Joe Biden

We occupy a frightening and historic moment.

The reasons not to vote for President Trump are so many that it is impossible to list them all in this endorsement. Most of you already know them.

Trump has given voice to the dark side of the American soul while smearing the legitimate grievances of those many who still suffer. And importantly, Trump has repeatedly tried to discredit this election, suggesting he may not leave the White House if Biden is declared the winner. No president in our history has ever done that.

It is easy to say a vote for Biden is the lesser of two evils. But that is wrong. Dangerously, wrong. Joe Biden has amassed an affirmative record of accomplishment over a 47-year career that’s been defined by compassion, pragmatism, results, and consistency. Has he made mistakes? Yes. But is he ready and capable to be president of the United States? Absolutely Yes.

He brings a mastery of the political arts combined with a genuinely empathic spirit. Biden believes government can and should help those who need help. A consummate centrist, he knows that working together is not a hokey campaign slogan; it is how the world works when it works well.

As Americans once again grapple with the bitter legacy of systemic racism, we are confident President Biden will be a force for bridging our inflamed divide.

All the issues that have been undermined and denied by Trump — from the dangers of the coronavirus to climate change — Biden will set our country back on the right track. Under a Biden presidency, our country will again move into the future. He will support the curtailing of greenhouse gases, repair our national infrastructure, encourage green energy alternatives, address the wide gap between the superrich and everyone else, and institute better health initiatives. Importantly, he will again introduce the United States of America to the rest of the world as a nation who has not abandoned its ideals.

The choice has never been starker. Vote for Joe Biden.

Monique Limón

California Assemblymember Monique Limón is running for State Senate to fill the massive void created when Hannah-Beth Jackson terms out of office. Limón has emerged as a determined, knowledgeable legislator, quiet in manner but audacious in style. While sitting on the State Assembly Banking Committee, Limón took on the banking industry numerous times — winning some and losing others but always standing up to its powerful lobby. She successfully limited the interest rates bankers could charge for payday loans, and even though she lost her recent attempt to give mom-and-pop landlords some mortgage relief when tenants could not pay rent during the COVID crisis, she successfully worked to get eviction protection for the tenants. Though a solidly liberal Democrat, she was not afraid to take heat from left-wingers when she did not support single-payer health insurance. She succeeded in requiring Hollister Ranch to make what has long been one of the world’s most amazing private beaches available to the public. That she even took on the challenge seemed foolhardy. That she succeeded remains astonishing. On a less contentious but more serious matter, she helped facilitate the rebuilding of Ventura’s Vista del Mar psychiatric hospital destroyed during the Thomas Fire. As a result, Vista del Mar was quickly able to serve those in desperate need. Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Limón has deep roots throughout the community. With her skills, knowledge, and cache, she will be just the person we need representing us in Sacramento.

Laura Capps

Laura Capps is exactly the leader the Santa Barbara Unified School District board needs in this time of transition and crisis. She has proved her talents during the last four years when her knowledge, energy, and vision have helped move the district toward a more successful future.

She showed no fear in asking tough questions of the then superintendent and took positions on heated issues that were not always popular. That’s an important, often rare quality for a school boardmember, but Capps could do this because she did her homework, and it showed. She pushed for better academic equality and more mental-health support for all students. Her knowledge about childhood poverty and food security allowed her to bring vitally needed solutions to the sad realities facing many Santa Barbara families. Laura Capps is an outstanding, hardworking boardmember who truly cares about the children who depend on the school district to do the right thing. Laura Capps does just that.

Robert Miller, Erin Guereña, and Anna Everett

The world changed with the killing of George Floyd this spring. Three of the candidates now running for the City College board of directors get it; three do not. We are endorsing the three who do — Robert Miller, Anna Everett, and Erin Guereña.

In response to the Floyd killing, the Community College board passed a resolution condemning police brutality and affirming that black lives matter. It was made explicit that the resolution was not an endorsement of the Black Lives Matter organization or the specifics of its agenda. It meant simply that black lives matter.

