City Council Asking for Troop Withdrawal
This Tuesday, the Santa Barbara City Council will be voting on a resolution calling for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq within one year.
Mayor Blum and Council Member Williams point out that the annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for the past five years for the City of Santa Barbara has been reduced by $255,293. The Housing Authority has seen cuts in the Capital Fund Program resulting in the loss of about $150,000 a year since the war in Iraq began.
Presidential candidates Barack Obama, Dennis Kucinich, John Edwards and perhaps a few more are calling for the same but I have not heard any of them speak of the war's effect on local government.
Over several years -- this is a serious amount of cash. Wouldn't it be smarter to spend it on more police officers on the streets, community-based funding and perhaps a balanced budget? All could be achieved with what has been spent on this war of attrition which seems to be getting our interests abroad nowhere in particular.
I am hesitant to have council members produce agenda items that have to do with non-local and even international politics -- especially without a groundswell of support and petition from the public. But doesn't this make sense from their point of view?
Mayor Blum and Council Member Williams point out that the annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for the past five years for the City of Santa Barbara has been reduced by $255,293. The Housing Authority has seen cuts in the Capital Fund Program resulting in the loss of about $150,000 a year since the war in Iraq began.
Presidential candidates Barack Obama, Dennis Kucinich, John Edwards and perhaps a few more are calling for the same but I have not heard any of them speak of the war's effect on local government.
Over several years -- this is a serious amount of cash. Wouldn't it be smarter to spend it on more police officers on the streets, community-based funding and perhaps a balanced budget? All could be achieved with what has been spent on this war of attrition which seems to be getting our interests abroad nowhere in particular.
I am hesitant to have council members produce agenda items that have to do with non-local and even international politics -- especially without a groundswell of support and petition from the public. But doesn't this make sense from their point of view?
Labels: City of Santa Barbara, War in iraq
posted by Sara De la Guerra | 12/16/2007 10:56:00 PM
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76 Comments:
There are scores of important local issues that need the attention of our city council.
These two fools should be removed from local office.
Way to start off the comments Bill! Off with their heads!
I did hear from a reader that there was a "large number" of people who asked for this agenda item -- I didn't see that publicized anywhere.
I can't believe they're really doing this. What a slap in the face to the victims of local violence--- over which it could be argued the City Council and Mayor at least THEORETICALLY if not practically have some actual oversight. Funny, how quick these same people are to shrug their shoulders when things happen at a local level, wringing their hands over how little control they actually have, how other factors [pick any: the County; State; police; nonprofits; schools] are REALLY the ones to blame.
Yet they have the nerve to waste time on their agenda to pontificate and issue edicts on an international tragedy for which this City Council has no charge?
Throw these bums OUT!
The City Council want to vote to withdrawal from Iraq in one year.... that is so stupid it don't even know where to begin ... must be the same group that brought us the blue line.
Why not take a vote and see who on the City Council wants to win the War on Terrorism and who does not. We already know the City Council does not support the troops who put their lives in danger to protect the freedoms of the people like those on the City Council so that they can have a vote that is so stupid.
I say let the City Council go serve the people by going to Iraq for a year. I'm sure there are plenty who would pay for the plane ticket ... at least a one way ticket.
If we going to start doing international and national politics at city council in a time of war, how about starting with a resolution against Al Qaeda in general and the the Mullah Sadr in Iraq?
I don't think you can just say: OK. That's it; I don't want to play anymore. I have a feeling that won't work.
As far as the budget goes...all that equipment is going to need to get repaired and replaced. No fiscal impact or less military expenses in the foreseeable future.
Are we going to start talking peace dividend again? Where did I hear that before, and what happened?
I am embarrassed that my city doesn't support the effort in a time of war.
In World War II, the City had it together, now look.
The city council needs to worry a heck of a lot more about selling the very soul of this city to get those grants of money. Particularly the ones from HUD. The city gives away our entire local housing and planning authority to get those dollars.
And that is why the city never listens to the neighborhoods. Getting less money from the feds and taking back control for ourselves is a good thing.
Voters in this town need to learn loud and clear what we give away to keep getting that federal money. Goleta is asking questions and it is time SB and the county did the same thing.
Millions of federal dollars come in to support programs that only create more problems, and fund a bunch of hacks who sit around telling the feds how bad their problems still are just so they can get more funding.
That is what the city should be voting on - dumping this false justification to get federal money and taking back our own planning authority and not selling it out to the feds to keep this tainted money stream coming in.
Agree with Bill Carson - throw these bums out and let's get control of our city back in our own hands.
You people need to learn what exactly we have to give away to get any of this outside money. It ain't worth it, folks.
All that federal money does is create a claque of self-interested people feeding off of it who now have the time and money to show up at city council meetings demanding more. Follow the money to the "large number" of chronic supporters who show up at council meetings and you will trace it all back to "large numbers" of people sucking directly off those very grants being supported.
That is where the real money is that is selling out the heart and soul of this city and that is the money the city council needs to worry a heck of a lot more about losing ........ and giving back our power to our own residents and voters.
Just say no to "block grants" and federal money schemes that demand we give up our own local planning choices and become partners with the federal and state governments as payoff in return.
This farce going on tomorrow is just one more blatent sign this city has gone out of control seeking funding for the price of giving away our local interests.
Gasp, does this loss of money mean the city can't hire more consultants and pay them big bucks for projects never done and attend out of city confernences bragging about how great they are?
The city could use a heck of a lot less money from outside sources and spend more time and money dealing within our limits right here.
The city council has no business with this issue or continuing this dependency on outside funds. Something is very wrong here. Very wrong and the city is not being up front about this.
They need to watch their own local budget better rather than complaining about not getting outside money.
It is now obvious that, having utterly failed in their attempt to unseat Helene Schneider and Das Williams, the City Council haters are trying to dominate this blog.
Permit me an opposing view. The City Council has every right, if not a duty, to weigh in on this illegal, immoral war. The cost of this war is having an impact on all of us and on our local budgets. Think of what we could do if even a small part of the spending on Iraq were spent locally.
For a little historical perspective, think how things might have been different if every city council in Germany had spoken out against Hitler’s aggression and atrocities.
To remind us all of Tip O’Neil’s quote: “All politics is local.”
I’m sorry that haters of the current council will gang tackle anything the council does. This is a righteous resolution and the Council should ignore the chatter of a few voluble, disgruntled, disingenuous critics.
