Matt Kilrain: Challenger, Mayor, Santa Barbara

If you’ve driven around town over the past six weeks, it’s been hard to miss the posters calling to elect “Boat Rat Matt” as Santa Barbara’s next mayor.

It’s a moniker that Matt Kilrain embraces, and one that will take him to the November 2 ballot as he takes on incumbent Cathy Murillo, as well as fellow challengers James Joyce, Randy Rowse, Deborah Schwartz, and Mark Whitehurst.

Kilrain even has a catchy slogan: “Stop the Divide; Raise the Vibe; Unite the 805.”

How he intends to do this is through what he calls his “four cornerstones,” which include:

– Santa Barbara will become a safer community for children to grow up;

– Stop the middle-class squeeze and resolve the housing crunch;

– Santa Barbara Green Power capital of the world initiative;

–Santa Barbara Economic Development and Waterfront Reformation Act.

He also has already revealed three amendments he’d pursue as mayor, including:

Flintstone Amendment: A Santa Barbara anti-stoner/jab-refuser discrimination initiative will allow people who consumed marijuana yesterday or refused to get the jab qualify for a good job tomorrow.

Keystone Amendment: A profit-sharing initiative where the citizens of Santa Barbara will own the business of Santa Barbara and receive a dividend and pension for living in Santa Barbara and owning the business of Santa Barbara.

Hiddenstone Amendment: An initiative that will give Santa Barbara fathers some say to halt spontaneous pregnancy terminations.

Each of the six candidates were asked six key questions facing the city, with the Montecito Journal and Sonos partnering to expand upon this with a debate on September 29 that is available on demand at montecitojournal.net.

Here are Kilrain’s responses:

What is the most important issue facing the city?

The most important issue facing the city is the attitude of the city employees and the attitude of the citizens. Many city employees and many citizens of Santa Barbara are a bunch of cutthroats who would sell their neighbor down the river for a couple bucks. The city of Santa Barbara is divided and emits a lower frequency vibe that what she should. In order for me to lead Santa Barbara into the Golden Age, I will have to stop the divide, raise the vibe, and unite the 805.

This city acts like a seven-headed hydra… how will you cut through this dysfunction and bring the council together in order to build some consensus?

When the City Council and city employees realize Boat Rat Matt got more votes than all the other mayoral candidates combined, they will understand that there is a grassroots movement behind me and they will change their attitude before I am inaugurated. I will unite all of the city employees and all of the citizens behind my agenda.

Santa Barbara area is heavily reliant upon tourism; what is your plan to supplement that in case of other natural disasters or lack of travel? What are you going to do about bringing in good businesses that pay good wages? 

The third cornerstone of my four-cornerstone agenda is to make Santa Barbara the green power capital of the world. The Keystone Amendment to my four-cornerstone agenda is to make the citizens of Santa Barbara, owners of the business of Santa Barbara. When we sign my agenda into law, I will give the business of Santa Barbara more than a billion dollars of green technology along with a multi-billion-dollar business plan. I will also invite smart people with good ideas to Santa Barbara seeking capital investment to invest in manufacturing green technology endeavors to rent the commercial real estate and provide green jobs.

Do you think Santa Barbara would be better served as a city manager-run city, or a mayor-run city? 

When we pass my Keystone Amendment the mayor will be the Chief Executive Officer. The City Council will be the Board of Directors. The citizens will be the shareholders and the City Administrator will be the Manager who can be fired by the mayor and City Council.

Tell us one thing about you that most people don’t know. 

I have no secrets. There is nothing about me people don’t know. I stand behind everything I have ever said or done. I am not ashamed of anything I have said or done. I am very proud of the way I have lived my life. I do have the Hidden Stone Amendment to my agenda but I have made it public so the people will know what my hidden agenda is. It is an initiative that will give Santa Barbara fathers of unborn children some say to halt spontaneous pregnancy terminations.

We believe that one must be willing to lose in order to win. Can you give us an example of a brave position you have taken on principle that cost you politically or personally? 

I had a mask burning ceremony way back in 2020. Additionally, I refuse to get vaccinated. Furthermore, I support the police officers, nurses, and firemen who are not allowed to work because they refuse to get vaccinated. Furthermore, I have included the anti-vaxers into my Flintstone Amendment, which is an anti-discrimination initiative that will prevent people who use marijuana and people who refuse to get vaccinated from being discriminated out of the workforce. My Flintstone Amendment was very popular until I included the anti-vaxers. I am aware that more than half of the people believe people who are not vaccinated should be discriminated out of the workforce, and I have been called stupid for refusing to get vaccinated.

Please list your current endorsements.

Organizations: Pura Vida; WWG1WGA