Audio/Video @ SBIndyMedia.org

Dorothy Littlejohn shot some video of Das' announcement and clips from some of his supporters. The audio and video is posted at SBIndyMedia.org at:

Santa Barbara IMC: Das Williams Runs for Supervisor

Motivations for Running

[ Excerpt originally published in the SBN-P, December 2005 ]


POLITICAL CROSSROADS: DECISION COULD CHART COUNCILMAN'S CAREER

By Steve Malone


Das Williams is at a political crossroads.

Just 31, with less than two years in office, he faces the most important decision of his young political career: whether to run for the 2nd District seat on the Board of Supervisors.

In the face of resistance and pressure not to run from the local Democratic Party hierarchy, who want to clear the field for Janet Wolf, Mr. Williams is struggling to decide if he should challenge the establishment, or do what doesn't come naturally for him: slow down...

He surprised the political establishment when he was elected to the Santa Barbara City Council two years ago, without many key endorsements, relying mostly on environmentalists and neighborhood groups to get him into office.

Political consultant John Davies... described Mr. Williams as an outspoken rebel who has carved his own path. The councilman won't do himself any political favors if he doesn't run, Mr. Davies said, because the people who don't like him have already made up their minds.

"He has changed politics in the city of Santa Barbara more than anyone in a long time," said Mr. Davies, who has advised many Republican candidates, including Santa Barbara Councilman Dan Secord...

"He has taken bold stands. If Das doesn't run and doesn't go anywhere for two years, he will absolutely go stir crazy with the rest of his life."

Mr. Davies said the councilman has two political plays: Assembly or county supervisor...

The wrong decision could make Mr. Williams' political future more challenging.

In hopes of finding the answer, he spent the last two weeks in the U.S. Virgin Islands pondering his choice.

"I'm spending some time getting back to basics: praying and thinking about what I began this journey into public service 13 years ago to accomplish," Mr. Williams said. "Back then, I realized if the wrong people held power in government, then every natural place that I loved from the Gaviota Coast to More Mesa would be developed and destroyed within my lifetime."

A lot is at stake for Mr. Williams.

If he wins, he will have successfully spring-boarded from the City Council to the Board of Supervisors. Without term limits there, and with an incumbent's advantage, Mr. Williams could serve for several terms and still have many political options open.

If he runs and loses, he risks burning his political capital. If he splits the Democratic vote and Janet Wolf loses to the popular moderate Republican Dr. Secord, he runs the risk of getting blamed for the Democrats' loss.

On the other hand, if Mr. Williams decides not to run, he risks appearing to have bowed to pressure. He may also have missed his chance to run for the Board of Supervisors, where open seats don't occur frequently...

He is trying hard to change people's perceptions that he is overly ambitious. He insists ego is not behind his passion.

"It is not, as my detractors represent, personal ambition that makes me 'a young man in a hurry,' " Mr. Williams said. "The difficult choice I face is where I can best serve the people of our community, but as long as they will have me, I will serve them in some capacity for the next 10 to 20 years."

... Jon Williams, chairman of the Santa Barbara Progressive Coalition, said it is too early for the councilman to decide not to run. "I don't at all mind both of them running, and I think polls will tell us as we get closer if we are going to hurt a chance for a progressive victory," he said. "At that time, one of them can bow out. I don't think it has to happen at this point."

The councilman is afraid of making the wrong decision. He wants an assurance that the 2nd District supervisor will show leadership and oppose a "growth at any cost" agenda...

"If I can be convinced that Janet can win and can provide that voice, then I will not run," he said. "But if no one else will provide that leadership, I will step forward. I do not want to make the wrong decision and do anything to strengthen the hand of the people who would see development of every precious piece of this county."

Santa Barbara News-Press

2nd District Forum 1/18/2006

[ Excerpt from article by Nick Welsh in the SBI, 1/26/2006 ]

... Some 350 community activists, interested citizens, and political spectators crammed into Goleta Valley Community Center last Wednesday night to hear what the four candidates vying for Supervisor Susan Rose’s soon-to-be-vacant 2nd District seat had to say on matters of growth, development, and congestion. In turn, Das Williams, Janet Wolf, Dan Secord, and Joe Guzzardi played to the fears of a markedly slow-growth crowd worried that California’s affordable-housing mandates might cramp their quality of life.

Santa Barbara City Councilmember Das Williams presented himself as a fighter who, if elected, would not go quietly into the pro-growth night of the sitting board majority; Wolf touted her record of constructive engagement during her 11 years on the Goleta School Board; Secord, who recently stepped down from the Santa Barbara City Council, argued his strong relations with the board’s Republican majority would enable him to most effectively represent the needs of the district; and Guzzardi — a longtime neighborhood advocate — offered himself as the citizen politician who would try to keep politics out of government.

