• Green is the new black. Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) participated in a roundtable discussion with several leaders of Central Coast green businesses and organizations on Sept. 4. Topics included sustainable energy practices and steps the federal government can take to promote the issue. Two days later, Capps kicked off her fall re-election campaign at her campaign headquarters in Santa Barbara. Joined by Santa Barbara for Obama volunteers, local Democratic candidates, and proposition campaigners, Capps spoke about the significance of the election and her candidacy for re-election.
• Before the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors’ split decision to send a letter asking Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to lift the moratorium on offshore oil drilling, the California legislature passed Assembly Joint Resolution 51, voicing its strong opposition to any new federal energy policy that would open up the California coast to offshore drilling. Introduced by Assemblyman Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara), the resolution requests that the U.S. Congress continue the federal offshore oil and gas-leasing moratorium for the 2009 fiscal year and beyond.
• On Sept. 18, the Lompoc Valley Republican Club welcomes Steve Pappas, candidate for Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, 3rd District, to its monthly dinner and meeting at the Embassy Suites, 1117 North H St., in Lompoc. Dinner costs $18 and will be served at 6:30 p.m. RSVP by Sept. 16 by calling 733-0109 or e-mailing jshockency@verizon.net.
• Measure A—formerly Measure C—is a proposed transportation measure that, if passed, would channel more than $1 billion of estimated local sales tax revenues into transportation projects in Santa Barbara County over the next 30 years. The measure, slated for the November ballot, requires a two-thirds majority vote to pass. On Sept. 17, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and Committee to Improve North County will hold a Measure A Forum to discuss the measure at the Abel Maldonado Youth Center, 600 S. McClelland St., in Santa Maria, beginning at 11:45 a.m. For more information, call 922-4881. Cost is $18.
• Grab some grub and meet at the park for some political discussion. On Sept. 13, the Republican Central Committee of San Luis Obispo’s annual Family Day at the Park Barbecue will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Santa Margarita Park. The event will also feature an all-star line up of Republican officials and candidates, including Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria), Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee (R-San Luis Obispo), and Matt Kokkonen. Tickets cost $25. Children younger than 12 get in free. For more information, call 541-4010 or 239-7817.
This article appears in Sep 11-18, 2008.