Wow I had no Idea the City Counsel was that powerful. Maybe they Should Vote for World Peace and a Cure for Aids while they are at it!!
Quit Wasting time and get the gangs out of town!!!
Thanks for the post, a scoop, apparently. There seems to be no other media publicity about this Council agenda item!
The item references the prior Resolution against “pre-emptive war” as a precedent. Yes, but the process was very different.
Then, two of us, Mac Bakewell and I, initiated and put together a proposal which we had researched, talking with other cities, doing legal research and writing the proposal. Quite a few cities at that time had passed such Resolutions.
We reached out to others for ideas and wording, garnered much publicity. Many people gathered signatures, more than 500, I think, so it became others’s, not just ours. The proposal to the Council was at least a genuine effort to be a city-wide request.
On October 21, 2002, after much debate from a packed Chamber, the Council voted 4-1-1 in favor of the Resolution.
It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow. The process of this Resolution is very different. It seems to have arrived very much under the radar, although prior to the recent election there were mumblings about it.
Few now, 5 years later, support the war. No question but that having so much money go towards the war, domestic issues and needs have been cut. But the problem I have with this proposed Resolution that would speak for the entire city is the process.
It’s clearly a divisive question: shouldn’t it be as Missoula just did (and quite other cities have done) a referendum? That’s how will be the truly local - and controversial - issue, the probable height limitation issue, and not put on the ballot by the Council.
In 2002, abstaining on the Resolution, council member Secord urged that the role of a council is tending to potholes. I think it is more than that, but with a divisive issue such as this I think there should be much public outreach.
Without that public buy-in we risk even more disaffection and apathy. The recent low voter turnout of 38% should be a wake-up call that our city democratic process is in peril. I don’t think this Agenda item helps.
Is this part of their job describtion? If they would spend the time and money that we intrusted them with for more police etc, maybe we would be free of gangs.
Listen up, Mrs. Blum, Mr. Williams, and other Honorable Members of the Council:
We did not elect you Senator, Representative or President.
Do your job! Stick with local issues.
Are the same people (person?) complaining here also the same ones who would complain and whine about how the city needs better fiscal management and more smarts to find outside federal funds for local projects?
I actually read the resolution and it cites many examples of local projects and local needs that only a few years ago were paid for by federal money that since has dried up because the federal government is sending it down the Iraq rat hole.
Several of these prior anonymous comments, though, seem to be admitting that city spending on anything is a bad idea regardless of whether the city would have the money or not, so now we all may know what motivates those anonymous commenters.
To think that the city should not ever need federal funds for projects that also have a national interest is ludicrous, such as for flood control, housing construction, law enforcement equipment, and many others.
WHAT THE PUCK IS WRONG WITH THIS CITY COUNCIL?
DON'T THEY KNOW THEY SHOULD BE OUT SHOPPING INSTEAD?!?!
HOW DARE A LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAVE AN OPINION ABOUT HOW I RUN THE WAR!!!!!
One of the best things you can do for violence anywhere is to end unjust invasions. No one mentions Afghanistan, the troops are not supported. NATO "peace keepers" are to send needed trainers and equipment. Who cares?
Don Jose: Spot on as usual. Where's the resolution denouncing AQ and labeling them an enemy of the city?
I've said it before and I'll say it again. The people in this city have always been blind to the threat that emanates from the middle east, and now the mayor's going to shout it from the rooftops. I'm not sure what is more ridiculous, the tuck tail strategy they propose or the seriously inflated numbers that are actually in the resolution.
It's all just a ploy to garner some PR (good or bad I'm not sure) for the City for all of those conferences our electeds attend. I haven't seen a "look at me" act like this one since Terrel Owens pulled a sharpie out of his sock or Britney Spears did her best Basic Instinct impression for the paparazzi.
What a load of crap.
100 years from now history will look back and say that bush is the greatest president we ever had because he brought democracy and freedom the the Middle-East .
In the long run this war will be worth it, and one of the greatest thing that america ever did for the world.
We are winning this war, little but little , slow but sure. The Democrats just can't stand it that we are now winning this war.
The biggest mistake we could ever make, in terms what is best for the world, would be to pull out now, just when we have turned the corner and are finally winning.
As the worlds richest and most powerful country we have an obligation to the world to give something back and not just take from the worlds natural resources.
No, Sara, to answer your question.
Nothing makes sense from the Mayor or some City Council's point of view.
Over a year ago the Mayor wanted to Impeach the President and she got slapped down only because the people told her back then to take care of HER city, not the country. She told me personally she only needed one more vote at the time. She was upset about that.
She does not listen to the people of SB, never has, never will. She and her like-mindeds on the council need to be impeached, recalled, whatever needs to be done.
Every time Marty leaves town, she comes back with some other City's idea to copy, like the meters for homeless $$$. And don't forget the Impeach Prez from the SLC Mayor. She even brought him here and Das had to fill in for her when things got 'hot' as she had a zillion calls the morning before the afternoon meeting. So she feigned food poison from lunch.
She is certifiable and she did not even get a clue when people really jumped up and down about the blue lines.
So far, what I have seen here, it looks like the comments are showing unhappy campers. Hope it continues. You should copy these to Marty.
If only I could share my emails with her with your readers. You all would shudder.
(Interestingly, an Editorial from News-Press on this subject 2 weeks ago received NO comments in Voices. - At least I did not see any and I was watching as I had heard about the closed door resolution quite early. Hmmm! Plot thickens.)
Marty and Das are termed out. They can afford to blow off the electorate with no penalty.
What WILL be Das's next political move and how much depends upon catering to Democratic politics and no longer any provincial city agenda now?
This move is politics of the arrogant and the amoral. As if a few puny dollars is justification to take a stand against the war, when this should not even be the role of the city council in the first place. I thought only Republicans believed in the farce of trickle-down economics.
I do believe this duo is exploiting shock fatigue and/or forcing the hand of the sitting incumbents who will be up for the next election.
Will this be a unanymous vote or is it designed to split the Iya and Helene factions? Das and Marty favor Helene for mayor so will this force Iya to take an unpopular stand.
Hint Iya: vote against this resolution and make the statement this is not the jurisdiction of a local city council nor should it be disguised as city budget saving mechanism.
Roger got a lot of mileage floundering on the Blue Line. Let's see you move away from the doggeral pack and let us know you stand for neighborhoods and sensible city government that keeps its focus local and does not cynically exploit the city council agenda for extra-political intent.
