Smack Down at Fairview Gardens

The Goleta Council told Fairview Gardens this week that they had one year to take care of the housing violations that have generally been ignored for the last ten years by government officials. According to The Goleta Valley Voice, Mayor Bennet had this to say:

“You’re going to put the farm out of business” if workers are relocated offsite, he said. “You can’t have it both ways.”

He also turned to the farm, and sternly reprimanded its representatives for years of inaction and its dealings with the neighbors.

“The trust is broken, and you broke it,” he said.

He was willing to take a risk and let Fairview proceed, he said, but that they would “not get a second chance.”

I have to wonder out loud if he would be that tough talking with the owner of the Bacara...around issues like beach access?

Fairview Gardens: Where Environmental Values and Economic Values Don't Mix, Do They?

I wonder when environmentalists and union members will meet. In my lifetime?

It would make a powerful movement and could get a Democrat elected President -- maybe Barack Obama is attracting both if he could just meet with John Edwards and bring it all together. Then again, is Clinton not as far away from Edwards as I thought?

The face of change is increasingly about who has the extra couple of delegates and the Southern and rural vote. Ironically, John Edwards being a white male was his downfall but perhaps will work brilliantly to his benefit. What say you?