“Find ways to help people,” Mayor Phil Brock implored the public at the December 10th Santa Monica City Council meeting, the last of his mayoralty. “Find ways to uplift others.”
It was partly a request and partly a call to arms for compassion and kindness. In this Yuletide season of brotherhood and goodwill, it’s important to be reminded that these virtues aren’t just ideals for one brief holiday of one religion. They’re a fundamental part of the social fabric that sustains our society, and Brock was trying to remind us of that.
All of the outgoing Councilmembers were praised at the meeting: Oscar de la Torre for his dedication to the Pico community, Christine Parra for her commitment to civic engagement, Gleam Davis for her leadership and political mentorship, and the Mayor’s contribution was best described by Assembly Democratic Caucus Chair Rick Chavez Zbur.
“To many in this city, Mayor Brock has become synonymous with Santa Monica,” Assemblymember Zbur said, singling out Brock’s enthusiasm and devotion. “His love for Santa Monica is clear, and he’s one of the key cheerleaders for the city.”
If there were an election for Santa Monica mascot, Brock would likely win it in a landslide. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the outcome of his reelection bid. “I mistakenly thought everyone in the city knew me and knew my heart,” he said.
His heart is evident on his daily walks through the city, chatting up bus drivers, sewer maintenance workers and pothole patchers. “They aren’t just nameless, faceless workers,” he said. “Residents might not notice, but that’s who keeps the city going.”
Brock is a third-generation Santa Monican with similarly blue collar roots. His maternal grandmother cleaned motel rooms on Ocean Avenue, and his grandfather was a butcher at local grocery stores. Family lore has it that during the Depression, while working at a slaughterhouse, his grandfather cut off a finger for injury pay in order to feed his family.
Brock says his parents met on July 4th at the cannon in Palisades Park while his father, who was a Marine, was on shore leave from his aircraft carrier. It’s an appropriately Rockwellesque origin story for an elected leader who cherishes belonging to the Elks, the Kiwanis, the Lions Club, and the Rotary Club.
However, Brock’s family life was far from idyllic. His parents divorced while he was young, and at the age of 11, he sought refuge at the Boys Club of Santa Monica, where he started working at 16 and where he also learned the virtue of giving back.
“The expectations for me growing up were not very high,” he said. “I think my mother at one point said I should be a mail carrier, because there’s a pension.”
Instead he became a high school teacher and athletic coach, the latter being a continuation of his role at the Boys Club and a precursor to his 18 years on the Recreation and Parks Commission. His career veered from his expected trajectory in the 1980s when he decided to pursue acting work, with stints on television shows from “M*A*S*H” to “Matlock,” and for nearly 30 years he’s been a talent manager.
“I tried to make sure actors got trained and had a friend in their corner,” he said, describing his approach to managing, which isn’t very different from his approach to coaching — or public office.
At Brock’s best, he personifies civic virtue. He may not always be at his best, but none of us are. There were times that he was ill-prepared for Council meetings, and sometimes his actions fell short of his ideals, particularly his participation in fearmongering podcasts.
But civic virtue is something that’s currently in short supply. I don’t think it matters who you voted for in the national election to have qualms about some of the mean-spirited and self-centered rhetoric, and it’s what concerns me the most about the incoming administration in Washington.
Policy differences can be debated, but there’s something more fundamental at risk. I’m not one of the people who believes our country will cease to exist, but I do wonder if Little League can continue to exist. Because how can there be sports competitions if players won’t admit when they’ve lost a game? What are we teaching our children when hard work, fair play and charity to those less fortunate are denigrated by people in leadership positions?
I’m grateful to Phil Brock for championing altruism. “My basketball hero, Coach John Wooden, once said you can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you,” is what he counseled from the dais. I know he’s a politician and an actor, but I believe he’s sincere.
“I pledged to help people in the city, and that’s what I hope I’ve done,” he told me privately. “It’s not hokey for me.”
Helping people is never hokey. We need to look out for one another. That’s what we can teach our children — in this season and every other.
Devan Sipher can be reached at Unmuted.SMDP@gmail.com