Casa de la Raza Forum Feedback
I'm interested in hearing what those of you that went to the forum think about what happened there. How many people attended? Who had great things to say?
It seems to me that our community is saying several things:
1) We need more activiites for our youth. I've heard calls for the CostCo promised skating rink, another skateboard park, etc. The CostCo promised rink brings up the fact that this is a regional issue that Goleta and Carpinteria City Council should be involved in too. We don't live in a vacuum.
2) We need MALE mentors -- there aren't many male teachers, role models, etc. Fathers are working too much or non-existant due to our society's predisposition towards divorce.
3) Get the gang leaders together to work it out. A program called "Hoods in the Woods" takes at-risk youth to the wilderness to talk things out.
4) More commitment to programs from our city government. Well, the Pro-Youth Coalition did a great job some years ago but the state and the feds have pulled so much money from the city -- where are they supposed to fund these programs? The three year grant dried up and the city is left with mandated expenses and not much else. How can we create funding for a generation of young people when the state takes more and the Feds hold back for years on COPS funding?
5) Get rid of the minimum day -- the School District has already stepped up to this one but it is hard to understand why people are so ready to blame a minimum day when gang or even youth-on-youth violence has been around for many years and can happen anytime, anywhere.
6) Parents are at fault. Well, yes to a large extent but what about the systemic problem of them having to work several jobs? If housing and the cost of living in Santa Barbara were less expensive, would this not have happened? Police officers that make $70,000+ a year say they can't live here -- what about the rest of us that make maybe half that?
On truly a less important note than the above, I'm also interested in how the News-Press is reacting to the problem. It really doesn't work to blame public officials and then let every letter to the editor which bash them be printed. It shows bias in the face of tragedy considering so many of us have been trying to get letters to the editor printed for at least five years to no avail. Scott Steepleton's report which spelled Mayor Blum's name wrong lead right into the editorial page...where's the wall?
It seems to me that our community is saying several things:
1) We need more activiites for our youth. I've heard calls for the CostCo promised skating rink, another skateboard park, etc. The CostCo promised rink brings up the fact that this is a regional issue that Goleta and Carpinteria City Council should be involved in too. We don't live in a vacuum.
2) We need MALE mentors -- there aren't many male teachers, role models, etc. Fathers are working too much or non-existant due to our society's predisposition towards divorce.
3) Get the gang leaders together to work it out. A program called "Hoods in the Woods" takes at-risk youth to the wilderness to talk things out.
4) More commitment to programs from our city government. Well, the Pro-Youth Coalition did a great job some years ago but the state and the feds have pulled so much money from the city -- where are they supposed to fund these programs? The three year grant dried up and the city is left with mandated expenses and not much else. How can we create funding for a generation of young people when the state takes more and the Feds hold back for years on COPS funding?
5) Get rid of the minimum day -- the School District has already stepped up to this one but it is hard to understand why people are so ready to blame a minimum day when gang or even youth-on-youth violence has been around for many years and can happen anytime, anywhere.
6) Parents are at fault. Well, yes to a large extent but what about the systemic problem of them having to work several jobs? If housing and the cost of living in Santa Barbara were less expensive, would this not have happened? Police officers that make $70,000+ a year say they can't live here -- what about the rest of us that make maybe half that?
On truly a less important note than the above, I'm also interested in how the News-Press is reacting to the problem. It really doesn't work to blame public officials and then let every letter to the editor which bash them be printed. It shows bias in the face of tragedy considering so many of us have been trying to get letters to the editor printed for at least five years to no avail. Scott Steepleton's report which spelled Mayor Blum's name wrong lead right into the editorial page...where's the wall?
Labels: At-Risk Youth, Casa de la Raza
posted by Sara De la Guerra | 3/22/2007 12:18:00 AM
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28 Comments:
As the daily paper, the NP should be providing insightful reportage, thoughtful editorials, leadership and courage to its city and its readers. That has not proven to be case, which is no surprise to anyone. But it is a shame.
The reality of its response to the gang and other problems is overwhelming petty meanness and a refusal to act with simple maturity let alone leadership. This is a paper that has become cowardly and vindictive. It is genuiely sad that personal feelings, especially in a time when growing community problems have exploded, are the rule by which this former community newspaper now lives. It is no longer a newspaper, and I--a former reader--am truly ashamed of it.
