Tag archives: local elections

Money in politics has been something we have seen for too long, and the results have been devastating. The 1st District Supervisor race pits incumbent Das Williams against challenger Roy Lee. Williams, with substantial campaign funds, has continued to accept financial contributions from the cannabis industry, despite the ethical concerns highlighted by the 2020 Santa […]

Your recent editorial describing Das Williams as ‘commitment to self rather than to public service’ surprised me. That is a term I have never associated with him. I have personally worked with Das over these last 20 years on issues that touched on his passion for improving our Environment – bike and pedestrian safety improvements, […]

For the first 11 years my family owned our home in Montecito this town was represented on the Board of Supervisors by then Supervisor, now Congressman, Salud Carbajal. Carbajal was and is a politician with the soul of a civil servant who prioritizes constituent services. Which is one of the reasons the MJ supported his […]

Project Progress Highway 101 Widening Project  The long-awaited widening project from Carpinteria to Santa Barbara was discussed at length in 2022, with countless meetings to discuss design, construction, timing, and other details related to the addition of a third lane through Montecito.  The Montecito segment of the project (called 4D) includes widening 1.4 miles of […]

There were many big winners in Tuesday’s election, most importantly: democracy and grace. It made my heart sing to watch defeated candidates, red and blue, gracefully acknowledge that things had not gone their way, this time. Who knew that we still had the human capacityfor humility? Beyond that biggest of wins… a few local highlights: […]

Here at the Montecito Journal, we have long believed in offering a variety of views, letting each side have its space to speak. In light of the upcoming election, two of our longtime contributors have written in on what they think you should consider when heading to the ballot box this November 8. With Rinaldo […]

I am proud to support and endorse Dr. Charlotte Gullap-Moore for Santa Barbara City College Board Trustee TA#1. I have known Charlotte for more than four years, and in that time, I have found her to be an earnest community advocate, an honest person, and always stands up for the disenfranchised in the community. We could […]

I will not be able to attend the Santa Claus cannabis retail store appeal hearing on November 1, 2022, however I would like to convey my opposition to its approval and impending existence in this message.  Three things you should know about me before I address my reasons for concern: My family has lived, worked, […]

We knew Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree as the “Philanthropist of Santa Barbara.” As we lay her to rest, her presence in our city will continue as we pass by the many buildings and plaques that carry her name: The Ridley-Tree Cancer Center at Sansum Clinic; the Ridley-Tree Education Center at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art; […]

This year the Montecito Journal co-hosted a handful of Zoom candidate forums, all involving local school board races for which Montecito residents will have a vote (the one exception is the SBUSD area #1 seat, for which a smaller portion of our readers will have the chance to weigh in). This is not to say […]

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis introduced the phrase “Sunlight is the Best Disinfectant,” in the early 20th century. He also penned the term in his book, “Other People’s Money.” The Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) regulates campaign financing, conflicts of interest, lobbying, and government ethics. Form 700 – Statement of Economic Interest, is one […]

Editor’s Note: In this industry, you’re only as good as your last mistake. And we made one. A big one – in the Voter’s Guide in the previous issue (MJ Issue 19, May 12-19). Somewhere between juggling incoming stories and caffeine stares our collective eyes missed two candidates in the United States Representative, District 24, […]

As a world and as a county, we face monumental challenges: climate, poverty, education, income inequality, systemic racism and sexism, houselessness, mental health, inflation, access to healthcare, etc… It’s a too-long list of issues that are intersectional and deep. And the only way for our leaders to even begin to unpack such a multiverse of […]

Misplace your sample ballot? We have you covered. Here are the candidate statements for the upcoming election: United States Representative, District 24 Also referred to as a congressman or congresswoman, each representative is elected to a two-year term serving the people of a specific congressional district. Among other duties, representatives introduce bills and resolutions, offer […]

Imagine being elected to serve in local government, only to find yourself in a global health emergency. That’s exactly what happened to Gregg Hart, then Chair of the County Board of Supervisors, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020. “I was hoping to use my chairmanship to highlight the need for emergency and disaster […]

“People are sick of party politics,” says Mayor-Elect Randy Rowse. And Santa Barbara’s District 4 is a prime example of it. A glance at the details of 2021 Election results for both mayor and city council make one thing quite clear — Santa Barbara’s District 4, portions of which lie in Montecito, is a definite […]