The Politics of Ethics

As someone who has lived in the 1st District for 20 of the last 23 years, I care deeply about the issues that affect it, and all of Santa Barbara County.

News coverage of the race and of the formation of an
independent expenditure committee describes me as a friend of Das Williams. To
clarify, I am a friend of Das Williams because I have worked with him for 12-plus
years on a range of issues that matter to me — none of them involving cannabis —
and he has consistently delivered creative and successful problem-solving
strategies.

In 2007, when the City of Santa Barbara was facing hard
budget choices, his understanding of the city’s budget structure helped to
cushion the blow of severe cuts to Animal Control. Das’s early and profound
understanding of the threat of climate change (he was driving a Prius before
any of us) led him to advocate for world-class climate change legislation at
the State Legislature, along with bills pushing back on offshore oil and gas
development. These are issues on which I have worked for over a decade, serving
on the boards of directors of SB CAN (Santa Barbara County Action Network), Get
Oil Out! and the Environmental Defense Center.