Santa Barbara News-Press

Opinion: Joe Guzzardi's honest bluntness

NEWS-PRESS PHOTO

Developers have their eyes on this open space near Calle Real and North San Antonio Road. Zoned for agricultural use, there are proposals to pack hundreds of residential units on it. Second District supervisorial candidate Joe Guzzardi picked this location as the site of his campaign kickoff Saturday afternoon.

March 1, 2006 7:37 AM

How refreshing.

The campaign for the 2nd District supervisor's seat has become increasingly bland, with candidates Dr. Dan Secord, Janet Wolf and Das Williams saying little to distinguish themselves from one another. At a forum at the SHIFCO senior housing development on the Mesa last week, the three offered little in the way of variety.

So, thank goodness that Joe Guzzardi is in the race.

Mr. Guzzardi has a reputation for not pulling punches -- and the race for the 2nd District is all the better for it.

In weighing in on the over-densification of and increasing congestion on upper State Street, Mr. Guzzardi chose these words to address a 55-unit condo project proposed by architect Barry Berkus:

"My opinion of Berkus is, he is like a wolf," Mr. Guzzardi said. "You know how they mark their territory. He is just going around Santa Barbara and urinating on different pieces of property with his monstrosity architecture that doesn't fit and is too big."

Blunt, you bet. And not surprising from someone who has fought for neighborhoods for more than a decade.

In a sense, Mr. Guzzardi also is summing up the feelings of thousands of residents who are worried in general about new and bigger construction that requires rezonings, modifications or a special "bonus density" for subsidized housing to get built.

We're not buying the feigned shock about Mr. Guzzardi's comment by some supporters of the State Street Lofts project.

Typical is a letter to the editor written by the public relations representative of the State Street Lofts development. She wrote: "Much to the point is to protest the loss of civil public discourse, based on trust that we make our ideas known in a courteous manner, and in turn, entertain contrary points of view in the same way."

Then, hypocritically, the PR rep goes on to attack Mr. Guzzardi.

Enough with this silliness. Enough with the attempts to deflect from the important and real concerns about the direction of growth in Santa Barbara and eastern Goleta Valley by trying to create a sideshow.

Many of us might have picked different words than Mr. Guzzardi. And many of us wouldn't have in light of what's at stake.

But what this race needs are candidates willing to be brave and honest enough to say what they believe -- and who are not worried about a little flak from those on the other side of the debate.

Good for Joe Guzzardi. Please don't stop speaking up.

What this race needs are candidates willing to be brave and honest enough to say what they believe -- and who are not worried about a little flak from those on the other side of the debate.