Vote for Harmon

I’ve been actively engaged in Santa Barbara city politics for 50 years. My late life partner, Mickey Flacks, and I had worked hard to protect Santa Barbara’s always endangered beauty and the always threatened quality of our lives. We’d known numbers of good people who’ve served in public office over these years, while always trying to hold them accountable.

When Meagan Harmon joined the City Council, Mickey and I were initially skeptical — she seemed to come out of nowhere — but that was quickly replaced by admiration. Our town has been lucky that Meagan decided to plunge into public service. She comes with experience in financial and real estate law — and has figured out how to fuse that professional experience with a passionate commitment to environmental values, to justice and equity, and to democratic government. Her support for the needs of tenants, for real development of affordable housing, for renewable energy, and for workers’ rights have led to significant policy changes. She combines passion and savvy with an ability to hear all sectors of the community. In fact, the governor was so impressed with her that he appointed her to the Coastal Commission, a real asset for Santa Barbara.

This is all to say, Mickey and I had a very strong appreciation of her qualities as a human and a leader. People in the Sixth District should vote for her — but all of us need her on the City Council and on the Coastal Commission, working for us.