Posted on 07/28/2009 8:13:19 AM PDT by Zevonismymuse
The 26-year-old says his lack of formal experience gives him an advantage in addressing city issues.
Hes one of the youngest candidates in the race for Santa Barbara City Council, second only to 24-year-old Olivia Uribe, but 26-year-old Justin Tevis says supporters of all ages and walks of life are behind his run.
Im not trying to ride the youth vote by any means, he says.
Tevis is somewhat of a mysterious figure, and had been less visible in the past than some of his other competitors, who have cut their teeth speaking at council meetings and organizing for community causes.
He contends he has plenty of experience in the private sector, an outlook he maintains is desperately needed in whoever wins seats in November. Hes a manager and works in purchasing at the Territory Ahead. He also worked for a production home builder, and helped in sales at a company called Polymer Logistics, where he helped set up a 65,000-square-foot distribution center in Riverside.
Tevis sees his lack of formal city experience as an advantage and is using a different approach than his more experienced candidate counterparts. I truly have an outsiders perspective, he said. Im not going to vote for pay raises for my friends if its not in the budget of the city.
After getting degrees in international relations and history at Claremont McKenna in 2005, Tevis said hes always had a passion for politics, but never thought hed be running for office. After seeing so much news coverage of the economic crisis, he said he felt that workers in the private sector were being underrepresented.
I felt like citizens were being overburdened and having agendas pushed down their throats, he said. I feel that the way the economic crisis has been handled by all levels of government, federal, state and local, has really shown that the politicians in office are out of touch with reality.
Instead of balancing the budget responsibly, theyre turning it back on the citizens and looking at our pocketbooks to make up for the mistakes that theyve made.
He has a few suggestions for Santa Barbaras budget shortfalls, one of which would be holding city workers to the same levels of accountability as those in the private sector. For example, a $35,000 administrative job in the private sector is getting paid over $90,000 at the city, he said.
He said there are too many lifelong politicians at work in City Hall, and more people are needed in office, he said, representing hardworking, private-sector citizens at large.
This is a pivotal time in our history, he said, and good people need to step up, or our city could become insolvent.
Tevis was born at Cottage Hospital and grew up Santa Ynez. Preserving Santa Barbaras small-town cultural identity is important, and he said he doesnt feel that character should be compromised in the name of affordable housing or big projects.
Cherishing that small-town character was a sentiment Tevis saw in his parents, who still live in the Santa Ynez Valley. Weve seen what can happen with overdevelopment, he said, and is supportive of limiting heights in downtown Santa Barbara.
Instead of fighting for more affordable housing, Tevis said hed like to see the focus shift to maintaining basic infrastructure, such as upkeep for roads and bike lanes.
Hes in favor of neighborhood task forces working with police task force units to try to quell gangs in Santa Barbara, but said hes not in favor of any type of gang injunction.
I dont think we need to live a big-brother, lock-down type of society, he said. I think that anything we do in regards to gangs needs to be taken with a grain of salt, and taking civil liberties and privacy and respect of human beings into account.
As for homelessness, Tevis believes the problem is worse than its been since hes lived in the area, and though he supports private charities and churches helping the homeless, he doesnt support tax dollars going toward building shelters.
I dont think that we need to have a city council or a planning commission where their No. 1 priority is building free housing for the homeless, he said.
Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com.
That's a Conservative ?!?
Yes, that is how a true conservative thinks. Conservatives are pro-individual freedom and against government intervention.
Gangbangers deserve ZERO consideration, they are a cancer on our communities. He sounds like a soft-on-crime squish that we often see in far too many of our urban locales. News flash, “Hug a thug” doesn’t work, and most likely will get you and your loved ones shanked. Frankly, given that you’re one of the biggest Slick Willard apologists on FR, you often have a nasty habit of mistaking liberals and left-wingers as “Conservatives.”
I am asking the same question. Sounds like this little twerp is anything but conservative and his thinking real cap got lost.
Sorry, but I agree with fieldmarshaldj,
Conservatives are first and formeost law and order types.
You’re confusing Big “L” Liberatians with conservatives.
You have contributed enormously to destroying this forum with your lack of civility.
He is a small government candidate.
Zevon needs some serious help, guys. Let’s give her some truth about Slick Willard.
If I give you a dime, will you “endorse” me for President, too ? ;-)
No, I do not support totalitarians. I think you are probably a moveon.org member who is attempting to discredit the conservative movement by posing as a stereotypical mean spirited Republican.
You've just gone 'round the bend, haven't you, hun ? How many times do you need reminding this isn't a liberal website ? Your candidates are always liberal phonies.
I disagree. Conservatives want to conserve our Constitutional rights.Giving them up in order to gain a
little safety will benefit neither our liberty or our safety.
Just want to make a point about our luminaries, nothing more...
It’s good of you to find these people. We all need to do our part to find those who are:
a. capable.
b. willing to serve.
Then I read that he went to Claremont-McKenna ... then that he states that workers in the private sector are being underrepresented ... and that chip on my shoulder started to melt. The last bit is what I love best -- "though he supports private charities and churches helping the homeless, he doesnt support tax dollars going toward building shelters." SB has such a gorgeous, gentle, sweet, lovely climate and so many liberal saps in residence, that it's swamped with bums and hobos ... er, "homeless."
I believe in the right of adults to be homeless if they want. And I also believe in the rights of people, town, and neighborhoods to make them unwelcome (short of violence), and/or to extend kindness of voluntary charity toward them if they please. The government taking money by force from taxpayers to "pay" for the homeless (i.e., give them freebies) is THE WRONG THING. I love that this kid gets it. Let churches and charity do their jobs -- they do them well -- better than the government.
If conservative thought is centered around everyone being responsible for him/herself, yes. I’m surprised that you have a different opinion.
True.
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