Tag archives: election
On Tuesday, October 20, a few dozen teenagers held a protest outside the Santa Barbara Unified School District’s headquarters on Santa Barbara Street. Carrying signs bearing messages such as “We Want to Go Back to School” and “Give Us a Choice,” the group had a clear message for local school officials: After more than a […]
It’s no secret that Democrats nationwide (and particularly those congregating along both coasts) rail against the Constitution’s Electoral College, which mandates that each state be awarded an equivalent number of votes in a presidential election as the number of senators and representatives it has. For example, California has 55 electoral college votes in this election […]
I’m told that when we have something important to say, we should say it as succinctly as possible. I don’t always adhere to this, but here goes… Don’t fear. Don’t dread. Don’t complain. Don’t regret…. VOTE! Or, as said by others more esteemed and eloquent than I: “One of the penalties for refusing to participate […]
This November, three candidates are running for Carpinteria’s five-member city council: Mayor Wade Nomura, a former professional skateboarder; Mark McIntire, a former Santa Barbara City College philosophy professor; and Natalia Alarcon, a nonprofit program manager and clinical psychologist. Of the trio, Nomura, an incumbent, is the only candidate with any experience in city politics. McIntire, […]
Four years ago this newspaper was one of a handful of publications nationally to announce its support for Donald Trump for president. It did so largely because of Trump’s positions on deregulation and renegotiating many of our trade agreements. In his 2016 endorsement, my predecessor wrote, “We do hope Trump lives up to his promises […]
Hard to believe there are only 40-plus days until the November election – which will (God-willing) be decided before 2020 happily rides off into the sunset. Judges like to say that ignorance of the law is not a defense. We believe the same goes for elections. The following is meant to provide you with relevant […]
Most of us take voting as a right, which we may (or may not) choose to exercise. To me, voting is a privilege that I cherish and use in every primary and election. How else can I – together with my fellow citizens – put leaders in place with the authority to govern us wisely […]
Huge thanks from the Montecito Journal to Maureen McDermut & Associates for sponsoring this week’s home delivery! We are doing everything possible to get to you during this difficult moment! In the blink of an eye, the world has changed. On Sunday evening my daughter wanted takeout from a local Mexican restaurant, but my husband […]
My immigrant wife Merlie is mystified by our complex voting system. She wonders what these “primaries” are all about. “Why don’t you just vote for your choice among all of the presidential candidates at once and be done with it?” I am going to break Godwin’s Law and invoke the following example. Suppose we had […]
It was standing room only on Monday, January 27, at Music Academy of the West’s Hahn Hall for the Montecito Journal Media Group’s inaugural event: the First District Supervisor Debate. Incumbent Das Williams and challenger Laura Capps faced off to answer several questions formulated by MJ CEO Gwyn Lurie and KCRW host and reporter Jonathan […]
Tuesday, January 14, marked the Montecito Association’s 72nd Annual Meeting which was followed by the monthly Board Meeting. The annual meeting marked the retirement of several board members, including Charlene Nagel, Sandy Stahl, and Cliff Ghersen, who will continue his service with the MA on the Transportation Committee. The new year brought seven vacancies on […]
The hottest ticket in Montecito for the month of January is a seat at the Music Academy of the West’s Hahn Hall on Monday evening, January 27, 6 to 8 pm, for a FREE, 1st come, 1st served, debate between the Democratic incumbent, 1st District County Supervisor Das Williams, and the Democrat challenger Laura Capps, […]
A Campaign Query Why have so many of us suddenly and recently received political campaign solicitations from Das Williams, when we haven’t heard from him in years? And why are people who didn’t sign up to get official County updates from him now suddenly receiving them? Is he co-mingling his official e-mail lists with his […]
In a little more than 80 days (March 3) we will have the opportunity to vote for, among other things, one of two candidates vying for the First District Santa Barbara County Supervisor seat: the incumbent Das Williams or his challenger, Laura Capps. Why does this election matter to the nine thousand plus residents of […]
No Risk, No Return, No Electricity In my nearly 30 years of serving as a local government watchdog, I would be hard pressed to recall a more foolish proposition than that which is known as community choice energy (CCE). CCE is a scheme by which local government entities assume responsibility to purchase electrical energy supplies […]
The big local political news is that Laura Capps is telling friends and political associates that she has decided to challenge Das Williams in his bid for re-election as 1st District County Supervisor. The election will be held March 3, 2020, replacing the traditional June California primary election. Candidates must be certified by December 26, […]
We Must Be Kidding I was flabbergasted to read last week’s letters to the editor wherein you proposed increased CO2 to warm an ice age on the heels of an international report detailing the pending destruction of millions of species of land animals and sea life. Ice ages occur because of wobbling of the earth’s […]
No need for us to reiterate the national, statewide, and countywide election results. If you are a Democrat, you are ecstatic; if you are a Republican, not so much. It was, however, a good day for supporters of Montecito’s Water Security Team, all five of whom were elected to their respective boards: Cori Hayman, Brian […]
What a pleasure to see my name in huge print featured on the Water Security Team flyer that arrived today. I would be delighted to answer the questions that were directed at me, as a candidate for re-election to our Board of Directors. 1) “Who Elected them?” I applied when there was a vacancy at […]
Montecito’s vaunted “semi-rural” ambiance was shattered along with residents’ confidence after the Thomas Fire and the ensuing mud and debris flow that took the lives of 23 of our friends and neighbors and destroyed or seriously damaged nearly 10% of our housing stock. It is going to take a little time before the idea of […]
