Election season 2022 is upon us, and you know what that means?
Another race with a predetermined winner!
Yay! Not.
What’s the point of an election if only one person runs for office? What’s the deal, Santa Barbara County? Can’t figure out how to win?
In this year’s races, which had a candidate filing deadline of March 16 (incumbents had to file by March 11), incumbent 5th District Super Supe Steve Lavagnino won the race on March 16, and 2nd District Supervisor candidate Laura Capps also won her seat—but can’t step into office until after the June primary, when it becomes “official.”
So although both Capps and Lavagnino told us their “platform,” it doesn’t really matter because they will be the only ones running in their respective races on the June 2022 ballot. So go ahead, everyone, make your “choice.”
Lavagnino is apparently so good that he hasn’t had an opponent in eight years.
“I either figure people think I’m doing a good job—or doing my best—or it’s so screwed up that no one wants the job,” he said.
Personally, I think it’s because he’s funny. He really livens up those boring old government meetings. Well, actually, some of them get pretty exciting! Even if the arguments are the same arguments opponents and advocates of certain “Big” industries have been making for years.
On March 8, 200 people made one-minute-long public comments on the ExxonMobil oil trucking permit project. Rapid fire! And, the comment portion of the hearing still lasted more than three hours!
Do we even need to allocate speaking time for oil projects anymore? Everyone knows what people are going to say: Environment good, oil bad. Jobs good, oil good.
Just mark those options on a ballot and turn them in. Of course, the county’s historic fault line that divides the North and South when it comes to industry versus the environment is alive and kicking, and no amount of redistricting is going to change that!
Lavagnino and Nelson exercised futility by voting in favor of the project against the wishes of the majority of the board—which rejected ExxonMobil’s proposal to truck oil on Highways 101 and 166, along with $4.5 million in tax revenue and jobs and potential oil spills and accidents.
All in all, it seems as if the story of oil in the county is coming to a slow end, whether North County, which shoulders the bulk of both the environmental burden and the economic benefits, likes it or not. With this trucking proposal out the window, ExxonMobil has to rely on Plains All American getting its pipeline, which fouled the coastline in 2015 when it ruptured, back up and running.
What’s the prediction for that project? Denial.
Looks like its time for Lavagnino and Nelson to start building for the future rather than depending on the past for North County’s economic success. And environmentalists need to get on board with the county producing and developing its own sources of energy.
Renewables, anyone?
The Canary could power a hot air balloon. Send comments to canary@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Mar 24-31, 2022.
