The following articles relating to SMO have appeared in the press during August 2014: Initiative Arguments: Future control of SMO (Santa Monica Daily Press, Aug 31, 2014) Airport Measure Litigation Halted Until After Election (SM Lookout, Aug 30, 2014) Court Dismisses…

A History of the Dispute
This post is intended to give a history of the dispute over Santa Monica Airport (SMO) ownership between the City and the FAA as well as of the mounting opposition to the airport from the impacted residents in the surrounds.…
SMO in the News – July 2014
The following articles relating to SMO have appeared in the press during July 2014: Letters: Virginia Park dog park and let ‘em vote on SMO (SM Daily Press, July 30, 2014) Airport Supporters Raise Over $260,000 for Ballot Battle (SM Lookout,…

Aviation Lobby Screams “foul” as City Considers Alternative to Deceptive Ballot Proposal
Acting on the City Attorney’s advice, the Santa Monica City Council unanimously voted at its meeting Tues., June 24 to draft a ballot measure that would allow the City to continue to manage its municipal airport (SMO) while subjecting future…

A conversation about the AOPA ballot initiative
The following exchange occurred in the comments section of the June 10 SMDP post on the filing of the AOPA-backed ballot initiative signatures. The content of the exchange is sufficiently enlightening that we decided to post it in full here…

Aviation Lobby turns in signatures in effort to block safety, air quality, changes at SMO
A deep-pocketed lobbying group turned in petitions to the Santa Monica City Clerk today (June 10), in an effort to block the city’s efforts to reduce or eliminate the health and safety hazards from Santa Monica Airport (SMO). The Washington,…
The opposing ballot initiatives
You can find details on the City’s ballot initiative here. You can find the full text of the aviation lobbyist (or AOPA) initiative here, and the City’s summary of it here. Both are designed to modify the City charter in order to make…