I am always shocked when people compare the Iraq War to WWII. There is no comparision at all, not even close!! This war has no purpose other than pissing the rest of the world off at our country. I am proud to live in a City that has enough balls to differ with the Bush Administration and its support of this bogus war. The big problem is that thousands of americans are dead and tens of thousands injured to support this president's folly. For those of you who don't consider any point of view other than what you think up in your little brains. Hussein and Irag were completely bottled in by every one of their neighbors as well as the UN, more effectively than we can ever achieve. Iraq was an outcast, to the entire muslim world, now they are martyrs.
And as far as people submitting an letter to the editor to the news-press. The News-Press is like listening to Rush Limbaugh. The only people who call or listen are followers of the same thought.
I agree - Get the gangs out of town, expecially the growing gang of conservative empty-nester 60 plus year old wealthy white people that cruise their BMW's up State Street cranking doo-wop to show off thier new face lifts and Gucci sunglasses!!
Will the real Democrats please stand up for a change?!
Get up, stand up!
How come no one is saying Lyndon Baines Johnson was the best President ever because our unjustified invasion and relentless bombing Vietnam finally brought democracy and capitalism to this poor country?
How soon we forget the true heros of democracy at the butt of a rifle and Agent Orange mutilations. I am afraid a similar fate will befall our latest hero of democracy, G.W. Bushleague.
I guess we will all have to wait 100 years from now to see if history treats him any better than LBJ, who brought democracy to Vietnam. Single-handedly.
Progressives are not real Democrats, if this is what you mean.
Real Democrats still believe in a two party system.
Progressive demand a dictatorship and anihilation of the opposition. They are scary.
Lots of good comments but one in particular drew my attention.
I, too, saw and have a copy of the resolution. Here is the hilarious part: This cessation resolution is only Plan A. PLAN B is the resolution to IMPEACH the Prez. Plan is to get this done by year end before Barnwell is out the door? No one will answer THAT question but emails through back door confirmed impeachment rez is waiting until after 12/18 to see how that flies.
FYI, I am not concerned about impeaching the prez right now; I'm concerned that OUR CITY NUT CASES are the clowns who think they can do what Lois Capps, etc. can not. What a freakin' joke we are in this City allowing our own arrogant politicians run amok. Shame on us.
P.S. SO far, Iya has been the only sensible voice as she responds to questions with clear head; She came out in email replies to say she made a mistake before announcing her withdrawal of approving blue lines. I think she was hammered at the time. Sounds like DC.
Yeah 6:32 PM
You are going to puke when we clean your clocks as we are growing in number. Here's the reason: Every single person who reaches the age of 40 and slightly over, depending on career and financial circumstances, (especially business owners) ceremoniously makes a trip down to the court house and with GREAT PRIDE - CHANGES his/her voting registration FROM (LIBERAL) DEMOCRATS TO (CONSERVATIVE OR AT THE VERY LEAST, RONALD REAGAN) REPUBLICANS.
(Then we have a party and toast to the poor people. Meaning those who will never wake up.)
How do I know? I recruit them when they are in college and show them the way. When their pay checks start arriving and they see the amount of money that is going to the liberal way of doing business, they wake right up. They laugh at Bill and Hillary telling us how they personally should be taxed more. The two pigs who have fed at the trough of taxpayers since they left college.
Yes, indeed. Look around you when you are shopping, eating, etc. in SB and just try to guess what real liberals are left other than the freaks still left in office. The happy CONVERTS (with money in the bank, IRAS AND 401KS) won't even give you a hint. AND, they do not drive beamers or whatever you call them. Too smart for that.
We are coming after you. Be very careful!
How can this Council still trot out the "more Police Officers" line when talking about finances? The Mayor has absolutely no clue what she is talking about and the Cops know it more than most. She was walking around babbling to reporters about Measure A funding more Cops and Firefighters the night of the election. Who takes these people seriously anymore?
as a "local progressive dem" over the age of 40 I can tell you that most of my peers think this resolution and its sponsors are going to make this city even more of a laughingstock; demanding troop withdrawal? rather than focusing on the lower westside residents demand for more police? HELLO? and despite First District Streetfighter's predictably apologetic defense of his friends, this resolution did not spring from the citizenry........so, though Marty's future is not in politics, Das will have to live this one down.
Iya stands to win big time on this resolution if she takes some chances and understands which way the winds in this town are now blowing. Vote no, Iya and do it with dignity and class.
Emerge out of this pack and leave Helene and Das in the dust. You will be rewarded when it comes time to vote for mayor or else we will all be writing in the name of Roger Horton.
Dale Francisco emerged from nowhere because he hit all the right notes and got the message across this town is for local issues that affect us right now; not future political agendas, feckless intent and bringing back failed policies from way too many out of town meetings.
Iya, don't let us down. Nothing more be said than the city concerns itself officially with local issues and leaves the national issues to our elected national leaders.
The poster was right. If Lois Capps can't make a difference in Washington, then the city council vote is not going to matter either.
It is time to stop pretending this city council resolution is a virtuous act of protest.
That only happens when we individually rise up and throw the bums out.
We don't phone in our moral outrage about the war by letting some city council make this statement for us.
"In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man; brave, hated, and scorned. When his cause succeeds, however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot". - Mark Twain
I think the council is a day late and a Euro short.
But that's usually the way of pols looking for their next gig.
I can't believe they whine nationally when they and the county haven't even taken the slightest steps to reduce headcount or trim budgets for the good of community development.
Can't be cutting your powerbase!
I understand the mayor's comment about measure A. The election savings (over four years)wouldn't even buy one cop and one fire guy. oooh How are we gonna get by without 'em?
Pay attention whiners!
The ballot measure would have saved the city more than two hundred thousand dollars each two years. That money saved instead could pay for police or potholes.
In addition, all the federal money spent on the war also could have funded regular federal programs that pay for law enforcement and many other bread and butter city projects.
This blog really needs a competency test for commenting. Spin is one thing, but basic ignorance is another!
FOR KEEPING UP IN CLASS:
$200K would be wasted on some artsy fartsy project, more blue line ideas, the meters yet to come and NOTHING would be done to help police with gangs nor fixing the pot holes or any other much needed fix in this city. How about if the mayor just stops galivanting around the country and uses that taxpayer money. Bet it would fix the pot holes.
You also know darned well how some of the sneaks at City Hall would have gained an extra year in office and that was their agenda but of course they trotted out a savings plan of a few bucks, which seems a lot to you who are probably collecting some kind of aid from the taxpayers fund.
