Open Letter to Governor Newsom,

We are deeply dismayed to learn that Das Williams is seeking an appointment to the California Coastal Commission for the Central Coast. A controversial supervisor synonymous with Santa Barbara’s much-contested Cannabis Ordinance, he was barely able to retain his position in 2020 (even with the political and financial muscle of the cannabis industry). Indeed, there are serious ongoing conversations about a Recall of him and a ballot Referendum to upend his Cannabis Ordinance.

Williams’s ordinance has led to unprecedented, industrial levels of marijuana grows causing skunk stench and terpene production, that pollute our air from the mountains to the beaches. Moreover, these massive cannabis operations, with their associated effluent, are threatening our Environmentally Sensitive Habitats in the Coastal Zone and coastal streams.

Indeed, he was the subject of a year-long Grand Jury investigation and Report that singled out his ethically challenged and pay-to-play politics with the cannabis lobby in Santa Barbara County. Additionally, he is the subject of a Referral to the U.S. Attorney regarding the unprecedented levels of cannabis operations surrounding Carpinteria High School, that have filled classrooms and football fields with a putrid stench, impacting staff and students who are 75 percent Hispanic.

Presently, Williams’s lobbying for a cannabis dispensary on Santa Claus Lane, a Highway 101 onramp and beach access adjacent to year-round surf camps for children, has provoked intense community resistance. This matter alone would require his recusal from an expected Coastal Commission hearing and ruling.

These are but a few of the myriad conflicts that would disqualify him from representing the citizens of California and ruling on the many crucial issues before the Coastal Commission. There are several qualified candidates to serve on the Coastal Commission including Santa Barbara Council Member Meagan Harmon, a land-use attorney, who was born and raised here.

Regrettably, Das Williams has never had, nor merited, the respect of many of his First District constituents.

He certainly does not belong on the California Coastal Commission.

Respectfully submitted by 145 Santa Barbara County residents from its five districts including Buellton, Carpinteria, Cuyama, Montecito, City of Santa Barbara, Lompoc, Santa Ynez, Solvang, Summerland, Tepesquet, and (by quorum) Concerned Carpinterians, a grass roots organization representing approximately 300 residents in the First District.

Susan Allen

Susan Ashbrook

M. C. Athanassiadis

Sophia Athanassiadi

Robert Bailey

Valerie A. Bentz, Phd.

Susan Beeler Kreutzer

Dave Bettles

Tracy Bettles

Sean Bettles 

Dede Borchard

Allen Braithwaite 

Tony Brown

Tessa Bryan

Anna Bradley 

Timothy Buffalo 

Victoria Buffalo  

Dinah Calderon

Ricardo Calderon

Anna Carrillo 

Janet Carlson 

Stephen Carlson

Howard E. Chase

Jo Ann Chase

Jennifer Chisik

James A. Claffey

Debi Clark

Larry Clark 

Robert Collector

Eileen Conrad

John Culbertson 

Sean Daniel

Bill Dietsch

Elaine Dietsch

Ann Diener

Robert Diener

Gary Delanoeye

Tamara Donohoe 

Cheryl Doty

Dewlson Family Farm 

Brian Edwards

Linda Ekstrom 

Paul Ekstrom  

Debra Eagle 

Sally Eagle

Terry Eagle

Dan A. Emmett 

Rae M. Emmett 

Anita Engs

Edward W Engs IV

Joan Esposito

Les Esposito

Stephen K. Figler, Ph.D

Maureen Foley Claffey

Patricia French

Michael French

Jon Gans

Gregory Gandrud

Robyn Geddes

Linda P. Hannon 

John Heaton

Valerie Hoffman

Deke Hunter

Ruthie Hunter

Douglas Huston

Llewelyn Goodfield

Marilyn Goodfield

Helen Graves

Scott Graves 

Leigh Johnson

Ron Johnson

Rebecca Kapustay

Pati Kern

Richard Kopcho

Darcy Kopcho 

Sandra M. Kuttler 

Robert Lesser 

Jorgito Lucas

David Ludwig

Mike Macari

Barbara Macari

Sarah Mascarenas-Triguero

Derek McLeish

Corinne Matson 

William James Matson 

Elizabeth Mandl

V. James Mannoia

J. Mariner

Sharyne Merritt

Carrie Miles, PhD,

Cathy Ann Miller 

Mitch Morehart 

Marla McNally 

Stephanie Nicks 

Doris Neff 

Lionel Neff

John Theodore Nunes, Jr. 

Renee O’Neill 

Bobbie Offen

MaryPat O’Connor

Blair Pence

Dianne Pence

Andrew Pfeffer

Elizabeth Poje 

Bruce Porter

Denise Peterson 

Tom Peterson

Marvin Raupp

Chris Reif

Tracey Reif

Patricia Reynales 

Heidi Robbins

Ross Robins

Nanci Robertson

Nelson Roberts

Kathy Roberts

Brenda Rosentrater 

Ray Rosentrater  

Francis Saragoza

Patricia Saragosa

Sheryl Schwartz

Barry K. Schwartz  

Marion A. Souza 

Sky Souza 

Wendy Spencer

Carla Singer

Jill Stassinos 

Barbara Stoops

Helen Thomas 

Janet Thomson

Tim Thomson

Abby Turin

Evan Turpin

Hunter Turpin

Casey Turpin

Travis Turpin

Polly Turpin 

Scott Van Der Kar 

Alice Vazquez 

Kaye Walters 

Sandra Weil

Allan Weil 

Alison H. Werts

Linda Whiston

Edwin Woods 

Kate Wu

Gus Zachariou

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