Susan HartleyAge: 63.
Occupation: Employment law attorney.
Marital status/children: Single, daughter.
Your neighborhood? How long have you lived there? Sunset Park, seven years.
Own or rent? Own.
YOUR MODE OF TRANSPORTATION/MODEL, MAKE AND YEAR OF YOUR RIDE?
2005 PRIUS.
YOUR PASSION?
Organic gardening, cows (I’m a cow nut), the color blue, rescuing animals and politics.
WHAT ARE YOU READING?
“Cesar’s Way,” by Cesar Millan.
THE WATER AROUND THE SANTA MONICA PIER IS SOME OF THE MOST POLLUTED IN THE STATE AND POSES A SIGNIFICANT HEALTH RISK TO SWIMMERS. HOW DO WE CLEAN UP THE BEACH? HOW WOULD YOU SPEND MEASURE V FUNDS?
There is migrating fecal matter there. It’s the worst polluted beach on the western coastal U.S. Santa Monica cannot continue to ignore this health risk. Residents passed Measure V two years ago and City Council and staff have done nothing to clean up this disgrace. They don’t even have signs posted there warning swimmers and beachgoers. That’s outrageous and criminal. I want the area around the pier immediately closed for swimming. It needs to be cordoned off. There was discussion during a recent City Council meeting of broken sewer pipes there. Immediate, temporary action needs to be taken while expeditious permanent clean-up and repairs are done. I would demand that the city make this its top priority.
WHAT’S A HIDDEN GEM IN THE CITY?
A pocket park between 16th and 17th streets on Ashland Avenue. More parks like this are needed throughout the city.
HOMELESSNESS IS FAR AND AWAY OUR CITY’S MOST PRESSING ISSUE, ACCORDING TO DAILY PRESS READERS. WHAT NEW IDEAS DO YOU BRING TO THE TABLE? DO YOU BELIEVE CITY HALL IS ON THE RIGHT TRACK WITH ITS PLAN TO HOUSE THE MOST VULNERABLE WHILE STILL PROVIDING GRANTS TO SERVICE PROVIDERS?
We must eliminate homelessness in our city. We cannot have people living in alleys and parks. Working regionally needs to continue. Housing first is a good start. All feeding must be indoors and coupled with mandatory rehabilitation programs. Panhandling restrictions are a necessary deterrent. Tracking and evaluating the homeless needs to continue. Over 40 percent of the homeless are veterans. That’s a disgrace. Getting the VA to open up vacant buildings for homeless vets and their families can’t happen fast enough.
FAVORITE FILM AND RECORDING ARTIST?
“Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,” by Pedro Almodovar; Neil Young.
HOW DO YOU SPEND A DAY OFF IN SANTA MONICA?
Walking my dogs, gardening, volunteering at Arlington West.
DEVELOPMENT IS A TOPIC THAT HAS GAINED MORE ATTENTION IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, WITH MANY RESIDENTS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE INCREASE IN COMMERCIAL AND CONDO DEVELOPMENT, PARTICULARLY IN DOWNTOWN. DO YOU BELIEVE THE NEW LAND USE AND CIRCULATION ELEMENT (LUCE) PROPERLY ADDRESSES CONCERNS? DOES IT GO FAR ENOUGH TO PROTECT NEIGHBORHOODS OR DOES IT ALLOW DENSE DEVELOPMENT WITH BUILDINGS HEIGHTS THAT ARE TOO INTRUSIVE? WHAT IS YOUR STANCE ON PROP. T? DO YOU BELIEVE IT IS A PROPER RESPONSE TO TRAFFIC WOES?
The LUCE is a disaster for Santa Monica. It calls for making Santa Monica what I call “Playa Vista North.” Residents have stated over and over they don’t want all the growth, height and density yet City Council and staff persist in their crusade to make Santa Monica less and less of the small, beach town community we love. LUCE calls for six- to nine-story buildings around the city. The community is being sacrificed for development. That’s a tragedy for Santa Monica. People in rent control apartments are being forced out for development. Neighborhoods will be walled in by the height and density proposed for the boulevards under LUCE. I worked for and support [Measure] T even though I don’t think it goes far enough. There is too much development in Santa Monica. [Measure] T is a start to fighting our traffic woes. You cannot have rampant development without more traffic. City Council and staff keep ignoring the residents. [Measure] T is the voice of the residents saying to City Council and staff, “Enough is enough!”
