Log Cabin Retreat
Mayor Marty "The Slugger" Blum took out her bat this morning and plans to reassign council seats and parking spaces saying in the News-Press:
This quote reminds of the movie "Deliverance"...I don't blame the "old Das" for being upset as I think he was just looking at the political reality of getting an ordinance through committees where Falcone sits -- but where does that end? Does The Slugger need to change committee assignments too? Can we take a look at civility, procedure and where they go from here?
"...all of the council members need to go to a log cabin and learn how to work together."
This quote reminds of the movie "Deliverance"...I don't blame the "old Das" for being upset as I think he was just looking at the political reality of getting an ordinance through committees where Falcone sits -- but where does that end? Does The Slugger need to change committee assignments too? Can we take a look at civility, procedure and where they go from here?
posted by Sara De la Guerra | 11/18/2005 06:18:00 AM
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67 Comments:
I think the owner/s of this blog have a lot to contribute. They are informed and keep on top of things.
But how 'bout it you owner/s? Step out, now and then. I'm not being snide.
Give us more analysis, and what the heck, your opinion!
Try it, the water is fine.
I find it incredible that Das pontificates about the need to do the policy work for the people of the City when he has been campaigning like a fevered rat for the 2nd district spot for over a year. Being ambitious is one thing but wrapping himself in public service, piety and self-pity at the same time is pretty nauseating. And by the way, if you can't deal with the results of trying and failing to take out one of your rivals join the Boy Scouts.
As for the Mayor, show a little leadership Marty. You wanted the job. Move the children into new seats, thats what third grade teachers do.
I think Das would be a in a more defensible position if he tried to get things through the ordinance committee and Falcone did try to block it. If indeed she wanted to. Then she would look bad. But since he doesn't and she hasn't, he looks silly and is getting his ass kicked on a weekly basis on issues that at best are peripheral to City biz.
To address a few points from the prior comments cumulatively:
Yes, the Blogabarbara host could add more analysis, but that is what comments are for; and with all the Anonymous authors the host could be one or several of them.
Yes, Das is very much out there posturing for Supervisor. So what. Get over it. Stop being so shocked to learn that gambling is going on here. This is the same indignation about outrage that Mayor Blum actually would endorse a slate of council candidates. Welcome to reality.
Yes, Blum needs to assign new seats. And an even bigger YES is that Blum needs to make new committee and commission assignments for the council members, and not put up with all the subsequent whining by some council members who do not get their first choice assignments.
What's the history of the ordinance committee? In a long time watching city politics, I don't recall the emphasis on the ordinance committee. It's a big hurdle for citizens to present ideas to the council. Is it part of the Charter? It's good it is televised but an awful lot of it is Iya posturing.
Seems to me we (voters, people with real jobs, many of us) elect these people to bring ideas to the Council, not the sub-council. That committee acts like city staff and seems to expect that the entire council will do as they say.
I think Falcone looked ignorant the other evening. This otter issue was extensively discussed at the F&W meeting at the Natural History Museum a couple of weeks ago by those who knew alot, scientists and some fishermen, and those who were posturing (unfortunately, I include Das in that group at that meeting - that meeting, only, because he is not a marine specialist and his contribution, I felt, was self-serving.)
However, to sneer at the research brought by Das's office, to demand further studies just looked stupid or at least very self-serving on her part. And as for Barnwell, well, he's lucky the election is two years away.
When will these people figure out that it is not about them? They're elected to serve the public, not be the public. I don't care about Das's childhood on the Isla Vista streets (apparently he was an abandoned homeless child?) I don't care about Iya's Manhattan background or anything about her life. Very few of them, Helene, mostly, don't succumb to lecturing us ignorant people out here; Das and Brian Barnwell, especially, are the worst.
Like watching a schoolyard mud fight, it's fun and fascinating to see adults behave like this. It's disgusting to realize that we are paying them - more than the living wage! - to do so.
Process, process.
Do you all see the shallowness of your comments?
It's all process: who is positioning where, who is saying what to whom, political maneuverings, yada yada yada.
