The bid by real estate bigwig Jim Knell to qualify a ballot measure to rescind the State Street Master Plan is roiling Santa Barbara’s political landscape, as foes of his proposed referendum aggressively confront signature gatherers hired to help qualify it for the ballot.
“DO interfere in their conversations. Toxify their campaign. Embarass (sic) anybody who would sign. Cost the bastard money,” former Democratic Party chair and progressive thought leader Daraka Larimore-Hall advised his social media followers last week, urging them to “fan out for the decline to sign campaign.”
In Facebook posts, Larimore-Hall also detailed a confrontation he initiated with a referendum campaign worker at Ralphs, which resulted in police being summoned, according to his account.
Supporters of the referendum — including downtown business owners who want at least part of State Street reopened to cars — are circulating detailed descriptions and photos of what they characterize as “extremely aggressive” behavior by referendum opponents aimed at signature gatherers, claiming campaign workers have been “harassed,” “verbally abused” and, in one case, targeted with “racial slurs.”
Political impact. Less than a month before the Nov. 3 election, Knell’s referendum campaign highlights the importance of the State Street Master Plan as a contentious issue in contests for mayor and three city council seats. The Democratic Party’s endorsed candidates support it, while many of their rivals oppose it — at least in its current form — and favor a citywide vote on the matter.
The referendum — and the pushback it is receiving on the streets — has introduced new political crosscurrents into the campaign. Candidates now face questions not only about whether they support a special election vote, but also about their perspective on the anti-referendum effort.
In the mayor’s race, council member Kristen Sneddon is a longtime proponent of keeping all eight blocks of the State Street “promenade” closed to traffic. Eric Friedman, her council colleague and chief mayoral rival, has favored a hybrid version that would allow cars on a few blocks and prohibit them on others. To the surprise of some supporters, Friedman joined Sneddon a few weeks ago in voting for the version of the plan that keeps all eight blocks car-free, at least for now.
Responding to questions from Newsmakers about Larimore-Hall’s posts, Sneddon said it was the first she had heard about the “decline to sign campaign” being undertaken against the referendum, which she opposes.
“I don’t condone a campaign to interfere with petition gathering,” Sneddon told us. “And those gathering signatures need to respect those who refuse.
“I’m running to bring civility to our city governance,” she added. “We can disagree and still maintain respect.”
Friedman said the referendum, and the response to it, could have been avoided if council had voted for his proposed hybrid compromise.
“There was every opportunity for the council majority to avoid the referendum and the subsequent decline-to-sign campaign,” he said. “When a significant portion of people don’t feel like they have a voice, it leads to greater polarization and predictable outcomes like we now have.
“Compromise and governing for the center enable everyone to feel heard and become invested in outcomes together,” Friedman added. “Without it you get what we now have — an escalating situation that gets more difficult to defuse.”
Larimore-Hall did not respond to a request for further information about the “decline to sign campaign.”
New Power Rankings
There’s no reliable polling of the city election — at least none that anyone will share — so in the absence of data we’re left with campaign trail vibe checks to assess where things stand. Here’s our latest.
District 4 City Council seat (Riviera, Upper East, Mission Canyon).
District 5 City Council seat (San Roque, Upper State).
District 6 City Council seat (Downtown).
Image: Signature table for State Street referendum, in front of Ralphs (Elaine Sanders photo for the Santa Barbara Independent).