Still, two boardmembers — one being incumbent candidate Veronica Gallardo — could not bring themselves to support it. It was unfair, they argued, to paint all law enforcement officers with the brush of rogue cops and bad apples. But the resolution never came close to doing that.

Our endorsement is not an attempt at purity politics. Given that people of color make up a large percentage of City College’s student body, it’s critical that the values of the school’s boardmembers reflect the day-to-day realities of their students. It’s that simple.

City College is a true gem of a school. In recent years, it has been twice named the top community college in the nation, yet its achievement gap has not budged. And now, in the wake of COVID, it faces massive challenges not of their own failings: declining enrollments, plummeting revenues, facilities in desperate need of upgrades, and mounting deficits. There are no easy answers, only hard questions.

Having a board that is up to the challenge is critical.

Incumbent Robert Miller, representing the district including Goleta has served one term and two stints as chair. He is steeped in the grim minutia of the school’s financial picture. After a few confusing missteps, such as how he mishandled a Pledge of Allegiance debate, he sought to expand his understanding. His style is soft-spoken but thoughtful, more of a mediator than a trial attorney, which is what he was before retiring. That tone will help bring the changes needed for SBCC to become a truly inclusive campus.

Two other candidates who’ve never run for office before, Erin Guereña and Anna Everett, bring the skills and life experiences that will add depth and clarity to the board meetings. That Guereña — and her husband — managed to successfully open a new barbershop in the face of the pandemic speaks volumes for her grit, skill, and determination.

Anna Everett, recently retired as chair of UCSB’s Film and Media Department, is herself a product of a community college education. At UCSB, she expanded educational opportunities to all students, bringing new perspectives to the discussion. Civically active, she has served on a number of boards, including the County Commission for Women, where she earned a reputation as a hardworking leader who listens to all voices with civil humanity.

For County Board of Education: Joe Howell, Peter MacDougall, Richard Fulton, Roberta Heter

Perhaps the least-understood government entity in Santa Barbara County is the County Superintendent of Schools and its board of directors. The four incumbent candidates have done an admirable job, eschewing limelight while working hard to improve all public schools in the county. It was surprising to see four challengers pop up at the last minute. And it was even more striking that all four newcomers are ideological, right-wing conservatives.

The challengers showed stealth and ingenuity in taking on a district far out of the public eye. But they picked the wrong incumbents to challenge. The only problem with this attempted coup is that the current occupants of this board currently are — and long have been — truly stellar public servants. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.

The incumbents — Weldon Howell, Peter MacDougall, Richard Fulton, and Roberta Heter — are outstanding public servants. They have not only served on the County Board of Education, but all have volunteered enthusiastically in promoting youth and educational nonprofits throughout all of Santa Barbara. As president of Santa Barbara City College, Peter MacDougall led that institution to become the number-one junior college in the country. Joe Howell and Dr. Richard Fulton played leading roles in developing the Partners for Education and Computers with Family programs that have helped students immeasurably. Heter was a highly praised principal of Lompoc High, and she has worked to turn the Lompoc Library into a community centerpiece.

Why mess with success? And for what? Mischief? Confusion?

The Superintendent of Schools and its board might appear mysterious, but take it away and you’ll be sorry. It provides an array of programs that help the most vulnerable students and families in the county’s 20 school districts. It credentials and trains teachers; it provides special ed instruction; it oversees the state’s preschool programs and runs the oral health collaborative in which the poorest kids in the district get screenings and braces. It handles migrant education and presides over homeless and foster youth education, keeping at-risk kids from falling through the cracks.

We need people in that office who understand the system and know how to help and improve education. Not inexperienced people helicoptering in with unneeded political agendas. We’ve seen how that played out in the White House. Let’s avoid that fiasco here in Santa Barbara. Our students and teachers deserve better that that.

Goleta Mayor: Paula Perotte

In our eyes, the race for Goleta mayor may as well be uncontested. Paula Perotte has proved a capable and well-liked leader for the city during the past four years. For two of those years, she was voted in as mayor by the people, and for two of them, she was chosen by her own councilmembers.