Now (what a concept) think about content.
Skills, beliefs, history, legislation, behavior and oh my gosh! What have they done and said?
Process is an essential part of content.
You, Gary, recognize that well since your comment, too, is about process. Comments about comments are process or are they content? "Who is saying what to whom..." Who = content; what = content; to whom = content; but how it was said is both content and process and, the part that is process, can and often does become content.
As for shallowness: this is the coastal zone, not the ocean deeps.
To "also anonymous said..."
That is the most overworked verbiage to justify nothingness I have read in a long time.
Where's the beef?
Not here.
Having Grad students papers brought in as analysis? Please!!. Having written some of those myself I get embarrassed looking at them years later. As far as Brian's reaction, I think he is quite probably representing a large constituency when he rolls his eyes and shakes his head at the holy child. If he drops his pants and shoots a BA, cheers could erupt across the South Coast.
Okay. That's it for me.
I have researched around and I am now fully in favor of blog publishers strictly editing their comments section.
Shallow, stupid comments bring down the entire discussion. Sorry. That's it.
Edit this one out if you wish.
I'm outta here
Bu-Bye Gary.
Barnwell mooning the crowd was the next increment away in his tirade that night at the council meeting.
The graduate students project, by the UCSB Bren School (while often over-rated) is yet another specific body of reasearch to add to the argument. And the assistant to Das sitting at the staff desk was solely because that is where the computer is to make a presentation through the projector. Many times the speakers with a show sit there, including the federal staff guy who spoke and presented during the same meeting.
The short answer, though, is that the seemingly persecution of Das during the meeting, and the subsequent two Newspress articles are making Das look like more of a derserving and sympathetic character. And this will pile on even more when the sea otter resolution comes up yet again at City council in a few weeks.
Okay, you called my bluff and won.
I will lower my standards, hold my nose, and commune with the great unwashed.
I will offer pearls before, uh, you all, and attempt to make you wise.
Oh my, so it goes.
Gary,
How can we thank you?
Okay, okay.
My sense of humor is way too dry.
Add to that fact that my humor plainly isn't funny, and you have a bad combo.
Apologies
I liked it better when you said you were abandoning this area, presumably to leave your "content" elsewhere.
I'd rather not root around your "pearls," hunting for the sweet spot of wisdom, but, indeed, that's my choice as it is yours to be here ... or not!
I would have to agree with you:
Gary said.....
Where's the beef?
Not here.
Hey, one of us must be on the CC: this is beginning to sound like a Council "debate".
....
Oops just see your newest - and offer my own apologies
I could edit all of these more closely but then be accused of censorship -- I think we can police ourselves. Thanks for staying on Gary -- and Also Anon for supporting him, please!
Gee, first district streetfighter seems to have access to a lot of information about how Das's staff had to weather the slings and arrows of outragous fortune. Just put your name on it Das. We will all understand. KDAS, all Das, all the time! Give him 20 minutes, he'll heal the world.
Okay, Sara, I'll quit rooting around for pearls. I do note, though, that Gary's self-rightously waving the flag of process-without-content got this, uhh, swine charging.
I'll cease responding in emulation mode.
After the KEYT-3 TV story tonight at 6, which chased the Newspress story today, Das is even more sympathetic and deserving, with him talking about how everyone should get along, swallow one's pride, etc. All further enhanced with the video replay of Iya going off with the "not about you" lash from the week prior to the recent election.
And, a further bonus that no audio or video interview of Iya was in the story except for a written quote, essentially noting that she does not care which chair she gets to sit in. A bigger bonus with the interview of Roger Horton, saying that lively disagreement is good for the city council.
Anyway, this news day was very good for Das, without him even trying.
1st District Streetfighter seems a lot like the Holy Child's press agent doesn't she/he? Most dangerous place on the planet continues to be between Das and a camera.
No, I think 1st District sounds like Das's dad; see http://www.legendarysurfers.com/das/blog/blogger.html -- "DAS WILLIAMS: Who he is and what he stands for as a person, Santa Barbara City Councilman, and leader of the tribe - as seen through the eyes of his father, Malcolm Gault-Williams."
