They call him the mayor of the Westside. Tony Becerra, a karate trainer, enters the political arena to challenge his former student Oscar Gutierrez for a seat on the Santa Barbara City Council in District 3. In this podcast, Becerra opens up about the reasons why he is running for office and his views on issues such as rent control, State Street and the sales tax increase. Becerra also talks about his personal story, being a renter, a small business owner, and one of 12 children in his family. He says he has a vision, is an entrepreneur and plans to advocate for more crosswalks and services on Santa Barbara's Westside. Becerra also talks about Gutierrez, notes that he lives with his mother, and says that ''at some point you have to create your own life, your own opportunities.' Learn about Becerra's campaign in the latest episode of Santa Barbara Talks with Josh Molina.

Please consider a financial contribution to support these podcasts by visiting santabarbaratalks.com. Joshua Molina is a journalist and college instructor who creates dynamic conversations on the topics of housing, politics, education, culture and business. Please hit subscribe on YouTube.