$200K is NOTHING IN THIS CITY.
You forget. The money spent on the war was taken out as a loan. It was not diverted tax dollars. We don't need to continue paying for this debt.
So in fact, there is no money in reality to pay for all the goodies the city is dangling in our faces to justify this resolution travesty.
Shows how desparately little they understand public finance.
This is merely one more hollow public display of symbolism. And one more opportunity for the city council to scold and dismiss voters as stupid, obstructionist and mean.
Thanks for insulting us one more time. My only hope is Iya has the common sense and political will to turn down this fraudulent effort foisted on us by the misguided few.
Don't let us down Iya. Don't let yourself down, if you really do want to be mayor of the entire city and not just the gaggle of feckless progressives who want to hijack this city and obstruct its local mission to serve all thoughfully and well.
Please don't ever insult us again with this kind of reasoning. Why does it sound like the same nonsense that backed Measure A and the Blue Line that voters saw through immediately, yet created a self-reflective love affair with the City Council.
The best way to get more cops on the streets is ground the city council and not let them waste our time and dollars on out of town conferences. How many cops on the street would that save?
Then start trimming all the "consultants" and trade them one for one for a cop on the beat.
Charity begins at home.
Keeping up In Class,
A competency test for commenting, eh? Maybe even a blog tax. How Progressive of you. The problem with the Mayor is she talks out of all sides of her mouth on so many issues, backs away from her own quotes and abandons allies at the drop of a hat (see Blue Line ).
As far as the money saved for your precious measure A, those numbers were never hard numbers. The City is broke when convenient, flush when convenient. And, of course the first thing Marty was going to do was hire more Cops, sure she was. Hell, we all know the war is a mess, but so is our City. Let these knuckleheads tend to the situation at hand. They are truly the worst Council in decades, childish and dysfunctional.
A member of my family stepped up to serve. He's a professional military officer who works his ASS off to do an impossible job in Baghdad. IF he succeeds - you belligerent, dumb-ass chicken hawks will get none of the credit. You're only going to get the bill.
I'm beginning to think that the fat bottomed bloggers of Santa Babylon don't have a clue.
What are we fighting for?
Democracy.
AND, it ain't just for Iraqi's anymore!
If the City Council wants to go on record, so be it. Suck it up fools!
Humble yourselves and be ready to take care of the real soldiers you sent to do the real fighting when they come home.
You thought this was going to be F**KING cake? Who the F**K told you that?
Goodness, Sara, it's rather bizarre to see the wingnuts dominate your blog. But, in retrospect, predictable.
Here's the deal (with apologies to Richard Gere): they got nowhere else to go.
Globally, they've had their asses handed to them. Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, China, Russia, Turkey ... you name it, this administration has screwed the pooch and made the future a land mine.
Nationally, it's even worse: An economy on the precipice of collapse (an inherently unstable consumer economy that relies on ever-increasing personal debt, the mortgage ponzi scheme, $9 trillion national debt), energy incoherence, the health-care time bomb, failing infrastructure, disappearance of the middle class, destruction of Constitution, etc., etc., etc.
On both levels we have, largely, only the naked incompetence of the White House and its enablers in Congress to credit. What's a conservative to do? Bitch bitterly about the City Council! Marty Blum is the real problem!
And, if I may stretch my legs a bit, this viral blame-the-City-Council phenomenon is a direct result of the destruction of the News-Press.
Here's why: When we had a functioning daily newspaper with regular coverage of the city -- and I don't mean large photos with a couple lines of caption -- people knew what was going on. That sunshine kept the whackos at bay because there was a baseline of public understanding that served as inoculation against fringe fulminations.
But with the death of the N-P as a real newspaper -- and the hysterical rise of its deranged op-ed pages -- over-the-top invective is seen as safe and acceptable for its marginalized fan base.
So get used to it, Sara; Blogabarbara is now a magnet for the lunatic fringe that suddenly "knows" it's the majority.
God help us all.
I'm sure glad Bush is in charge instead of the city of Santa barbara.
The action by the city by the city will have absolutely no effect, thank God.
The city is impotent to stop this holy Christian crusade to enlighten the heathens.
Painfully watched this episode of the city council gong show and what was more disturbing than anything besides the truly addled public comment phase is the vocal passion expressed by multiple members of this city council on this issue, that I have never seen expressed on any other local issue that really matters to the residents and voters in this town.
It was deeply offensive to see them blow off local priorities, yet wrap themselves in eloquent virtue over an issue over which they have no influence.
As usual, the city council played to the crowd of wackos that showed up. And ignored all the emails of those opposed to the city wasting our time on this matter.
It was a pander fest and I hope in the future we see less and less of this when most of those present today are long gone.
Marty repeatedly editorialized her support for speakers when she should have taken a neutral role as chair. And allowed the very cheering, clapping and intimidation she feigned at the begining she would not support. Yet she did. It was a very sorry spectacle.
And of totally no consequence except to irritate the heck out of those who want local leaders to stick to the local issues for which they were elected.
Barnwell captured it best when he orated he took an oath of office when sworn in as city council person to defend the constitution of the United States and that he did not take an oath of office to fix potholes.
And he had to go one better on this when he claimed the only reason he lost was because it was a low voter turnout in an off year election which he deemed as a very weird election that turned him out. He claimed this was proof enough Measure A needed to pass.
Amazing. There does seem to be a very strong sense of revisionist history going on with this city council. It is the 1960's all over again. And even though there is no draft putting lives in peril on a wholesale level, Barnwell again seemed perplexed about the current apathy against the Iraq War and just could not understand why it is so different from the Vietnam era protests.
The man is more pathologically clueless than originally suspected. All in one evenings viewing on Channel 11.
No Barnwell, it was not a weird little election that got you tossed out and had a total stranger bark closely at the heels of Schneider and Williams.
It was the voice of the people exercising their constitutional rights. You know, that shred of paper you swore you would defend and protect. Perhaps you lost your copy in a pothole somewhere.
10:52 -- they may have no where else to go (did RG really coin that phrase?). Still -- heathens of any denomination need to be pulled back and given perspective. Maybe even our own...
First: Great report 11:46
Two: I thought Martin Sheen coined that phrase, Sara. Or his mentor, the dead Mitch Snyder. Long ago and far away.
Three: So where were all the people protesting the mayor and council tonight? DLG Plaza should have been packed. News-Press gave a two weeks heads up in an Editorial for the meeting tonight.
