This past week, Q-line asked:
The City Council has the somber task of having to replace a fallen member in Mayor Ken Genser. The task at hand is selecting the proper process and candidate to fill the open seat.
How should the council fill the seat? Should there be a special election or should the council select its next member, and who should it be?
Here are your responses:
“Regarding the selection of a replacement for Mayor Ken Genser for City Council, I suggest it goes to a vote. We have had enough of nepotism, cronyism and the council choosing those that best fit in with their opinions. We need to have public input.”
“Do we really need yet another useless, expensive special election? Do we really need more inbreeding by allowing the stacked City Council members chose a replacement? No on both accounts. I guess I’m saying I don’t have an answer, maybe forget the position altogether until the next regular election. We have enough useless administrators screwing things up already anyway.”
“If you are not a member of the club, don’t bother applying.”
“I believe the seat that opened from Ken Genser’s death ought to be filled for now with the selection of Patricia Hoffman. I think that her record shows her to be an honest person, probably more honest than those on the council right now. She’s proven herself already.”
“The city of Santa Monica should add glamour to the City Council. My choice for mayor would be any of the following: Jane Fonda, Jackie Stallone, Barbra Streisand, Dick Van Dyke, Martin Sheen, Larry Hagman, George Clooney and Brad Pitt, to name a few. All have big hearts and are down to Earth.”
“It’s a no brainer that the sickos from Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights who run our town will pick one of their most despicable and corrupt monsters from their evil, cockroach nest. At least Ken Genser was a longtime local who cared a little about our city. Just wait and see, they will select someone who will make Genser look like a saint in comparison.”
“Since the City Council doesn’t use districts they should just leave the seat vacant. There are too many council members already. Why add another one.”
“There should always be an election for City Council members. The best proof for this is during the last vacancy when the council members appointed a person who did not even run for a seat during the previous election and was defeated when she did run. And while we’re on the subject, the mayor should not be appointed. The mayor should be the one who got the most votes in the previous election, as it is done in other cities.”
“Unfortunately, the City Council would never appoint Jerry Rubin, but there are a lot of other good people out there as well.”
“I think it should go to the runner up from the previous election. It should be Ted Winterer. It should have happened previously when Herb Katz died, but it was Gleam Davis with the results of an election three or two years previously. They can save the money from not having a special election by choosing the runner-up in previous elections.”
“I like the idea of Patricia Hoffman channeling Ken Genser. Ms. Hoffman was lackluster when she was on the school board. With Mr. de la Torre and his diversity crack and forgetting about what competence means, you now have people who because of their affiliation with a political group that has 30 years of ruinous failure in vision, leadership, freedom and skill in Santa Monica. City Hall has a $500,000,000 budget and they are worried about $200,000 for a special election. The school district spends an extra $200,000 to con us with a mail-in vote for more funds. If this wasn’t so serious, this could be a bad sitcom. … Win one for the Genser by having a special election where everyone has the opportunity to vote for a candidate based on their ability.”
“I think that the City Council should pick the next member and don’t waste money on a special election. They should pick Patricia Hoffman. She was a school board member and has experience in meetings like that.”
“They should either appoint the runner-up from the last election, Ted Winterer, or hold a special election. That is the only right and ethical thing to do.”
“Ken Genser was a good man. Ken Genser was an amazing man. Ken Genser might have been a genius. Ken Genser came to me in a dream last night and Ken Genser told me that the person he would like to replace him on the City Council of Santa Monica. Ken Genser suggested that Jerry Rubin or Mickey Mouse replace him on the Santa Monica City Council.”
“We the people of Santa Monica are mad as hell. We the people of Santa Monica won’t take it any more. We the people of Santa Monica demand a special election. We the people of Santa Monica are tired of having the same people reshuffled around the city. This is not China where the people do not elect their leaders.”