Sara---normally, I agree with your perspective on most things. But to single out the N-P for "Trying to blame..." in this situation is unfair. The City Council members have been all over the map "trying to blame"---including Grant House's so-called "clarification" and many of Barnwell's statements.
As for last night's forum, all in all it was positive. But Professor Garcia spewed a lot of misinformation about what's really involved in trying a juvenile as an adult, and is formenting hysteria.
Here are some facts: A JUVENILE CANNOT RECEIVE THE DEATH PENALTY whether tried as an adult or not. A JUVENILE REMAINS IN JUVENILE DETENTION until he becomes an adult, whether tried as a juvenile or not.
For Garcia, and even more alarming, Mr. "NOT A PROFESSOR" BARNWELL to opine on matters they know little about was disturbing.
And the elected officials tripping over one another then going on for multiple minutes was unacceptable. Facilitation could have been better.
But considering how quickly it was pulled together, and the great and diverse crowd, all in all it was a positive event.
Same old tired responses unfortunately - haven'e worked and wasted money and the problems are still there. Why can't anyone talk about the following unless behind the cloak of being anonymous:
1. More police presence to send the message that actions have consequences, which is an appropriate missing male role model message.
2. Change the peer message that school is not cool - and zero tolerance for the intimidation against those that achieve by their peers who choose to not try. There is brown flight from schools because of this oppressive mentality. This has to stop ASAP.
3. Save the kids who feel threatened. Do everything you can to help them and protect them - and isolate those who threaten them.
4. Everyone is looking at the wrong side of this issue - the kids who feel threatened and unsafe should be the very first priority. The very first. The rest will follow.
Who is speaking up for all the kids and parents who live in fear? No one so far. All the efforts are towards those who need to be isolated ASAP from the majority of kids they terrorize.
These are the kids that deserve our attentions and no one is talking about them. Only the thugs. Thugs are thugs - there is nothing new to learn about them.
Protect the good kids first!
Every city in the USA has a gang problem. There are very few programs out there that work -- most of them depend on individuals who can relate to the gang bangers themselves and who offer a vision of an alternative life. "Male role models" as it were. Probably the best thing Santa Barbara can do is identify these people and support them.
Increased Police presence is indeed called for. Perhaps a gang task force is a good idea at this time -- especially if they could coordinate with Goleta and County law enforcement.
A recent News-Press editorial alluded to a city councilman's attendance of a government-related conference held at the pricey Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite.
If true, I will be disturbed. Since I don't have the facts, perhaps you can help ferret them out.
While I don't begrudge the council member(s) attendance, I do question the need to hold such events in expensive, resort-like settings if being paid for with public tax dollars.
Thus, my questions today with respect to the report:
1. True?
2. If yes, for what purpose and at whose expense?
3. Where are Woodward & Bernstein when you need them!?
Signed,
CURMUDGEON
IMHO, my major objection to Dr. Garcia's plea is that he lacks the full knowledge and information on the crime, the gang influence and affiliation, and the mental capacity of the suspect(s). As far as I can tell, Dr. Garcia has never met, interacted with or counseled any of the involved parties whatsoever in the past.
I do not think the D.A. chose this course of action lightly - however the D.A. does have the complete case, criminal history, prior police contacts, prior suspected or affirmed criminal activity, etc., before him that Dr. Garcia does not. The D.A. made an informed decision based on hard fact, Dr. Garcia made an emotional one rooted in an academia atmosphere.
The viciousness of the crime cannot and should not be downplayed. The Juvenile Justice System was not originally intended to reform heinous criminal acts, rather low level misdemeanor and felony actions which were correctable.
When juvenile crime reaches the level of premediated murder, especially when associated with gang activity, justice and society must take a firm stand, no matter how distasteful and uncomfortable, to protect and defend its citizenry from future harm.
Social programs have only had marginal success - law enforcement has had their hands tied by policitcal correctness - the justice system is not capable of handling hardened adolescent criminals. Reform won't be easy but it must be done.
Young men and adolescent boys join gangs in order to acheive respect and status in a social structure. The problem is that these young men and boys do not see a successful future for themselves in the mainstream society. This is not just Santa Barbara's problem. It exists everywhere. Young disenfranchised males are destablizing to a society. I believe that the best we can do is improve programs that provide a view of clear pathway to success, respect, and status for everyone in the context of seeking one's future in the opportunities and instutions of mainstream culture. We need to show that there is a place (a good, rewarding, comfortable place) for everyone if they take advantage of the educational opportunities, muster a modicum of ambition, and stay on the right side of the law. Whether this is accomplished through mentoring and after school programs or through reform within our educational institutions, it will be neither cheap nor easy to implement.
