Blue Ribbon Response

[ The following is a Letter to the Editor, SBN-P, published 5/21/2006, from Das, in response to 3rd District Supervisor Brooks Firestone's "Blue Ribbon Commission" recommendations. ]


I believe half of leadership is the ability to reach out to people, even those of different political parties or parts of the county, negotiate and work on reaching common ground. However, the other half of leadership, often the toughest half, is the ability to stand up to a majority if it is headed off in a direction that will hurt the people of this county.

The bottom line is that I do not work for the other members of the Board of Supervisors, I work for the people, and I must stand up for them if their interests are threatened, as they are by the recommendations of Mr. Firestone's "blue ribbon commission" to increase oil development, the permitting of ugly auto malls, and the construction of new "urban villages" (apparently, that is a new phrase for suburban sprawl).

In 14 years of public service, I have a record of being able to wield both aspects of leadership in the cause of protecting our neighborhoods, our environment, and our future. If the North County supervisors are willing to address the concerns and needs of Santa Barbara and the Goleta Valley, then they will find me to be very reasonable. If they are not willing to do so, they will find that I can fight tooth and nail for the people that elected me.

DAS WILLIAMS

Santa Barbara News-Press