Steepleton and PUEBLO
I've gotten several emails from readers who question Scott Steepleton's article this morning on the Alex Pulido recall effort in Carpinteria. In it he refers to PUEBLO as "a group calling itself People United for Economic Justice Building Leadership Through Organizing". A group calling itself? Isn't that reserved for organizations that may not have filed for 501(c)4 or 3 status? maybe they are just a couple of people who don't have an official organization name yet?
PUEBLO is far from being some kind of a loose, autonomous collective or even a self-perpetuating autocracy (see Monty Python's Holy Grail) with little organization or history. I guess their Executive Director Ana Rizo was called both Ms. and Miss as well....and I'm pretty sure she is older than 18. Any bias in the newsroom? Maybe, maybe not but it seems to me a long standing group like Pueblo should be shown a little more respect by the News-Press.
PUEBLO is far from being some kind of a loose, autonomous collective or even a self-perpetuating autocracy (see Monty Python's Holy Grail) with little organization or history. I guess their Executive Director Ana Rizo was called both Ms. and Miss as well....and I'm pretty sure she is older than 18. Any bias in the newsroom? Maybe, maybe not but it seems to me a long standing group like Pueblo should be shown a little more respect by the News-Press.
posted by Sara De la Guerra | 3/28/2007 05:32:00 PM
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Hi Sara, here's the info on PUEBLO from their Web site:
http://www.sbpueblo.org/
Welcome to the website of PUEBLO, a local voice for working families.
PUEBLO is a 501(c)4 non-profit economic and environmental justice organization dedicated to building the political power and leadership of low-income residents throughout Santa Barbara County.
Santa Barbara County is home to one of the wealthiest communities in the United States, yet there is tremendous poverty throughout our County. Santa Barbara County has the highest rate of uninsured children in the State, and the economy is dominated by low-wage jobs in the service, tourist, and agricultural industries.
The high cost of living is forcing working families to hold multiple jobs, commute long distances for low-wage work, and live in crowded apartments. Many working people are frequently forced to make hard choices between paying the rent, feeding their families, or going to the doctor. When working families are unable to meet their basic needs, our whole community suffers.
PUEBLO’s primarily organizes around the following issues: living wage, public transportation, affordable housing, health care, immigrant rights, and child care. PUEBLO has neighborhood chapters in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Carpinteria, and Goleta.
In Santa Barbara County, there are strong organizations that represent the interests of employers, property owners, and developers. We believe that working people should also have a voice in the decisions affecting our lives. We believe that by working together to build a strong organization, we can ensure that Santa Barbara County elected officials represent the needs of working families.
We accomplish our goals through organizing house meetings, creating neighborhood committees, mobilizing voters, and building coalitions with organizations on a local, regional, and statewide level.
We welcome you to join the struggle!
No one is "forced" to live and work in Santa Barbara. I don't get it.
anonymous 8:04pm
You're right, no one is forced to live and work in Santa Barbara. However, Santa Barbara's tourism depends heavily on hospitality workers and those folks earn $8.00/hr as of January 1, 2007. Loosely calculated that is about $1,300 per month before taxes. Gee, how far does that income go? Don't you think those wage earners need some support?
Anon 8:04,
You're selfish line of thinking - what should we call you, a "Free Willer", or a "Boot Strapper" - is so one dimensional and hateful, no wonder you don't "get it." Perhaps you're one of these Montecito types that love their well trimmed hedges but don't "get" how they stay that way. Or maybe you're one of these people that gets in a car wreck, suffers severe head trauma, but coaxed back into health by the aid of nurses. Yet, you don't "get" how you got better.
You are one of the farm animals who will not help the Little Red Hen make supper, but you're the first one bellied up to dine.
It's called a "Society", anon. The ones that work best are the ones in which the participants look out for and take care of each other. And you may think that's a pipe dream, but I beg you to argue in favor of greed.
What would R-rated Dr. Laura do?
Market forces will determine if Santa Barbara remains a tourist town. A recent politico suggested turning all the motels into low-income housing so how valuable is the tourist industry to this city if it prices itself out of the market?
Did readily available low-income labor create the expanded tourist industry or did the tourist industry create the expanded low-income labor market?
Maybe some of us think it is time for the tourist industry here to stop expanding. Pricing itself out of the market by not creating more and more cheap labor jobs would be good place to start.
I think you are looking at the wrong end of the problem. We have become too much of a tourist town and further expansion should not be supported - certainly not by any more city tax dollar give-aways.
The issue in Carpinteria is whether it makes sense to futher cut already-cut school programs in an effort to keep Main school open, or face reality that buildings are not as important as the learning that goes on inside them. PUEBLO is just looking at the issue in a simple-minded way - since Main school is 80% latino, closing it down would be discriminatory. This is silly - no one is being denied an education, and isn't the normal course of arguement that the schools with more whites in them are better and therefore having these latinos attend those schools would further their education? You can't have it both ways, amigos.
Threatening Alex Pulido because he looked at all the facts and made the best decision possible just makes PUEBLO look stupid. OK PUEBLO, how would YOU solve the problem? Bus in latinos from elsewhere? Sheesh.
You all have it wrong, this is a college town. Send the low income types to Ventura so the students can work to afford the rent.
This is a college town: UCSB, Antioch, Fielding's, Westmont, Pacifica, Brooks, SBCC, owner Univ of Phoenix.
Lots of higher-ed industry here.
Would PUEBLO exist, were it not for the sound of the McCuneFoundation/Fund for Santa Barbara clapping?
To anon 7:31pm
The answer, from one in the know is---- YES!
Thanks to multiple 5&6 figure donations from an eccentric billionaire, Jimmy Walters---
http://www.dailynexus.com/article.php?a=7647
Would PUEBLO exist then if it were not for the sound of Limosine Liberal cash flowing?
Which then indicates this is not a grass-roots organization afterall. It is a conscience-salving astro-turf fake social feel-gooder organization.
And that spells t-r-o-u-b-l-e. It is then only a rich man's hobby and those funded by it should think long and hard what its agenda actually is. Sounds like they are getting abused.
Just did a google on "Jimmy Walters" who has inserted himself into the local public dialogue with paid anti-war ads in the NewsPress a few years ago.
James Walter Jr. might be a poster child for the notion local Limosine Liberal after reading both the articles about him and his website www.walden3.org - he uses his inherited wealth to foster the idea of a utopian car-less society while telling the interviewer he is using a rental car because his own BMW had recently been vandalised.
Huh? The article identified he lived at a hilltop home in the Santa Barbara. He might have more credibility if he lived in the Chapala Lofts.
What do you say Jimmy, how about coming down to the flatlands and work with us about the real issues we face when others try to create a utopian society.
The homeless would be your most virtuous Walden Threee societal members because as a rule they live with the fewest energy robbing resources and don't drive cars.
Is theirs the lifestyle you want us (but not you) to aspire to?
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