Our citizens are just too kind to the inept mayor and the council, particularly Barnwell who is indeed clueless and Helene who believes she will be the next mayor.
You can't be nice or respectful to officials who ignore your wishes and pay you lip service. So, who is going to stand up and be counted to demand that the CITY's work get done, not the Country's?
Don't forget, before Barnwell leaves, there is the Impeachment of Bush Resolution coming up any day now. I mentioned this in a prior comment.
"You thought this was going to be F**KING cake? Who the F**K told you that?"
Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld...
Anybody remember the $2 billion comment by Cheney as he was lining up his buddies for the no bid contracts?
But that's all blood under the bridge now. That's why this council resolution is pointless and probably a deflection for what's going on under their noses.
Das, you need to sit down, shut up and listen to the adults if you expect to have any political future in this county.
The fun and games are over.
We're done listening to pie in the sky ideals. We have serious budget and deteriorating quality of life issues. You and your cohorts have had plenty of time to find solutions and what we get is Paseo Chapala, roundabouts, white elephant garages, gangbanger basketball and that MTD idea which MTD says won't work for them. WTF???
Don't make me call the Donald to tell you what's next.
Quimby:
If you have a family member doing his best for us in Bagdad, why do you think supporting him means blaming "chicken hawks?" This is very strange. What does he or she say regarding what the war is about?
I talk to soldiers all the time and even their Iraqis friends who come for a visit --female interpreters.
They aren't talking about stupid "chicken hawks" but a necessary war. The Iraqis interpreters talk about their country and gratitude. Why be a defeatist? When the soldiers say its a botch, then I'll change my mind. Meanwhile they have my unqualified support.
Mr. Mureno: It is easy to construct a paranoid--'the sky is falling' interpretation of what is going on around us. A point of view, just as valid and thoughtful as yours but with a contrary vision, can be easily constructed. But "sky is falling scenarios" are nearly always useless.
The answer is the hard work of doing good, survival, resisting where you can, helping when you can. One step at a time. Patience is a virtue. Everyone wants instant and utopian solutions. It doesn't happen this way. And yes, shit happens.
People are soooo over-revved.
I believe that this resolution of the city council is a disgrace. The Mayor should represent all of Santa Barbara as best she can. In this case, she is not representing me or our local soldiers. Her focus should be on local issues. The further she focuses on issues outside of her purview and authority the more absurd it is.
Isn't it disgraceful that in a time of war, your city would say that because it's costing us $250,000 we are going to walk right up to the line of treason and work against the success of the military. Talk about JUDAS.
I find it enormously offensive that she supports impeachment against the President, votes against a war where we have Santa Barbara men and women in the fight,... does all she can to support these pitiful so-called Veterans for Peace, who fraudulently say they support the troops, take donations, and then use the money against the soldiers, hinder recruitment, and basically do everything they can to weaken the army, cast doubts upon the mission, and depress the state of mind of our troops.
Why just the other day a group of them showed up at the local recruiting station and put flyers all over the parking lot declaring the all women who join the army get raped. It's a scandal folks. Take it from me. The local troops hate this carping, this lying, and the non-support. Soldiers are smart people. At what point does working for the enemy become a fact?
I don't think I could stand 4 years of Helene's squeaky little girl voice as mayor. But could I also stand 4 years of Iya's vacuousness either?
Please Black Swan the address is De La Guerra Plaza. Please come.
"I got nowhere else to go!" is from "An Officer and a Gentleman," starring Gere, who repeats it several times as he does pushups for Louis Gossett Jr.
Oh, and I'm sorry, but saying that we're fighting for democracy in Iraq is just plain silly. It was about the fourth or fifth justification (after WMDs, remaking the Mideast, Iraqi liberation, etc.) for Bush's little misadventure.
The only democracy in danger is our own -- from Bush and his legions of flying monkeys. You want to defend the Constitution? Impeach the bastard.
"I got nowhere else to go!!!"
Zack Mayo, Officer and a Gentleman, as played by Richard Gere.
Welcoming any comments on this issue on my second or third tier blog:
http://santabarbaraminorityreport.blogspot.com/2007/12/you-say-you-want-resolution.html
Thanks sara for providing the forum.
Iya made a short but nice speech, then voted yes on the motion to approve the resolution.
The next city council meeting is on January 8, the meeting when Savior Dale starts his term, so no secret meeting about impeaching Bush and Cheney will happen.
Measure A would have saved the city budget money that could have paid for a cop full time, or whatever else may be important.
Granada Garage may seem like an elephant until the theater opens up.
Gangbangers, which means they have and use guns, are not banging if they are playing basketball. And if someone really were paying attention he would understand that the sport of choice among the target youth is handball, not basketball so much.
MTD loves the bigger and better transit center, which is exactly what their executive staff have written in many publications.
With Dale Francisco on the city council, the fun and games have yet to begin on how he will get shut down in a hurry if he tries the same charming tude that his supporters write here on these anonymous blogs.
Maybe you are watching some other reality on "channel 11" instead?
"Granada Garage may seem like an elephant until the theater opens up."
I've been here for 25 years and I don't remember a parking problem when the theater is open.
I recall Barnwell complaining about having to run out to the street to put coins in the meter though.
I remember when people weren't concerned about parking a couple of blocks off State St. and walking to the various eclectic, locally owned shops, restaurants and entertainment venues.
I remember when long standing landowners in this area didn't ask so much for the land that successful builders like M. Towbes didn't have to go to the council and say "It's impossible to build rental apts in this area without gov't subsidy."
I remember when Ag land was for growing avocados and lemons and other beneficial foods. Not just a potential gold mine for out of towners to manipulate for unwanted high density, shoddily constructed and estically bereft condo boxes.
I remember when
"I remember when"
was NOT the most oft, despairingly, uttered phrase on the gold coast.
10:00 p.m. john quimby
John,
This is the first thing you ever said that I agree with you on.
So there's some hope for you yet.
100 years from now history is going to look back and declare Bush as the greatest president who ever lived for hid accomplishment of bringing democracy to the middle East!
9:20 a.m.
There are LOT who agree with you. I suspect way more than 50% of the voters. Next election I assure you all that all the incumbents who voted for this ridiculous resolution will be history.
It's time for us to get rid of the socialist progressives!!.
Dale Francisco can only be "shut down" because the rest of the city council simply did not get the message of the last election.