Though the candidates differed on details, all agreed that Goleta’s community plan needed to be updated before any land was rezoned to accommodate the increased housing densities necessary to build affordable housing. None of the candidates sought to champion the issue of “workforce housing,” which until recently had been all the rage among South Coast politicians. That fact reflected both the region’s shifting political winds as well as the agenda of the groups sponsoring the forum: the Homeowners Defense Fund, the Coalition for Sensible Planning, and the Santa Barbara News-Press.

newsoftheweek

2nd District Discussion

There's an active discussion of the first days of the 2nd District campaigns at blogabarabara at:

blogabarbara

2nd District Wants Details

Letter to the Santa Barbara News-Press, 1/24/2005, by Charles Kent of Noleta:


... The 2nd District debate in Noleta by aspiring supervisors on Wednesday was a great event for voters -- except the following critical details weren't addressed:

• How to actually push through a bona fide updated 2nd District community plan that's required by law. Supervisor Susan Rose and county administrators have been stalling this for three years while considering zoning changes to help development corporations build dense new housing in Noleta.

• How to effectively challenge state-mandated housing rules that pro-development corporations, pro-subsidy forces and our county administrators use as a weapon against established neighborhoods to justify forcing dense new housing into our narrow and unique South Coast corridor.


All candidates claimed to support a community plan preserving agricultural land, avoiding traffic gridlock and other negative impacts. We've heard such claims from previous politicians. Yet the march toward rezoning and overbuilding continues. The only forces slowing this march have been private citizens banding together to protect our neighborhoods.

We hope all candidates will provide specifics on these issues in the near future.

Das Campaign 2003 Photos

Jen Ancona collected some of her images from Das' campaign for city council, in 2003. They show not only a lot of work, but a good time by all volunteers. Pleas go to:

Das Williams for Santa Barbara City Council - a photoset on Flickr

Democrats of Two Minds

[ Excerpt from SBN-P article by JOSHUA MOLINA, 1/22/2005 ]


... County Democrats are engaged in a power struggle over the control, leadership and direction of the local party.

From a divisive Santa Barbara City Council election, to a splintered race for 2nd District supervisor and the creation of new groups calling themselves "progressive," the political landscape in Santa Barbara is shifting...

The outcome of the local political battle has real implications for county residents. The winners of the power struggle would set the agenda for public discourse and shape local government action on housing, the environment, mass transit, public employee pensions, development, and other issues that affect day-to-day life. They also would be in line to run for local and state offices.

Some in the party characterize the split as merely a healthy competition of ideas, while others say it represents a generational and ideological war.

"I think business as usual is over," said Jon Williams, acting chairman of the Santa Barbara Progressive Coalition, a group formed out of the Dean [for President] movement.

"I think the Democratic Party here is morphing into a whole different creature," said Mr. Williams. "I don't know how long it will last. I think it is full of people right now who feel we darn well better keep an eye on what our elected officials are doing."

The party division is pronounced in the current battle for 2nd District county supervisor, where the local Democratic political establishment is pulling out all the stops to keep the seat in its hands. Many current and former elected officials got behind candidate Janet Wolf last year -- seven months before the June primary, weeks before she formally announced and months before the deadline to file for the seat.

These Democrats attempted to pressure another potential candidate, Das Williams, to get out of the race. In return, they pledged their support in future races. Mr. Williams, who has backing from other Democrats, stayed in the race, angering some of Ms. Wolf's supporters.

News conferences held by Ms. Wolf and Mr. Williams to kick off their campaigns captured the party split.

Ms. Wolf announced at Tucker's Grove Park, with Rep. Lois Capps, 2nd District Supervisor Susan Rose, 1st District Supervisor Salud Carbajal, retired supervisor Naomi Schwartz, Goleta School board member Susan Epstein and former Mayor Harriet Miller at her side.

Standing with Mr. Williams at More Mesa were Santa Barbara City Council members Helene Schneider and Roger Horton, Mayor Marty Blum, former supervisor Gail Marshall, and former state Assemblywoman Hannah Beth-Jackson.

At first blush, all of these local Democrats are generally like-minded in their values. The gap between the two groups is much closer than the one between Republicans and Democrats.

The distinctions between them are real, but subtle: They center on personality, political vision and personal relationships.

Party-line Democrats downplay the significance of a split. They say differences within the party are healthy.

"We are not like the Republican Party," said Bob Handy, a longtime party activist and district representative for the state party. "They get their talking points, people like Rush Limbaugh and Michael Reagan, from the Republican National Committee and they stay on message. We are a diverse group of people. We think for ourselves. We may not always be right, but we think for ourselves."

Mr. Handy challenges the notion of a clear-cut split within the party and said efforts to clear the field for one candidate -- like the one for Ms. Wolf -- have long been practiced and will continue to be.

