As we approach election day, I want to reflect back on what inspired me to run, and talk about my priorities for the state.

I have waged a campaign based on doing the right thing for California, no matter the political cost to myself, and outside the influence of special interests. My only desire is to serve.

For 40 years, I’ve built a career outside politics as a women’s health advocate, businesswoman, local planning commission chair and as a director of a statewide non-profit environmental organization. I know what it is like to meet a payroll, create jobs, manage a business and raise a family.  Through my non-profit work, I’ve taken on the special interests, built grassroots coalitions and gotten things done for the people of California and the 35th District.

In fact, I’ve taken on some of the toughest environmental challenges in the state and won.

Further, as a trained social worker, I will continue to be a voice for economic, social and educational justice and a leading advocate for working families, children and seniors.

My priorities are:

1) Getting California back on track. We must work on creating quality jobs, stimulating the economy, and expanding the local green economy. Nothing will benefit the state more than putting people back to work and thereby generating revenue for the services we all depend on.

2) Restoring Public Education. It is essential that every Californian has access to a quality public education that is affordable to all.  We have to ensure that we restore the monies cut from education and that we look to other revenue generating opportunities to return our system to one of which we can be proud.

3) Expanding health care options for all. I have been an advocate for expanding health care opportunities for over 40 years.  My first earliest public policy experience was fighting to expand health care options for women.  California’s families are struggling in this economy, and the high cost of insurance and health care is a major factor.  I will stand up to the special interests that oppose real reform.

4) Ending the budget gridlock. During the legislative session, many good bills are passed with bipartisan support but the gridlock during the most recent budget process has now brought our state to its knees. Our state’s credit rating is just above junk bond status and billions are spent each year just paying off budget-related debt. I will work to make sure the real priorities of our local communities are not ignored through backroom deals to appease a minority.

5) Protecting California’s environment. California’s economy relies on a healthy environment — we need look no further than the Gulf Coast to see how devastating one oil spill can be. But it’s much more than that — we must protect our air and our agricultural lands, and uphold the strong environmental protections that protect residents’ health and safety.

For more, go here.

I believe that all elected officials should serve without fear or favor. Too often our choices are limited to a revolving door of professional politicians seeking ever-higher office whose first allegiance is to those whose contributions fund their campaigns.

I am ready to devote myself to representing the best interests of my district and the people of California. I will take to the halls of Sacramento the skills I have developed over the last 40 years fighting for the rights of working families. I will keep my word, and I won’t back down. You can count on me to be there for you and I would be honored to have your support.

Susan Jordan

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Please join Pedro and I election night at a party in the W2O Lounge atop the Watermark Restaurant in Ventura. The party begins at 8 p.m.

598 E. Main St., Ventura

(corner of Main and Chestnut)

Please RSVP to jordan4assembly@gmail.com or call (805) 284-9040

We have just a few day left to let voters know about my candidacy for the Assembly. Your help is urgently needed.

Phone banking and walking for Susan!
Date: Sat., Sun., Mon. and Tues., June 5-8

Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat., Sun. & Mon., June 5, 6 & 7

8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tues., June 8 Election Day!

Location: Café on A
438 South “A” Street
Oxnard, CA

Or phone from home!

Walks in Santa Barbara County

Date: Saturday, June 5, 2010
Time: 9:30 am to 2:00 pm
Location: 2920 Ventura, Santa Barbara

Tuesday, June 8, 2010 Election Day!
Time: 8 am to 8 p.m.
Location: 2920 Ventura Drive, Santa Barbara

Call (805) 284-9040 for details or send an email to
jordan4assembly@gmail.com

Dear Supporters, Colleagues and Friends,

I thought I knew Das Williams better than this, but perhaps I should have known better after he jumped into the State Assembly race after previously endorsing me – because of my opposition to the PXP oil drilling deal.

Now he has stooped lower than I imagined he could. Today voters received a mailer paid for and personally authorized by Das which attacks me for allegedly taking a trip to Australia with Arnold Schwarzenegger and oil and gas executives.

The problem is that this is patently false. Not only did the Governor not go on the trip, but Das fails to mention that I went on the trip at the invitation of the Natural Resources Defense Council as an opponent to unsafe and poorly conceived LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) terminals that were planned for our coastline. In fact, I came back from the fact-finding trip and led the opposition, on behalf of the community, to the LNG terminal planned for Oxnard.

