Dear Editor –
“They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”
A vote for Dan O’Brien and Denice Renteria is a vote for billionaire Michael Hackman who is funding their campaigns (PAC and otherwise) to the tune of more than $250k. This amount is of course likely to increase as Nov 8 draws nearer.
Jamie Wallace is President of Culver City Neighbors United which has also received funding from Hackman and is an associate of alt-right man-goblin Ron Bassilian. Common Sense Culver City and Culver City Coalition have also received payments from the Hackman ‘slush fund’.
This is a planned corporate takeover of our city by a billioniare commercial real estate developer. Hackman recently tried to knock down the ‘fairy house’ on Poinsettia Court to create more parking. Rancho Higuera Neighborhood fought this and Alex Fisch helped to save the house from destruction. But Hackman still owns it and, one would imagine, will buy more.
Ask yourselves, what will Renteria and O’Brien do for Mr Hackman in return for his exceedingly generous donation to their campaigns?
What is it about them that appeals to his corporate ideology?
Why would he feel that THEY are worth investing in?
Why them? Why now?
I urge you to vote for smart experienced relevant candidates who will work for our city, not for ‘small-town’ thinkers who will work for their benefactor, a billionaire commercial developer.
Hackman has previously stated that money is no object to him.
If Hackman doesn’t get what he wants this time, he will be back again and again until we shut him out of our elections.
Whatever your political affiliation, please send a strong message to Hackman that billionaires do NOT get to buy our democracy.
On principle we need to say NO to this corporate takeover of our city and send a resounding message to this Billionaire.
Michael Hackman you do NOT get to control our city’s democracy.
Vote for Puza and Fisch.
Polly Beale – Culver City Resident, Business Owner and Educator
It would REALLY be a community benefit to not publish letters to the editor that are riddled with fabrications and outright lies. Just about the only thing in this letter that is true is that it appears to be written by Polly Beale.
I have to agree with Jeannine.
Dan and Denice has more integrity in a pinky finger than either Fisch and/or Puza. Fisch has been caught making backroom deals with a Union. Puza just broke State Election Law.
Oh for Pete’s sake. This is the kind of letter that reminds me why I don’t like “progressives” even though I generally align myself with their ideals. I am no fan of Culver City Neighbors United and their stand on single-family zoning in our city, but I have admired their diligence and hard work in supporting their positions. The notion of pairing up Jamie Wallace and Ron Bassalian is just plain idiotic, and does a disservice to those of us who would like to focus on issues, not on character assassination and distractions.
I am counting on voters to get their roads, sidewalks, parks, small businesses, affordable housing, single family neighborhoods, police and schools back.
We can do better by representing and supporting everyone, including our campers.
Vote for Dan O’Brien and Denice Renteria.
For information concerning Hackman-related contributions—about 1/2 million dollar—to former council member Thomas Small’s organization and other matters concerning Culver City politicians, please see http://www.LGEsquire.com/Culver_City_Is_An_Ethical_Desert.html . The only way to clear CC of its ethical lapses is to implement an independently managed fraud, waste, and abuse system. Neither the right nor the left wanted that when they voted to implement a flawed system that they could control.
All funding for political campaigns are filed here: https://public.netfile.com/Pub2/Default.aspx?focus=SearchName
Here are just some examples of some of the monies that Hackman Capital Partners is pouring into our local election. It’s clear that at the beginning of 2022, Hackman had appointed professional market research groups to ensure he gets what he wants in Culver City. This is a well-planned and well-funded attack on our local democracy. The following list is far from being exhaustive and does not take into account the personal donations by many developers who have directly contributed to Renteria and O’Brien’s campaign.
01/01/2022 – 09/24/2022 payment of $10,000 to Research America, Newtown Square, PA 19073 A nationally known market research company with offices in nine states.
Paid for the Alliance for Culver City to Support the Election of Denice Renteria and Dan O’Brien for City Council 2022, Sponsored by The Culver Studios/Hackman
09/12/2022 The Culver Studios Owner, LLC(Ryan Smith) Culver City, CA 90232 donates $175,000 to Alliance For Culver City To Support Renteria and O’Brien Sponsored by The Culver Studios/Hackman
09/28/2022 The Culver Studios Owner, LLC(Ryan Smith) Culver City, CA 90232 donates $40,783.13 From Alliance for Culver City to Support the Election of Denice Renteria and Dan O’Brien for City Council 2022, Sponsored by The Culver Studios/Hackman
09/30/2022 Research Costs to Support Denice Renteria for City Council 2022 payment of $20,391.57 plus Mailer to Support Denice Renteria for City Council 2022 payment of $12,969.95. Cumulative to date total $33,361.52 From Alliance for Culver City to Support the Election of Denice Renteria and Dan O’Brien for City Council 2022, Sponsored by The Culver Studios/Hackman
10/04/2022 FROM Alliance For Culver City To Support Renteria and O’Brien donates $5,000 to CULVER CITY NEIGHBORS UNITED Sponsored by The Culver Studios/Hackman
10/14/2022 The Culver Studios Owner, LLC(Ryan Smith) Culver City, CA 90232 donates $10,000
From the Alliance for Culver City to Support the Election of Denice Renteria and Dan O’Brien for City Council 2022, Sponsored by The Culver Studios/Hackman
10/14/2022 Michelle Maravich Owner of Maravich Associates. Nationally known political strategist LLC is paid $10,000.00
From Alliance for Culver City to Support the Election of Denice Renteria and Dan O’Brien for City Council 2022, Sponsored by The Culver Studios/Hackman
10/18/2022 FROM Alliance For Culver City To Support Renteria and O’Brien For City Council 2022 donates to CULVER CITY COALITION $10,000 Sponsored by The Culver Studios/Hackman
To all the hard-working people working at a grassroots level to get Puza and Fisch elected, this is what we’re up against. We need to work hard for our exceptionally well-qualified and genuinely #cckind candidates. We can do this. Let’s send Hackman packing!
One more for the road:
07/08/2022 The Culver Studios, Culver City, CA 90232 donated $1,000.00 to COMMON SENSE CULVER CITY.
Everything Beale stated is factual.
What does this prove? All I can see is that Hackman, who has invested in improving Culver City is making strategic contributions to protect that interest. It is entirely rational.
Furthermore, the “progressive” side of the campaign is getting money from somewhere. Just look at Puza’s glossies and Elzidore’s soft focus feel good video, the one with Kelli Kent in the background in nearly every shot. Those were t made for free. Who is supporting them?
I suspect that Polly would say “the people,” but what she really means is organized labor. While I don’t have a particular issue with organized labor supporting a campaign, it is not interchangeable with “the people” although they like to assert they are. I wonder, for example, how many Oaxacans, African Americans, or Asian Americans feel that the LA Federation of labor has their backs in anything but a political rifle scope.
Point is that, for better or worse, political campaigns of all types are supported by outside money. Is that a good thing? I don’t think so, but that is the world we currently live in. Labor money (or other sources of political funds) are no holier that Hackman’a money.
Whatever side one picks, that side is heavily supported by special interests. The only question is which interests.