"There have always been efforts to discourage people or encourage people, as long as I have been in politics the last 30, 35 years," Mr. Handy said. "The Democratic Party has always had young Turks, and the young Turks eventually become old farts. There have always been young turks in the Democratic Party, and we welcome them."

Much of the contention within the local party centers on the word "progressive"...

Those who use the term to describe themselves say it means standing up for what you believe in, no matter the political consequences. Voters are becoming increasingly disenfranchised from government because they feel that elected officials, particularly moderate Democrats, cast their votes to stay in power rather than in the interests of the best public policy, they say.

"The core difference is about whether politicians are about taking a superficial look at where people are at and trying to pander to that, versus standing on a set of principles and trying to move the agenda and set the debate in a progressive direction," said Daraka Larimore-Hall, a self-described progressive and vice chairman of the Democratic Central Committee, the local arm of the statewide party. "That means reaching out to those people who have not been included in the political process before."

He said that the moderate-versus-progressive divide exists here in Santa Barbara and, as in many other places, "the elites tend to be moderate and the grassroots more progressive."

Vernon Schabert, chairman of the Democratic Central Committee, who beat Mr. Larimore-Hall by one vote to win that seat, said progressive is an unfair label that boxes people in politically.

"I often think that labels progressive versus moderate are unfortunate because they collapse a lot of difference in opinion into two handy buckets," Mr. Schabert said. "Using a label like moderate or progressive often implies a global position on issues like housing and development."

Mr. Schabert said as a member of the committee, his job is to get qualified Democrats into office, no matter where they fall on the Democratic political spectrum.

"The danger here is when people engage in this discussion about progressive versus moderate, it is often code about individual people not liking each other or not liking personalities."

Santa Barbara City Councilwoman Iya Falcone exemplifies the debate over style and personality among the Democrats. She is popular among voters and even more so within the Democratic political establishment.

But during last fall's Santa Barbara City Council race, a small but motivated group of critics launched a campaign to oust her from office. By the end of campaign, the drive to defeat her was in full force, with Democrats who opposed her holding a news conference from the steps of City Hall, denouncing her values.

But by that time, Ms. Falcone, a former political consultant, had called in the big guns.

She pulled in an A-team of high-ranking, moderate Democrats: Rep. Capps, former mayor Miller, Mr. Carbajal and his predecessor Mrs. Schwartz, who appeared in TV ads praising the councilwoman's "honesty" and integrity. Ms. Falcone easily won re-election. The slate of well-known Democrats sent a powerful message to undecided voters.

... Mr. Carbajal, a strong Falcone supporter, said labeling Democrats is superficial. What matters most are not labels, or personality, but a lawmaker's voting record, he said.

"The words tend to pigeon-hole people," Mr. Carbajal said. "It is not about saying this or that, but reflecting it in past action and experience."

Supervisor Rose said the important issues have shifted in the last eight years... She said the real tension among Democrats is not over progressives and moderates, but over housing and the environment.

When she was elected seven years ago, much of the public discourse centered around the environment. But now, as the cost of living on the South Coast rises to one of the highest in the country, housing is the hot-button issue, she said. Striking a balance between the environment and housing is difficult. "The issues shift," she said. "Alliances shift."

Mr. [Jon] Williams from the Progressive Coalition said the movement to the left will continue...

"There are some people who got themselves elected, and they want to stay in office, and don't want to be challenged and probably don't want a new group of energized people telling them what they think they should do."

But ultimately the differences within the party are necessary.

"I think it is good for democracy," he said.

e-mail: jmolina@newspress.com


Santa Barbara News-Press

Good Land Native

[ Excerpt from SB Independent, 1/19/2006 ]

Homeward Bound?
Good Land Native Das Williams
Enters 2nd District Race
by Martha Sadler

Das Williams officially announced his entry into the race for 2nd District supervisor last Tuesday, addressing the press from the More Mesa bluffs. Emphasizing a dedication to both social justice and the environment, Williams several times invoked the name of former 2nd District Supervisor Bill Wallace, who served four terms on the board while Williams was growing up in Goleta during the ’80s. Williams noted that Wallace formed a progressive environmental coalition that saved More Mesa and other open spaces from development.

Speeches by Williams’s supporters — including former state Assemblymember Hannah-Beth Jackson and Williams’s fellow Santa Barbara City Councilmembers Helene Schneider and Roger Horton — emphasized his bold personality and political savvy. If elected, Williams would likely find himself in a 3-2 minority on most environmental issues; regardless, he assured that his constituents would be respected. Williams said he would oppose both luxury developments and efforts to split the county while fighting for more worker housing and open-space preservation.

