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Das Williams Kicks Off Campaign for 35th District Assembly Seat
California 35th District Assembly candidate Das Williams is not wasting time.
Williams, a second-term member of the Santa Barbara City Council, announced his candidacy for the Assembly on Monday. Surrounded by a group of supporters at Fire Station No. 3 on East Sola Street, he started his second news conference of the day at least 15 minutes early and quickly got down to business.
“As a local City Council member and activist in Ventura, I have seen firsthand how the state’s displaced priorities and budget cuts have wreaked havoc in our communities,” he said. The 35th District includes parts of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
Working in “that madhouse in Sacramento” would be his opportunity to protect public education, fair wages, safety, the environment and the economy on a local level, Williams said.
“I know all too well that Sacramento is broken,” he said. “When Sacramento is broken, bad things happen to real people.”
Though Williams’ core issues of education, the environment and the economy are repeated in many candidates’ campaigns, he said he relies on his experience to do most of the talking.
On the City Council, he helped balance the city’s budget to enact $10 million worth of changes. Councilmembers tried to protect “basic” programs and services such as public safety, parks and recreation and education without creating the need for layoffs, he said.
“Even in the most challenging of times, there is still a way to get things done,” he said. “There’s no reason we can’t get them done in Sacramento as well.”
Though state government has given tax breaks and loopholes to corporations “so big oil and tobacco can get richer while everyone else gets by on less,” Williams believes that one person can make a difference in resolving state budget issues and representing local areas one vote at a time.
“Now is the time for action, for new ideas and for new energy,” he said. “Now is the time for leadership that puts local communities first and has renewed focus on just getting some basic things done.”
His first priority, if elected, would be to contain the damage to the public education system, he said. His education experience, outside of politics, includes years as a local teacher and involvement with the Peabody Charter School board.
Williams hopes his history of environmentalism will contribute to his votes in the Capitol, as well. He said the difference between a 20th- and 21th-century environmentalist translates not only to saying no to things such as offshore drilling, but saying yes to opportunities such as alternative energy, green jobs and transportation issues.
Campaign plans for Williams include strong fundraising, much like his second-term City Council run, and a mixture of new media and more traditional methods. While he has profiles on Twitter and Facebook, walking miles of sidewalk to meet local residents face to face is his main goal.
“I know I look younger than I am, so it makes it more important to talk to people face to face so they know that I have experience, that I’m not just some kid,” Williams said.
Former Assemblymember Hannah-Beth Jackson introduced Williams with strong words of support, emphasizing his “right mix” of experience, energy, leadership and commitment to his local community.
“He has an independent and no-nonsense approach to issues affecting the community,” she said.
Williams is running against fellow Democratic candidate Susan Jordan, wife of incumbent Pedro Nava, and Republican Mike Stoker.
Many people have drawn comparisons between the two Democrats, especially in their priorities of education and environmentalism, but Williams said his experience gives him the edge.
“You can tell everybody anything you want until you actually have to vote on a budget; that proves the priorities that you have,” he said. “To me, it’s more than talking about an issue; it’s about having background dealing with an issue like education, budgets or public safety.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Giana Magnoli can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Comments
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» on 07.06.09 @ 08:20 PM
Another candidate who can’t and won’t balance the checkbook and has never in his life tried to meet a payroll. Unless we get good candidates we will be stuck with people like this who only know how to spend other people’s money. Look at the job he has done to Santa Barbara. They may never get out of debt.
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» on 07.06.09 @ 09:06 PM
For a full length video interview along with associated articles on Williams and Stoker please go here:
http://www.PlanetSantaBarbara.com/Politics
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» on 07.06.09 @ 09:14 PM
Susan Epstein, standing in the background, would be a much better candidate than Das… Why isn’t she running?
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» on 07.06.09 @ 10:11 PM
so “voting on a budget” distinguishes him from someone with decades of public policy experience. laughable.
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» on 07.06.09 @ 10:11 PM
Das is an innovator and true leader. He is committed to the ideals of the people. I strongly support his candidacy and will back that up with a vote. I’m pretty much over seeing Chernobyl looking cartoons of our State’s Capital. We need informed, energetic and indefatigable leaders who can see these problems with a fresh set of eyes and affect lasting change. - jmike!
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» on 07.06.09 @ 11:14 PM
Baby Ram Dass? You gotta be kidding? The only thing he’s got a lot of “qualifications” in is excess ego. Puleeese…. tell we can do better than this!
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» on 07.07.09 @ 04:06 AM
Das is full of rhetoric but what would he do to truly impact on the systemic problems facing California? There are legacy obligations, an antiquated educational model, an increasingly hostile small business environment and a population demographic of haves and have nots that must be addressed. There is no indication that Williams is prepared to do so. He is part of the SB political elite that talks a good game but in the end does not respond to the real problems facing people in Ca or SB.