For Das to even suggest otherwise is nothing less than shameful. But his conduct and poor judgment over the course of this campaign has gotten worse and worse, as he desperately tries to mislead voters and conceal his own record of support for the first new offshore oil drilling lease in 41 years.

So if you receive Das’ campaign attack mailer, or talk to anybody who has questions, please keep the following facts in mind:

1.    In  2004, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a national non-profit where Robert F. Kennedy Jr. serves as Senior Attorney, asked me to  be their environmental representative on a fact-finding trip to South Korea and Australia with officials from the first Schwarzenegger Administration to study Liquified Natural Gas (LNG).

2.     As the leading LNG critic in California, I was the lone environmental watchdog to ensure that the concerns of environmentalists and communities were represented during the trip.

3.    Two days before the trip, I led a coalition of 25 environmental groups to Sacramento to address Schwarzenegger Administration officials on our concerns regarding their support for building LNG terminals in California.  Representatives from NRDC, Environmental Defense Center, and Sierra Club California were among those present during the hour and a half meeting.

4.     I came back from the trip to South Korea and Australia and then led the successful 4 1/2-year fight to stop the largest mining company in the world, BHP Billiton, from building the first LNG terminal off the Ventura coast.

5.    For that fight, I was honored by the Environmental Defense Center with their Coastal Hero award.

Das totally knowingly falsified my record and my role on this trip. He even had the nerve to use an excerpt from an article (see here) – and leave out of his mailer the part that clearly described me as the “only LNG critic” on the trip.

And to top it off, Das’ campaign even Photoshopped a picture of me they took from my website and put a champagne flute in my hand!  (Talk about juvenile campaign tactics…)

For those of you who worked with me on defeating the BHP Billiton LNG terminal, I know this mailer must be deeply upsetting to you. We worked very hard together for many years to defeat this risky, dirty and dangerous project. So, please feel free to express your feelings regarding this baseless and irresponsible attack by a desperate opponent. You can write letters to the editors of local newspapers by clicking on the list below, and you can help me get a response mailer out by contributing immediately to my campaign by going here: DONATE

Ventura County Star

Ventura County Reporter

Santa Barbara Independent

Santa Barbara Daily Sound

Santa Barbara News-Press

Coastal View News

P.S. Here is what Joel Reynolds, Senior Attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, had to say in response to Williams’ misleading mailer:

“Susan Jordan went to Australia in connection with her work with NRDC in opposition to proposed LNG terminals along the Southern California coast. Her environmental integrity is impeccable, and Susan Jordan always does her homework. She was a leader in the campaign to defeat a misguided proposal for an LNG terminal near Oxnard and, working with local residents, she persuaded the state of California to reject it, to the surprise and chagrin of one of the largest corporations in the world.”

“I support Susan Jordan for State Assembly because she is smart, bold and knows the district. She has proven that she is not afraid to disagree with those in power. The people of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties can count on Susan to stand up for the environment, better health care and quality schools. She’s on the side of the people.”

— Congressman and former Lt. Governor
John Garamendi

……………..

“It’s critical that we elect women leaders. But it’s even more important that we elect women like Susan Jordan. I’ve worked with Susan to protect our coastline, and I’ve seen firsthand that she has the courage, skills and integrity to stand up to the special interests. We can count on her to effectively fight for better schools, a cleaner environment and quality health care for all.”

— former State Sen. Sheila Kuehl

……………..

“Susan Jordan is the one candidate in this race that we believe will work to help us keep neighborhoods safe and who has the experience to make smart, responsible budgeting decisions that will get California back on track. She has the integrity, independence and guts to stand up to the special interests and is exactly the kind of effective legislator we need in Sacramento.”

— Susan Manheimer, President of the California Police Chiefs Association

……………..

“Susan is an intelligent, seasoned, consummate professional with over three decades of business, public policy and ‘real life’ experience. As Santa Barbara Second District Planning Commissioner, and in the role of environmental advocate on coastal issues, Susan has demonstrated strong leadership and proven herself to be an astute advocate. Susan Jordan is smart and will be a responsive and effective state legislator. I am honored to endorse her candidacy.”

— Santa Barbara County Supervisor Janet Wolf

……………..

“Over the last 15 years, Susan has been a tireless environmental leader who has taken on the toughest fights in California and won. To make sure our environment, our communities and our children are protected, we need Susan in the California legislature now more than ever.”

— Pierce and Keely Brosnan

……………..

“I don’t know anyone with more integrity than Susan Jordan. Susan is exactly the combination of smarts, real-world experience, and values that we need, and embodies the best case in a citizen-legislator.”

