Unprincipled Vilification
Important issues affecting residents have been obscured in the 1st District County Supervisor race because of the vitriolic attacks by the relatively inexperienced challenger, Laura Capps, on the effective incumbent, Das Williams.
The important issues include: community resilience in the face of natural disasters (fire and flood, debris basins), environmental concerns (oil-gas, water and pollution), affordable housing (including public employees), homelessness, health (availability and costs, transportation (auto, bus and train, walkways), utilities (micro-grids), schools, insurance (cancellations and claim denials), public budgets, fostering business, and labor. Williams addresses these issues knowledgeably while Capps has only recently taken a stab at them rather than at Williams.
Das Williams has worked forcefully and effectively in all of these areas. He has received endorsements from over a dozen organizations, including Santa Barbara County Firefighters, the Santa Barbara County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, the Santa Barbara Democratic Party, the Women’s Political Committee, half a dozen unions, the Sierra Club, and dozens of elected officials.
Laura Capps has isolated advocates in these areas, but because she has little if any experience, except with schools, there has been little organizational support and almost no endorsements from elected officials. This lack of support has led Capps to focus almost entirely on negative attacks onthe incumbent. Such unprincipled vilification is expected from the current president of the U.S., but could well capps-ize her campaign.