Although he has only served half his term on the Santa Barbara City Council, Williams has been endorsed by five of his fellow councilmembers. Another left-leaning environmentalist, Janet Wolf, announced her candidacy last week, joining recently termed-out conservative Councilmember Dan Secord. Williams promised to stay on the board, if elected, through the redistricting battles coming in 2011...

newsoftheweek

Poodle View on 2nd Race Start

(SBN-P Photos, 1/18/2006)

[ Excerpt from the "Angry Poodle" column in the SB Independent, 1/19/2005 ]

... To all you hard-core political junkies for whom the June elections seem an ungodly eternity away, have no fear. The race for the 2nd District supervisorial seat — long occupied by Susan Rose — is already here. If this seems intrusively premature to the rest of you, that’s because it is. Even though the first official filing date for the candidates is still well around the corner — February 13 — the first candidates’ debate has already taken place.

Things are moving so fast that one of the candidates — Joe Guzzardi — hasn’t even gotten around to announcing he’s running. In a typical election year, most candidates have had the good grace to wait until after the Super Bowl halftime show to start knocking on doors...

... The good news is that the four would-be supervisors who want to represent the 2nd District — which encompasses Noleta (“The Pretty Good Land”) and a good chunk of the City of Santa Barbara — are doing things differently.

Typically, candidates for any imaginable office hold their coming-out press conferences under the picturesque arches of the oh-so-photogenic County Courthouse. It’s convenient for reporters; it’s a cool backdrop; and it’s a big yawn.

This time, the candidates are selecting sites that subliminally and not so subliminally say something about who they are. Janet Wolf — whose claim to fame is the 11 years she served on the Goleta school board — decided to hold her announcement party at a Tucker’s Grove picnic area. After much speechifying by the likes of Congresswoman Lois Capps, supervisors Salud Carbajal and Susan Rose, and Harriet Miller (introduced as Santa Barbara’s “mayor for life”), the Wolf campaign served brownies to the attendees. What location could say “Goleta soccer mom” more succinctly? What spot could better evoke Goleta’s decidedly and determinedly suburban character? Nice choice.

Meanwhile, Das Williams — Wolf’s irrepressible and obstreperous archrival for the hearts, minds, and campaign contributions of Democratic voters — selected a More Mesa blufftop for his opening aria. It too sent a strong signal. That’s because More Mesa’s nude beach has long been regarded as nothing less than hallowed ground by longtime South Coast environmental activists, especially those who participated in Goleta’s good old days of guerilla warfare over growth and development. The only wrinkle in this subliminal statement is that during those “good old days,” More Mesa and much of the Goleta Valley lay within the jurisdiction of the 3rd Supervisorial District, not the 2nd. Not surprisingly, many old 3rd District war horses — former Supervisor Gail Marshall, and her assistant and political consigliere John Buttny, to name just two — were on hand to blow wind in Williams’s sails. And Williams himself invoked the name and spirit of former 3rd District Supervisor Bill Wallace — who more than anyone personifies those good old days — with such reverence one would have thought Wallace had kicked the bucket.

But such hair-splitting aside, the two sites provide a stark contrast between two candidates who no doubt differ more in style and background — a nude beach versus a family picnic spot — than in actual policy. Clearly, on style points Williams is more flamboyant and Wolf more subdued. Even so, some observers are still wondering exactly what fashion statement Williams was making by wearing a necktie bearing the image of a wolf — as in Janet? — at his announcement party.

Certainly, Democrats are anxious to avoid a bloodbath between Williams and Wolf in the June primary. When the dust settles, the party faithful need to be unified if they hope to beat Dan Secord — the sole Republican in the race and, until last week, a Santa Barbara City Councilmember — in the November runoff, assuming the election goes that long. Although by reputation Secord, a former Ob/Gyn, is at best an indifferent campaigner — better at delivering babies than kissing them — he’s not making himself an easy target for the Dems. His coming-out party took place last Tuesday night at Restaurant Nu in downtown Santa Barbara, a spot long associated with liberal Democrats who frequently hold their political and social functions there. Secord’s critics like to carp about the event being a $100-a-plate fundraiser, but that’s not true. There were no plates. It was all napkins and finger food. As partisan events go, Secord’s was a decidedly transgender experience. The evening’s emcee was the ever-ubiquitous and politically ambidextrous Larry Crandell — either a populist plutocrat or plutocratic populist — whose gynecologist gags failed to gain any traction with the relatively subdued crowd. More striking were those who stepped forward to sing Secord’s praises. The first was former Planning Commissioner Barbara Chen Lowenthal, the smart, feisty historical preservationist and lifelong Democrat. As a commissioner, Lowenthal frequently asked developers — and city staff — the toughest questions, and her “yes” vote was always one of the toughest a developer could get. Yet there she was praising “Developer Dan” — as Janet Wolf’s campaign manager James Kyriaco hopes to dub him — as a “good environmentalist.” Following Lowenthal was Pat McElroy, a captain with the city’s fire department, a longtime union leader, and until last year, a dyed-in-the wool yellow-dog Democrat. Although McElroy’s sweet words fell short of an actual endorsement — so subtle you wouldn’t have known it unless you quizzed him in detail afterwards — his angry departure from the Democratic fold (he’s now a registered Independent) speaks volumes about the intensity and nastiness of the power struggle taking place between the progressives and moderates within that party.