Das now lives in a recently-bought condo in the 2nd District (perhaps that's how Lanny got the idea of renting on the West Side?) but his dad remains on Quinientos in the First District, definitely a street-fighting area compared with the wilderness of Montecito, the sometimes heart of the 1st District.
But, having watched that presentation the other evening, I thought Das did okay. Barnwell was dreadful - was he drunk? and Iya was, well, Iya. They definitely had a point that this important issue deserves staff study, especially since there is no immediate rush and a letter can be sent by January 5.
Didn't see last evening's news, but this let's-all-get-along song coming from one of the limelight-hogging participants is getting a bit stale.
I saw last night's segment on KEYT......anyone with any local political savvy was rolling on the floor laughing at Das' pronouncement of wanting to 'get along'....I will say his hair looked great
"Was he drunk?". Here comes the setup to take Brian Barnwell out. How low will the "progressives" go to bring their "enlightenment" to the rest of us wandering lost in the desert. Maybe Brian was sick to the point of distraction with the Holy Child and that was it.
please don't presume the majority of 'progressives' share Das' view of civic life. far from it.
No, it was not to take Barnwell out. He makes sense when he talks about specific land use issues and I voted for him because of his years on the planning comm. I don't think I will do so again (and not just for the otter hearing.)
I watched the tape of the otter hearing and was amazed at his performance, rocking there at the table, it looked like, and the way he spoke about the issue, quite inarticulate and speaking about himself and not about the issue on the table, sneering at some of the sources, saying 'this is not the way we do business' - whatever that meant, but certainly insulting to the speakers, all of them.
And fwiw, I am not a "progressive" and fwiw also I don't know if Barnwell drinks or not - If he was sick to the point of distraction, he was sick to the point of distraction with the large number of Santa Barbarans who do support the Fish and Wildlife decision. This was Das and Helene's presented issue - was he also sick of Helene?
Gee, hit a nerve there, eh. No he probably isn't sick of Helene. But she isn't a preening peacock like the Holy Child. By the way, Brian is acting like he doesn't give a damn who votes for him next time. And that is refreshing to a lot of us.
On that, your "By the way..." we agree!
We have finally arrived in the full useless political world. The city of Santa Barbara politics are so personal and so silly that each member of the council should run for Capps' seat. We debate process. We debate a useless proposition that was placed on the ballot to suck the financial life of the unions for next years statewide that meant nothing. We debate sea otters. But we are so off base - how about our neighborhoods, how about the budget, how about the cost overruns, how about our creeks and ocean. How about the meltdown of our schools. Sorry lets get back to petty.
Did you know that 75 won in Santa Barbara?
Of course 75 won. Who really cares either way. No one will vote based on union or non-union in Santa Barbara. Fire and Police do not get support as a union - but as public safety. 75 cost the unions a fortune for nothing - now what do they do next year? And now in Santa Barbara we now waste time on useless issues that really do not matter - sorry the sea otter debate is a joke. We have entered the saD world of progressive politics.
As a matter of fact, I think Das's motion, SEIU and PEUBLO contributed to 75's victory. Watching their "ham fisted" approach, people voted against them. It only won by 200 or so here. They pushed the proponents over the top.
i like saD - took a second or two - everything saD did in this past election and year backfired. And in the 2nd district he is in worse shape. Problem is he is making everyone look bad from Falcone, Barnwell to even Horton and other good folks.
saD is toxic----his involvement taints everything and everyone around him
Take saD to the log cabin with some adults and no cameras. Fun to be a spider on that wall.
Hey now -- let's take it a little easier Anon...one post saying you don't like Das is enough and we don't have to take things that far.
Some people still cannot figure out what a political and cultural blog is all about. It is NOT a venue for childish name-calling.
Come back when ready to run with the big dogs... otherwise, stick to a fan comment board about Britney Spears.
