The recent interview with Angel Martinez was disappointing on a number of counts. That Martinez characterized an opponent who has twice been elected to the Santa Barbara City Council as someone whom Martinez has “more capacity, more capability, and more thought than” indicates he is both conceited and self-centered.

Martinez also advocated removing State Street’s benches to address homelessness and panhandling issues. He apparently does not recognize, perhaps because he has lived in the City of Santa Barbara for only a few months, that benches are essential to the downtown business core and their removal and replacement would cost millions of dollars.

It should also be noted that although Martinez has been making the rounds to the Santa Barbara County Republican Central Committee and other local Republican organizations in recent months, he contributed $2,500 to Barack Obama’s reelection campaign in 2012, and he contributed $1,850 in five separate contributions to committees affiliated with Hillary Clinton’s presidential election bid in 2016.

Voters should carefully consider before casting their vote for Angel Martinez for mayor.

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