cookiesinheaven

The hardest working elected official guy around. Seriously. 

Don't let the stories of miscreant politicians sway your opinion of those who chose public service to actually make a change in their communities and in the lives of their constituents. 

As Colbert would say, Das represents the "Fighting 37th" Assembly District in California, which includes my little red-tiled town of Santa Barbara, as well as Goleta, Carpinteria, Solvang, Ojai and Ventura. It's a big territory, and Das and his staff are determined to listen to and represent us all.

Whether it be attending SBCC science students project presentations, visiting local farms, presenting disaster preparedness events, writing legislation acknowledging the importance of bees to our food system, working to get more students into and through college without selling out their financial futures, saving people from toppled carriages or picking up trash along the local beaches for coastal clean up day, Das seems to be everywhere.

I want what vitamins he's taking.

On this day of nationally acknowledging the climate, I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge what an inspiration my local ecologically "with it" Assemblymember has been to me. 

Thanks, Das.

Labels: California, Das Williams, Democrats, Santa Barbara

Assemblymember Das Williams Joins National Movement Against Sugary Drinks

After hearing the frustration of parents, teens, communities and health advocates throughout the state and across the nation about the runaway marketing of sugary drinks to youth, Assemblymember Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara) is urging Californians to learn more about these beverages and be mindful of what we put in our bodies.

In an effort to mobilize against the most prominent factor contributing to our nation’s obesity epidemic, Williams is supporting the national, Kick The Can campaign at www.kickthecan.info, the go-to source for those who want to learn the truth about sugary drinks and how to fight back against the beverage industry and the liquid sugar that they try to pump into our bodies.

“We really want folks to realize that it’s not just carbonated soda pop, but all these sugary drinks are giving us an abundance of something we don’t need and there is research that is directly contributing to higher incidents of obesity,” said Assemblymember Williams, a member of the Assembly Committee on Health. “Many youth – even adults – don’t know the harm of these drinks. We can educate and help our community make better, more healthful choices.

“Besides, water is a much better beverage option.”

In the coming weeks, Assemblymember Williams will be introducing a piece of legislation to ban sugary sports drinks from schools and help promote healthier choices for middle and high school students.

KickTheCan.info is a project of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy and serves as a home base for a national movement challenging the power of pop. Visitors can access a variety of information and advocacy tools and even participate in the movement by posting videos, photos and comments to describe their frustration with the ubiquity of sugary drinks, showcase over-the-top advertising and highlight local campaign successes to inspire others to change the beverage world in which we live.

The California Center for Public Health Advocacy is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that raises awareness about critical public health issues and mobilizes communities to promote the establishment of effective state and local health policies.

Website for Assemblymember Das Williams: http://assembly.ca.gov/Williams

Labels: Das Williams, obesity, Sacramento, soda

Labels: California, Das Williams, McGrath, State Beach, State Parks, surfing, Ventura

Das Williams - Assemblyman and foodie, a photo by santa barbarian on Flickr.

You foodie, you!

Hope your day is delicious...and that people donate $37 (or more) to your re-election campaign as a little present. 

Labels: Birthdays, Das Williams, Foodies

"....The thing that made California so great was our world-class education system, an education system that was the envy of the world. I was fortunate enough to grow up having good public schools and great teachers. I also had great teachers at SBCC, who helped me secure a scholarship to UC Berkeley and I went on to earn a graduate degree from UCSB. Growing up in poverty, I would not have been able to become the person I am now, or enjoyed the many opportunities in my life, if it weren’t for the public school system.

Every child, regardless of where they grow up, deserves access to the same educational opportunities that helped me succeed. For our state and children to remain competitive in the 21st-century economy, we are going to need the best schools and best teachers. We will meet that challenge not only by securing necessary education funding, but also by ensuring that teachers are not hamstrung and can have the opportunity to provide students with an enriched educational experience so they are prepared to compete in an increasingly competitive economy." - Das

Labels: Das Williams, Education, elections, local, Santa Barbara

Labels: Das Williams, elections, Santa Barbara, voting, YouTube

Labels: advertisers, advertising, Das Williams, politics

Labels: California, Das Williams, honesty, integrity, Santa Barbara, truth