2nd District Forum 1-18-2006

[ Excerpt from SBN-P, 1/19/2006 story by BARNEY McMANIGAL ]


... Joe Guzzardi, Dan Secord, Das Williams and Janet Wolf [attended a]... polite forum packed with close to 300 people eager for a glimpse of candidates aiming to succeed retiring incumbent Susan Rose.

Sponsored by the Coalition for Sensible Planning and Homeowners' Defense Fund, the event at the Goleta Valley Community Center tested candidates' positions on key issues such as traffic, state housing mandates and efforts to update the eastern Goleta Valley's growth plan.

It was the first such forum in what could be a contentious race.

The June 6 election will determine who represents the 2nd District on the Board of Supervisors, unless a candidate fails to win more than 50 percent of the vote. In that case, the top two finishers would meet again in November.

... The candidates generally agreed more than they disagreed. They all called for updating the Goleta Valley Community Plan immediately, preserving open space and resisting the state's "cookie-cutter" requirement for new growth.

But key fissures emerged on several fronts.

While all candidates hinted that the South Coast should not grow much, some candidates made more extensive pledges to fight development than others.

"My vision for this community is to keep it exactly as it is now," said Mr. Guzzardi, a County Fire Department emergency specialist and a Democrat.

Others said some degree of growth is inevitable.

"Things can't stay the same," said Mr. Williams, a Santa Barbara City Councilman and a Democrat. "But we can use good, sound planning practices."

Ms. Wolf, a former Goleta School Board member who said she entered the race because of her concerns about the area's diminishing quality of life, outlined strategies for resisting the state mandate successfully.

"There is an opportunity for us to fight these mandates through proper channels," said Ms. Wolf, a Democrat.

Dr. Secord, a former city councilman and a Republican, said the community would inevitably experience some growth, but highlighted the need for an updated plan. "There is power in the plan," he said.

Among the many pledges made to residents, Dr. Secord, Mr. Williams and Mr. Guzzardi supported the idea of creating a planning commission for the eastern Goleta Valley.

But Ms. Wolf expressed resistance, because of the potential cost and the precedent it sets for all other communities in the county to demand a similar panel.

"This would be another way of dividing our community into smaller segments," she said.

She suggested creating an advisory committee for the unincorporated Goleta Valley that would sign off on land use matters. Montecito, Santa Ynez and Isla Vista have similar panels.

When asked how they would work with the three North County property rights advocates who have dominated the five-member supervisorial board since last January, only Mr. Williams took a pugilistic stance.

"It's not a matter of getting along," said Mr. Williams. "It's a matter of standing up."

He pledged to "speak truth to power" on a variety of land use issues if voters elect him.

Ms. Wolf remarked that she would employ similar tactics to those she used on the school board, swaying colleagues where possible...

Highlighting his 15 years in public service, Dr. Secord said he knows how to build bridges with other elected officials.

"You don't get anything done by yourself," he said. "You need relationships. And relationships are built on trust."

... As a nonprofit organization, the coalition may not endorse a candidate. But it can advocate for issues, and members are free to support any candidate they want.

Coalition President and moderator Gary Earle said the event helped get past candidates' stump speeches and test their beliefs.

"Under stress, you have to fall back on your core values and your core decision-making," he said. "Then you can judge character."

e-mail: bmcmanigal@newspress.com


Santa Barbara News-Press