The last ceremonial shoe to drop will be that of longtime neighborhood activist and emergency planner Guzzardi, who has yet to decide where he’ll formally announce his entry into the four-way showdown. Given Guzzardi’s hard-line neighborhood preservationist constituency, I’d expect him to select a Goleta farm field slated to be rezoned for affordable housing...

 — Nick Welsh



angry poodle

Forum Analysis SBR

(Santa Barbara News-Press Photo)

The Santa Barbara Review has more analysis and comments about the 2nd District Supervisorial Forum of 1/18/2006 at:

http://thesbreview.blogspot.com/

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

Das' Announcing Statement

[ Announcement given at More Mesa, 1-17-2006 ]

I'm here today to formally announce my campaign for 2nd District Supervisor.

I am deeply concerned that our County has strayed from the balanced perspective that leaders like Bill Wallace and Tom Rodgers fought so hard to establish and uphold.

3 years ago, when I met with people one by one at their door, I said what I meant. Since that time, I have done what I promised.

Right here is the list: I promised to protect open space. To that end I fought the Veronica Meadows project that would have built luxury homes in the creek corridor of
the 2nd District.

I talked about dealing with pollution problems that come from old and decaying sewers. With Councilmember Horton's help, I obtained $2million to address sewer overflows.

I committed to reducing pesticides in City Parks, and we now have 97% of city parkland virtually pesticide free.

I promised to fight for neighborhoods, and I made sure neighborhoods were represented in the Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance update, upheld our setback requirements, and said no to the wrong kinds of development.

One reason I know being an environmentalist and neighborhood preservationist is important is because everyone claims to be one at election time. Unfortunately, in politics there is sometimes a gap between word and deed.

I am the candidate with a proven track record you can trust, one of working to improve water quality, preserving neighborhoods and open space, and making it possible for more people to use our transit system.

As I work on local solutions to our most pressing problems, more often then not, I have found root causes that originate in regional land-use & transportation planning. To make real headway on the issues of open space preservation, traffic reduction, and pollution requires effective advocacy at the Board of Supervisors level.

I am running to serve the people of the 2nd District on these same issues.

I grew up in the Goleta Valley, and I started my public service 13 years ago walking precincts for Bill Wallace. When a pro-growth majority seized control of the Board of Supervisors, it was painful to watch places that I loved be bulldozed and developed. We can't get those special places back again, but we can and we must stop this trend. What was done to western Goleta, it seems the Board majority has accepted will happen to the Gaviota Coast, open space areas like More Mesa, and the our urban ag lands that characterize the 2nd District. LANE farms, Fairview gardens, San Marcos growers and many others These farms are a part of our history and way of life in the Goleta Valley. We must fight to ensure that natural space is preserved and that local farms remain viable businesses that sustain our regional food supply.

Those of you who know me, know that I work very hard to make sure my constituents have a representative they can count on, who wont shy away from controversy if I can help them, and who will engage in honorable opposition to policies that threaten our quality of life. I am honored by the endorsements I have from men and women like Bill Wallace, Hannah-Beth Jackson, my colleagues on the City Council, and neighborhood and environmental leaders. I have a proven record of standing by my values and vision even in the face of opposition. With your help, I will continue to serve, and to stand up for all of the 2nd district.

Das Announces Run for the 2nd

[ Excerpted from the SBN-P 1/18/2006 article by BARNEY McMANIGAL ]


... Das Williams officially entered a crowded race for county supervisor Tuesday, defying some party leaders who have urged him to stay out.

The 31-year-old Santa Barbara city councilman, who stated he would fight hardest to protect the environment, said he had the best chance of winning the 2nd District seat on the Board of Supervisors held by the retiring Susan Rose.

Flanked by former Assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson, former Supervisor Gail Marshall, environmental activists and City Council colleagues, Mr. Williams countered the political muscle flexed by party leaders last week on behalf of Janet Wolf.

The former Goleta school board member has locked up endorsements from party heavyweights such as Rep. Lois Capps, Ms. Rose and former Supervisor Naomi Schwartz -- some of whom have asked Mr. Williams not to run.

Other candidates in the technically nonpartisan race include former Santa Barbara Councilman Dan Secord and County Fire Department emergency specialist Joe Guzzardi...

The June 6 election will determine who wins the seat on the five-person board, unless a single candidate fails to win more than 50 percent of the vote. In that case, the top two finishers would meet again in November.

Shifting away from his recent focus on neighborhoods, Mr. Williams' campaign kickoff at More Mesa had a strongly green tinge -- from the wild fox on the candidate's tie to the dazzling oceanfront acreage on each side.