They of all people should be the first to welcome what message he is bringing to the table after his excellent win.
Of course, he is only a vote of one, and every new council person has a large learning curve in the beginning anyway.
But Dale already is too smart to get led around by the nose by the developers, and does not respond to claques and noisy mobs that show up at council meetings playing every single guilt card they can conjure up, factually based or not. That already is a good start.
Dale is gracious and bright. No one expects him to save this city, being a lone voice of reason among the rest of the incumbent inmates running the assylum.
But he does start with far less naivitee and eagerness to blindly please staff bullies and notorious special interest groups.
He is a competent person with large business organization experience. He is a breath of fresh air. And he is only the beginning of the major changes we will finally see next election, including who will be running for mayor.
Beating up and isolating Dale would be the stupidest thing this council and public employee untions can do if they want to get another term, or another budget busting contract.
He expects to treat everyone with collegiality and respect. So let the other council members or the public employee union leaders be the first to strike a blow against him. He is one heck of a decent guy. We are all in this together. The public trough has limited refills.
And he is treating this as a full-time job. He does his homework and knows what pivotal questions to ask.
He has no intention of grandstanding this experience for personal gain ...... or an agenda for higher office.
He is the gentleman (gentleperson) legislator this country needs more of. His commitment to service is sincere. He accepts the public duty to act. And he did.
This is how this man came across during the campaign. There is no reason to think he will be seen by the city and the voters in any other way.
So if you think you will get points bashing Dale or his supporters very realistic expectations about the needs of municipal government, you only prove yet again how clueless city council incumbent supporters continue to be.
And if you continue to think Santa Barbara remains a public employee union town, think again. That was also one of the major messages from this last election. No public employee union help elected Dale and let two other unknowns come so close.
Das and Helene had no cake-walk to re-election because city voters are finally catching on to who has been running and ruining this city these past years during its "progressive" decades.
There is a new wind blowing and soon it will be the council majority. And the more you skunk Dale, the faster that new majority will take office.
Better to make friends with him, than enemies. Because his enemies will have no friends.
Iya did not give a little speech. She uttered a concise statement of personal belief, and let it go at that.
She did not pander to the crowd. She did not grandstand the moment. She spared us any display of public piety. The deck was stacked.
The outcome predetermined. The consequences nil. Iya does not like the war any more than a lot of us. She could have acknowledged the inappropriateness of using this forum to pass this resolution. But less was more in her brief statement which got to the point and moved on.
She also spared us the scolding and the pontificating when she made her short, quiet statement.
Dignity was her fall-back position in the face of the diarrhea we got from the other council members.
Courage and discernment were not her strong suits yesterday, but she did as little damage as possible under the heavily staged circumstances.
One would only hope should she become mayor that she would honor the pledge of chairperson neutrality, and consistent crowd control so that this troubling matter did not become the freak show exercise yesterday's heavily scripted stunt quickly became.
One man's
"claques and noisy mobs that show up at council meetings playing every single guilt card they can conjure up, factually based or not"
is another man's
"competent person with large business organization experience and a breath of fresh air."
A Nation's wars require the active support of its citizenry. A spirit of sacrifice is the sine qua non of civic duty in a time of war.
We have police officers in the war as well as our young men and women in the fight. They are all volunteers and would ordinarily be lauded for their sacrifice, and their selfless act would engender our selfless support.
Our defenders tell us that the nation is still in a time of clear and present danger. They fight to protect us and the Constitution which includes our right to free speech.
The City Council and it would appear a majority of its citizens, have decided NOT to support our selfless volunteers and instead, require them to come home. The danger has not changed.
If we follow the citizenry's advice, the danger will only grow. What is the reason for this astonishing civic position?
The citizens of Santa Barbara feel deprived that their Federal Dollars are not coming in to enrich the coffers of Santa Barbara's budget and are instead diverted to support the war effort and our young men and women overseas.
I find this state of affairs of non-support an astonishing stain on our honor. Santa Barbara does not want to carry their part of the national load.
Santa Barbara is, it must be said, nothing but, as Tom Paine would put it, "summer soldiers"...
My feeling of disgust is complete.
The city council's action MEANS NOTHING
Got that---
MEANS NOTHING.
reply to 8:38 a.m. on 12/19 (8 responces back)
It is Bush opponents like you who are FLYING MONKEYS, you ------- flying monkey.
If anyone needs to be impeached it's the city council. and there has been some talk of doing just that.
Outside city council, co-opted soldiers boots with identifying nametags were used at the entrance to City Hall – thus implicating the City in this DISGUSTING practice of using fallen soldiers names for political purposes. These fallen soldiers did not permit the use of their names for these purposes.
What’s next? If Council is discussing rape crimes will they put the names of victims on panties outside city hall?
Council seems to be concerned about police. The fact is, there are only four police officers in the military reserve and they are rotating onto the field of battle two at a time. All honor to them.
Why has the City not renewed the lease of the Reserve depot on State Street if they are concerned about city protection?
Here are some of the reasons there are problems in Oz. The city council might think about working on these matters before making grandstand pronouncements on foreign wars.
The data is from US government city data archives. They report:
The average household income in Santa Barbara is $61,162 per year.
The average Condo value is $1,000,001 in Santa Barbara.
The average Condo value is $477,700 in California.
The City starting salary for a police officer is $51,000.
Question for the Council: WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO SO PEOPLE CAN AFFORD TO LIVE HERE?
Education: Only 81.3% in Santa Barbara have a High School Diploma or GED.
According to the US Military Data out of that 81.3% only 22.6% of these “Graduates” can pass the military entrance exam.
Question for the Council: WHAT ARE THEY DOING TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO FINISH HIGHT SCHOOL AND HOW ARE THEY FIXING THE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS SO THAT SANTA BARBARA GRADS ARE UP TO COMPETING WITH THE REST OF THE NATION?
Sex Offenders. In 2000 there were only 73 registered sex offenders. In 2007 there were 134.
Question for the Council: HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FIX THE SEX OFFENDER PROBLEM IN SANTA BARBARA?
Crime: 2007 has had four murders and that represents a 400% increase from last year and the highest murder rate in the City and that goes back to 1999 which is as far back as my records go. In 2007, there were 42 rapes as opposed to 33 in 2006. The second highest year was 2002 with 41. There were 103 robberies this year as opposed to 76 last year.
To sum it up crime is on the rise.
Question for the Council: WHAT STEPS ARE YOU TAKING TO GET MORE POLICE OFFICERS ON THE STREETS?
