Santa Monica Daily Press Publisher Ross Furukawa conducts a one on one conversation with XX in anticipation of the upcoming election for California US Representative, 33rd District.
Michael Shapiro is against jets in Santa Monica "but I want to be very careful, with land that massive -- what's going to replace the airport? We have to weigh our environmental needs and practical business and tax needs, but can never, ever sell out the community for private business." Having grown up in Santa Monica, he says, "I still see people on the streets who were there when I was in high school." He cites the tragic number of veterans who are homeless, and says mental illness is also a big factor. "We need to provide health care, with a private/public partnership. We're the richest country in the world, and we should have solved this problem decades ago."