— Paul Mason, former Deputy Director, Sierra Club California

……………..

“I will say this much about Susan Jordan, she went with her conscience on the PXP deal. While all involved respect the efforts of the Santa Barbara community to work to end offshore drilling by allowing PXP a new short-term lease, Ms. Jordan and Pedro Nava understood that the end dates were statutorily not enforceable and represented a serious negative precedent of allowing new drilling in the state coastal sanctuary.

“People should understand she stood up for the legal and environmental rights for the residents of Santa Barbara despite how it would affect her run for office. We need more politicians who stand by their personal convictions, especially when the Attorney General and State Lands Commission publicly document the many reasons to follow her wisdom.”

— Jack Eidt, Director, Wild Heritage Planners

……………..

“We support Susan Jordan because she’s not afraid to do the right thing, even if it isn’t the most popular. In her work as an environmental advocate, she always takes public safety into consideration, and Susan will do the same as our Assemblymember.”

— Ventura County Professional Firefighters’ Association President
Chris Mahon

……………..

“The people of the 35th Assembly District need a strong leader in Sacramento who will stand up and fight for everyday Californians. Susan Jordan is a fierce advocate for our community. Her leadership in helping defeat the Oxnard LNG plant and blocking oil drilling off of the California coast demonstrates the fortitude she will bring to the halls of the Capitol.”

— California Democratic Party Vice-Chair Eric Bauman

……………..

“I felt strongly that I was not in a position to endorse either candidate in the race while I was still Region 10 Director, as my role was to support, encourage and provide resources for all Democratic candidates. The situation has now changed and I am free to endorse Susan. I support women in public office as I believe they bring a different intelligence to public life which is urgently needed in Sacramento. Second, I admire Susan’s history of activism, her intelligence, integrity and clarity of vision.”

— Former Democratic Party Region 10 Director Sue Broidy

……………..

“I am supporting Susan because she will be a tireless advocate for our children and our students from preschool to graduate school. Too many candidates are fainthearted and weak in the knees. Susan will not be confused or deluded into going along to get along if the price is compromising public education. Let us elect Susan Jordan.”

— Former State Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin

……………..

“After getting to know Susan, I am impressed with the breadth and depth of her experience in public policy. More importantly, she has a fire in her core and commitment to fight on the issues that are critical to our communities. While others talk about the challenges in the future, Susan sees a host of opportunities. We need strong leadership in Sacramento and Susan Jordan will provide us with that leadership.”

— City of Oxnard Police Chief John Crombach

……………..

“Susan Jordan went to Australia in connection with her work with Natural Resources Defense Council in opposition to proposed LNG terminals along the southern California coast. Her environmental integrity is impeccable, and Susan Jordan always does her homework. She was a leader in the campaign to defeat a misguided proposal for an LNG terminal near Oxnard, and, working with local residents, she persuaded the state of California to reject it, to the surprise and chagrin of one of the largest corporations in the world.”

— Joel Reynolds, NRDC

……………..

“Susan Jordan has the integrity and experience to cut through the gridlock in Sacramento. She stands up for middle-class working families – not the special interests. In the State Assembly, she will be an effective leader for jobs and economic recovery, quality schools, better health care and environmental protection to preserve and improve our quality of life.”

— UFCW #770 President Rick Icaza

……………..

“Susan has the right mix of experience, credibility and courage to be an effective leader in Sacramento”

— Ventura Police Chief Ken Corney

……………..

“She’s just what we need in Sacramento — smart, hard-working, knowledgeable and committed to finding practical solutions for California’s most challenging problems.”

— Councilmember and former Ventura Mayor Christy Weir

……………..

“Our state needs strong leaders like Susan Jordan, who will fight for the people they are elected to represent — not the special interests. Susan has proven that she is a smart and effective advocate for the citizens of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and that’s why she has earned my support for State Assembly.”

— Oxnard Mayor Tom Holden

……………..

“Susan is honest, direct and a great communicator. Her record pushing Sacramento to make the tough decisions for the right reasons demonstrates that she is the best candidate, hands down. Now is the time we need representatives like Susan Jordan.”

— Matt Findlay, President of the Ventura County Deputy Sheriffs Association

……………..

“Susan Jordan courageously fights for what she believes in — starting with quality public education. The children of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties — and throughout California — will be served well when Susan is elected to the State Assembly. Susan Jordan is an advocate for the people — not a typical politician. She does her homework and makes decisions because they are the right thing to do, not to please the special interests.”

