Santa Monica Council Race and Alan Weston

I would like to set the record straight regarding deliberately false accounts made by Santa Monica’s Renter’s Rights Coalition (SMRR) against Alan Weston in the Santa Monica City Council race. As an independent, Alan ran on a fiscal responsibility platform, while giving his support to the rent control laws.

Just days prior to the election, too late to issue a response, SMRR mailed to renters a flyer stating that Alan Weston is “in the back pocket of big real estate,” and “is heavily funded by big landlords and developers.” The truth--easily accessible from campaign filings--is that a mere 2% of Alan’s campaign funds came from such contributors.

The use by SMRR of fantasy facts (of which this is just one example) is not only an abuse of the electoral process, but perhaps most significantly, it shows a very cynical, manipulative attitude toward SMRR’s own constituency, Santa Monica’s renter population. It is especially cynical that a group organized to “protect rights,” and which takes pains to claim its high moral ground on a variety of issues, would so wantonly abuse the human rights (“thou shalt not bear false witness . . . “) of an individual with whom SMRR competes.

When made aware of these facts, Santa Monica’s renters must wonder: Do SMRR’s fuzzy ethics well up only during election times and then simply dissipate? I hope Santa Monica voters feel a challenge to keep close tabs on the inner workings of the new SMRR-dominated City Council.

BRUCE TYSON

Santa Monica

Tyson was treasurer of Weston’s campaign for City Council.