I’m all about speaking my opinion. Obviously I am. I wouldn’t have this column if I didn’t.
But.
I’m also not voting on issues that impact the county. I write about that sort of stuff, sure, but I’m not the one this community’s population is looking to for leadership and guidance. And even if I am (I’m not), that’s all I’m doing: offering guidance. I’m not then taking an active hand in shaping policy or directing staffers to implement ordinances or stuff like that.
Peter Adam is. As a county supervisor, he’s got a hand on the wheel—or one of them, anyway—that’s steering Santa Barbara County. And (again!) while I’m all for people saying the stuff that they really feel like saying, I’m also all for our elected leaders doing the voting that we’ve put them office to do.
Sometimes, those two things I’m all for aren’t compatible. Which was just recently illustrated by a situation in which Peter opened his mouth and couldn’t subsequently raise his hand.
The supervisors recently faced an incredibly controversial zoning issue, one that involved a farmhouse in Los Olivos. On the table was whether a couple would be able to continue living there or not. I’m not going to get into the specifics of the issue, but I will say that a vote was taken, and the vote indicated no. The couple would have to move.
Peter wasn’t happy about that vote, and he let the world know. In an opinion piece published on Noozhawk, he referred to the video of the board meeting in question as revealing “the face of tyranny.” He doesn’t mince words. I doubt he minces anything.
He then sent in a piece that the Sun published, in which he didn’t sugarcoat his thoughts on his fellow, non-agreeing board members and the neighbor who first brought the zoning issue into the spotlight.
Peter has every right to do that, of course, but then, when it turned out that there was a final decision yet to be made, his words were just sitting there on the table, lack of sugar and all.
Our leaders shouldn’t be nicey-nice nicertons. They should stick to their convictions—preferably the convictions under which they campaigned. But they should also know that they’re not just anyone with an opinion once they get into office. They’re elected anyones with an opinion, and their opinions make bigger waves than other anyones’ opinions. Waves with potentially serious and permanent consequences.
So what am I saying about what others—primarily Peter—are saying? Make sure there’s no more saying to be said before you do any saying of your own. And even then, be cautious.
Peter recused himself from the vote he felt so passionately about, and the whole big ordeal ended on a tie: two against two. Peter could’ve been the supe to tip the balance—though the tie was a de facto win for his side, since it means the board isn’t taking any action. So the couple gets to go on living where the couple wants to live, the supervisors get to keep grumbling at each other, and Peter, well, I hope Peter takes a pause and a breath before the next time he gets an urge to rip out the filter and let the whole county hear what he really thinks.
The Canary says to spill it, but carefully. Send thoughts to canary@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Apr 24 – May 1, 2014.