homelessness and its accompanying challenges and stereotypes.

“This is the first of a series of coffee chats where during brief meetings we cover different topics associated with homelessness,” Tara Barauskas, Executive Director of the Community Corporation of Santa Monica said. “The idea is community members can come together, learn and voice their concerns and opinions.”

Read More: http://www.smdp.com/homelessness-advocacy-group-seeks-to-educate-the-community-detractors-and-all/170438

The County’s Board of Supervisors voted Oct. 30 to declare a state of shelter emergency in unincorporated areas of the County so homeless services providers in those localities can apply for $81 million in state Homelessness Emergency Aid Program (HEAP) funding.

Read More: http://www.smdp.com/new-program-provides-county-wide-funding-to-fight-homelessness/170436