The Pro Youth Coalition ran out of money because the ones running the program sucked up all the money,Does anyone know how much was really spent on the kids? If you really care about the problem then why cant at least 80% of the money go toward programs. we have a lot of retired men in this community with good trade skills, lets have them mentor these kids and let them try to do different kinds of work to see what appeals to them,we good revamp so of those run down neighborhoods where the poor cant afford to fix up their homes. lets let the kids see that through them they can make a difference in this community we could help the poor and build up self esteem in these gang kids and the at risk kids.
then the money can go back to the community as a whole.
I've heard male role models are missing. What's wrong with looking at those reasons? A society reacting to fear builds on the military force. Drugs, not perscription addicts, are a reason to put groups of people in the prison system. Young people are placed in that system. The cycle goes on and on. A few can escape into the brotherhood of service to country.
It is disgraceful and wholly ignorant that a professor of any discipline would be fomenting hysteria about a youth's eligibility for the death penalty - stop spreading wildly inaccurate misinformation and check your facts. The emphasis should not be on the young murdered, whose kind is a threat to the kids just trying to be kids... we need to focus on safeguarding the 'good kids' and not turn so much attention to a miscreant. Kids like this need to be isolated from the rest of society and no student, or downtown shopper or tourist or anyone else need live in fear of thugs - of any age. Please read up on the juvenile justice system before abusing your status as an alleged educator and speak the truth.
Wednesday night was the second Casa de la Raza forum I have attended since I moved to this area five months ago. Standing-room only crowd once again. Parents and community leaders, broadcast media and public officials in attendance. I even saw Mayor Marty Blum at both events.
Overall, both events were positive and offered a starting point to tackle gang issues.
The first time I went was on my night off, two weeks into my job as Assistant City Editor at the News-Press. I happened to pick up a copy of that day's Daily Sound and saw the lead story on Page 1, "Priest to address gangs." That's how I found out about it.
That was held Nov. 15, 2006, with Father Greg Boyle as the featured speaker. He works with gang members in L.A., rehabilitating them to enter the work force and make positive contributions to society. He even brought a few former gang members with him who spoke about their experiences too.
I was not surprised that the News-Press neither publicized nor covered that event. I had seen newspapers in the past restrict their coverage to slayings, arrests and trials. I had butted heads many times with my editors and publishers about digging into social issues beyond superficial reporting.
But, keeping the public aware of ongoing social problems such as gangs, drugs, human trafficking, for example, is bad for business. Newspapers want to attract more residents and businesses to town to increase their circulation and advertising revenues.
The fiscal bottom line outweighs reporting the truth to readers.
I attended the forums because I've always taken an interest in the communities when I worked on the newspapers. Often, I learned alot more by immersing myself in a community than by hanging out in the offices of my editors and publishers, hunkered over their typewriters and peeking out their windows for the closest look they often get at their communities.
A News-Press reporter did write about this latest forum. But watch as emotions and interest wane over coming weeks how ongoing coverage of the gang issue will disappear until the next tragedy.
What the News-Press should do is host its own community forum and allow its editors and co-publishers to communicate directly with the public about gangs and other issues relevant to Santa Barbara.
No, cease-and-desist letters won't take the place of communication, Mr. Millstein. Try mailing them to the gangs, drug dealers and human traffickers, instead of the newspaper's advertisers.
"Hey, you guys, cease-and-desist what you're doing!" Let's see how well they succeed. You might run a successful campaign for president if it worked! I'd even volunteer to work on your campaign.
Meanwhile, how can the News-Press have the nerve to criticize anyone over a lack of leadership when it fails to show any itself?
First, let's see if any top executive from the newspaper (other than dispatching a lawyer or PR person to spin in their place) even shows up at this Sunday's 3 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Town Hall Meeting. It is sponsored by Greater SB Clergy Assn. at the First United Methodist Church, 305 E. Anapamu St.
Be sure and see the picture of the murder weapon in the Independent out today - and then ask if this "poor kid" (Brian Barnwell quote) should be tried as a juvenile or an adult?
