Guest Opinion | Greg Harrison: Negative Ads Poor Substitute for Listening and Dialogue

I supported Felicia Williams four years ago in the District 2 City Council race, and my wife and I even donated to her campaign. Generally I felt that Felicia was doing a decent job. I did notice some areas where I disagreed with her — for example, her position for limitless campaign funding — as I believe a cap on donations levels the playing field and is better for democracy.” I was also surprised by her decision to move along and run for State Assembly. I am writing in response to the attack ad that Felicia Williams sent out last Friday.

Apart from the suprising tone of the attack piece, the gist of the issue is that Rick Cole is being criticized for standing up against racism, and in hindsight, he was absolutely correct to take a stand and help move the Tournament of Roses to a more racially diverse body it is today.

About 18 months ago, I served on a committee focused on carbon-free energy. I met Rick Cole while we worked side-by-side on this committee. I was quickly impressed with his thoughtful contributions and his positive ways of framing challenges. I was also impressed how Rick Cole had a long-range vision of our city and that we need to act now to create the city we want to see 30 years from now.

When Rick Cole announced he was entering the District 2 council race, I immediately knew I wanted to help. I agreed with his ideas on the issues, but more than that, I found myself thinking about, and caring about Pasadena in a new way. Rick was very focused on making Pasadena a city for everyone, and he extolled all of us volunteers to always stay positive, always focus on the issues and truly listen to our community. I’ve only heard Rick being positive and solution-oriented at all times. Rick’s thoughtful approach helped me become a better citizen and helped me encourage our fellow District 2 residents that it is important for each of us to speak up and advocate for their ideas. One of my favorite parts of volunteering for Rick Cole has been truly listening to my neighbors and sharing their ideas and their concerns with Rick. I was energized how Rick Cole spoke about bringing about a new way of engaging with people and capturing the ideas and energy from every one of us. I began to imagine a truly vibrant Pasadena where more than ever, people from all walks of life were brought into our civic life and truly valued. We love to recognize our amazing institutions here, from Caltech, JPL, and PCC, to the Norton Simon and the Huntington. But I have learned from Rick that every person here is the foundation of what makes Pasadena great. I’m simply grateful to have had an opportunity to volunteer for Rick Cole’s positive campaign. We have some real challenges in front of us, and to be successful, we need to harness the ideas and energy from every one of us.

Gregory Harrison

District 2 resident since 2001