AnonymousBy Mike Hadley of Santa Ynez
It is interesting that Das Williams and Kenneth Kahn co-authored a rebuttal to a recent op-ed Governor Wilson. Accessible County and State public records show that Santa Barbara County Supervisor Williams has taken over $172,000 from California gaming tribes in CA since 2009. AFTER Williams’ was recently elected Supervisor, he took $18,000 from Chairman’s Kahn’s Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.
The Williams/Kahn team tells readers about the 22 public meetings held concerning the Tribe’s use of a 1,400-acre parcel of farmland and open space. However, the ONLY public meetings the county held AFTER Williams’ election were to tell voters about the sweetheart deal between the County and the Tribe – a deal the public did not have any opportunity for input.
As Williams & Kahn tell us, the Santa Ynez Valley is indeed serene and bucolic – I agree. However, nothing in the MOA permanently protects the Valley from the massive commercial development previously proposed by the Tribe.
Moreover, under this agreement, the Tribe is only required to pay a paltry sum of $178,000 per year to the County instead of property taxes for services such as fire and police protection and roads. It will cost taxpayers much more to provide those services. The deal that Williams and his colleagues on the Board of Supervisors gave the Chumash is a flat give-away by the County of taxpayer funds.
The jointly authored letter is further evidence that Mr. Kahn’s investment in Supervisor Williams continues to pay dividends.
By Leslie Mosteller
The LA Times published an OpEd by former Governor Pete Wilson’s criticizing HR 1491 which inspired a rebuttal co-authored by Das Williams and Kenneth Kahn (July 18, 2018).
I must clear up a key misleading statement in the Williams/Kahn editorial. They claim that “Over three years, the tribe and the Santa Barbara County government held 22 public meetings to receive input on the agreement and the fee-to-trust application. The legislation pending in the Senate demonstrates that two sides with very different goals can reach an agreement that works to everyone’s benefit.”
HR 1491 and the fee-to-trust application is NOT the result of a three-year public process. The community meetings concluded in October 2016 without any consensus.
The SB County/Tribal MOA was solely motivated by pressure from a Congressman in northern CA who sponsored HR 1491 and two other similar bills for the Tribe. The closed-door MOA process excluded public input, and sparked tensions in a community with unaddressed concerns and unanswered questions.
Supervisor Hartmann repeatedly publicly apologized that the MOA was the best she could do given the threat of pending Congressional action. This is not results “that two sides with very different goals can reach an agreement that works to everyone’s benefit” that Mr. Kahn describes.
HR 1491 is inconsistent with the density of surrounding neighborhoods and local land-use planning. It awards eventual unrestricted development to a special interest group. It’s “bigfooting” and “pay-to-play”.
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You can “protest” by donating to the local chapter of Gamblers Annonymous. Folks addicted to gambling are drawn to the Chumash Casino like crack addicts are drawn to their crack pipes.
Das Williams: opportunist of the highest order. He sure knows how to spend other people’s money.
You can not vote for Williams if/when he ditches his current county supervisor seat (warming) and runs to replace termed-out Hannah-Beth Jackson as local state senator. That is one thing you can do. Since no one bothered to keep Williams from taking over the county supervisor seat after Salud Carbajal took over Lois’s Capps congressional seat. Does your head spin at our local “progressive” game of revolving doors. Try someone else next time – there are good choices out there other than more of the same, same, same.
The Chumash ALWAYS take their governmental battles to elected officials who reside far from S.B. County. Verifiable – Not “Fake News.”
They play the “Indian game” even though the large majority of tribal leadership is of Latino descent & NOT of Chumash bloodlines. Yes, that’s all verifable, so again, no “Fake News” here, bleeding hearts.
As far as Das being in their back pocket, the only way to let him & others know is at the polling place & to alert the County Grand Jury as previously mentioned.
Game on!
Das Williams is apparently as corrupt as they come.
the grand jury should be looking into this
Same sorry group of complainers. Would you rather we still had the poverty striken slum that we used to call the Reservation? These Native Americans have created tha American Dream and these chronic complainers are just jealous or racist or both!
What specific action can residents take to protest this?
Typical total BS. I am 64 and grew up in SB. I have known tribe Members since I was a teenager. Today becase of the amount of money at stake, they have developed a very sophisticated ancestory program and the current tribal Members who receive money are certifiable Native Americans. The claim that … “the large majority of tribal leadership is of Latino descent & NOT of Chumash bloodlines” is simplyy a bald faced lie! Go back to your cave and leave normal people alone.
Totally agree with SBREADER. I didn’t grow up here, but came in 1969. I know some Members too, and they are absolutely of Native American decent! Who was on that land first? The current complainers of Santa Ynez? Absolutely NOT. How much vacant land surrounds your home? Under your argument, did your residence change the open space and ‘character’ of the Valley? The Tribes parcel is a very large parcel – 1,400 acres. That which they propose will not be unsightly. Let them have what was theirs in the first place! And, let them be!!!! Oh, and yes,
Das is a true skunk!
Das is like too many politicians. (The vast majority?) They sell their souls for the highest bidder. He pretends to dance the unbiased polka.
The American Dream is not buying favor and playing by different rules.
Yes, “the Progressive game of revolving doors”. They do run a tight ship.
I think we should set tariffs on all goods going in and out of the rez.
And what is a “certifiable Native American”?
The Chumash have donated a lot to our community and local schools. They’re very generous and helpful. I’d much rather have their money go straight to our community through donations as they’ve been doing for years , than into the pockets of the corrupt administration we have now – where hundreds of millions are being wasted on golfing trips, mar a lago, first class flights for Agency head vacations, concentration camps for families seeking refuge, and hundreds of billions to farmer welfare, the wall, and war mongering.