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» on 07.07.09 @ 06:00 AM
“Though Williams’ core issues of education, the environment and the economy”
Education = More ethnic studies and more racial preferences in college admissions and government hiring.
Environment = Chase the last remnants of manufacturing out of California.
Economy = Redistribute any remaining wealth to illegal immigrants.
Remember—Williams is the one who told Frank Hotchkiss he would not be able to stand up to a gang member to demand they leave Santa Barbara. If Williams on the City Council refuses to stand up to gangs, how will he behave in higher office?
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» on 07.07.09 @ 06:49 AM
Bravo to Das! He is an innovator who will be great for us.
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» on 07.07.09 @ 07:13 AM
Hmmmm, I find this funny that anyone with his caliber could be elected for anything. That’s what worries me about our voting masses. We do not take the time to get serious about who is really running in any capacity.
Wake up people!
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» on 07.07.09 @ 07:40 AM
How can someone have any credibility when they helped run Santa Barbara’s budget deficit to an as astounding $10.8 million ? With Sacramento facing a deficit over $25 billion (and projected over $50 over the next year), how can we afford another politician like Das? I think Das should get some real world experience before he makes a run at Assembly. Santa Barbara has a lot of great citizens who are stepping up to fix Das’ wrongs.
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» on 07.07.09 @ 08:33 AM
Das is energetic and ambitious to say the least. But like all the other candidates we seem to get, totally lacking in any relevant or significant qualifications. What is relevant? Budget experience, no not the kind you get in running a government budget, the kind you get in running a business budget where you have real people barking at you constantly to get things done with less money. Unless you are a criminal TARP fund receiving corporate welfare recipient, you don’t run deficits unless you want to go out of business. You exorcize real improvements both operationally and administratively in order to drive costs down and improve profit margin. Profit is your ticket to new innovation and expansion of product base (in government profit is the same as savings which can be channeled into a savings account or returned to the tax payers in lower rates), no it doesn’t all end up in some CEO’s pocket like all the left wing kooks want you to believe. The free market capitalist business model has been the model of success for over 200 years now. Some in government have applied these principals to executive management of governments and very successfully. Why? Because this type of system demands rigorous accountability and has at its core a motive for success, that small amount of profit that does make its way to the contributors (in government that means getting more service to the people at a much lower cost).
Das has not shown in any practical way that he embraces this lean accountable method of management. Instead he has shown indifference to fiscal responsibility in favor of advancing his political goals. I like Das personally and think he has a lot of potential, once he realizes it’s not about him and it is about service. Oh and once he realizes the bankrupt ideology of the left can’t do it either.
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» on 07.07.09 @ 10:17 AM
Das’ biggest problem is his whole-hearted acceptance of the far left belief that “government” is responsible to do everything for everyone from birth to death and they, the folks like Das, know what is best for us masses better than we do ourselves.
Until we get rid of that mentality in our elected “representatives” we will be destined to experience more of the same old stuff from Sacramento…
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» on 07.07.09 @ 11:58 AM
I might vote for him in the primary just to get him out of Santa Barbara.
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» on 07.07.09 @ 12:09 PM
Susan, is that you?
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» on 07.07.09 @ 12:21 PM
Ah, another career polician, whose life is built around the merry-go-round of ever higher, paid, public office. Will Das be the next Barrack Obama, or just the next Mike Stoker/John Garamendi?
He ran enthusiastically to serve on the City Council. Two years later, he wanted to
be 2nd district County supervisor, based on his “record of achievement”. Just re-elected he’s at it again, trying for Sacramento this time, so he can wheel and deal in where the big money is.
What are his solutions to the state’s budget catastrophe? Like Stoker, Strickland, Nava, Jordan, HB Jackson, he is mighty vague and general about how he’d help make state government functional again. Surprise?
But like Stoker & Strickland, his motivation is pretty clear. Where else, in the real
world, could a political careerist find a (taxpayer funded) gravy train where he could
earn more money? Not in the private sector, with a real job, I imagine.
But he’s bright, young, eager, like a Rainbow Coalition Eveready Energizer Bunny,
so who knows? Maybe he’ll bring something interesting to the race. Good luck.
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» on 07.07.09 @ 04:10 PM
Please God no. Not now. Not ever. More of the same breed that got us into this mess in Sacramento?? Screw up Santa Barbara with Utopian spending ideals then move on to Sacramento to spread the cancer?? Not on my watch.