... Mr. Williams... focused on capturing support from the area's environmental vanguard, many of whom fight to protect open spaces like the 300-acre More Mesa.

"In politics there is far too frequently a gap between word and deed," Mr. Williams said. "I am the candidate with a proven track record of action."

Mr. Williams has worked for Ms. Jackson and Ms. Marshall. Mayor Marty Blum and council members Helene Schneider and Roger Horton consider him a key ally on the council.

Supporters like Ms. Jackson and Ms. Marshal hinted that Mr. Williams understands the nuances of environmental policies better than Ms. Wolf.

"It's one thing to be an environmentalist, and another to understand the subtleties," said Ms. Marshall.

But Ms. Wolf defended her credentials, pointing to her 11 years on the school board...

Supporters of Ms. Wolf also defended that record and her chances of winning.

... Mr. Williams showered... North County supervisors with fighting words, declaring that he would "draw a line in the sand" against development interests.

... When asked to compare himself to Ms. Rose, Mr. Williams said 2nd District residents "need people who are not going to equivocate."

... Mr. Williams said little about housing but insisted that any growth must come after planners have a chance to update the Eastern Goleta Valley's growth blueprint, the community plan.

"I believe in affordable housing, but you don't want to destroy the reason we're here in the first place."

Few policy issues seem to distinguish Mr. Williams and Ms. Wolf -- or their rival camps of powerful supporters.

The candidate and his backers suggested that personality would play a key role.

Ms. Schneider, who joined Mr. Horton and Mrs. Blum at the event, talked about the need for a supervisor with "passion" and "tenacity."

... Cynthia Gray, who has fought to restrain development around More Mesa and preserve that property... [said] She leans toward Mr. Williams but will make up her mind after hearing from all four candidates at a forum sponsored by the Coalition for Sensible Planning, at 7 p.m. today at the Goleta Valley Community Center.

"I like the boldness of Das," said Ms. Gray. "The (candidate) who stands up strongest to stop development is the person I'll support."

e-mail: bmcmanigal@newspress.com


Santa Barbara News-Press

Helene's Brave Stand

[ Excerpted from the SBN-P article by Joshua Molina, 1/12/2005 ]

... Spotlighting the deep divisions among county Democrats, a prominent feminist on the Santa Barbara City Council is under fire from party officials for breaking ranks and not supporting the only woman running for 2nd District supervisor.

Helene Schneider, 35, has been criticized publicly by current and former elected Democratic officials for her decision not to support Janet Wolf in a race with a crowded field that includes three men.

The councilwoman, considered by local Democrats to be one of the leaders of the new generation of women in power, is upset that her credentials as a feminist are being questioned.

"I believe strongly that women should hold elected office and be given opportunities to do so," Ms. Schneider said. "At the same time, just endorsing someone because she is a woman is not appropriate."

The backlash against Ms. Schneider, who says she will support Councilman Das Williams for the 2nd District seat, comes as party Democrats are splintered over whom to back in the county race that features three Democrats: Ms. Wolf, Mr. Williams and Joe Guzzardi.

Party officials fear that too many Democrats in the race would allow the only Republican, Dan Secord, to win the seat on the panel, already dominated by a conservative majority...

The problems for Ms. Schneider arose after she told Supervisor Susan Rose in a telephone conversation that she was backing Mr. Williams. Ms. Rose has been grooming Ms. Wolf behind the scenes for months to be her successor on the board.

Ms. Rose told the News-Press that she was upset that information from a private phone call was conveyed publicly...

Some critics say that because Ms. Schneider had help getting into office from other women in power, she should return the favor. Mr. Williams said Ms. Schneider has taken a brave stand and said he hopes the negativity directed toward her will end.

"I am honored that Helene would stand by me," he said. "Helene is one of the most thoughtful, intelligent and capable people I have ever worked with in government."

Ms. Schneider's decision may have long-term ramifications for her own political career. She may face Councilwoman Iya Falcone for mayor in three years...

Democratic officials are not united on all issues. On one side, there's a political clique with moderate Democrats led by Mrs. Capps, Ms. Rose, Ms. Schwartz, Mr. Carbajal and Ms. Falcone, who are generally closely aligned. On the other side are further left-leaning liberals, among them Mr. Williams, Mayor Marty Blum, Hannah-Beth Jackson, Gail Marshall and Ms. Schneider.

Some women in power feel it is unfair to pressure Ms. Schneider.

"Oh, gimme a break," said Mrs. Blum. "Some men are better feminists than some women. You have to look at the stances that both have taken. Das is a strong feminist."

Ms. Jackson said "Helene is clearly a feminist," and she is showing that by being an independent thinker who speaks her mind.

"The Democratic process being what it is encourages difference of opinion," Ms. Jackson said. "The goal is to bring the most qualified people to the table. A good, healthy debate is appropriate."