That is not exactly a Boy Scout knife this kid was packing. This 14 year old Junior High student was out looking for serious trouble with that weapon. It is long and lethal. You couldn't claim it was only an envelope opener.
How did he get into possession of this? Is this what gets hid in gansta baggy pants?
What kind of dress code is necessary to avoid concealing weapons like this?
No rush to judgement here but at least let's let the newly elected District Attorney do her job.
That is not exactly a Boy Scout knife this kid was packing. This 14 year old Junior High student was out looking for serious trouble with that weapon. It is long and lethal. You couldn't claim it was only an envelope opener.
Since the 14 year old in custody hasn't been convicted of anything, I'll assume you meant to put "alleged" somewhere in this nonsensical sentence.
With all of these know-it-alls that have suddenly come out of the woodwork with solutions to these problems - as well as dismissing Prof Garcia remarks with such wonderful counter-arguments as "he doesn't know what he's talking about" - it makes me wonder where all you insightful folks were before this incident happened. I'm certain you were actively working in the community, with full knowledge of the issues of the Latino and Chicano populations. I'm certain none of your reactions are knee-jerk responses because these kids had the audacity to kill each other on State Street instead of respectfully killing each other on the West Side or East Side, where this killing could be out of sight and out of mind.
No, they had to do it in plain sight - in front of Saks Fifth Avenue. Now, as you've ignored this community for well over a decade at least, suddenly all of these wonderful and intellectual solutions come spilling forth from people who before just couldn't be bothered. Go ahead, prosecute a 14 year old child as an adult. The sooner the formality of convicting him is over - lock him up and throw away the key - the sooner we can go back to ignoring the issue.
That's one classy group of people we got here in Santa Barbara.
Maybe it's finally an excuse for you to rail against a part of our community that all of us economically depend on - and that most people in this town wish would just enjoy the poverty in which we allow them to live. After all, they should be thankful we allow them to live here to begin with.
I guess I'll wade into this with just one observation:
No one is forcing anyone to live here; those in poverty choose to live here just as much as those who are immensely wealthy.
If the parents choose to live here, then they should have factored in what is good about living here vs. what is bad. It is primarily the parents responsiblity to assure good citizenship behavior in their children when residing in their city of choice. JMHO, dd
'After all, they should be thankful we allow them to live here to begin with.'
Actually, there is a lot of truth to that statement that you made in jest.
How many of these gang bangers are here legally? How about their parents who are doing such a wonderful job of raising their children? If the immigration laws were enforced would that young man who was murdered still be living?
Perhaps the police should investigate the immigration status any parent whose child is a known gang banger. That would encourage the parents to actually parent and remove some of the problem gangsters.
Ultimately, the evening became a mechanism for venting emotions and opinions. There were two themes embraced by the crowd. One, that parents are not to blame, they love their children. Second, that the general public is especially outraged about the stabbing/gang incident because it happened on State Street in the middle of the day in the middle of what’s supposed to be a business/tourist zone.
It was not an assembly that embraced the police as heroes. There was general agreement that the murder suspect shouldn’t be tried as an adult.
Annette Cordero bravely sat through much bashing of the school district during the open mike, and in her remarks, she tried to convey that school authorities have been working on the gang issue. She wasn’t well received however, mostly, I think, because people are laying much blame on the schools. A lot of people think the schools are hampered by institutional racism.
Also, she didn’t express anger. Some of the men, during open mike, were posturing and felt like they had to portray anger. For instance, Ron Perris went into a tirade, but he over did it and made the microphone skip. So you couldn’t tell what he was saying.
The mostly Latino crowd was deferential to Prof. Garcia and liked when he praised immigrants and how hard they work. He and Babatunde Folayemi were the most direct about how racism is a factor in all this. A UCSB student Bill Sheebler got a huge applause, one of the most intense, when he noted the problem is also classism.
Babatunde was a crowd favorite in his tell-it-like-it-is style of speaking. I wished he would have talked more about the programs that were so effective years ago. What were the elements of those programs? People were hungry for solutions. He was more like trying to shame the city council and the community because the money dried up. If gangs have been on the rise for the last few years, why hasn’t Babatunde done something about that?
Cuco Rodriguez got emotional and wiped tears. He should have prepared his remarks because he ended up saying some unproductive things like he was glad his father hit him with a belt. It was a strange thing to say during a forum about violence. He was one of the people who started Los Compadres, and I wished he would have talked about that. It’s a group that helps young people get out of gangs. Why couldn’t we hear about that? Something positive.
