• CREATE AN ACCOUNT
  • LOG.IN
  • CONTENTS
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • ARCHIVE
  • INFO | ADVERTISING | CONTACT US

  • Home
  • News
    • News Main Page
  • A&E
    • A&E Main Page
    • Movie Times
    • TV Listings
    • A&E Blog
    • Art Galleries
    • Best Bets
  • Opinion
    • Opinion Main Page
    • Blogs
    • Columns
    • Voices
    • Letters
    • In Memoriam
    • Obituaries
  • Events
    • Today
    • Search
    • Submit
    • Best Bets
  • Living
    • Living Main Page
    • Outdoors
    • Travel
    • Sports
    • Peeps
  • Food & Drink
    • Food & Drink Main Page
    • All Restaurants
    • Delivery
    • All Bars & Clubs
    • Drink Specials
    • Open Now
  • Sports
  • Outdoors
    • Outdoors Main Page
    • Outside Insider
    • Spotlight On
    • Features
  • Classifieds
    • Real Estate
    • Jobs
    • Autos
  • Obits

    Phantom PAC Materializes

    Mysterious Goleta Group Issues Statement


    Tuesday, October 21, 2008
    By Ben Preston
    Article Tools
    Print friendly
    E-mail story
    Tip Us Off
    iPod friendly
    Comments
    Share Article
    Facebook Facebook
    Twitter Twitter
    Google+1 Google+1
    del.icio.us. del.icio.us.
    Digg! Digg!
    Yahoo! Buzz Yahoo! Buzz
    diigo Diigo
    google google
    newsvine newsvine
    reddit reddit
    technorati technorati
    Yahoo! My Web 2.0 Yahoo!
    Share on Myspace Myspace

    Coalition for a Healthier Goleta - the phantom Goleta political action committee (PAC) that had sent out a series of mailers thrashing Goleta City Council candidates Margaret Connell and Ed Easton on their revenue neutrality records - surfaced again this week, this time in the form of a statement hand delivered to The Independent offices on Friday afternoon. The statement does not include further information about the organization’s membership other than the fact that it is “made up of long-time active Goleta residents” and is signed by Roy Zbinden, himself a former City Council candidate.

    The address on the letter is the same as the one on the mailers sent out last week, but the address listed at the Santa Barbara County registration office is that of Zbinden’s home. A visit to the Zbinden residence on Thursday afternoon revealed little else other than that the yard is festooned with signs for Goleta City Council candidates Jean Blois and Don Gilman, as well as Greg Gandrud, the Republican candidate running for the State Assembly seat currently held by Pedro Nava. The front door was slightly ajar, but when the doorbell was rung, the door was surreptitiously closed in this reporter’s face. Following this, the sound of the deadbolt being slowly fastened could be heard.

    At present, the citizens of Goleta still do not know who belongs to this concerned group, and more importantly, who is paying their bills. The statement issued by Zbinden reads as follows:

    Goleta is at a critical juncture. Since our city’s inception, poor decision-making and personal agendas have driven Goleta further and further down the wrong path.

    Goleta residents want things fixed - and they want leaders who can make decisions based on what is good for our city and our residents, not on any personal bias or agenda.

    I have been a Goleta resident for more than thirty years. I want to see our city thrive.

    The Coalition for a Healthier Goleta has come together as a group made up of long-time active Goleta residents to voice our concerns in an effort to educate Goletans about those important issues.

    We will continue to point out the problems facing our community, as well as the track record of those running Goleta in the past and those who want to run it in the future.

    Our future is at risk, and we cannot afford more poor decision-making.

    This will be the Coalition’s only statement regarding our goals and activities. Our materials speak for our issues and views.

    -Roy Zbinden, Coalition for a Healthier Goleta

    Related Links

    • A previous article on the Coalition for a Healthier Goleta

    Comments

    Independent Discussion Guidelines

    And Zah-BIN-din is getting the funds from where??

    Follow the money.

    David_Pritchett (David Pritchett)
    October 21, 2008 at 8:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

    Agreed. I can make a couple of educated guesses...

    GregMohr (anonymous profile)
    October 22, 2008 at 6:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)

    And....what've the Goleta chamber people been doing all this time? I'll bet they know nothing about the PAC, right? Follow the money to developers and chamber of commerce members...Blois and Gilman are no strangers to sneaky, nasty politics.

    mangomamma (anonymous profile)
    October 22, 2008 at 8:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)

    For those who want to resist the influence of money and dirty tricks, we need to show they can be overcome with ballots. Vote for Connell and Easton and next time maybe the Goleta Chamber and developers will get the message.

    infomaniac (anonymous profile)
    October 22, 2008 at 8:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)

    Whoever put together that trashing mailer also committed copyright infringement. The photo of Margaret Connell they stole was Kate Connell's picture that I used on Margaret's Web site, http://connellforgoleta.com. Everything on the site is copyrighted, the photos credited, and no permission was asked for.

    Betsy (anonymous profile)
    October 23, 2008 at 7:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)

    There is a strange history of "community activism" by Roy Zbinden: 1) Reagan years - serves as member of local security detail guarding POTUS Ronald Reagan during Western White House visits, 2) 2004 - fails in attempt to ride Jean Blois' coat tails onto the Goleta City Council, 3) 2005 - becomes president of organization called "GoletaTomorrow" to "ensure a brighter future (sic) for Goleta," 4) 2006 - hosts City Council candidates forum at Maravilla; is caught another night in the act of removing opposition candidates' yard signs, 5) 2008 - has GoletaTomorrow endorse Jean Blois for City Council; is revealed as the local rep for the phantom "Coalition for a Healthier Goleta" PAC that is slamming Margaret Connell and Ed Easton. Makes you wonder what Zbinden's fellow "community activists" have been up to.

    wignoutinca (anonymous profile)
    October 23, 2008 at 7:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)

    Log in to comment

    Forgotten your password?

    Sign up

    EVENT CALENDAR

    Previous Month | Next Month

    Today's Events Best Bets Submit an Event

    Local Weather

    Click here for current conditions

    Surf Report
    • Specials
    • InPrint
    • Top Emails
    • Summer Adventure Guide 2011
    • Wedding Guide 2011
    • Best Of 2011
    • 2010 Election Coverage
    • Blue Green Guide 2011
    • Local Heroes 2011
    • 2011 Calendar of Fundraisers
    • Local Bands
    • 2011 Foodie Awards
    • Stupid, Inept, or Corrupt?
    • It's My Life
    • Helicopters United
    • What Was Bacara’s Dworman Thinking?
    • White Denim Hits the Road with Wilco
    • Summit for a Cure
    1. S.B. Filmmaker Mike DeGruy Killed in Helicopter Crash
    2. Stupid, Inept, or Corrupt?
    3. New Hospital Helipad Sees Heavy Action
    4. Bye Bye, Redevelopment Agency
    5. S.B. Symphony to Perform Tribute to Ansel Adams
    6. Santa Maria Police Standards' Slippery Slope
    • CREATE AN ACCOUNT
    • LOG.IN
    • CONTENTS
    • CLASSIFIEDS
    • ARCHIVE
    • INFO | ADVERTISING | CONTACT US
    Google
     
    Independent.com Web
    Copyright ©2012 Santa Barbara Independent, Inc. Reproduction of material from any Independent.com pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. If you believe an Independent.com user or any material appearing on Independent.com is copyrighted material used without proper permission, please click here.
    This is our Privacy Policy.