Withdraw from Iraq

The Santa Barbara City Council voted 6-0 in favor of a resolution calling for the withdrawal of United States troops from Iraq within the year. Besides the moral and strategic issues, Das points out the economic impacts of the Iraq War on Santa Barbara (click to view):

KEYT-TV video 12/17/2007 (KEYT promo at beginning)






(Map courtesy of the Library of the University of Texas)



[ Excerpt from "City Council to U.S.: Withdraw from Iraq - These Boots Were Made for Walking,"By Nick Welsh, SB INDEPENDENT, December 20, 2007 ]

... Santa Barbara has become the 69th city in the U.S. to make such a symbolic political statement against the war...

The resolution was crafted by Councilmember Das Williams and Mayor Marty Blum, who are hoping it will persuade the State Legislature to enact a similar proclamation, which, in turn, will increase the pressure on any presidential aspirants seeking to win the hearts and minds of California voters in the state primary this February...

As of September 11, 2007, [Blum and Williams] estimated Santa Barbara has lost $156 million in tax revenues. Left in the lurch were federal block grants that fund countless nonprofits, $150,000 a year in housing subsidies, the Army Corps of Engineers’ flood control plan for lower Mission Creek, and harbor dredging. Six police officers have served in Iraq, and City Hall pays their full salary while they’re deployed. Williams argued that one reason it’s been so hard — and expensive — to attract and retain officers is because the war has drained the ranks of public safety personnel throughout the state. Blum said were it not for the war, the city would have been able to strike a deal with the National Guard to take over the downtown armory...

“I think we’ve become pigs,” [Councilmember Brian] Barnwell charged... “When George Bush says the terror is unending, certainly that’s because he has made it so.” ... Barnwell derided anyone who would argue the council had no business taking such a stand. “This is a moral issue,” he said. “I don’t need no stinking badges.” When Barnwell concluded, those in attendance gave him a vigorous round of applause and Councilmember Williams rose to give him a standing ovation.

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For full text of this article, please go to:

The Santa Barbara Independent City Council to U.S.: Withdraw from Iraq

Water Report

[ Excerpt from "Council receives water supply report," BY ERIC LINDBERG, DAILY SOUND, December 18, 2007 ]

... the city’s Water Supply Management Report for the 2007 water year... serves as a summarization of water management activities during the past 12 months...

Although the Santa Barbara area just experienced the driest year in a century, acting water resources manager Rebecca Bjork reminded the Council that it is the first dry year of the current interval. She also said Lake Cachuma, the city’s primary source of water, is at 66 percent capacity and has enough water to cover several dry years.
“We believe we are in the initial dry year and it would be premature to request a Stage One drought,” Bjork said.

If the current rain season turns out to be below average, she said the Council would likely have to consider taking that step — officially declaring the potential for a water shortage in the next three years.

“I think my feelings are a little bit different,” Councilmember Das Williams said. “There are two things that could happen. Either it’s not going to rain much, in which case we will ask for a voluntary 10 percent reduction from Cachuma … or it’s going to rain a lot.”

If it does rain heavily, Williams said the city will face not only siltation problems in Lake Cachuma and Gibraltar Reservoir [primarily due to the Zaca Fire, last summer], but water quality issues as well.

“My logic is if there are two things that could happen and they both require us to use less water, why don’t we start right now?” Williams said.

He suggested requiring new construction downtown to hook up to recycled water for toilets and landscaping. He also brought up the idea of starting a “cash for grass” program.

“And no, this has nothing to do with marijuana,” he said, explaining that the city would pay a nominal fee to encourage property owners to convert lawn turf to drought-resistant, native plants.

Bjork reiterated a focus on the city’s conservation program, urging the public to visit www.santabarbaraca.gov/water to find tips and rebates that will help them reduce their water consumption...