The city council people seemed out of place. And they were saying things that the crowd didn’t embrace. Helene Schneider at least admitted she didn’t have answers to the problem. She was honest, but she still came off like a politician. Politician was a dirty word at the event. People who think Grant House was pandering to the Latino population should have seen that the people there didn’t seem to pay any special attention to him.
Some people were whispering that Brian Barnwell seemed to contradict himself, that at the city council meeting he talked about “bad apples” but at Casa he was saying the 14-year-old shouldn’t be tried as an adult. The open mike was a little crazy. One man got up recommended Christ to every body. Angry teenagers said Angel was innocent. The best comments were from tearful mothers and caring teachers who said people need to nurture children from an early age and steer them away from gangs.
Some other positive comments were that teens need vocational training like wood shop or auto mechanics, more after school programs are needed, a living wage would help families give their teens more options, and reminders about places like the Boys and Girls Clubs.
No one is forcing anyone to live here; those in poverty choose to live here just as much as those who are immensely wealthy.
That's utter nonsense, and completely and totally false. The people who live here have established jobs and are working full time if not more. To assume they can uproot themselves with ease to move somewhere else and start over. Most people move to where they kind find work and then live accordingly, not the other way around.
Actually, there is a lot of truth to that statement that you made in jest. How many of these gang bangers are here legally? How about their parents who are doing such a wonderful job of raising their children? If the immigration laws were enforced would that young man who was murdered still be living?
I don't find this racist rhetoric funny at all. Not one bit.
Given that it's been well established that this a multi-generational problem, it's nothing but race-baiting to assume these kids or their families are illegals. If these kids weren't from Latino families, you wouldn't even be bringing this up.
You certainly didn't hear people questioning Jesse James Hollywood's immigration status.
Why does nearly anyone who brings up the immigration status or federal immigration policy get pounced upon as a racist?
Why so defensive?
Is it because the negligent parents of most gang members ARE illegal aliens? If this is not true, then please explain why.
Before one writes that immigration status is not relevent, then would those gangsters even exist if their parents were not here illegally in the first place? I know people say that gangs in California and Santa Barbara have been here forever and such, but I am referring to the current gang criminals, not the old ones who grew out of it mostly.
'After all, they should be thankful we allow them to live here to begin with.'
Actually, there is a lot of truth to that statement that you made in jest.
I think you should be thankful that we allow unpleasant racist people to live here.
"Solutions" are most effective when they deal with causes.
We provide a sheltering, supporting environment for our elementary students. If they need anything, we do our best to provide it, tutoring, counseling, medical care, food and clothing. We know every student by name and we care about all aspects of their welfare. Then they go, from 20 or so schools, into one of four Junior High Schools.
All of a sudden they become anonymous. And if they are not anglo, they become second class citizens. Racism does enter the picture. This is where the prevention needs to be applied.
The transitional year into Junior High needs to provide support to build the confidence and the work habits, social and academic, for independence. Focussing on seventh grade students, with a program designed to reach parents as well as students, is the most promising way to deal with the social problems which result in gang violence.
Does anyone remember when the boys from a local military academy beat the homeless man to death? Were they 18? Were they tried as adults? Was the town in an uproar? Do military schools promote gang mentality? What race/races were they (perpetrators and victim)?
"I don't find this racist rhetoric funny at all. Not one bit." AGREE! It's a killer cancer.
12:01 AM Silent Majority,
Think about language for a moment. Try talking about the the reason people migrate, the exploitation of workers and human conditions. The old rhetoric is racist. We all want to work out the same problems. Dumb to guess what gang would be here "if". The study of gangs in history to present more interesting. When you twist it to continue a political agenda, that DOESN'T WORK, it's the same old same old. You sound more like a loud minority I've heard on talk radio.
to the honor adams anon10:49am,
Dr. Garcia has maintained his honor and credbility. The D.A.'s office has a political position. They ignore the biggest gangs. Armstrong and Steepleton were smacked down, along with several more cronies, by a Judge. They are a mass of impropriety. Only by conspiring with management could they have preformed the "extreme embellishments" and "prevarication" they documented in a court. To say they are "frivolous" is sugar coated. For anyone else it would be sugar coated to say high crimes and misdemeanors. Dr. Garcia has a right to speak with passion and emotion, it does not diminish what he says.