— Ventura Unified Board of Trustees Member Mary Haffner

……………..

“Susan Jordan has been a strong advocate of a better education for our children and adults. I appreciate Susan’s work to improve our educational system and her knowledgeable advice.”

— Oxnard School District Board Member Denis O’Leary

……………..

“Susan Jordan is a highly competent candidate with broad knowledge in key areas of concern to the citizens of Ventura and Santa Barbara and with a 16-year history as an advocate for women’s health and reproductive justice.”

— Beth Schneider, President of the Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee

……………..

“Susan Jordan’s life experience makes her the right choice for the 35th Assembly District. She knows how working families struggle to make ends meet. Her mother was a single parent. It was a challenging situation and Susan learned first hand the value of hard work. She understands that a healthy community means jobs for families, good schools for our children and opportunities to grow and prosper. She has the intelligence, independence and maturity to stand up to the special interests. You can’t intimidate her. That’s why I support her 100 percent.”

— Labor leader Leo Valenzuela

……………..

“We support Susan Jordan for State Assembly because she brings together people with different points of view, finds common concerns — and builds coalitions to get things done. That’s the type of representation necessary to end the gridlock in Sacramento.”

— Mike Gutierrez, Director of Organizing for Painters and Allied Trades District Council #36

……………..

NOOZHAWK: What experiences from your professional or personal life make you uniquely qualified to be an Assembly member?

SUSAN JORDAN: My decision to run for public office for the first time is the culmination of more than 40 years in the workforce in different capacities.

My dedication to community activism began in college and my early career was dedicated to fighting for reproductive choice and women’s rights. Later, as a senior partner in a national business research and consulting firm, I forged a strong 14-year career in the private sector. And for the past 15 years, as the founder and director of the California Coastal Protection Network, I have worked with grassroots communities up and down the state to defeat large-scale destructive and illegal projects that threaten the health and safety of neighborhoods and residents.

I believe my diverse professional and personal life experience is one of the greatest strengths that I will bring to public office. I have been a single working mother, raised a family, saved for college, and I know just how hard it is to juggle work, family and community activism. I have had a successful business career and I know what it’s like to start and manage a business and meet a payroll week after week. When I came up in the business world, the glass ceiling was a reality and not a metaphor — breaking through that ceiling taught me perseverance in the face of obstacles. My success in the private sector analyzing business problems and devising successful solutions and strategies for national and international companies is what qualifies me to craft successful strategies for California. As a chairwoman and member of the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission, I bring local government experience to the table as well, and I understand how decisions at all levels affect the lives of people in the 35th Assembly District and throughout California.

I do not fit the typical profile of most politicians running for office; at 59 years of age, I view elective office as public service and not a career. I have a proven record of standing up to special interests and taking strong stands, even if there is a political consequence to doing so. I believe my integrity and independence will enable me to make a difference in Sacramento.

NOOZHAWK: With all of California’s fiscal challenges, why are you running now?

SJ: I am running because I know we can do better, and that the residents of this district and California deserve better from the career politicians who dominate Sacramento. From my beginning as a social worker, I have worked my entire life to make this a better world to live in.

I am running now because I believe my breadth of experience, 40 years of business leadership, environmental advocacy and women’s rights activism qualifies me to address the difficult fiscal and other challenges California faces today. We desperately need legislators who understand the challenges of keeping a business afloat, who can assess the impact of regulations and taxes on our economy while holding a firm commitment to caring for the most vulnerable in our society — the elderly, the sick, the disabled and the poor.

I am also running because I am deeply concerned about the lack of women in elective office. In the Assembly, out of 80 sitting Assembly members, only 20 are women and five are termed out. In Congress, it is worse; only 17 percent of all members are women. The scarcity of women in the Legislature has a direct impact on the choices that are made on the budget and the legislation that is carried. Women need to be on an equal footing to fight for the priorities that we and our fellow Californians hold paramount.

NOOZHAWK: What is California’s most pressing issue?

SJ: The most important issue to address is the economy and job creation.

People have been hit hard during this recession and the double whammy of the housing crisis and the Wall Street meltdown have left them reeling. It seems that most if not all of the solutions that were crafted went to help Wall Street and not Main Street, and the result is a staggering unemployment rate and shuttered storefronts. People who have never sought benefits before are applying for food stamps, MediCal and unemployment insurance.

To address this issue, I believe we need to sit down, roll up our sleeves and listen to all viewpoints — including those with whom we may not always agree. This is the ONLY way we are going to dig California out of this mess.