Perotte has consistently championed the slowing of growth in the burgeoning city and the preservation of areas that remain untouched. In doing so, she has not ignored growth proponents like the city’s Chamber of Commerce and has helped to fund its community endeavors with city grants.

Paula Perotte has given her time to the city’s well-being since working on safety at school crossings decades ago. With the city dividing the council seats into districts in 2022, now more than ever, Goleta needs a reliable and fair individual in the mayor’s seat.

Sholeh Jahangir

Sholeh Jahangir relies on her moral compass to lead the Goleta Union School Board through two major junctures. First, in 2016, shortly after being elected to the board, Jahangir took part in a project with the then-new superintendent to determine what was needed at all of the district’s campuses. It turned out to be a lot. Jahangir worked closely with other board and community members to put a long-term plan in place. During the last four years, she was instrumental in accomplishing much, including modernizing classrooms and opening a language immersion school. And she successfully spearheaded the bond measure now on the ballot, known as Measure M, to finance the remaining changes — something that hadn’t happened in the district in decades. During her tenure as president, she successfully brought divergent groups together through her style of civil discourse and a determination to do what was right. Now, again, it is her sense of responsibility to do what is best, to make possible what is right, that has been guiding her and the district through the enormous educational challenges brought on by the pandemic. With her leadership, families have been able to receive daily meals on campuses. And through her ingenuity and perseverance, companies have helped the district bring internet connection and devices to children. Sholeh Jahangir has been an exceptional Goleta School Board leader and should be returned for another four-year term.

Lauren Hanson, Bill Rosen, and Farfalla Borah

Keeping water clean and drinkable is an essential duty of any community water district . Understanding the complicated systems of pipes and the challenging California water rules requires stamina and dedication. The three incumbents running for reelection to the Goleta Water District — Bill Rosen, Lauren Hanson, and Farfalla Borah — have proved themselves to be just that: dedicated, hard-working public servants. They have set policies that include introducing hydro-turbine power to some pipelines, transitioning  to electric vehicles, and opposing the Exxon trucking plan, all with an eye to cost savings, while staying focused on environmental concerns  and keeping an open communication with the community. Hanson and Borah also displayed a brave show of good governance, by voting to raise water rates to pay for needed to repair and upgrade to its pumps, valves, and treatment system. Their vote prevented the district from being burdened by long-term debt, an option Rosen was willing to consider. The vote inspired four challengers to run against the incumbents, though not one challenger has attended a district board meeting for the last year. Running a water district requires more attention than that. Goleta is lucky to have its Rosen, Hanson, and Borah as directors on their Water Board.

Wade Nomura and Natalia Alarcon

Carpinterians typically talk softly but carry very big sticks when it comes to protecting their city’s  enduring small-town charm. Wade Nomura and Natalia Alarcon have the requisite down-home roots and soft-spoken manner to carry on in that tradition.

Nomura is that endangered species — a genuinely moderate Republican. He moved to Carpinteria in 1976, started a business, got involved with the Rotary Club, and has now served two terms on the council. 

Alarcon — younger, more outspoken, and certainly more politically progressive — is a licensed psychotherapist who works by day as a bilingual program manager for the Community Action Commission. She also volunteers for the Santa Barbara Rental Mediation Board.

Together both candidates will add much to a council that will inevitably struggle with such evergreen conundrums as growth, development, economic vitality, and community character — and don’t forget cannabis and COVID.

Two seats are up for grabs. Three candidates are running. The third is Mark McIntire, an outspokenly brash and Trumpian former philosophy instructor at Santa Barbara Community College who has vowed, among other things, to protect Carpinteria from being overrun by Antifa and Black Lives Matter. Really?

Stay safe. Stay Sane. Vote for Nomura and Alarcon.

