P.U.E.B.L.O. Endorsement

"PUEBLO announces their endorsement of Das Williams for Santa Barbara City Council. Das has been a long time supporter of PUEBLO's work and vision. Das was instrumental in helping pass the Living Wage Ordinance and continues to stand with the working families of Santa Barbara."

"PUEBLO anuncia su endorso de Das Williams para el consejo de ciudad de Santa Barbara. Das ha apoyado el trabajo y la visión de PUEBLO durante muchos años. De igual manera, la ayuda de Das fue instrumental en pasar la ordenanza para un salario digno, y continua apoyando a los trabajadores y familias de Santa Barbara."

Youth Violence & City Response

In response to another gang-related death (A 16-year-old Santa Barbara boy, identified as Lorenzo Valentin Carachure, died from stab wounds on 7/16/2007), Das wrote the following about what the City is trying to do to address the rise in youth violence:

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“I’d describe the City response to the youth violence issue as rapid, but still in progress. The Neighborhood Bike Patrol hit the streets over a month ago, and I’ve been told over and over by residents of the East and Westside how important that is. I’ve been down to our free childcare drop-in Centers at Ortega Park and three schools, and that is really helping get younger kids out of the way of bad influences, but that just started a few weeks ago. Within the last couple weeks we’ve been hiring twice the usual number into our youth apprenticeship program, especially targeting at-risk youth. We have a new Teen Center that believe me, doesn’t just cater to middle-class kids that are not at-risk. Every time I’ve been by I see the place full of young people playing pool, crafting art, eating, and talking. Both the Police chief and Councilmembers like myself have been to a score of community meetings to hear what more we need and to drum up community support.

"We are hiring more police officers, eliminating fees for sports, increasing the number of kids in our junior high afterschool programs, and trying to get a million dollar grant for additional youth employment jobs, including those in the trades. But bottom line, it takes more than a couple months to get these programs started, paid for, and having an effect. What happened last night is a tragedy both to the families involved and to the community. There’s no way to make that not hurt.

"But here’s some background that I hope assuages some fear. Most jurisdictions have budgeted funds for 1 to 1.2 officers per thousand residents. We have 1.6. Police & Fire collectively accounts for 49% of our General Fund expenditures and has translated to a reduction in the last couple years of Part 1 Crime (serious crimes like robberies, assaults, murders, stolen items of large worth). Youth violence, unfortunately, has run counter to this trend and we need to step up our response.

"But we can also do that individually, not just wait for government action. There are programs that help with parents of gang members or at risk youth, there are ways to mentor at-risk youth. If there is anything that an individual reader wants to do, please contact me at daswilliams@santabarbaraca.gov and we’ll find a way for you to help.”

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To view this as posted on SantaBarbarasBlog, along with comments, please go to:

SBB: Response From A Councilman

AIS Pledge

Das has taken the America-in-Solidarity Pledge.

AIS has this to say about Das:

Elected in 2003 to the Santa Barbara City Council, Das Williams has been a great friend of working families. He is a member of the United Auto Workers and has successfully advocated for a living wage in five jurisdictions. He has also fought against a local proposal that would have benefited Wal-mart while driving out local living wage jobs. Das signed our pledge in 2007.


What is the AIS Pledge? It is a pledge for politicians and states:

"As a leader of the American people, I vow to protect the men and women that built this great country. Americans have always done what is right, and today I pledge to choose what is right when it concerns America's working force.

-- I believe an attack on the American worker is an attack on America.

-- I believe American workers deserve an honest and fair wage.

-- I believe affordable health care coverage should be provided to American workers and their families.

-- I believe in providing a safe and healthy work environment for Americans.

-- I believe that an injury to one is an injury to all.


Because of these beliefs, I pledge to fight legislation that attacks American workers. When it comes between corporate greed and the American worker, I will stand with the worker.

When the health and safety of the American worker is at stake, I will stand up for him or her. As an elected representative of the American worker, I pledge in solidarity to do what is right."

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To read more about America-in-Solidarity, A Voice for America's Workers, please go to:

AIS

SBSD Land

[ Excerpt of "City, schools ponder vacant land," by COLBY FRAZIER, DAILY SOUND, July 4, 2007 ]


The controversial topic of what to do with the Santa Barbara School District’s two valuable, undeveloped parcels of land was the subject of a joint School District City Council Task Force meeting... a possible land swap between the city and district was the main talking point.

Because the 12.43 acre Hidden Valley site on Palermo Road is the only site within Santa Barbara City limits, it was the one discussed.

Board member Kate Parker said any future plans with the 22.86 acre Tatum site located on San Marcos Road would have to be discussed with the county.

Several school board meetings over the years and voluminous and spirited public comment dealing with the vacant sites has been heard, but no decisions for or against development have ever been made.

The sites, which were purchased long ago to one day build schools on, sit vacant because due to declining enrollment, the school districts will be faced with closing schools before it ever builds any schools.

Couple this with the fact that declining enrollment has taken its toll on the district’s pocket book, and the cost of living in Santa Barbara has skyrocketed over the past decade, and one might see the vacant sites as small gold mines...

Though the discussion is in its infancy, City Councilman Das Williams, who sits on the task force with Mayor Marty Blum, said the two parities managed to agree on two main priorities: the first being that the school districts must remain financially viable to serve students, and the second is to provide teacher housing without developing the Hidden Valley site. The catch is somehow achieving both simultaneously.

In order to meet both needs, Williams said the basic sketch of the plan would be to contribute a piece of the city’s land, where the district could relocate its maintenance and operations facility, which is currently located off Santa Barbara Street near the district administration center.

In place of the downtown maintenance and operations center, Williams said the city would assist the district with density issues and encourage building any housing on that site. The tradeoff, Williams said, would be to leave the Hidden Valley site as permanent open space.

Williams said up to 50 units could be constructed where the maintenance and operations facilities are currently located. Prior proposals for the Hidden Valley site estimated a maximum of 98 units could fit there.

“The goal is [for the] city to offer enough value for the district to part with development rights of Hidden Valley,” Williams said. “Today we finally got some considerable interest from the school district.”

Some of the advantages for building downtown instead of at Hidden Valley that Williams noted, are that environmental concerns won’t be as substantial downtown as they are at the Hidden Valley site, and capital costs wouldn't be as expensive.
He also said moving the maintenance and operations portion of the district to a more suitable site in an industrious area would be a plus.

... As to whether or not building workforce housing on this site could still generate income, Parker said it could through leases and rentals, but until further review, there’s no sure way to tell.

“That’s one of the things we need to look at,” Parker said. “How much less income [than developing Hidden Valley] is it.”

Parker said joint staff reports from the city and the school district will be presented to the board of education sometime in September.

Laura Wilson, president of Citizens for Neighborhood Schools, said the prospect of building housing downtown could threaten the currently vacant Santa Barbara Community Academy, which was relocated to La Cumbre Junior High.

Wilson said declining enrollment is not as bad as it seems...

The one thing that Parker, WIlliams and Wilson acknowledged is that any sure plan is a long way off.

“This is a very incremental process,” Parker said. “We’re still at a very, very preliminary point in the discussion.”