S A N TA M O N I C A
REFLECTING THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY smmirror.com
October 21 – October 27, 2022 Volume CLXIII, Issue 167
INSIDE Iconic The Georgian Hotel Set for Re-Launch PAGE 8
Mayor Sue Himmelrich Greets President Biden at Santa Monica Airport President’s two-day trip included Brentwood fundraiser and speech at VA By Sam Catanzaro President Joe Biden was in the area last week, landing at Santa Monica Airport where he was greeted by Mayor Sue Himmelrich, kickstarting a two-day trip that included a Brentwood fundraiser and a speech at the West Los Angeles VA. The President landed at LAX on Air Force One Wednesday and then took Marine One to Santa Monica Airport. On Thursday, Biden began the day at the West Los Angeles VA where touched on a range of infrastructure-related topics, including the Metro Purple Line Extension project currently underway. “Under Mayor Garcetti’s leadership, you finally got going on extending the Purple Line. You got a big boost in funding from the Infrastructure Law to finish the job,” Biden said.
“The extension of the Purple Line is going to add seven new stations, build a reliable highspeed connection between Downtown and the Westside. A trip from Koreatown to the VA campus, which now takes over an hour on a bus — sometimes longer than that — it’s going to shrink to 25 minutes on rail.” Biden then attended a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraiser Thursday evening in Brentwood. As reported by Deadline, tickets for the event–which featured an appearance by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi– cost between $5,000-$50,000. The latter price included a photo and reception. With just over a month weeks until the midterm elections, a number of Democratic candidates have come to Los Angeles to raise money. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, “showbiz sources” had contributed nearly $50 million to federal candidates and committees as of September 22, with 87 percent going towards Democrats, Deadline reported. Biden’s trip to Southern California is his first visit to the area since June. Ahead of his trip this week he waded into local politics by calling
Photo: City of Santa Monica Santa Monica Mayor Sue Himmelrich and President Joe Biden.
on LA City Council President Nury Martinez and Councilmembers Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo to resign after a leaked recording of racist remarks made by the three was released.
The recording was first reported by the Los Angeles Times on Sunday. As of Thursday afternoon, Martinez is the only one of the three to have resigned.
Local Grocery Store Workers’ Unions Oppose Proposed Kroger-Albertsons Merger Kroger looking to purchase Albertsons for $20 billion By Dolores Quintana UFCW Locals 7, 324, 367, 770 and 3000, union representatives for essential grocery workers in the Southern California area, issued a statement opposing the proposed merger of grocery store chains Kroger and Albertsons. Last Friday it was reported that Kroger had bid to purchase Albertsons for $20 billion or $34.10 a share. The merger is contingent on approval from the federal government’s regulatory agencies. The union locals cautioned that the merger could “cause significant harm to local grocery store industries, workers and customers in the Western United States from the Canadian border to Southern California and east to Colorado by giving the combined companies a monopoly. Kroger owns Ralph’s and Food 4 Less and is the largest grocery operator in the United States, Albertsons owns Albertsons, Safeway, Vons and Pavilions. Kathy Finn, UFCW 770 Acting President said, via emailed statement,“The proposed merger of
these two grocery giants is devastating for workers and customers alike and must be stopped. Just as our UFCW workers stood together to negotiate landmark new contracts with both Kroger and Albertsons/Safeway last year across the western US, we will stand united to fight for access to nutritious food, safe shopping experiences, and investments in good jobs in our communities. Essential UFCW grocery store workers emerged stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic, winning improved protections against the virus, store violence and other threats. Standing together, we know our voices are stronger than the corporations’ anti-worker rhetoric,” Kroger did not respond to a request for a statement, but a Ralph’s representative responded by referencing already released statement on the merger on their website. In it, Rodney McMullen, Kroger Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said, “We are bringing together two purpose-driven organizations to deliver superior value to customers, associates, communities and shareholders. Albertsons Cos. brings a complementary footprint and operates in several parts of the country with very few or no Kroger stores. This merger advances our commitment
Photo: Sam Catanzaro
to build a more equitable and sustainable food system by expanding our footprint into new geographies to serve more of America with fresh and affordable food and accelerates our position as a more compelling alternative to larger and nonunion competitors.” In that same statement, Chan Galbato, CoChair of the Albertsons Cos. Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Cerberus
Operations said, Today’s announcement marks the successful outcome of the Board-led review of strategic alternatives Albertsons Cos. announced in February. This transaction with Kroger provides substantial value to shareholders and exciting opportunities for associates to be part of a combined organization with the ability to better support the lives and health of millions of Americans.”