I have met with stakeholders on all sides — those who represent business and manufacturing interests, those who are dedicated to maintaining social safety-net programs for the most vulnerable in our society, those who believe government is too big, and those who believe government is not doing enough.

And as we work to craft solutions, we have to be careful that we do not make a difficult situation worse. Balancing a budget solely through cuts to safety-net programs and education is shortsighted. For every program cut, a job is lost and a vulnerable population is shifted to more expensive alternatives. Cuts to higher education mean that we are cheating California out of a skilled workforce in the future. Overburdening business means that the backbone of our economy — 93 percent of all businesses in California are small businesses — will make recovery and getting people back to work even more difficult.

One of the first things we need to consider is re-instituting an Economic Development Agency where the director serves as a member of the (governor’s) Cabinet. We need an agency that focuses solely on bringing and maintaining business in California.

We also need to look at the creation of a revolving loan fund to help small and midsize businesses weather the recession. Tight credit markets where banks are refusing to loan money to smaller businesses, where equity lines are being closed, and where credit-card interest rates are being unilaterally increased have significantly worsened California’s chances for recovery. We need to correct this situation as quickly as possible.

Tax credits for manufacturing and new hires can also help jump-start the economy. And closing unnecessary corporate tax loopholes that benefit just a few large corporations but do not create jobs have to be rescinded.

Finally, we have to make sure that the budget gets done on time, and it is already late … again. Every day the budget is late is another dollar out the door, another shovel-ready project delayed.

I am deeply committed to supporting job creation in our state because I believe that a vibrant economy brings prosperity to many and allows us to provide high-quality affordable education to our children and enables us to care for the most vulnerable in our society who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

NOOZHAWK: Is the partisan divide in Sacramento insurmountable? How would you overcome it?

SJ: I am not a career politician and I don’t believe in adhering to the party line when there are solutions that need to be crafted. To bridge this divide, we need to elect more representatives who will think and act in an independent fashion and not be directed by the special interests that fund their campaigns.

I have decades of experience fighting for what I believe is right — and this transcends partisan politics. I have successfully worked with people on both sides of the political aisle to devise policies on the environment and energy — because I always keep foremost in mind — what’s best for the people.

During my tenure on the county Planning Commission, I proved I could listen to all sides and make fair and balanced decisions.

However, on matters of key principles and values, I am not afraid to stand my ground and do what is right even when I am under extraordinary pressure to do otherwise — even from my own political party.

NOOZHAWK: Many financial experts call California’s state government employee pension levels unsustainable. Do you agree? How would you resolve the situation?

SJ: I don’t think there is any one answer to this question and I believe the response to the pension issue has been over-simplified and over-politicized with little reasonable discourse in the middle.

Hard-working people who made choices years ago to sacrifice Social Security benefits and salary advancement for some certainty in their retirement are not the problem here. Most government employees’ pensions are modest, with a median in the $30,000-a-year range.

I would like to see the whole tenor of the discussion changed and an independent analysis that is devoid of party politics and that carefully and methodically parses through the issue put in place.

It is always important to keep an open mind on where a problem exists and what the individual, carefully crafted solutions might be.

The first problem I think needs to be tackled immediately is the corruption within the CalPERS system itself and the lack of regulatory control over “placement agents” who steer CalPERS to investments, seal deals to invest billions dollars of CalPERS funds, and reap unconscionable and exorbitant fees in exchange. One such placement agent, Alfred A. Villalobos, a former CalPERS board member, received more than $47 million in fees for acting as a go-between for investment firms looking to do business with CalPERS. The state Attorney General’s Office has filed a lawsuit alleging that Villalobos improperly provided gifts and gratuities to pension fund officials in the case.

Legislation that would require placement agents to be registered as lobbyists and would prohibit them from receiving commissions based on the total amount of the investment deals they work on is under consideration in the Legislature right now.

NOOZHAWK: What three things should Sacramento do to get California’s economy moving? If you’re elected, how will you help implement them?

SJ: I addressed this in a previous question about the most pressing issue California faces, but to reiterate:

» Re-institute an Economic Development Agency with the head as a Cabinet-level position. We used to have one but it was eliminated by Gov. Gray Davis. State Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, is carrying legislation to authorize this.

» Establish a revolving loan fund to help out small and midsize businesses. The California Manufacturers & Technology Association is working with state Treasurer Bill Lockyer to set up such a structure.

