votepatricia.com
Patricia Hoffman for Santa Monica City Council - 2004
The Issues
| Growth and Development - The next Council will be updating the Land Use and Circulation element, which will set the standards by which we will grow for the next ten to twenty years. I want to ensure extensive public discussion and review before synthesizing a plan based on community input and sound planning principles. Also, under this umbrella, we need to work with the Planning Department on improving efficiency in the delivery of services. The processes need to be more user-friendly. Enforcement should focus on some of the more egregious violations. Implementing the Matrix management audit recommendations is a good first step. Housing and Homelessness - In addressing the issues of housing and homelessness in our community, we need to remember that homelessness is a national problem. I would like to follow the example of the large cities  that are taking a multifaceted approach, such as those in New York, San Francisco and the most recent addition, "Bring LA Home." Housing, social services and work programs are part of this approach. We need job training and livable wages in addition to the safety nets of child care and health care that were once a larger part of the federal and state budgets. I support implementing this positive, regional solution.Education - I was the President of the Santa Monica-Malibu Board of Education for two of my eight years on the Board. I have consistently demonstrated my deep commitment to education. I continue to serve on the SMMUSD Financial Oversight Committee and the Intercultural Committee. I have been an advocate of City funding for the School District for more than twenty years. The benefits of a high quality education reverberate through the community. It is my belief that education affects all other City issues. It enables people to participate in civic life, and enhances the desirability of Santa Monica as a place to live and work. Vision - Santa Monica continues to be a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family. My vision is that we remain a little city with a big heart. I see Santa Monica as a hub of economic and social diversity. I see a clean and safe city with sustainable development, good schools, good transportation, and a variety of cultural and recreational opportunities. I also see a City that takes pride in people working together as homeowners, tenants, businesses, and workers. Transportation - We have an award winning Big Blue Bus system. It is first rate but it cannot meet all of our transportation needs. We need light rail, and as our population ages, we need some sort of public door-to-door service. We also need to continue to work toward getting people out of their cars by improved walk and bicycle routes. These programs can work together to help solve our traffic and parking problems. |