The city by the beach, which has been hit by homelessness, crime, and an ongoing retail collapse, now faces fiscal catastrophe.
The Santa Monica Daily Press reported: “The dire financial situation is a result of a shortfall in revenue relative to forecasts combined with ongoing litigation, most notably the Uller sexual abuse case.”
The publication reported in 2023 that the city had reached a $229.8 million settlement over the claims: “Eric Uller was accused of abusing young boys between the late 1980s and early 2000s while he was employed by the City and volunteered in the Police Activities League (PALs), a city owned nonprofit. He committed suicide before his criminal trial in 2018.”
The Los Angeles Times reports that the case has crashed the city:
Services in Santa Monica are also suffering, according to the [city’s] report. During the COVID-19 pandemic, city leaders slashed the city’s budget and eliminated hundreds of positions. City services haven’t been restored to pre-pandemic levels, and several capital projects remain unfunded.
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The report also cites recent and proposed changes by the federal government, including tariffs and mass deportations, that could affect the local and national economies.
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In April, Santa Monica ended negotiations with Olympics organizers to host beach volleyball during the 2028 Games.
Santa Monica is often referred to as the “People’s Republic of Santa Monica,” due to its left-wing policies. It is one of the wealthiest towns in America, and diverts public resources to ideological policies as climate change, criminal justice reform, and resisting immigration enforcement (though it is not officially a “sanctuary city”).
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Zionist Conspiracy Wants You, now available on Amazon. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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