» Expand investment incentives, including a manufacturing investment tax credit with a 10-year sunset to help jump-start things. Also, a tax credit for companies that hire new employees. Any tax credit should be geared to real job creation or retention, or cost savings through energy/conservation, and new equipment that can reduce costs without displacing workers.

NOOZHAWK: Do you support offshore oil drilling in California? Why or why not?

SJ: I have been a consistent opponent to the expansion of offshore oil drilling in California.

The tragic accident in the Gulf of Mexico highlights just how vulnerable our local coastal communities would be to another oil spill. Our ocean is at the heart of much of our local economy — from tourism, to fishing, to our wonderful quality of life and retirement ambiance. Even Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has seen the economic devastation that an offshore oil-drilling accident can cause and has withdrawn his prior support for the controversial PXP project.

I am the only Assembly candidate who has consistently opposed new offshore oil drilling — both the PXP proposal to drill the first new offshore oil lease in state waters in more than 40 years, Venoco’s Paredon voter initiative in Carpinteria, which overrides the legitimate jurisdiction of the City Council to approve or deny a project, and the expansion of oil drilling off Goleta.

My opponent in the Democratic primary supports the PXP proposal — and continues to do so even in light of the Gulf oil disaster. He has said my opposition to it is the major reason he decided to run against me after he had publicly stated that he was supporting me.

I opposed the PXP project because I do not believe the end dates that are being cited to justify greatly expanded drilling are legally enforceable — an opinion that was confirmed by the State Lands Commission and the state Attorney General’s Office. I also believe that approval of the first new offshore oil lease in state waters in 40 years would reverse longstanding California environmental policy and set a precedent for new federal and state offshore oil leasing. This concern has been confirmed by pending legislation by Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, R-Irvine, that would open up the entire California coastline to new drilling in state waters and offer discounted royalty rates to oil companies that pay up front for new leases. Further, the Parsky Tax Commission Report also recommended opening up the entire coastline to new drilling to generate revenues for the budget. In Sacramento, the PXP proposal was used to justify both of these proposals.

Should California decide to reverse its longstanding policy against new drilling in state waters, I believe that such a major decision should be evaluated through a coherent and orderly public process with stakeholder input and debate. Should the ultimate decision be to authorize new drilling, I believe any new leases should be put up for competitive bidding and that safeguards that cover liability for businesses and communities that are likely to suffer damage from an oil spill be put in place. In the Gulf right now, BP is only responsible for covering the cost of the cleanup. There is a $75 million cap on damages to businesses and homeowners that will not nearly cover the devastation to hard-working communities that this spill is going to create.

For more, visit Noozhawk

It’s unclear how Williams can call for a moratorium on “new offshore oil leasing” while still supporting Texas-based oil company Plains Exploration and Production Company’s (PXP) proposal which calls for the first new offshore oil lease in California state waters.

Williams has repeatedly stated that the reason he jumped into the 35th District Assembly race against Susan Jordan — after publicly pledging to support her — was her staunch opposition to the PXP oil drilling deal.

Williams has supported the PXP oil drilling deal from the time it was a secret agreement, and just recently reaffirmed his support for it even after the tragic Gulf oil spill that cost 11 workers their lives and is causing untold environmental damage. In the wake of the Gulf tragedy, even Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger dropped his support for the PXP deal.

“This is a desperate campaign ploy by Das to distance himself from his longstanding support for the first new offshore oil lease in California state waters in 41 years,” Jordan said.

Oddly, there was no mention of Williams’ continued support for the PXP deal in his press release.

A series of mailers from the Williams campaign and from tribal gambling interests, have sought to distance Williams from the PXP deal. See the tally of Williams’ donors here.

“It’s unclear to me how Das can call for a moratorium on new offshore oil leasing while he continues to support the PXP deal,” Jordan said.

“I have always been consistent in my opposition to new oil drilling in federal and state waters. I opposed the controversial PXP deal because its promise to end offshore oil drilling was unenforceable and I was unwilling to expose our coastal economy, our marine wildlife and our beaches to the devastating impacts of an oil spill – a risk that would have doubled under the PXP plan,” Jordan said.

On May 18, 2010, State Lands Commission staff released a legal memorandum confirming that the end dates in the new PXP agreement were unenforceable, that the drilling plan would increase the risk of an oil spill, create an incentive for new federal offshore oil leasing off California, and was, therefore, not in the best interest of the state.

