I am writing to recommend Teri Jory for City Councilmember. The Independent has rightly called her out as a candidate with "a can-do spirit that would energize even the most mordant bureaucrat" while at the same time endorsing Michael Jordan, whom they describe as an expert, if not mordant, bureaucrat.
I would argue that bureaucrats are the absolute opposite of what Santa Barbara needs at this juncture, when we have an ailing State Street, housing affordability issues, and baffling red tape when it comes to granting permits for new and existing businesses. We need energizing and innovating leaders like Teri who have a fresh vision for State Street, for local business, for the way we live here.
For many candidates, public service and involvement have been a lifelong job. For Teri it has been a lifelong inclination. She can't help herself. I first met her when she approached me about an exciting idea for a Dance Plus Wine event she was determined to produce in the Funk Zone: State Street Ballet dancers would interpret our Santa Barbara County wines through movement, treating viewers to a double treat of local art forms and promoting both at the same time. I couldn't see her vision immediately, but we said yes, and she ran with it, creating a program that was exciting, perfectly executed and truly inspiring for me and others to watch.