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» on 07.07.09 @ 04:12 PM
A more welcome title for this article would be to stop short at “Das Williams kicks off”
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» on 07.07.09 @ 05:48 PM
Das needs to spend the next 20-30 years working for a living in the private sector, save money to buy a house, save for retirement, and pay all the city/state/county fees. After this real work education he might be able to represent the people.
PS the same for Marty and Salud—all 3 of them need to get a real job. Vote them all out of office.
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» on 07.07.09 @ 07:06 PM
AN50 writes:
“Some in government have applied these principals to executive management of governments and very successfully.”
Who has done this? It’s easy to knock Das because he is actually trying to do something unlike the armchair quarterbacks posting to the comments section.
The ugly secret of CA politics has two parts. One, the parties are too powerful which makes for ideologues in office. Das is a good guy but he is not going to be able to buck the party unless he wants to be cut out of all decision making. Same goes for Republicans. This is a direct result of term limits. Second, each member of the assembly represents about 500,000 people whereas in other states it is closer to 20,000. When you need to reach 500,000 people it’s all about mass media and not accountability. The counterintuitive solution is to have MORE politicians not less. This would reduce the power of any single one of them.
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» on 07.08.09 @ 05:47 AM
“trying to do something” and actually accomplishing something are two different things. “Being a good guy” is not a qualification for office. Stop handing him excuses.
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» on 07.08.09 @ 05:55 AM
At least quit your council job first like Sarah Palin.
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» on 07.08.09 @ 03:14 PM
What a guy. (Illegally) rented subsidized housing from his lawbreaker uncle while running for city council. tried to abandon the council seat by running for County Supe. Failed. Re-elected anyway by mindless electorate in SB City. Trying (again) to abandon council seat by running for Assembly. Not committed. Not trustworthy. Not honorable. Never had a real job. So far sounds like a professional politician frantically trying to build a career. Protege of taxin’ Jackson. If this guy gets elected, then 1) the voters in this district really are stupid and 2) they get what they deserve - another tax and spender who will dig CA deeper into disaster.
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» on 07.09.09 @ 03:01 PM
Dat Das! What a jokesta!
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» on 07.09.09 @ 08:08 PM
but Williams said his experience gives him the edge.
it’s about having background dealing with an issue like education, budgets or public safety.”
To say nothing about having accomplished nothing in any of those areas. Experience means nothing if you have no track record of accomplishment.
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» on 07.10.09 @ 12:20 PM
Das will let his “experience” do the talking? Was he kidding?That misnomer lends new meaning to the expression “talk is cheap”!
Das Williams’only experience beyond his tenure on the present,largely incompetent City Council, is NONE, nada, nil, zip, zero.
All he has ever done before his gratutious election to Council by the liberal mini-political machine ( one that has succeeded in electing other incompetents to the City Council for the past ten years or so because reasonable people stay away from the polls), consists of working on, or for other liberal political candidates and their campaigns in order to get them elected.
Das Williams is an egocentric career politician in the making. Just what the state of California DOESN’T need. Another puppet of the special interests that have all but destroyed state government while promoting their own self interests.
That is what Das Williams really means when he says he is emphasizing fund-raising because that is how career politicians buy elected offices, with money from special interests expecting favors in return!
Is he going to bring all that “experience” of governing the City of Santa Barbara into a 10 million dollar deficit (and still growing), up there to Sacramento?
Maybe he could convince the legislature to paint a Blue line around California and paint everything in between a “sustainable” green color.
Green, in reality, like the color of the money the special interests have used to buy-off politicians like Das Williams in Sacramento for the past two or three decades!
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» on 07.11.09 @ 05:35 AM
Hi To Standing in the Background,
Ran into Das last evening at an event, and he told me someone had posted that I should be running instead of him. We both laughed. I endorsed Das a month ago because I think he will make a great Assemblymember. I have never expressed any interest in entering this race, but thanks for the compliment, Standing in the Background, whoever you are!
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» on 07.11.09 @ 06:51 AM
I was a fan of Das’ a few years ago. But as I watched him on the CC I saw someone who did not take buget constraints seriously. The kicker for me was when he approved raises for union workers while the city budget was crashing.
His only interest is payback for for campaign contributions with our tax dollars instead of citizen’s interests.
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» on 07.11.09 @ 06:59 PM
So disappointing. Why couldn’t Das just stand by his endorsement of Susan Jordan. This isn’t pretty, watching Das look over his shoulder to Salud—who is the one pulling the strings on this about face.
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» on 07.13.09 @ 06:18 PM
Our choices are Das, Susan Jordan (who’s completely AWFUL) and Buellton resident Mike Stoker who is a wackjob conservative with no sense of reality or connectivity to what’s going on with most of the 35th District.
Out choices are so bad. It will be hard to hold one’s nose and vote for any of these folks. What a shame. More of the same…
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