Around January 2008 the Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City (SMCLC) began circulating for signatures an initiative to limit commercial development in Santa Monica for 15 years to 75,000 square feet (with various exemptions). SMCLC called the initiative the “Residents’ Initiative to Fight Traffic” (RIFT), and true to its acronym, the initiative created a lot of discord in the city. The SMCLC had no difficulty gathering enough signatures (Santa Monicans are willing to sign anything that promises to limit traffic), and the initiative appeared on the November 2008 ballot as Measure T.
I wrote numerous articles about or partially about RIFT. Here in chronological order are some of the links:
Feb. 19, 2008 — “End Run with a Blunt Instrument” — http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/columns/FrankGruber/FG-2008/02_2008/02_19_2008_End_Run_with_a_Blunt_Instrument.htm
June 30, 2008 — “It's About Power” — http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/columns/FrankGruber/FG-2008/06_2008/06_30_2008_Its_About_Power.htm
Aug. 4, 2008 — “Shoot the Birds” — http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/columns/FrankGruber/FG-2008/08_2008/08_04_2008_Shoot_the_Birds.htm
Oct. 6, 2008 — “Catch my RIFT”
— http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/columns/FrankGruber/FG-2008/10_2008/10_06_08_Catch_my_RIFT.htm
