Vote for Laura Capps

As Americans, I think many were ashamed of U.S. Senator from Maine Susan Collins when she naively said she voted to acquit President Donald Trump of the charges he was impeached for, because she thought he learned his lesson and wouldn’t make the same mistakes again.

I know Susan Collins. I served in Congress with Susan Collins. And unfortunately, a recent endorsement editorial in the Independent displays the same flawed logic used by Senator Susan Collins.

Earlier this week, the Independent wrote a confusing editorial, pointing out serious questions about Supervisor Das Williams’s ethics and lack of contrition. It referenced his role in voting on regulations for an industry he was accepting large campaign contributions from — and then recommending a vote for him anyway, writing, “But we also believe Williams will learn to admit his mistakes quickly and with compassion, and that he will strive to repair relationships … ” The logic is positively Collins-ian.

I write this as someone who has long admired the editorial decisions of the Independent and who has a deep respect for the vital role your reporting plays in our community.

The race for county supervisor is incredibly important to people in Santa Barbara. The decisions made by the Board of Supervisors can either greatly improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods — or they can create real problems, as happened when Supervisor Williams voted on behalf of his campaign contributors instead of our families. This race is too important to send mixed messages by justifiably criticizing Williams for his missteps and failings, only to fall short of calling for the change people here deserve.

On March 3, vote for a real progressive, with the integrity and record to put families first in Santa Barbara. Vote for Laura Capps.