Councilmember Pam O'Connor was selected to serve a fourth term as mayor by her peers on the City Council last week. Longtime member Kevin McKeown was again passed over for the post despite being a favorite among the electorate.
So, this week's Q-Line question asked:
Should the council have given McKeown a chance to be the mayor or was the right decision made?
"The council absolutely made the wrong decision. They should have chosen Kevin McKeown to be the mayor. Even Susan Lucci got the best actress award after playing Erica Kane for so many years and being passed over. It's high time that Kevin McKeown was made mayor."
"If Kevin wants to be mayor he should go where his obnoxious pontificating would be acceptable. His grandstanding style would mean we have a more laughable City Council than we do now. Pam is civilized and the better choice for our mayor."
"I think it is about time we, the people, elected our own mayor, as is done in most other cities, not only in California, but in the United States. I formerly lived in a city where the council member who got the most votes became mayor. And there were never any complaints or missteps, as we always have here. Also, if we learned that any members were owned, as so many of ours are, … they would never be re-elected. Wake up Santa Monica … before the next election."
"A couple of weeks ago I met our mayor on the street. She's an engaging sort. She's good, I suppose. But I think it's time to let somebody else in. But on the other hand, I guess she's OK."
"Of course Kevin McKeown should be mayor, not because he has served on the City Council for 14 years, but because he is the only member of a corrupt city government who gives a damn about Santa Monica and those who live here. He has not made his position into a private business, which benefits only himself. All the others mouth platitudes about the city by the sea by trashing it as fast as they can, just for the fun of it, and of course, for all those bribes. Do we really want developers and tourist trappers bringing in more traffic, building tenements and using up precious resources? If not, vote the cabal out. There must be a few more competent, honest people like McKeown who would serve us so much better."
"I definitely think that Kevin McKeown should have been given a chance to be mayor. In fact, I think that the whole council should be embarrassed for not having done so before this. Kevin McKeown is at every single event that is held in this city and he stays and he talks to people. He so obviously cares about our city and our citizens. He's had my vote for mayor all the way along the line. I'm just so disappointed in the other council members and terribly disappointed in Pam O'Connor for not passing the gavel over to Kevin. It should have been absolutely a no-brainer. It should have been by acclamation and not even voted on. For their petty little reasons they didn't do it. … Kevin deserves a chance now."
"Pam the scam is just more Spam from the commies from Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights (SMRR). They're all marching like Nazis to their anti landlord, pro development and tourism dollars. Kevin has been the only SMRR member who has any mind of his own and has voted against some of the overdevelopment and just another crooked scam by Pam. The reason he is not mayor is because he isn't sleazy enough for the other crooked commies from SMRR."
"Thank goodness McKeown wasn't made mayor. He is a friend of renters' rights and no one else. O'Connor has overstayed her welcome too, so not a good choice. I'm sorry [Gleam] Davis, who is one of the few competent council members, wasn't given a chance. We have a very complex city that deals with budgets worth hundreds of millions of dollars. We need some smart people making decisions and not those who live in denial that we are in the center of the second largest U.S. city."
"The same night he was passed over for mayor again, Kevin McKeown saved a whole neighborhood of senior citizens at Village Trailer Park. We Santa Monicans know who's the real leader on the City Council. McKeown is the residents' mayor."
"Yes, the council absolutely should have been fair and selected Kevin McKeown for mayor. O'Connor now has been mayor four times in an 18-year period and her predecessor at least three times in 14 years. The imagery to the people is only one of apparent cronyism and that a mayor was selected to please the developers over the people. If it had been McKeown people would have felt more confidence that the process was fair and we all know that he deserved it. Not a good start! Seems like more of the same."
"They should pick the mayor by using the Klingon method. One person proclaims themselves to be the mayor, and if someone objects a fight to the death occurs. Winner is the new mayor."
"If, during his long tenancy on the council, his colleagues have been unwilling to make McKeown figurehead mayor, we should defer to their judgment: They know him better than we do. Somebody's feelings are always getting hurt in politics; you don't let that guide decision-making."
"While I'm sure Councilmember O'Conner will do a fine job of presiding as mayor, it seems wrong to me that Kevin McKeown has once again been passed over. McKeown has consistently been one of the top vote-getters in our city. I wish someone would explain to the community why he is not being given his turn as mayor."
