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Santa Monica Council Incumbents Put Politics Ahead of Policy

By Jorge Casuso

September 8 – There will be a City Council quorum Tuesday night, but it won’t be in the council chambers. The four council incumbents will be at an LA County Democratic Central Committee meeting instead, vying for the group’s endorsement.

A notice posted on the City Council Agenda Monday afternoon noted that the meeting was “cancelled due to lack of quorum.”

“We lost the quorum and determined that council members were available next week,” said Kate Vernez, a senior aide to the City Manager.

The four incumbents -- Mayor Herb Katz and Council members Richard Bloom, Ken Genser and Bobby Shriver -- informed the City Manager they would not attend the meeting, because it conflicted with the Democratic Party endorsement session.

On Tuesday night more than 200 members of the Democratic Party Central Committee will pick a countywide slate that includes making endorsements in the race for four open seats on the Santa Monica City Council.

After interviewing candidates, the 41st Assembly District Committee this weekend voted to recommend four candidates – incumbents Bloom, Genser and Shriver and challenger Ted Winterer.

The choice of Winterer, who is an author of a measure on the November ballot that would cap most commecial development in the beachside city, seems to have helped mobilize the incumbents. (“T” for Traffic ," August 18, 2008)

Katz, a staunch life-long Democrat who was the only council incumbent snubbed by the group, decided to attend the meeting and speak. Bloom and Genser followed suit.

“I know Ken was going,” Bloom said. “I spoke to Herb, and he said he had the same intention.

“It wasn’t something I was happy about, but I made a decision I want to be reelected, and this is an important endorsement for me. This is a very exceptional circumstance. We’re just victims of circumstance.”

After Shriver informed the City Manager he, too, would attend, the meeting was cancelled.

"Everybody else seems to be going to the Democratic Party meeting, and I decided to go," Shriver said.

Winterer, who failed to win the endorsement of the Santa Monica Democratic Club after receiving the steering committee’s recommendation, also will attend the meeting. ("Dem Club Endorses Genser, Bloom; Shriver Falls Short," September 3, 2008)

“Ted has every reason to be there,” said Sharon Gilpin, Winterer’s campaign manager. “They (the council incumbents) are not doing the people’s business.”

 

"This is a very exceptional circumstance. We’re just victims of circumstance.” Richard Bloom

 

"Everybody else seems to be going to the Democratic Party meeting, and I decided to go." Bobby Shriver

 

The council incumbents "are not doing the people’s business.” Sharon Gilpin

 

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