Editor:
In Ted Winterer’s Opinion piece of Nov. 4th, “Whither Santa Monica?” he seems to know an uncomfortable amount about Donald Trump’s political techniques. So much so, in fact, he can use some plays straight out of the Trump playbook for his own purposes. To wit:
Winterer says “not so long ago our political discourse was aspirational rather than divisive and focused on “community”’. That’s an awfully rosy look back at decades of residents’ voices falling on deaf ears in council chambers. There might have been “community”, but only for those in the ruling class; if you were on the outside, forget it.
He bemoans our current “intolerably long meetings as our elected have to be spoon-fed information...” Sure, let’s all go back to those speedy meetings of the 1990’s and early 2000’s — that only lasted to 1:30 in the morning or later.
He says the current council has “followed the Trump playbook so effectively that they are now the ensconced political establishment.” Sorry Ted, that’s called getting elected: it makes you the political establishment, no matter who’s playbook you’re purported to follow.
Winterer’s summary encapsulates everything that got Trump elected. How different, really, is Winterer’s admonishment to vote for “candidates who seek to restore a culture of inclusiveness, compassion, and competence to our municipal government” from “Make America Great Again”?
“Restore”? Really? It’s too late for that, especially since it never existed. We’d be better served as a city to take off those rose colored glasses and vote for candidates that can best lead Santa Monica into the future.
Don Gray, Santa Monica
