An interview with Das

from long ago.....but his beliefs still ring true today.

From the (now defunct) South Coast Beacon.

LD: Why do you want to be on the City Council?

DW: This is my home. … To me the most important jobs in the community are city and county level, and the coastal commission. … And I believe the people in Santa Barbara want or believe in the same things that I stand for, which are clean water, good transportation and good planning, and empowerment of the neighborhoods. Those are issues that transcend ideology. They’re not about left or right; they’re about Santa Barbara.

LD: What about your views on spending?

DW: … I think being fiscally responsible goes beyond being fiscally conservative. You can’t address basic infrastructure and economic needs of a community by just shutting down and hoping the problems go away. … I think investing in basic infrastructure, like clean water, like a good transportation system, is one of the best ways we can do that. … In the short term it would create more jobs, because sewer replacement and rail authority create jobs. And in the long run it would also create more jobs because it would be easier for business to operate here in Santa Barbara.

LD: What do you appreciate most about Santa Barbara?

DW: The natural beauty of our coast, and the inner beauty of Santa Barbara’s people. We’re a different kind of place; we’re a place where the prosperity of Santa Barbara’s business and the health of the environment go hand in hand.

We ARE a different kind of place and Das is a different kind of representative.