WHAT KIND OF A COUNCIL IS IT THAT MAKES AN ANTI-WAR RESOLUTION THEIR TOP PRIORITY, WHEN THIS ACTIVITY DOES NOT EVEN FALL UNDER THEIR CHARTER?
This is the administration of Marty Blum...read it and weep.
There are heroes amongst us. Today a returned soldier from the 82nd Airborne, veteran of Iraq, saved two young drug users and stopped a potential train wreck.
Coming down 101 down from Gaviota, the soldier spotted an SUV in trouble on the tracks. He stopped to render assistance and discovered an over dosed young women and a driver smoking crack. Their SUV was on the tracks and a train was coming. He called 911 who sent out a message alerting all trains to stand down.
The soldier then tried to pull the passengers from the vehicle. The drug crazed crack smoker fought with him and the soldier had to subdue the crazed driver outside the vehicle. He rescued the overdosed passenger next. The train stopped 100 feet from the SUV.
I know this soldier. He doesn’t agree with the priorities of the city council.
Seems like we should note the following. I don't see why city council should do anything to accept this visit of our nation's sailor's and premiere warship. They are against the military. What will they do?
The USS Ronald Reagan will arrive in Santa Barbara Jan. 11-14 marking the biggest naval crew visit to Santa Barbara since President Theodore Roosevelt's Great White Fleet visit in April 1908.
"In a statement, Navy League of the United States - Santa Barbara Council President Karen Crawford said, "This event provides Santa Barbara and the entire tri-county area the opportunity to both celebrate history and make history."
Commissioned in July 2003, the USS Ronald Reagan is the ninth and newest Nimitz-class, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
This will be the carrier's second visit to Santa Barbara. Through the Adopt-A-Sailor program, members of the community can open their homes to a sailor, or take a sailor to lunch or dinner.
What will City Council and Marty Blum do? What will the sailors do to Marty Blum and the Council?
What about DAS? Look for political preening from him.
January 13 is a Sunday. How will the sailors like Arlington West?
What will the sailors do to Arlington West when they see it?
Finally, in my last comment of the evening (WHEW! LUCKY FOR YOU!)let us examine two of the elements of foreign policy that are written into the City's resolution.
1. Roger Horton contends the the resolution invokes the United Nations to step in and clear up the security and infrastructure problem in Iraq.
A. Currently the United Nations mandate for American presence in Iraq has been just renewed once again. Thus, the United Nations 'solution' for Iraq is currently in place.
(Some might hope for a United Nations that would take care of things without us. I invite you to consider the recent explosion of the United Nations mission in Algeria and the earlier destruction of United Nations infrastructure and people in Iraq. You might also consider how effective the United Nations is in taking care of Darfour!)
B. Das Williams and Marty Blum's resolution calls for the reconstuction of damaged infrastructure in Iraq. Of course, these expenditures will delay the "Federal Savings" that supposedly will flow into Santa Barbara's budget as a result of the resolution, but one might also consider that all reconstruction heretofore has been hindered by the security situation. Why should things be any different if the Americans leave?
In short, the City Council's Resolution is pure, unadulterated political grandstanding. Additonally, it does a disservice to the successful efforts now underway.
I vote recall!
don jose de la guerra y noriega
Just love your last three posts. You made some excellent points and many many of us sure agree with YOU.
Way to go!
The council can rot in Hell for what they just did!
Don Norie, spot on, as usual.
These people talk out of both sides of their mouth, so you must know that if they were to answer to your comments about how they are against the military that they would tell you they are FOR the troops, but against the job they are doing. That's a classic John Kerry flip-flop double standard, of course, but when you're main priority is political pandering then credibility falls quickly by the wayside.
It reminds me of a quote from Pat Tillman's former college football coach, who said something to the effect that fighting wars is complex, running an administration is complex, and administering proper justice is complex. What's not complex is accountability.
The current city council and this "look at me" stunt they've pulled proves that they are not accountable to the citizenry of SB, even if every wacko in the council chambers on tuesday night was whooping it up right along with them. It's too bad when the most important thing to them is how often they can pat each other on the back while the problems the city faces within the city limits go untreated.
I vote recall too.
Would somebody please start it.
Once started it will snowball and take on a life of it's own.
Marty will be all over the Reagan just like she was last time. She has no shame. She runs around oblivious to the inconsistencies of her positions. Nice of Roger to add the UN provision to the resolution. As if he or the rest of the council have any authority to do anything. On real issues and real tough decisions you can't find him with an electron microscope. On the other hand it is a perfect issue for this group. A decision that doesn't mean anything, isn't binding, panders to their base and doesn't cost anything. Perfect for this lamest of lame duck councils. Thank god for the failure of Measure A, at least the embarrassment has a shorter shelf life.
DJdlGyN:
I thought about going to the meeting, opposing the war AND opposing the resolution, but then I was quite sure any statements of opposition would be greeted with hisses at best. There was no doubt in my mind that a majority of the council had its mind made up and was not prepared to listen to any disagreement. (I note I voted for all 6 of those people there!)
As for those boots, most must have walked past those two rows of boots on city property; that layout certainly deterred others from entering. A political demonstration on public property - who wants to be called uncaring, unpatriotice! They were brought from LA by a guy from Texas, even so, it doesn't matter, but should be known. It looked as though they had a hard time getting any usual Santa Barbarans - few looked younger than 50. (Barnwell did say twice, expressing surprise, that the room was not full.)
As for Roger's paragraph insertion, how to make more meaningless something already meaningless? He tried; as you noted, it's already policy to have UN oversight and Iraqis policing Iraq.
Indeed, the war has been made political, but not by the local resolution. It already is and was, just as the Vietnam war was, just as any war, especially one we're losing, would be in a democracy with differing opinions.
My objection to this city resolution were the justifications (any federal expense impacts locally: are they saying the want no military expenditures at all?) The way to stop the war is by working on/with the politicians that supported it. Does anyone really think a SB City Council vote will do anything more than the last Resolution did? Indeed, does it seem to local young people serving that their service is now seen by their city as wrong?
20 or 22 spoke; maybe, being generous, 40 or so were in the room, stamping and cheering. No matter what they were waving their signs for, that number is not Santa Barbara, although SB might have voted that way if these guys had the cojones for a referendum.
Our council/mayor are our representatives. They sure didn't act that way on Tuesday. I wonder how Francisco would have voted? I was disappointed that four of the six on the dais seemed to not give a damn that they represent all of us; the other two were like dormice, barely sqeaking their support.
