I am endorsing Meghan Sahli-Wells for City Council in the April 13 election.
I was born and raised on the Westside, andIhave lived in Culver City since 1986. I am a member of the Screen Actors' Guild, the Los Angeles Press Club, and the International Documentary Assn. I am also President and founder of The Backlot Film Festival, which in the last five years has honored Mickey Rooney, Carl Reiner, Budd Schulberg and Daniel Selznick.
It has been said that Meghan lacks practical experience in local government. From what I have seen recently of local government experience, I am not overly impressed with their expertise.
The new City Council will hardly take office before the Planning Commission comes before them on April 28 to ask them to amend the Housing Element to supposedly bring it into compliance with a six-year-old state affordable housing law, Senate Bill 1818. The battle over how this law is to be implemented is being waged all over the state of California.
In neighboring Los Angeles, the Planning Commission would allow backyard apartments on land two-thirds smaller than required in Pasadena and would allow cars to be parked on front lawns.
Journalist Steven Leigh Morris wrote in the Dec. 11 edition of the L.A. Weekly an article called “Invasion of the Granny Flats.
He charged that former Los Angeles City Councilman Jack Weiss, City Planner Jane Blumenthal and Planning Director Gail Goldberg intend to propose a new city law that would allow auxiliary dwelling units in long protected neighborhoods. This sounds suspiciously like what the Culver City Planning Commission will be proposing in April.
Meghan was born in Culver City, and she grew up here. She is committed to preserving the integrity of our neighborhoods.
I've heard several politicians pay lip service to Culver City as the “Heart of Screenland. But only a handful have tried to do anything about it. Meghan told me personally that she will attempt to bring a real motion picture museum to Culver City that people from all over the world would come to see.
Culver City has been dominated by shortsighted political leaders who think that government should be run like a retail business. Retail businesses have to think primarily in the terms of here and now because the stock on their shelves, warehouses and used car lots have a constantly diminishing return due to the fact that they are financed by banks and lending institutions.
Governments need to look at the long range implications of what they are doing that will affect future generations.
Meghan spent some time living in Paris and has a cosmopolitan view of the world. She has stated that her priority is to protect our family neighborhoods and to enhance our community spirit.
That is why I am endorsing Meghan Sahli-Wells for the City Council.
Mr. Hawkins may be contacted at rjhculvercity@aol.com