Former county Supervisor Gail Marshall said Ms. Schneider is doing what a feminist should do -- think for herself. "I applaud her for doing that," Ms. Marshall said. Mr. Williams was her campaign manager when she beat back a recall attempt in 2001.

Sharon Hoshida, president of the Women's Political Committee, said these types of schisms are only likely to escalate. It's healthy for democracy, she said. The Women's Political Committee has endorsed Ms. Schneider; Ms. Wolf, a former school board member; and Mr. Williams in various elections.

"There are two ways to look at it," Ms. Hoshida said. "You can look at it as being very divisive or you can look at as being in a position of choosing among several progressive Democrats."

... Ms. Schneider backed Mr. Williams, she said, because he is a feminist and has a record of supporting social justice issues. She hopes her decision won't spark political retribution.

"I know I've done the right thing for me," said Ms. Schneider, who said she has great respect for Ms. Wolf. "I know I am not making a decision based on what other people think I should do. And I know the consequences."


Santa Barbara News-Press

All Democrat Council

[ Excerpted from SBN-P article, 1/11/2005, by Joshua Molina ]


... A new Santa Barbara City Council took charge on Tuesday as Dan Secord stepped down and Grant House joined the seven-member panel.

About 100 people packed the City Council chambers to watch the swearing in of Mr. House, Mayor Marty Blum, and council members Iya Falcone and Roger Horton...

The election of Mr. House and the departure of Republican Dr. Secord marks a shift to the left for the council. For the first time in a decade, the council now consists of all Democrats...

The council is expected to tackle some hefty issues this year, ranging from a living wage ordinance, to development in Las Positas valley, to updating the city's neighborhood preservation ordinance. Beyond those issues, the council will also vote on a budget and a new contract for police.

Mr. [Das] Williams said that even though the council is more liberal, it would be fiscally responsible. He said he expects the Finance Committee, a panel he sits on, to balance the budget this year.

The election of Mr. House also means the council will be more unified on issues involving the environment, transportation and development, he said...


Santa Barbara News-Press

Janet Wolf Announces

[ Excerpted from SBN-P, 1/10/2005 ]

Wolf enters contest for 2nd District supervisor
By BARNEY McMANIGAL, NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER


Firing the first shot in what may be a crowded and contentious battle to succeed county Supervisor Susan Rose, Janet Wolf entered the race on Monday as a challenger best known for her high-level endorsements.

The former Goleta school board trustee kicked off her campaign by declaring that she has the experience and toughness to win the 2nd District seat coveted by at least three Democrats and one Republican.

Democrats Joe Guzzardi, a county Fire Department staffer, and Santa Barbara City Councilman Das Williams say they are close to formally launching their candidacies. Dr. Dan Secord, a Republican who will be termed-off the council this month, plans to declare formally tonight at a $100-per-plate fundraiser at Restaurant Nu.

Soft-spoken yet assured, Ms. Wolf enters the contest as a relative unknown, despite her 11 years on the school board and public support from many powerful Democrats, including Congresswoman Lois Capps, Ms. Rose, former county Supervisor Naomi Schwartz and 1st District Supervisor Salud Carbajal.

To the chagrin of Mr. Williams and Mr. Guzzardi, many party heavyweights have circled wagons around Ms. Wolf...

A candidate who captures more than 50 percent of the June 6 balloting would win the seat outright. If none triumphs in the technically nonpartisan race, the top two finishers would face off for a final November matchup.

Flanked by her supporters, family and friends, Ms. Wolf, 51, told an audience of about 100 at Tucker's Grove Park she would fight to protect neighborhoods, the environment and public safety...

Taking a page from Mr. Williams' playbook, Ms. Wolf placed the neighborhood's dilemma squarely on the shoulders of the current board majority of Supervisors Brooks Firestone, Joni Gray and Joe Centeno of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Districts...

Besides mentioning neighborhoods, Ms. Wolf and others peppered their speeches with references to her "maturity," a move that seemed aimed at Mr. Williams, whom party leaders have urged not to run.

Refusing to bow out, the 31-year-old has filed financial disclosure papers with the county, lined up campaign staff and sought major endorsements.

He could receive support from high places, as not all Democratic leaders support Ms. Wolf.

Mayor Marty Blum and council members Roger Horton, Grant House and Helene Schneider have pledged to endorse Mr. Williams. Council members Brian Barnwell and Iya Falcone back Ms. Wolf.

Former Assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson -- who has not endorsed a candidate -- defended Mr. Williams, her former employee, against officials' description of him as "a young man in a hurry."

"We all have our passions, and I think Das is a passionate guy."

Mr. Williams, reached on his cell phone, said voters care more about fighting growth and overdevelopment in their neighborhoods than their candidate's age...


