Santa Monica’s Vice Mayor Lana Negrete has expressed concern over the growing issue of politically driven misinformation campaigns in the city. These tactics have reportedly been used by Unite Here Local 11, a hospitality workers union that represents over 32,000 employees, to discredit and attack candidates they disagree with during election season.
Negrete was elected to the City Council in 2022 despite significant financial opposition from her opponents. She claims that Unite Here spent thousands of dollars in an attempt to defeat her by spreading misinformation about her political affiliations and personal beliefs, even though she has a long history as a renter and registered Democrat who has lived in a rent-controlled unit for decades.
According to Negrete, the union’s misinformation campaign was particularly evident during the 2022 election when they opposed her support for an amendment that would allow a hotel to expand its lobby restaurant during the COVID-19 pandemic and serve customers who were not guests of the hotel. Despite this being a reasonable request supported by the city’s planning department, Unite Here chose to spread misinformation about Negrete in their campaign mailers in order to discredit her position on this issue.
Negrete believes that these tactics prevent fair elections and keep voters from making informed decisions about the candidates they support. She argues that if this trend continues, it will only serve to distract people from focusing on the real issues that matter and further perpetuate misinformation in the community.
As a longtime resident of Santa Monica and the owner of a local music shop, Negrete has noticed that many people in the community have become increasingly lax in how they consume news and information. This has led to an increase in the spread of misinformation, particularly on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
Negrete shared that after the election, she met with several residents who had been misinformed about her political stance through deceitful campaign mailers sent out by Unite Here. However, after spending some time with Negrete in person, these residents were able to learn the truth about her beliefs and the issues she supports.
In conclusion, Santa Monica’s Vice Mayor Lana Negrete has expressed concern over the growing issue of misinformation campaigns driven by politically motivated unions and organizations. She believes that these tactics are undermining fair elections and keeping voters from making informed decisions about their local leaders. As a longtime resident and business owner, Negrete is committed to fighting against the spread of misinformation in her community and encouraging residents to engage in open dialogue and fact-checking to ensure they make informed choices at the ballot box.
