What’s going on in politics these days? Watching the national debates, we are reminded of a quote from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Act 5: “To-morrow … to-morrow … it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
The clear trend is loud, rude, angry, disrespectful, dishonest, egotistical, name calling, know-it-all, self-appointed experts, making promises, promises, and more promises.
In the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors 3rd District election we have three candidates running who are again promising to fix everything. Two have never been seen in any Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors meetings.
But there is good news: They are running against Joan Hartmann, a quiet, thoughtful, experienced planning commissioner and community contributor, for many years.
Joan served as 3rd District planning commissioner for three years where she was known for her attention to detail and well thought out land-use decisions. She was a leader in Buellton’s successful Urban Growth Boundary Campaign, the first in Santa Barbara County (2008), and advised on Goleta’s successful Measure G (2012).
She is totally independent, completely honest, and dedicated to promoting economic growth and good jobs, while protecting our communities’ beauty and quality of life, and protecting our county’s agricultural lands and related resources.
So it comes down to an easy choice: known experience, honesty, and many years of outstanding public service. Please vote for Joan Hartmann in June.
This article appears in Apr 7-14, 2016.