Santa Barbara News-Press

"Sky Didn't Fall"

[ Excerpt from SB Independent, 12/15/2005 ]


Surviving the wage:

Living Wage advocates developed a motto in the wake of a city staff report on its impacts. “The sky didn’t fall,” said councilmember Das Williams. Requiring private contractors working city projects to pay their employees at least $14 an hour – less if medical benefits were provided – will certainly cost the city a greater chunk of its budget.

Steve Cushman, representing the Chamber of Commerce, said the ordinance was “wrong” because it required pay not based on employee merit. The finance committee will do more research into how much allowance to make for medical benefits before passing the ordinance on to the City Council. Recreation contractors and nonprofit organizations are exempt from the ordinance as it is currently drafted.


newsoftheweek

Roundabouts

[ Excerpt from SBN-P article 12/28/2005 by Joshua Molina ]

CIRCULAR ISSUE

... In Santa Barbara's St. Francis neighborhoods on the upper Eastside, mini-roundabouts are popping up at highly traveled intersections, to the dismay or delight of people who live and drive in the area.

The city's traffic division, working with many residents, has installed them to slow down traffic. If the city has its way, the four in the St. Francis neighborhood would just be the beginning. The city plans to install dozens of roundabouts and other "traffic-calming" devices in that area and in the Samarkand and Oak Park neighborhoods on the other side of town.

But a movement to kill the roundabouts is gaining momentum. Opponents contend that they are unsafe, in the wrong spots and that there is no real need for them in residential neighborhoods.

The debate over the roundabouts is just the latest reaction to a wave of changes hitting Santa Barbara's neighborhoods. Large house remodels and increased density from a flurry of newly built, and highly lucrative, condos are resulting in more traffic congestion all over town. The increased congestion on Highway 101 forces cars to spill over onto city streets, where drivers take shortcuts.

Longtime Santa Barbara residents believe the city is growing too fast, too big and too dense, wrecking the quaint charm of the "American Riviera."

For some, the roundabouts serve as an attempt to slow people down. The traffic circles, for some, make life easier...

City officials say the roundabouts need time before they can be a success. Drivers have to get used to them and learn to expect them, they say. In addition to the four which have already been set up, the city plans to install 12 more in the area beginning in January.

Browning Allen, the city's supervising transportation planner, said the roundabouts were placed in the neighborhoods not to address a pattern of accidents, but because of complaints about speedy motorists from neighborhoods.

City officials said that the traffic-calming devices have been paid for partly by a $300,000 state grant.

They also claim that 85 percent of about 400 people in the St. Francis neighborhood expressed support for the traffic-calming devices.

"This is a neighborhood-initiated plan," Mr. Allen said. "We worked with them for at least a year at putting together a neighborhood mobility plan. We aren't putting anything in that neighborhood that wasn't approved."

Four intersections have roundabouts: Olive and Sola streets; Alta Vista and Sola streets; Alta Vista and Victoria streets; and Olive and Valerio streets. Three of the roundabouts are in the semi-permanent stage. They have been set in asphalt, but won't be permanent until the city sets them in concrete. The fourth, on Olive and Valerio streets, has not yet been set in asphalt.

City officials say they are examining them to see how the public responds. Tully Clifford, transportation engineer for the city, said that he has received several hundred complaints about the roundabouts, and on the whole the feedback from the public has been evenly split. "If we determine one isn't working, we will pull it," Mr. Clifford said. "We are not going to wait until someone dies."

The city has a mixed track record when it comes to the circles. Last year, it installed a roundabout in front of Santa Barbara High School, on Anapamu and Alta Vista streets. The roundabout was met with fierce opposition from motorists who said they were never informed about the traffic circle and that it was actually creating a safety hazard. In the face of opposition and media attention, the city pulled the roundabout.

Larger roundabouts on Alameda Padre Serra Road and another on Milpas Street were also met with skepticism initially, but officials now consider them successes.

One of the allegations from the roundabout opponents is that city officials aren't listening to their complaints and that the city is blindly pursuing an alternative transportation agenda even when it's not in the best interests of the public...

City Councilman Das Williams, who has met with many of the neighbors in the area personally, said traffic circles can work -- but time will tell whether they are in the right place in Santa Barbara.

"I support them where they work," Mr. Williams said. "There are areas where they really improve circulation. Neighbors like them. I feel like putting them up as a test, before making them permanent, is fine to do. The public's the best judge."

City Councilman Dan Secord said he has received complaints from some residents about roundabouts. He believes if there is a problem with accidents then the roundabout is a good idea. But without factual data to support the need for a roundabout, he wonders how necessary they are.

"I don't know whether it has worked at all in terms of calming traffic," Dr. Secord said. "I am kind of inclined to thinking it's not working very well. I don't know that anybody on the council was in the room when this was decided."


Santa Barbara News-Press