Things have gotten a little nasty in Blogland. I agree about childish name calling, but that cuts both ways. Das sowed some seeds, he now reaps the whirlwind. Why are you suprised? The "IV street kid" surely should have known that it can be a tough world when you live in a glass house, or dome, and your hands are still dusty from the rocks you've thrown.
Uncle Rico
Valerio,
You have truly missed the point. You ran a Blog for the benefit of your boy and it didn't work out. Once you opened the door with your snideness about "Monsters" and "
Iyatollahs", you lost your right to decide what was appropriate in a political or cultural blog. Your guy has to live with the " bad Vibes" as he might say. Payback is a bitch.
Fig O'Roa
Love it.
This is "process" at its best.
Do you all see?
Das has got our juices flowing.
We are involved and Das and Blogabara have to be commended.
MARTY BLUM 6922 7588 14510 58.91%
ALAN (LANNY) EBENSTE 3731 4802 8533 34.64%
MATTHEW HUNTER KRAME 407 521 928 3.77%
THINKER BILL HACKETT 133 155 288 1.17%
KEN (LEO) HEIMBAUGH 127 98 225 0.91%
ROGER L. HORTON 5410 7058 12468 20.06%
IYA FALCONE 5504 6223 11727 18.86%
GRANT HOUSE 4741 5666 10407 16.74%
LORETTA REDD 3946 4908 8854 14.24%
DIANNE CHANNING 3014 3735 6749 10.86%
TERRY J. TYLER 2796 3557 6353 10.22%
CHARLES (CARLOS) QUI 1469 1452 2921 4.70%
BOB HANSEN 1116 1305 2421 3.89%
Valerio is a consistent contributor but not one of the founders of this blog -- our clue is that he doesn't post in the main page of the blog.
Das is not why this blog was created either -- please don't create an enemy in Blogabarbara because of your own anger towards him. The truth is that BB is not specifically for any candidate or officeholder. It was originally created to offer a counterpoint to the News-Press and to discuss issues at City Hall and the campaign. We've done that well and will continue...
I've pretty much had it with all of the council members myself for different reasons...but this space should be more productive than a spot to release vindective.
But spouting vindictive stuff can be healthy - too bad the blog set up doesn't allow a separate column that can be purely personalities and process. I think you'd find it would be the most popular column ... unfortunately, maybe.
Just been reading about the Seattle monorail fiasco. Made me think about the rail effort here. I hope the powers that be, notably Mr. Horton who seems to greatly disdain the public, almost as much as Horn, have been following that mess as an object lesson.
After 4 solid electoral votes favoring it, the monorail was voted down this November 65-35, about the same margin it passed the prior year! The high interest rate junk bond financing came to light this summer.
Arrogant director Joel Horn (Das should study this guy as an object about what to not to be - the two of them have more than a few similarities) resigned in July. And the Mayor, Nickels, is now back to pushing for more downtown traffic, advocating an underground highway to bring in cars.
Very interesting what a bit of power will do.....
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I suppose examples of transportion planning from Seattle are relevent here...
No, I am not a founder or moderator for Blogabarbara. Nice try, though. After reading that, I now have to clean off the video display of my computer for all the coffee I spewed on it while reading that allegation about my identity.
And on to point:
The revised election results (dated Nov. 14th) indeed show Iya catching up a bit with Roger, and leaving Grant a slightly more distant third place. No way to know which absentees these are in the mix, but seems like a lot of them were dropped off on election day and not counted until now.
This all supports the theory postulated in other postings at Blogabarbara that the advertising blitz by Iya worked to give her a surge the few days prior to election day. What would it have been if Grant House had money for TV ads?
But, of course, this election-day boostlet for Iya is way overblown, yet again today, in the Newspress editorial with its absurd jab against Horton:
"As the overall top vote-getter in the election because of early absentee voting -- Mr. Horton came in second in terms of voting that actually took place on election day itself..."
So somehow polling-place votes on election day are votes that mean more than absentee votes?!?!?!!
Yes, the latest results show Iya received a whopping 94 more votes cast at a precinct poll than Roger did. Votes are still votes, and with the rapid increase in absentee voting as the method of choice, now even more meaningless that jab against Horton, as quoted above.