Bren School Deans Council

In addition to everything else he does, Das serves on the Brean School's Dean's Council. Quoting from the Bren School website:

"The Dean's Council was created to support, promote, and guide the Bren School in its quest to become the most outstanding school of its kind in the nation, while also serving as the primary conduit between the School and the local community. The Council holds three informative, action-oriented meetings per year, one each during the fall, winter, and spring academic quarters. It also sponsors the Breakfast Club, which meets quarterly at the University Club in Santa Barbara for sessions that are open to the invited public."

Other members of the Dean's Council include: Dennis Allen, Harvey Bottelsen, Jim Boyden, Jim Dehlsen, Charles Eckberg, Kim Kimbell, Richard Rogers, Lynnn Scarlett, Naomi Schwartz, Dan Secord, Dana Severy, Tom Umenhofer and Maria Wilhelm.

The Bren School describes Das:

"Das Williams has dedicated his life to the protection of the coastal environment and working families. He has done this in a variety of ways and capacities over the past 14 years during which he served for 6 years as legislative aide, spent 4 years teaching and 4 years on the City Council, and worked in over 21 elections for environmental and slow-growth candidates.

"In his late teens, Das was inspired by the first Democratic elections in South Africa and went there to work for Nelson Mandela's African National Congress. During that time, he experienced the transforming power of grassroots political movements, witnessing the masses of people who were engaged in civic action.

"Das has gained knowledge and experience from working on a variety of public policy issues but has a particular interest in environmental policy. He has become an outspoken advocate for clean water and against the development of open space, and is particularly proud of his part in the City of Santa Barbara's decision to use alternative energy sources.

"He led a successful push to reduce traffic and pollution by improving the city's public transport system and has earned a reputation for independent thinking and enthusiastic representation of new ideas. Das earned his Master's of Environmental Science & Management in 2005 from the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at UC Santa Barbara. He was awarded Dozier Fellowships in 2002 and 2003 for outstanding academic achievement and promise of continued success."

Bren School : People : deans council

Amgen Tour

[ Excerpt from THE LOMPOC RECORD, December 7, 2007, by Glenn Wallace ]

Amgen Tour bike routes revealed


Cycling fans, local politicians, event volunteers and schoolchildren were all present in Solvang Park Thursday to see the Solvang and Santa Barbara routes revealed for the Amgen Tour of California - the biggest professional race in the country.

As part of the announcement, members of the public were invited to ride with race organizers and guest professional cyclist Tony Cruz to experience the Solvang route, a 15-mile individual time-trial circuit...

The 2008 race, drawing some of the top athletes in the sport, will be held on a 650-mile course, beginning in Palo Alto on Feb. 17 and ending in Pasadena on Feb. 24.

Stage five will begin and end on the streets of Solvang on Friday, Feb. 22. The start to stage six will be hosted by Santa Barbara Feb. 23, traveling 109 miles to Santa Clarita.

The 2007 race drew more than 1.6 million spectators, with an estimated tourist impact of $1 million for Santa Barbara County...

[A change in the route] has added a steep climb up Alisal Road at the start of the Solvang Time Trial, but otherwise follows much of the original route - traveling through Ballard and Los Olivos before taking the climb over Ballard Canyon Road and returning to Solvang.

The stage six Santa Barbara-to-Santa Clarita route remains identical to the 2007 route, with the exception of a detour through downtown Carpinteria, complete with a mid-stage sprint.

Santa Barbara Mayor Pro Tem Das Williams and 3rd District county Supervisor Brooks Firestone were also on hand for the announcement.

“We are a symbol of cycling in the world,” said Firestone, whose district includes the Santa Ynez Valley.

Firestone added that “�bleskiver and great wine” would await both the Tour of California competitors and spectators that come to the area.

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By the way, Das mentioned to me that he rode that steep climb up Alisal Road, Thursday, on a loaner bike from the city -- a "City Cruiser" he called it. He said he normally would have been able to handle it easily, but because of the lack of lower gears on the City Cruiser, the stretch was a bit challenging!

For more details about the Amgen Tour, please go to: Amgen Tour California.

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Full text of the LOMPOC RECORD article is at:

Amgen Tour bike routes revealed