IF YOU COULD HAVE LUNCH WITH ANY THREE PEOPLE IN HISTORY, WHO WOULD THEY BE?
Rachel Carson, Susan B. Anthony, and Anne Morrow Lindbergh.
LOCAL BUSINESSES PROVIDE THE MAJORITY OF THE CITY’S GENERAL FUND REVENUES, YET SANTA MONICA HAS A REPUTATION FOR BEING A DIFFICULT PLACE TO DO BUSINESS. HOW WOULD YOU ENTICE MORE BUSINESSES, DIFFERENT BUSINESSES, TO OPEN UP SHOP?
Assure the many local, small businesses that they will not be displaced by the plans for rampant development along the boulevards under LUCE. We need to drop all the plans under LUCE to build up the boulevards. All those small business there are currently on the endangered business list. Those small business owners know that. We need to reverse the decision for mega-structure centers at Lincoln and Ocean Park boulevards and along Wilshire. Development needs to be sharply curtailed so that we can retain our existing small businesses and attract more.
WHAT’S THE BIGGEST THREAT FACING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN SANTA MONICA?
Our current City Council and staff. They are hell-bent on growth, height and density that the residents don’t want. They are hell-bent on destroying the small beach town community we love. They are into making Santa Monica a “Playa Vista North” or Orange County. They are into tall buildings and no or small trees. They refuse to listen to the residents.
IZZY’S CORN BEEF SANDWICH OR A TOFU TURKEY SANDWICH FROM CO-OPPORTUNITY?
Neither. I prefer my sandwiches with vegetables from my organic garden.
DOES THE CITY NEED MORE PARKING SPACES, OR WILL THAT JUST ATTRACT MORE DRIVERS? WHAT INCENTIVES SHOULD THE CITY OFFER TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR CARS?
Certain parts of the city, Wilmont for example, need more parking spaces. People should be able to park safely near their residences. The city should offer residents free Big Blue Bus passes, or even have free bus days.
FREE FORM. WHAT’S PUTTING A BURR UNDER YOUR SADDLE?
The resistance of City Council and staff to listen to the residents. They actually ignore us. Santa Monica belongs to the residents. It’s not for staff and their expensive out-of-town consultants to tell the residents what their city should be like. We need to take back Santa Monica.
WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU ARE QUALIFIED TO RUN FOR OFFICE?
My experience and that I’m in touch with the residents of Santa Monica:13 year resident, as renter and homeowner (north and south Santa Monica); vice-chair Santa Monica Airport Commission; board member Friends of Sunset Park; co-founder Santa Monica Treesavers; board member Veterans for Peace-L.A.; 28 years as an employment law attorney, private practice in Santa Monica; teacher, five years; Girl Scout leader, 12 years; Santa Monica High PTSA officer; Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Strategic Plan Design Team member.
WHAT ROLE SHOULD THE CITY COUNCIL PLAY IN PUBLIC EDUCATION? DID THE COUNCIL OVERSTEP ITS BOUNDARIES BY DEMANDING CHANGES TO SPECIAL EDUCATION BEFORE RELEASING ROUGHLY $500,00 TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT? IF ELECTED, WOULD YOU DEDICATE MORE FUNDS TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, OR WOULD YOU REDUCE THE CONTRIBUTION? IF SO, BY HOW MUCH?
Public education is one of the factors that makes Santa Monica so desirable. I chose to live here so that my daughter could attend SMMUSD schools. City Council did not overstep its boundaries. It was heartbreaking to hear the courageous parents of special education students plead for help from City Council. It was outrageous to hear what they were subjected to. Any money given to the school district needs to be coupled with requisite performance standards. I would dedicate more funds, properly monitored, to the school district to insure that our schools continue and improve their performance levels. Important programs, like the arts programs and the special education programs need to not be at risk. There needs to be equal educational opportunity in our schools. My daughter benefited greatly from our schools, especially our music programs. That benefit needs to be guaranteed for all our students.
