sbrobert
By Robert Bernstein
James Kyriaco kicked off his campaign for Goleta City Council with the support of a variety of local leaders. The event was held Tuesday in front of the Goleta Valley Community Center.
Here are my photos and videos.
First to introduce him was former Goleta Mayor and City Council Member Margaret Connell. She said she has known Kyriaco for many years. Kyriaco had managed her campaign as well as that of former Goleta City Council Member Ed Easton. She noted his experience as president of the Santa Barbara Family Care Center. And as a board member of the Community Action Commission.
Here was the complete speech of Margaret Connell
Current Goleta City Council member Kyle Richards was next at the podium. He amusingly noted that he first met Kyriaco at a workshop called “How to Run for Goleta City Council”! He was grateful for Kyriaco’s help getting elected.
Richards feels that Kyriaco has a good knowledge of regional and local issues. That he knows how to listen and that he has a positive outlook. Richards had the confidence in Kyriaco to appoint him to the Public Engagement Committee. He said that he shares his concerns to protect our natural resources. To preserve coastal and mountain views. And to oppose new offshore oil drilling.
California State Assemblymember Monique Limón made the final introduction. They met in 2010 when she was running for trustee for the Santa Barbara Unified School District. She said that Kyriaco cares about access, equity and opportunity for everyone. She likes that he wants to increase child care access. And that he knows the importance of housing and transportation.
Here was the complete speech of Kyle Richards and of Monique Limón
When James Kyriaco stepped up to the podium, he first invited his mother to join him. He also introduced his wife Angie next to him.
He started by emphasizing his concern for transportation, housing and childcare. He is concerned that too many leaders get siloed into single issues and he avoids that.
He said he has been part of the community for 44 years, growing up next door in Santa Barbara. For the past 20 years or so he said he has been a working professional in the community. As a political consultant and as a non-profit leader.
He has volunteered with City and County commissions. He has worked with children and youth. And he has worked on historic preservation.
He said that “Goleta is a small city with big dreams.” We are lucky to have UCSB and a regional airport. And that we have high tech industries that “launch rockets into space” while maintaining a “low tech lifestyle”.
He is committed to preserving that small town feel which he says is essential to Goleta’s economy. He said we need to live within our limits of water and other resources.
He said he is not No Growth. He is just concerned that we have a situation of Whoa, Growth. He thinks we need to “pause” and then plan for the future. He said we do need more housing. But that it must be built by local workers being paid an honest wage.
He talked about the need for child day care. He said this is a burden on families and on businesses. He said he wants to see child care help provided which would free up $300-500/month for families and businesses. He did not offer specifics, but said he would say more about this going forward.
He closed by talking about health and public safety. He said it is not just the usual issues. He praised the school board for conducting its meetings in English and in Spanish. He wants to see that applied to notifications of local emergencies, too.
One final example of public safety: Planning to include proper creek setbacks to avoid catastrophes in future storms. He then ended by asking for people to support his campaign and to vote for him.
Right now there are only two candidates for two seats. Incumbent Roger Aceves is running for re-election for the other seat. But the filing period is still open.
Here was his James Kyriaco’s full speech
Some of the others standing with him:
Santa Barbara Mayor Cathy Murillo, Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte, School Board member Luz Reyes-Martin, Santa Barbara City Council member Gregg Hart, former Goleta City Council member Cynthia Brock, Isla Vista Community Services District Board President Ethan Bertrand and Santa Barbara County Supervisor Janet Wolf.
Actually, the problem that most homeless people have is that they are homeless.
Yep. Anyone who is basically supported by the corrupt Democratic Central Committee is an automatic No vote. The party has way too many union representatives or spouses of union representatives in it to make good decisions for the whole community. They make decisions solely based on who is going to support unions no matter the cost and who the cronies are. I like unions, but not when they corrupt a system and give us terrible candidates that can’t govern and are at developers beck an call.
OK, he hit many good notes. He is environmentally concerned. He cares about working people. Etc. But the biggest silence from Goleta (and Carpinteria for that matter) over the years is the avoidance of any responsibility for the needs of the homeless. All local government wants to pretend that this is only the business of the City of Santa Barbara. They simply look the other way when the subject arises and the citizens of these places are led to believe that “there is no homeless problem here” because their towns deal with it (usually by harsh measures). But the whole county contributes to the population which congregates in SB City where there are some resources. So why can’t we get these other towns to share this burden and open care and shelter places which will disperse and care for these folks who are members of our communities in toto?
I like James as a person, but the fact that he’s supported by Murillo and Hart tells me he can’t be good for Goleta.
There is not a “homeless” problem. There is a treatment-resistent addict problem who chose to park here. As well as a lifestyle choice problem for people who choose to live here but do not have the skill set to afford living in a premium priced area. If you keep mislabeling the problem, you can never solve it. In fact, mislabeling the problem made things worse. This guy is just more of the same failed promises and policies. Goleta, have at it if you refuse to learn from the history of your peers.
22701015201: Your equation of unions and corruption without evidence shows your bias, not your wisdom. The median income of the American working class has not improved since Ronald Reagan’s presidency, accounting for inflation. However, most union workers have kept ahead of inflation. So, unions may have problems, as all democratic institutions (especially political ones) do, but most Americans would be way ahead if all workers belonged to unions.