Full Disclosure, One-sided Coverage and Disinterested Voice

September 4, 2002

Dear Editor,

In the interest of the "full disclosure" that Hotel Casa del Mar general manager Klaus Mennekes called for in a recent letter to your paper ("Practice What You Preach," August 21), I would like to explain in detail why I, a 20 year resident of Santa Monica, am now working for the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union.

From 1982-87 I worked as part of the City of Santa Monica's management team which decided to encourage the development of the city's tourism industry. We felt a thriving tourism trade would take advantage of the city's natural beauty, would bring needed revenue into the city government, and would produce minimal negative impacts on the community in terms of traffic and pollution.

To further the aim of promoting a successful hotel industry, the City Council rezoned the beachfront area, invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in promoting the city as a tourism destination, and over the years renovated the pier, the beachfront, the promenade and Palisades Park with taxpayers money.

Our economic planning was on target. Santa Monica's tourism industry is hugely successful and has amongst the highest hotel occupancy in the entire state, generating upwards of $750 million in business every year.

Yet, as I learned through my volunteer involvement with SMART, thousands of the workers in our luxury hotels, many of whom have worked there since the hotels opened, do not earn enough money to pull their families out of poverty. Despite their hard work, they still live below the poverty line and do not have health coverage for their children.

I feel that I personally have played a role in creating this unjust situation and that I have a responsibility to correct it. Therefore I have decided to devote myself, together with hundreds of other Santa Monica residents, to promoting and defending our Santa Monica Living Wage Law. .

Mr. Mennekes, you may have come to Santa Monica to run a business which turns a profit, there is no harm in that. But those of us who live in this town also want to make sure that the people who work in your business earn a living wage. I urge all Santa Monicans to vote yes on the Living Wage, proposition JJ, on the November 5th ballot.

Vivian Rothstein
(Ed. note: Vivian Rothstein is an organizer for the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union and a leader of SMART)

September 1, 2002

Dear Editor:

I attended the entirely one-sided debate on Measure JJ, the living wage ballot measure, that the Chamber hosted this week. I am disturbed that your coverage was just as unbalanced as the event. ("Outlook Bleak if Living Wage Approved, Professors Warn," August 28)

Here's what readers didn't learn from your article:

• The findings of Prof. Rick Sander, who spoke at the "open forum" are completely tainted by his paid consulting for the hotels.
• Professor Richard Freeman, one of the top labor economists in the world, came to the exact opposite conclusion of Sander. Freeman confirmed all of the findings of the City's original study: low-wage workers will benefit from the living wage law, the hotels can afford to pay the living wage, and job loss would not be significant.
• The living wage law primarily covers large hotels owned or operated by very wealthy corporations.
• The living wage will have virtually no effect on the restaurant industry, since only one or two are covered and they will likely qualify for a hardship exemption.
• The hardship clause protects businesses that can't pay the higher wage.
• Opposition to the living wage has been financed almost entirely by luxury hotels, to the tune of $1.5 million.
• The living wage has the support of dozens of respected leaders and organizations, including Sen. Sheila Kuehl, Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, California Democratic Party Chairman Art Torres, Santa Monica-Malibu School Board President Julia Brownley, Rev. Jim Conn, Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights and the Santa Monica Democratic Club, among many others.

Your paper plays a crucial role in reporting on current events in our city. That is why one-sided coverage of an issue as important as this one is unacceptable. I urge your paper to provide accurate, balanced information so readers can make an informed decision on this critical issue. If given the facts, I am confident that they will join me and thousands of other Santa Monica voters already committed to voting yes on Measure JJ.

Larry George
Santa Monica

August 28, 2002

Dear Editor,

Thank God for your disinterested voice in the news of Santa Monica. As usual, I thoroughly enjoyed your article and hope someday there will be some sort of a compilation of your articles. ("WHAT I SAY: It's Getting Hot in the Kitchen," August 12)

I wanted to add one item to your list of (Mayor Michael) Feinstein accomplishments. An important item in his resume, and listed as part of his first campaign boasts -- he is a graduate of the citizens police Academy of Santa Monica, in addition to selling skates at Green Party conventions.

He also traveled extensively in Europe, visiting (also enjoying their hospitality) many European Greens, about which he wrote a book. I'll gladly loan it to you. I bought it to increase my ability re: budget travel. I believe the European greens are excellent hosts.

Thanks to SMRR campaign telemarketers he will continue in office, in spite of all this.

Best regards,