This is a collection of what Das Williams has said about PXP in the past:

“We don’t have to trust the corporation…. There is a private party agreement that’s enforceable as a contract between them and the environmental groups… So we have several layers of safety, we don’t need to trust them.” (Das made this statement despite the fact that the Attorney General and the State Lands Commission have definitively ruled that the deals are unenforceable.)

— Examiner, March 6, 2010

“Williams said that a decisive event in his final decision to run was the action taken by Jordan and Nava in helping to sink a painstakingly negotiated agreement between major environmental groups and Plains Exploration and Production (PXP) oil company.”

— Santa Barbara Independent, April 1, 2009

“Among the few environmentalists opposing the deal was longtime coastal advocate Susan Jordan and her husband, Assemblyman Pedro Nava. Jordan is now seeking the Democratic nomination for the seat, being vacated by Nava. She is opposed by city councilman Das Williams, who said he got into the race largely because of Jordan’s position on the issue.”

— “Tranquillon Ridge Project Returns,” Santa Barbara Independent, 5/14 2009

“The dynamic is clear in the Jordan/Das Williams Democratic primary race for Nava’s soon to be vacant seat. Williams got in, earlier backing Jordan, for the stated reason that she opposed EDC’s deal.” Williams said he “stands with EDC” in looking for alternative ways to breathe new life into the agreement with PXP, and to address environmental concerns raised by Lands Commission staff.

— “Arnold’s Oily Surprise,” Santa Barbara Independent, 5/21/2009

“Among those fighting to beat Schwarzenegger’s bill was Susan Jordan, a top contender for the seat and a coastal advocate who fiercely opposed EDC’s agreement from the start – and who happens to be married to Nava. Jordan’s chief Democratic rival is SB City Council Member Das Williams, who backed the original PXP agreement and cited Jordan’s opposition to it in his decision to enter the race.”

— “Pedro Drills Arnold,” Santa Barbara Independent, 7/30, 2009

“Longtime enviro Susan Jordan, who’s running to succeed her husband Pedro Nava, staked out a lonely stance opposing the deal, while most of her erstwhile allies, including City councilman Das Williams, backed it. Williams who had earlier pledged to support Jordan, cited her position on Tranquillon Ridge as the key reason for making an about-face entry in to the race.”

— “No Tranquility at Tranquillon,” Calbuzz Fishwrap, 5/15/2009

“I think it was a good deal and I think we should be willing to make good deals like that.”

— Excerpt from video interview with Das Williams on www.PlanetSantaBarbara.com

“An immediate effect of the split is the decision by Santa Barbara City Councilman Das Williams to open an exploratory committee to run for the 35th Assembly District. Williams had previously pledged to endorse Susan Jordan, the wife of the termed out incumbent Pedro Nava….” The situation (defeat of PXP at SLC) played a major role in convincing Williams to abandon his support and move toward entering the race himself.”

— “Oil drilling deal splits Democrats,” Ventura County Star, 3/11/2009

“Last week, Santa Barbara City Councilmember Das Williams jumped into the Democratic primary for the seat, citing Jordan’s opposition to an agreement between environmentalists and the oil company Plains Exploration & Production (PXP) as a key reason for abandoning his earlier support of her.

— “Why Susan Jordan Loves Homework,” Santa Barbara Independent, 4/9/2009

It is unfortunate and undemocratic that some feel telling the truth is somehow “negative campaigning.” I strongly disagree.

Democracy demands a vigorous debate on key policies that affect the District and the State. What happens in Santa Barbara on offshore oil affects the state and the nation. It is important that everyone be aware of the candidates’ significant differences on this important environmental issue.

Williams’ support for the PXP deal, which calls for up to 30 new wells, doubles the risk of an oil spill off the Santa Barbara/Ventura coast. The PXP proposal would be the first new offshore oil lease in California in over 40 years.

Williams supports the controversial PXP oil drilling. I do not.

Williams originally supported my campaign for the Assembly, but changed his mind and entered the race for the Assembly based on my opposition to the PXP proposal.

The information from my campaign accurately describes Williams’ support for the first secret PXP deal, his documented assertion that environmental groups should make “good (secret) deals like that,” and his continued support for the new leasing and drilling proposal even after the Gulf oil tragedy — and after the Governor made an informed decision to drop his support for the PXP project, calling it too risky for California.

The State Lands Commission staff and the California Attorney General, after review of the “new” PXP deal, issued a legal memorandum concluding that it is still unenforceable, still increases the risk of an oil spill, still encourages new federal leasing off our coast and is still not in the best interests of the state, but still Williams continues to support the PXP proposal.