Btw, there are e-mails going around for the next move being a City Council Resolution of impeachment. (That's what many there on Tuesday seemed to want.) What are your bets on that coming up in the new year? Francisco, a Republican, is only one vote.
At least the rows of boots on the porch of city hall keeps the homeless from slouching there. Maybe there is method in their madness.
Hating the war, but supporting the troops is like those who hate bureaucrats, but support the government.
Holding inconsistent beliefs at the same time: Selfishness and stupidity all rolled into one package.
One can very much hate this war and want to impeach Bush and still feel this is totally inappropriate for the city council to be taking an official stand on either issue.
That is what I think Francisco would say. And he would have withstood the boos because he was overwhelmingly elected by supportors of a very different stripe than showed up at the council meeting for this resolution.
He knows that is who he has to answer to and not 40 or so wackos in the front rows. They would not be voting for him in any election in the first place.
Nor will they ever prevent him and others like him from a second term. The die is cast and progressives in this town are now DOA.
They had their chance for the past few years. They blew it. And we have to live forever with monuments to their excesses.
Memories will not fail because their errors have permanently scarred this town.
Wow, 12:07,
I had no idea Francisco rode into town on a camel trailing three wise men.
Personally, I'll miss BB's smiling face because I think he is kind of a classic Santa Barbaran. Not perfect, misdirected at times but try's to do the right thing.
Lets all remember that diverse opinions are what help us all find our own right paths. You can't accept or reject a concept until you actual hear and consider.
It's the consideration part that is missing from most knee jerk reactions. We are, after all, a society of knee jerkers. Goodness knows I jerk with the best of them.
Although I think the Resolution thing was overly dramatic, what's the harm at the end of the day?
The peaceniks deserve their voice too. I agree with DJ that the use of the boots and the crosses are over the top and disrespectful.
They should stop it now.
The speakers at that City Council were not the "real" Santa Barbara, but the right-wing nuts who comment here are?
Fact Check: the current city council majority hardly is "progressive" but most are wholly owned subsidiaries of the building industry.
The council members who most often vote no on more building, Williams and Schneider, are the most politically "progressive" of them all.
If the council really wanted to pass a worthwhile resolution they Israel.
It is the U.S. support of Israel, and not the war in Iraq that is the root cause of the hatred of america by Muslims and the resulting holy jihad terrorist activity.
Maybe Roger Horton who supposedly is the financial wizard of the City Council can get together another resolution to take care of this drain on the city's coffers.
Maybe Das can talk to us about his way of handling this.
"Local governments, which rely heavily on property taxes, will have to find ways to replace lost revenue or face having to cut services, lay off staff members or delay projects. The possibility of those losses has alarmed officials in areas already facing large numbers of foreclosures and slumping sales, products, in part, of the mortgage credit crisis that has rippled through the country.
“Government has been the beneficiary of increasing home prices,” said Relmond Van Daniker, the executive director of the Association of Government Accountants. “And now they are on the other side of that, and they will have to reduce expenses.”
While every state and local government has its own methods for assessing home values for tax purposes — some do it annually, some every five years, and everything in between — many counties are hearing from residents that they would like their homes reassessed, or have taken steps to bring the taxes down of their own volition."
Uh oh, trouble coming I'd say.
Schneider and Williams are the worst when it comes to more housing. They are both on record wanting to house every homeless who chooses shows up at our door step.
And they want every employer to build housing for every single worker they hire, whether they already live here or not.
And they want to house all 30,000 commuters who choose to come into our town everyday.
If this is what progressive means, then I say p.u.
Progressives want cheap housing for everyone who demands they get to live in this town. I have never heard either of them say anything differently.
But I sure would like to hear their response to how their message has been coming across. Schneider and Williams, show us your limits.
Everyone says they want to save the middle class, but it is the middle class who already live here who are under attack. Who is saving us from over-crowding, blight, crime?
No one on this city council, that is for sure. The middle class are exactly the ones who voted to throw all the bums out this last round. Just look at how the precincts broke down.
Subsidizing a middle class makes them a welfare class, and that is not progressive. Progressive is living within your means and not demanding handouts from those who have.
sa1
You ask: "where's the harm?"
thats obvious.
The harm comes from the country not being united in time of war and not standing behind our men and women in our armed service who are risking their lives to bring democracy and peace to the world.
It's unfortunate that we have to be the worlds peace keeper, but some obligation comes from being the richest and most powerful country in the world.
It's our way of giving back.
It's a fact that if we win this war and iraq ends up as a free democratic country that something wonderful will have taken place. CAN YOU DENY THAT?
Earlier anon about a council member...sorry, that was a little too far out in left field. I've never heard that mentioned anywhere and won't be the first to print it! I'm not even sure if the timing is right...
"... risking their lives to bring democracy and peace to the world."
Nice, I feel warm and tingly in all the right places. Most importantly, I feel safe.
My favorite BS (Bumper Sticker)though is the one used by the military to do the actual recruiting of heros:
"It's not just a job, it's an adventure."
It's easy to wave the flag when you're a REMF. (Ask a grunt)
Did you ever consider you might be really bummin' if the Hidden Imam returns and you end up explaining to Allah and big Mo why you didn't support Theocracy and Sharia law?
Do you think it coincidental that the "surge" was initially not working and when the violence suddenly died down, the admin shortly thereafter claimed victory again and "Oh, BTW" the Iranians really weren't such bad guys after all?
And then pootie poot sent them nuclear fuel???
Do you think there was a bit of diplomatic quid pro quo going on behind the scenes?
or do you think it was the additional 20K troops?
---------------------------------
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
It is the height of ego and arrogance for our City Council to send forth a resolution that purports to speak for the entire city. They are but 6 of us out of 90,000 who have been elected to set policy for the City Administrator to follow in running our city. There is NOTHING in our City Charter about the Council attempting to influence foreign policy at the national level. For that, we elect Representatives and Senators. If our Council would focus on running the City and leave the foreign policy comments out of the Council chambers we would all be better off.
Good point. Maybe they should now pass a resolution against asassination. In fact, I think they should spend the next several sessions passing one irrelevant resolution after another while the city continues to fall apart. What's that about getting your own house in order first? At least they won't be approving more oversized condo developments if they're busy telling everyone else how to run things. (and I can't stand bush or his hideous war but their trivial pr move is hypocrisy at best.)
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