Santa Ynez Union High School Board: José Juan Ibarra

José Juan Ibarra is just the candidate the Santa Ynez school board needs. He will bring an enriched, compassionate experience to the district. With 28 years as an educator, Ibarra has learned the importance of combining excellence in teaching with a student’s need for social-emotional support. Having lived in the Santa Ynez Valley for over 42 years, Ibarra has a well-known record of working to bring a peaceful world of inclusion and cooperation to the issues that have divided and distorted other communities. When everyone within a school district is confident that those in authority understand their needs, then the whole school district functions more smoothly. José Juan Ibarra has the track record of a man devoted to bringing people together and making our civic life one of tolerance and understanding.

No on Prop. 14: Stem-Cell Research Institute

At the risk of sounding churlish, we already gave on this one. Sixteen years ago, state voters approved — and the Independent endorsed — Prop. 71, which set aside $3 billion in state bonds to underwrite a new stem-cell research institute for cutting-edge research on Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, strokes, and other central nervous system disorders for which stem cells provided the necessary regenerative tissues. Now, that center, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, is back, requesting $5.5 billion in bonds. Translated, that’s $260 million from the general fund for the next 30 years. Or more succinctly, $7.8 billion. Given the serious strains on the state’s purse strings, we wonder why the institute has not entered into other research partnerships — both private and public — to secure a sustainable future. Proponents for Prop. 14 instead offer hyperventilated vagueness. They allude to “92 MEDICAL TRIALS” and “2,900 MEDICAL DISCOVERIES,” but they provide no details as to what end. For $7.8 billion, we deserve more than unspecified claims written in uppercase letters.

Vote No on Prop. 19: Changes Property Tax Rules

Prop. 19 has way too many parts for its own good and is too clever by half. We suggest a quick no vote.

As near as we can tell, Prop. 19 was generated by the state’s real estate lobby to help empty nesters encumbered in homes larger than they need but who are reluctant to sell because of the higher property taxes they would have to pay.

Prop. 19 would insulate these older homeowners — defined as 55 years old or more, handicapped, or whose homes were destroyed by natural disasters — from those higher property taxes. Under Prop. 19, such sellers could buy more expensive homes anywhere in the state and get a tax break. Right now, they only get a break if they buy in the same county. Also new is that they could use these special rules three times.

But Prop. 19 also penalizes people who inherited homes in which they do not reside — their property taxes will go up a lot if the difference between the sale price and the taxable price exceeds $1 million. The additional tax revenues would be directed into a state fund to help fight fires, wild or otherwise. But if you cannot recite what Prop. 19 will do while walking a straight line, we suggest you vote no. Even if you can, we suggest a no vote.

No on Prop. 21: Rent Control

Only last year, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a statewide bill that limited how landlords could increase annual rents to 5 percent plus the consumer price index. That’s rent control. The same bill also included language for just-cause eviction protections and relocation assistance landlords will have to pay tenants asked to leave for reasons other than nonpayment of rent or other noncompliances with the lease. That’s just-cause eviction right now. The City of Santa Barbara is poised to enact even tougher relocation assistance requirements than the state measure.

Let’s see how these new regulations work before layering on more. Especially now. Since the COVID pandemic, state and local officials have prohibited the eviction of tenants who can’t pay rent — the right thing to do — but landlords got no relief from their banks and lending institutions for their mortgage payments. For smaller landlords especially, this has been a significant hardship and one that could have negative effects on tenants and the city’s rental housing stock. Given this, we’re not inclined to pile on.

Yes on Prop. 23: Regulates Kidney Dialysis Clinics

If passed, Prop. 23 would require that all clinics have at least one physician or physician’s assistant present when patients — for whom kidney dialysis treatment is a life-or-death necessity — are being treated. It also prohibits the two medical monopolies that run most clinics from rejecting patients based on type of treatment — code speak typically for Medi-Cal or Medicare. Given the urgency of the treatment, we feel these requirements will help safeguard the most vulnerable from the cruel indifference of the marketplace.

Measure L: For Cold Springs School Improvements

Many students  at Cold Spring School and their dedicated teachers must work in uncomfortable, ill-equipped, portable classrooms. Measure L asks district voters to approve a $7.8 million bond to correct this situation. Bring the school back together in a healthy setting, with proper equipment to meet the needs of today’s education.