Don’t kill the messenger because you don’t like the message.
Is it because the negligent parents of most gang members ARE illegal aliens? If this is not true, then please explain why.
It's generally accepted that those proposing a certain postulate, such as "most gang members are illegal aliens", are the ones required to validate it's legitimacy. I'm certainly not going to waste my time trying to disprove something I don't think is true to begin with...
I have yet to hear that Linares is an illegal, or that his family are illegals. And if they are, so what? Are there no gangs made up of American citizens? Gangs have been around for decades, but suddenly its an immigration problem?
All you're doing is race-baiting. And you're not address any substantive issues at all, and wasting everyone's trying to drag this into some asinine immigration debate.
Hmmm
Seems like we have some writers that will trow out the 'r' word any time someone will state a fact.
Here are facts:
1. Santa Barbara HAS a gang problem.
2. Some - not all - of the gangsters are illegal immigrants or children of illegal immigrants.
Here is a Postulate
If immigration laws are enforced the gang problem will be diminished.
There is nothing racist about any of those statements. But crying rasist is certainly easier than defending refuting the postulate.
Anonymous above with the Postulates makes my point before I checked the responses here.
Nearly all of the teenager gangsters are American citizens thanks to the Fourteenth Amendment, that anyone born here automatically becomes a citizen. Until the Constitution changes, those gangster kids, bad as they are, are Americans. But if their parents did not violate federal immigration law, nearly all of those gangster kids never would be here. Most gangsters grow out of it and become fine people who do teach their own children to avoid gangs. However, new waves of future parents keep arriving.
Few people have commented that the gangster teenagers or peewees are themselves illigal aliens, nor have such comments even identified any nationality or race of those subject people. Seems like R word only comes up in other comments by people who are a bit overly sensitive because they know they are wrong. The other anonymous comment above (2:26 PM) does that exactly, even quoting my comment and then refuting something I did not write.
Gangester violence happens because of ignorance and poverty, which are boosted by parents who work too hard and have no time to care for their children. Everyone who benefits from the desperate, minimum wage workers (nearly all of them are illegal immigrants) are contributing to the external social costs, including gang violence, of how the federal government refuses to offer meaningful enforcement of immigration laws.
Responsibility still starts at home, and the parents of the gangsters still are the most responsible, as caring for and educating their children becomes a low priority when they have to work so hard in an expensive economy.
In the culture of Santa Barbara and most of California, this frank message is not welcome, even though most people know it is true.
The acceptance of illigal immigration and the avoidance of the social costs, combined with the acceptance of parents who cannot really afford to have children and the time to care for them properly to avoid gangs, remains the herd of elephants in the room whenever generally good people try to address the problems of poverty, social justice, and gang violence.
The murder on State Street was part of the cost for why lunch in an alfresco cafe across the street was $5 less expensive than it might be if the price of wages were higher because the pool of restaurant workers were limited to actual citizens or legal immigrants.
There still is no such thing as a free lunch, or even one discounted $5 because the workers are paid low.
Congress will pass a massive Amnesty bill soon enough and all this racism of blaming people trying to nothing more than better their lives will stop.
Crime is crime, for whatever reason, and our legal system is set-up to deal with it.
Nope. There are lots of kids whose parents work long days, who are here illegally, who might have an absent parent ...who do not choose to kill.
Stop maligning all the good kids who do not make these choices. And isolate those who do.
Don't paint this issue with such a broad brush as to take swipes at all the kids who need to feel safe and parents who very much raise their kids successfully. These very same people you describe and make ludicrous excuses for.
It is not okay ever to kill. Stop undermining responsiblity and consequences. That makes you part of the problem; not part of the solution.
Be sure to read edhat report on the Harding School meeting where Westside parents gave the loudest round of applause for more police protection on the Westside - this came from the parents. This is what they wanted most.
Then read the side-by-side letters in the NewsPress today from Terry Tyler (past city council candidate) and Das Williams (presenty city council person). Terry is clear and direct - more police. The city must protect its residents first and foremost.
Then Das waddles around the issue claiming all the social programs already in place apparently were not enough, so we should keep doing more of them.
Why is Das of all people sounding exactly like President Bush.
Terry Tyler for City Council (!) next term is a clear choice of where Santa Barbara needs to go and be responsive to what its neighborhoods are already asking for and not getting from the present city council.
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