Matt Garcia knows the allure of the streets. Having relatives caught up in the gang life, he knows his life could've went either way. But he made the right decisions. He's talked with young people trying to get them to follow the path he's chosen. 

Matt tells me that he can counter his biggest drawback, lack of experience, by doing his homework. He can access the same sources of info as his competitors and yet bring a new perspective to issues because he's in touch with a demographic that has been underrepresented on the council.

Garcia has spoken to candidates who've run before. He's spoken with Gary Falati and current Councilman Jack Batson. He's reached out and made contacts throughout Fairfield.

One thing drew me to Garcia is he seems to be cut in the postpartisan mold that Gov. Schwarzenegger spoke of recently. He's not a Republican or Democrat. He doesn't get bogged down with issues that really aren't relevant in a nonpartisan race for City Council.

I found that I couldn't be a Democrat because I can't hold to Democratic orthodoxy. (Also, I've got a spine.) I'm for what works no matter who's idea it is. And I see that in Matt Garcia. He wants to do the things that will make Fairfield better no matter who gets the credit.

And believe me, I was concerned because let's face it, we don't live in a vacuum here. The growth wars have divided this city for a long time. But I'm not going to have a knee-jerk response to developers and think they're all out to screw us just to make a profit. Nor do I think slow growth proponents want Fairfield to never grow and shrivel away.

Garcia has received backing by the Yarbrough family and a check from the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce. While I think it shows the faith they have in this young man, it can work as a double edged sword. It's why I asked him about his independence after his phone call with Councilman Mraz. Candidates run as blocks all the time. Batson, Marilyn Farley and John English ran as 'smart growth' candidates. Once in office, English grew more and more independent. So while it doesn't bother me that Garcia may share the ideas of colleagues, my question was for those who might see him (especially because of his youth) as a pawn.

I think he answered the question of his independence very well.

Matt is exuberant. He's anxious to talk about the issues he cares about. Just when you think his confidence is about to spill over into arrogance, he pulls back and talks about how blessed he is.

Another thing I liked about Matt was that he said if he were caught up in a situation similar to Councilman Frank Kardos', that he would step down. He was clear that he didn't want to comment specifically on Kardos but that he wanted to say that he holds himself to a high standard of conduct. And after Fairfield has been through what its been through as far as felony arrests for Councilmen, it was a positive thing to hear.

If he were elected, he certainly would bring youth and ethnic diversity to the Council. And I don't believe in diversity for diversity's sake. I think he would bring new perspectives to the council.  He's at least worth a good look and not simply blown off because of his date of birth.

When I was 21, I was concerned about getting my drink on. It was all about partying all weekend when I was Matt Garcia'a age. The fact that he puts himself out there as a role model and seeks an important decisionmaking position like Councilman means he's at a level of maturity beyond most of his peers.

You can say I was impressed.

Kelvin Wade is a writer and lives in Fairfield. E-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit his blog at www.dailyrepublic.typepad.com/theotherside
9/26/2007