Three Cheers for Kronovet as the “isms” Panic

By Kip Dellinger

In a state of apparent apoplexy over the recent election of landlord and property owner Robert Kronovet to the Rent Control Board, a recent letter writer to The Lookout implies (if not asserts) that Kronovet is a threat “to all Santa Monicans who recognize that affordable housing is a human right” (emphasis supplied).

Admittedly, that would be an acceptable interpretation for many residents of Santa Monica, the type that see “rights” in every nook and corner of life on earth. Just to reassure this writer he wasn’t’ missing anything, a search of the Bible, the Torah and Koran was undertaken along with a review of the Constitutions of the United States and California, and even the Santa Monica City Charter.

Confirming this writer’s long held suspicions, none of these theological or political documents argue, let alone mandate, that “affordable housing” is a “human right.”

Nonetheless, many in Santa Monica do hold this view – a view that is not even a “progressive” one; it is a Marxist belief. What most of these folks share is also a view that government should emphatically impose their views on the rest of humanity – which makes these folks little more than thinly disguised totalitarians – pick your “ism.” They populate not only the electorate, but also Santa Monica City government and they have long dominated the city’s entrenched ruling class – Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights (SMRR).

Various California state laws do govern housing and do require an “affordable housing element” for California cities to address in master plans based on a variety of economic and demographic components.

For example, just because a “low or fixed” income resident “desires” to live in beachfront property or in 2000 square feet, does not mean they are “entitled” morally or under law to do so. And if 10,000 more of those people “desire” to live in Santa Monica, there is no fundamental spiritual, moral or legal obligation to accommodate them – as much as folks like Johnson might feel otherwise.

Mr. Kronovet has often stated that Santa Monica should conform to state mandated affordable housing requirements but Santa Monica City policies should not be used to punish some through confiscatory land use policies to benefit others disproportionately. That is all Mr. Kronovet has stated with regard to advocacy of sound land use policy in the city.

California and local laws also contain a number of tenant protections. Unfortunately, many skillful tenants have long been and will remain quite adept at “gaming the system,” and the leadership of SMRR and their elected puppets on the Rent Control Board have long protected these folks from adequate oversight and public discipline under the guise that landlords are “evil” – including and castigating otherwise “protected” SMRR classes in the city such as the elderly and minority landlords; laughably, if one is an evil landlord their “color” and their age either disappear or become irrelevant. Liberalism meeting itself in a smashing collision as usual.

Mr. Kronovet has often stated that he would like to bring some sanity back to the process with regard to the Rent Control Board. In trying to portray his well-reasoned concerns and approach with the “evil” landlord and evil Republican characterization, Johnson simply reveals much about his own techniques and political agenda. This is evident by his attack on Kronovet for describing individuals on fixed-incomes and others most in need of stable, affordable housing as a “special interest” group.

What Bob Kronovet has said is the “renters” have become a special interest group as a result of SMRR turning thousands of tenants into beneficiaries of rental control that are decidedly “not” living on fixed income or in need of stable, affordable housing. You know them. Their $40,000 and up vehicles are parked in the garages, or in front, of rent control buildings.

This has been true for years – visible early on by the dozens upon dozens of BMW, Lexus, Acura and Infinity vehicles parked on the San Vicente divider immediately after the ’94 quake. It’s only become worse, even with the elimination of the most nauseating aspects of Santa Monica Rent Control.

It’s impossible not consider this group a “special interest” and one that enables SMRR to dominate not just rent policies in the City but to extend its tentacles into every aspect of political life in Santa Monica (e.g. iron-fisted control of the School Board, the City commissions and every other imaginable activity).

Kronovet’s got this one right. Whether he is or will be able to make a significant difference is debatable, but he has already stirred up the fear of the Marxists that populate the City that someone might be around to shine a light on their follies. It’s also nice to see someone get elected in the City that isn’t a SMRR operative, or is seemingly elected because of wealth, “bloodline” and ire over the height of a hedge.

The later are the most dangerous of political types because they’re trust fund babies who “have theirs”, therefore they don’t mind regulating and taxing people still trying acquiring “theirs”, and hiding behind charitable work they can afford to contribute because they do “have theirs.” Neat when you can afford it.

Kip Dellinger has met Bob Kronovet once, perhaps twice, long enough only to say hello; Kronovet describes himself as Republican that is “a fiscal conservative” and is “Liberal” on social issues. Actually, this is the description of a “Liberatian” as much as a Republican. Kip is considering applying to be Bob’s Chief of Staff.