I moved to Santa Barbara from Washington, D.C., because I had given up on my hope that our national political system could improve our personal lives. Twenty-five years in the Capitol does that. You might have seen my D.C. weekend home in the movie Wedding Crashers? The house had a long history in national politics, beginning with President Dwight Eisenhower who used the home to entertain international leaders. There I hosted senators, congressmembers, the Speaker of the House, the Senate Majority Leader, and even the Vice-President of the United States.
In Washington, D.C., I had learned that politicians advocate for those who offered the most campaign dollars to their campaigns. After two decades of having a front-row seat to national politics, I stopped voting in elections. I didn't see anyone I thought could actually make a difference.
Thus, when I moved to Santa Barbara to live near my mom, I was happy to leave our national political scene behind. I was inadvertently introduced to our local political system while attending fundraisers for Santa Barbara nonprofits. At each event, Mayor Helene Schneider was there speaking for those in our community who might not be experiencing the paradise the rest of us have found here.