A new Blogabarbara entry seems warranted about how the rapidly growing method of absentee voting will change the strategies and tactics of local election campaigning.
Here is the latest election count results from Nov. 14th.
http://www.sb-democracy.com/elect/resources/results11_2005/results-1.htm
With even more absentee ballots to count and add to the totals, the results show 54% of all the votes already were via absentee voting for City elections.
A couple of election cycles from now, when absentees are 2/3 of all the votes, will Newspress editorials still try to insinuate that absentee votes are somehow less important than election day polling place votes?
(although this is part of the editorial bias to praise Iya Falcone no matter what, such as ignoring all the electioneering she has done from her city hall email)
The Sunday editorial was an okay message today, about the need not to forget about replenishing the city budget reserves, but then, in usual Factswrong fashion, it loses credibility with the lame jab about Horton receiving 94 fewer votes than Falcone for polling place votes on the day, per the quote above.
What the results seem to have meant is that Roger received a substantially bigger majority of absentee votes as an indication that voters based their favorable view of him on a longer range record, rather than the last week blitz of mailings and radio and TV ads. For Horton, the strategy to avoid the mud fight worked.
Regarding the prior post by "anonymous" and the following posts by other bashful people piling on:
"Did you know that 75 won in Santa Barbara?"
Actually, the latest results (link above) show that Prop. 75 was a slim majority for a YES vote, but the results are for the County as a whole.
No way to know results of a Prop for only City of Santa Barbara unless one analyzes results for only precincts in the City, not the county-wide results now readily available.
I doubt you did that, but do indicate the actual citywide numbers for the props if you did.
So, "anonymous", if you are trying to spin us, you just got caught. If you are just not aware that the results you boast are for the whole county, now you and everyone else does, and you are a bit more politically aware to "run with the big dogs" as a posting above notes.
Santa Barbara County as a whole tends to be more Red than Blue. Just look at past election results when a Republican candidate for governor beats out the Democrat, even though the statewide results were that the Dem won. Simon beat Davis for Governor in 2002 in the county as a whole. And even the Parks Bond (Prop 40) from a few years ago had more NO votes in the County than YES votes statewide.
What everybody seems to be missing in this discussion is that it was the year of the incumbent. Horton and Falcone finished first and second and House was a not too distant third who had tons of city government experience. It was a high turnout election and it was because of the props on the ballot, not the city drama unfolding daily on the editorial page. People voted for the "safe" candidates that weren't going ot rock the boat.
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No missing the incumbent issue.
Yet tie that incumbents win into the all out assult to remove one incumbent by the saD shock troops and unions along with the slug and one sees that that electing the incumbents and an insider reconfirms that voters feel things are on the right track and that saD's and factswrongs weekly assults are and have been way off.
They both too focused on small personal petty issues unrelated to what mainstream voters like me care about.
End of story.
No fancy ad or attack press conference had a thing to do with it. At the end of the day it was the right people getting the right job done, as flawed as Roger and Iya are they have done well and Grant gets it and does not knee jerk. Others such as the Redd was so off the wall and Tyler off the planet that who would vote for them. And Channing was just so darn out to lunch.
Any one with a brain could see it was an easy choice. Made a lot of money on bets - Horton, Falcone and House. Got no takers on the slug - only opponent she has was here mouth.
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Shall we get back to the main point of this posting? That Marty the slugger or as said above the slug wants to reassign seats at the council. Next she will want to change parking space or maybe lockers and then Buffey and Muffy will be upset that they have to walk down the hall.
Oh big slug tell me it is not true that the seating has anything to do with anything.
I am not big (or little) slug, but seating (and setting) has much to do with substance. One of the most important tasks of a mediator, for instance, before a mediation is setting up the seating so as to facilitate communication and cooperation.
So too maybe on a council.
Maybe if Mr. Barnwell is seated next to Mr. Williams, the former will do a bit less sighing and twisting in his chair like a schoolboy when the latter speaks.