You can’t have it both ways. Williams says he doesn’t support new oil drilling, but ignores the legal guidance of the state’s top prosecutor and the State Lands Commission legal counsel who have now twice said this deal will not stop oil drilling off the Santa Barbara coast. His support for the PXP deal demonstrates poor judgment and puts our coast in jeopardy of an oil spill that would have devastating impacts on our coastal economy, our wildlife and our beaches.

For the Ventura County Star article on the latest State Lands Commission staff ruling on the PXP proposal, go here. For a look at what Jerry Roberts of Calbuzz has to say, go here.

Above, Susan Jordan explains why she is opposed to the controversial Texas-based Plains Exploration and Production Company oil deal and how her research was backed up by legal experts.

Above, Susan Jordan explains her work in statewide issues, including helping to stop the placement of a dangerous Liquified Natural Gas terminal off the coast of Oxnard.

Above, Susan Jordan talks about the importance of the state’s fishing industry, her opposition to the Paredon project in Carpinteria, and the vital issue of campaign finance reform.

Rejecting claims that the “new” Plains Exploration and Production (PXP) oil drilling agreement would end offshore oil drilling off the Santa Barbara County coast, the State Lands Commission staff has reviewed the proposal and concluded in an official memorandum that its terms and benefits are not enforceable.

In specific, the memorandum concludes that the drilling is likely to continue beyond the end dates, that decommissioning and removal of the platforms is unlikely to occur, that it creates an unnecessary and increased risk of an oil spill, and sets a negative precedent for new federal leasing off the California coast.

On May 3, after viewing the tragic ongoing events in the Gulf of Mexico, Governor Schwarzenegger withdrew his support for Texas-based Plains Exploration and Production Company’s (PXP) controversial plan to expand offshore oil drilling off the Santa Barbara coast. Had PXP’s proposal been approved, it would have reversed California’s longstanding ban against new offshore oil leasing in state waters and been the first new offshore oil lease since the 1969 blowout fouled the Santa Barbara coastline.

“I have always opposed the PXP oil drilling plan on the basis that its promise to end offshore oil drilling was unenforceable and that the massive increase in new drilling and extraction would place our coastal economy, our marine wildlife and our beaches at the risk of a devastating oil spill,” said Susan Jordan, founder of the award-winning California Coastal Protection Network and candidate for the 35th Assembly District.

“Why would I reverse 40 years of California’s long-standing ban against new drilling and accept a promise from an oil company that joined BP in a fight against stronger drilling rig protections that might have prevented the devastating oil spill that occurred 40 miles off the coast of Louisiana and now threatens the Florida Keys?” Jordan asked.

PXP had recently announced a “new agreement” that it claimed resolved all the concerns that led to the State Lands Commission’s initial rejection of the project in January of 2009. This new staff analysis, undertaken at the request of Controller John Chiang, forcefully concludes that the concerns that led the State Lands Commission to deny the project in January of 2009 remain unresolved:

“In light of the continued risk of an oil spill from the proposed Tranquillon Ridge leases, the potential encouragement of new federal leases that could be caused by approval of a new state lease, and the lack of assurance that production from the federal leases will end as provided for in the April 6, 2010 agreement, staff concludes that, apart from its publication, the new agreement does not cure the factors that led the Commission to determine that the proposed leases were not in the best interests of the state.
-- SLC Memorandum to SLC Commissioners, dated May 18, 2010

Jordan, an award-winning environmental leader, opposed the PXP deal from the start.  The issue has become a contentious one in her race for the State Assembly seat.  Her opponent in the Democratic primary, Das Williams, who had earlier pledged to support Jordan, cited her opposition to the PXP Tranquillon Ridge proposal for new oil drilling as the key reason for making an about-face entry into the race. Even after the tragic events in the Gulf continued to unfold, Williams reaffirmed his support for the PXP oil drilling deal to the Ventura County Star, saying he was “happy” to continue to support it.

Despite intense political pressure during the last two years to support the PXP proposal, Jordan has consistently stood her ground.

“Support for PXP’s drilling plans has placed vulnerable coastal communities like Carpinteria and Goleta at increased risk for new, expanded drilling. We need a strong united voice against any and all new offshore oil drilling off the California coast. It’s time to reaffirm California’s longstanding policy against new offshore oil drilling, send PXP’s oil drilling proposal back to Texas, and move toward a renewable energy future,” she concluded.

For the Ventura County Star story, go here.

For the story on Calbuzz, go here.