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II -- Council member Bobby Shriver Speaks Out
By Lookout Staff
May 8-- In the second of a two-part interview with
The Lookout, City Council member Bobby Shriver discusses his
biggest disappointments during his two-and-a-half years in
office, what he would do differently and his plans for the
future.
What have been your biggest disappointments?
It has been more than a year and a half since we submitted
the homeless housing proposal to the Veterans Administration.
By now, we should be moving forward on rehabilitating the
buildings and determining the programs to operate the housing.
Instead, we are still working to get the land-use designation
from the VA.
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I wish there were a stronger political
will in cities across LA County to end homelessness.
It can be done. It is being done in New York, San Francisco,
San Diego, and many other cities. But it will only happen
here when LA area voters demand work -- not just words
-- from their city, county, state and federal representatives.
Also, I am sorry I have not met personally with each
resident who requested a meeting. With my day job, there
are not enough hours in the week!
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What would you do differently?
Adjust the schedule so I can have more meetings with residents.
I always learn something helpful.
How much work is really involved in being a City Council
member? Did you envision it would be this way when you first
started?
It is not physically possible for council members to do everything
our constituents believe we should be doing. We all have our
day jobs, but even someone working at council business full-time
would have to leave some tasks undone. I did envision the
job would be this way, and I knew that to be effective, I
would have to specialize in homelessness. I hope the public
understands this.
Can you shed just a little light on your personal life (hobbies,
age, books, married life etc.) and what else goes on in your
day-to-day functions?
Hobbies: Yoga, watching my daughter’s volleyball games.
I am 52. I am far too busy reading surfsantamonica to read
books.
You are stepping down from your post as CEO of RED, a union
of brands, people and ideas to fight against AIDS in Africa.
How is the search for a new head for RED coming?
Almost done.
Any other projects in the works to save the world or otherwise
for you?
Several. Watch this space.
What are your plans in the remainder of your term? What issues
would you like to address?
Secure the VA project. I will continue to push regional leaders
to cooperate to end homelessness. Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky
called me “a megaphone,” which I take as a compliment.
I will work with State Senator Gil Cedillo and the California
League of Cities to find a way for all cities to provide their
fair share of housing and services for homeless people. If
each of the 88 cities in the county provided the same number
of homeless beds per resident as Santa Monica does, almost
all 90,000 homeless people in the region could be housed.
I would like to study charter reforms to make council members
more effective, such as fewer restrictions on communication
with City staff.
I want to shorten council meetings -- perhaps limit council
members’ speaking time? Restructure the schedule?
Helping solve homelessness has long been a theme for you.
How well do you feel the City has done with its new strategies
(Chronic Homeless Program and Housing First) since they began
two and half years ago?
The City has made a good start. The council has to keep monitoring
the programs to make sure they are working. We may not be
seeing results on our streets, because some people are relocating
here from Skid Row, which again points to the regional nature
of the problem.
Many have said that one of the daunting challenges for Santa
Monica in tackling its most pressing problems -- such as homelessness,
housing, gang violence and traffic -- is the lack of interconnectivity
with the region. How can a region of 88 cities come together
to better face these problems?
This is, of course, a subject for a Ph.D. dissertation. A
short answer: Public pressure.
Until regional cooperation for real solutions to these problems
becomes an important issue with the voters, elected officials
will not make it a priority. One idea being considered right
now is for the City of Los Angeles to become its own county.
In the homelessness arena, this would coordinate the County
health services budget with the City housing budget, which
makes sense. Many people say that San Francisco has been successful
in reducing homelessness because it is both a city and its
own county.
Do you think you will seek a second term for City Council?
One day at a time . . .
Do you have other political aspirations, general or specific?
The madder I get, the more political aspirations I will have.
Bonus question -- Whom do you want to see in the White House
in 2008?
Bob and Jean Ann Holbrook. I’m not kidding!!
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