Oh bold 1st District streetfighter, I am aware that the results are for the whole County. Just as I am aware that the News Press and political TV ads and the Independent throw a pretty wide net over the County. And grandstanding plays that misfire hit the whole County echo chamber like the 75 fiasco. It did have an effect on the voting outside of the City that ended up suppporting 75.
Oh please, Das.......
Yea, the POA was interested in cutting their own throat. Cannon, you have lost your mind. Neither the POA or the Firefighters, who carried the PR load statewide, had a interest in 75 winning. They apparently just didn't like getting played locally.
Riiiigggghhhttt,
That is why they came out so strongly in opposition to her, gave Lanny Ebenstein lots of money and did tv commercials for him. That is why they had all those big signs saying vote for Lanny for a safer santa barbara.
next.
What all out year long war? What candidate? What ads? What mailers? The only person running a effective year long battle against Marty was Marty. All the POA and Fire did was take a seat. This refusal to take responsibility is like some wierd flu infecting Marty and her supporters. She took every cheap shot she could at public safety over the past 11 months and only once, at a council meeting, did McGrew respond. He no doubt regrets it, if only for strategic reasons. At least, unlike Marty, Mc Grew would probably admit it.
I can only hope the nothing really serious affecting the general well being and safety of the citizens of this town occurs in the next couple of years. The current group both mayor and council, everybody take a bow, is the most inept, immature and unprofessional in the last 25 years. And the ironic thing is that it is the first Council being paid a semi-professional wage. Good job you idiots. Welcome to Sacramento.
Louie the Finger
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Anonymous said...
I am not big (or little) slug, but seating (and setting) has much to do with substance. One of the most important tasks of a mediator, for instance, before a mediation is setting up the seating so as to facilitate communication and cooperation.
So too maybe on a council.
Maybe if Mr. Barnwell is seated next to Mr. Williams, the former will do a bit less sighing and twisting in his chair like a schoolboy when the latter speaks.
______________________________________________________
I thought the slug was the mayor not a facilitator and that the rest were adults. Could not agree more that Barnwell is childish in his responce to Das's baiting - who wouldn't be tempted.
Agree also that I hope nothing really serious happens with this mayor and council for the next two years - or maybe one year. I am tempted to vote Das for second just to get rid of him and get back to normal.
This all reminds me of what pediatrician told us when our children were two:
"get them with two year olds or they will turn you into one!"
RIght now Das and Marty's behavior is turning the entire city council as well as fire and police into two year olds.
Ironic that Barnwell's ex was a pediatrician - he should know better to be sucked into the immature game.
and the previous comment exactly exemplifies why none other than the Das groupies supports his "candidacy" for any other public office; childish rants for a childish man.
The liberals need to get their acts together.
Do we want dense housing or not?
Do we want to build out the foothills or not?
Do we want to continue to grow or do we want a steady-state economy locally?
Until those three questions are answered and settled, the right wing will take advantage.
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Mr. said...
Barnwell is fat and stupid, Falcone needs someone to drop a house on her and Das is lean and mean..run DAS run!
7:03 AM
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And one wonders why the general publlc and the entire Democatic establishment think Das Williams is horribly dangerous to our community and party.
Das go away. Street fight with your Dad else where.
What a pathetic horrible endorsement of the affairs of things in the city and what will never happen in the county.
_________________________________________________________
Mr. said...
Barnwell is fat and stupid, Falcone needs someone to drop a house on her and Das is lean and mean..run DAS run!
7:03 AM
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And one wonders why the general publlc and the entire Democatic establishment think Das Williams is horribly dangerous to our community and party.
Das go away. Street fight with your Dad else where.
What a pathetic horrible endorsement of the affairs of things in the city and what will never happen in the county.
So Barnwell is stupid because he does not knee jerk to the almighty Das?
Daa Das Das Das Das. I love it. He is a flame out. Lets go one on one in the second and kill it forever. He will lose in primary. Tear the dems apart and Secord walks in and joins Firestone and we have another four years of bliss for business in the county. Go Das Go.
Could not agree more GO DAS GO.
Das is irrelevant. A flame that has flamed out.
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