BlogaBarbara

Jerry Roberts Ethics Day

2010-02-05T15:38:00.000-08:00

Saying it had not so much to do with the money (heck, it's going to his attorneys)...an arbitrator has ordered Wendy McCaw to pay $900,000 to former News-Press editor Jerry Roberts.

For more over the coming days, see Craig Smith's Blog.

Yes, I am still retired....but I like putting a bit of good news on BlogaBarbara occasionally.

Travis Armstrong Resigns from the Santa Barbara News-Press

2009-10-30T20:57:00.000-07:00

Had to come out of retirement for this one. Apparently, Travis Armstrong has resigned from the News-Press. What's next? How did it happen? Did Miss Yolanda walk him out the door to a chorus of expletives? I doubt it -- I think Travis saw the writing on the wall about himself, about declining circulation...maybe even a pending sale (assuming the court cases are handled). More on this at Craig Smith and other news outlets this weekend.

Opening a bottle of champagne....

Thank You and Good Night

2009-05-17T16:28:00.001-07:00

I won't be moderating comments any longer and I am not planning on turning off moderation -- as some folks might get revisionist.

BlogaBarbara will not be deleted -- at least for quite some time. I think the stories and opinions on these pages are worth too much -- if only for historical and archival reasons, especially as to what happened during the News-Press Mess.

I'm told today's News-Press headline was "Fire responders get some love at Children's Festival." It made me twinge and look toward my keyboard -- but alas, I will have to turn that energy into other worthwhile endeavors.

I so appreciate the good will expressed by the vast majority of you over the last week since I made my intentions public. Your kindness touches me deeply and I will miss you all. Perhaps a rather cryptic koan, I saw this quote the other other day and reflected on it in regards to my experience with blogging at BlogaBarbara:

"It's taken me all my life to learn what not to play". -- Dizzy Gillespie

SDLG Signing Off

2009-05-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

After 1,111 posts and a wildfire that has led me to reconsider my priorities in life, I decided last weekend that this will be my last post on BlogaBarbara. My adobe is standing and my family is well. This 'gnarly' fire, however, hit close to home and gave me reason to pause.

For a little more than four years, I have done my best to bring you the news and opinion that wasn't printed in our daily newspaper. I also did my best to be of service to our community and provide a platform for opinion -- whether I agreed with it or not. At times it was easy and I would get inspired by the polemic debate that was held on these pages. There were times, however, when I would be less than enthused in deciding whether or not to delete a comment and whether it met our community guidelines. I made poor decisions at times and the correct ones most of the time. One poor decision not to delete a comment immediately -- because of my predilection to dark humor -- led to a News-Press search for my identity and a call from me for 'lawyers, guns, and money'. By the way -- that's a reference to a popular song and has no violent intent at all in case you were wondering.

I'm proud of my support for the Teamsters and former reporters and workers of the News-Press. I was happy to do my part in uncovering where the bias really was at the News-Press. Part of me pleads to myself to not move on until Travis, Nipper and Wendy have moved on from their self-centered ways -- but I am also clear I have done my part.

When BlogaBarbara began, there were few alternative voices online other than Craig Smith whom I believe started some months before BlogaBarbara. Blogging was a nascent medium and Craig Smith's Blog, EdHat and BlogaBarbara were some of the first adopters. No media outlets come to mind as having blogs at the time. Today, media outlets are on Twitter, Facebook and providing streaming video. The competition for eyeballs is heavy for a blog with no budget and no payroll.

I've been considering this for months as the looming mayoral race is looking to be an election out of the pages of a Hunter Thompson novel. The number of mean comments on the blog has noticeably increased and, to tell you the truth, I just don't have it in me. Add atop that a council candidate that wears a fedora on Stearns Wharf and tries to friend anything that moves on Facebook -- and we have the recipe for a long, hot summer.

The Jesusita Fire sealed the deal. The fire came way too close for comfort and had me think about what was truly important to me. BlogaBarbara readers are important to me but my family, friends, career and community are as well. I am clear I can serve our community in other ways and not just under the guise of anonymity.

In case you are wondering, I will not reveal my identity now as Wendy McCaw still owns the News-Press. My heirs will pay for an obituary in the News-Press many years from now and slip the fact that I was Sara de la Guerra into the text. I am reasonably confident that the temporary worker in charge of editing by then will not have the institutional knowledge that a Josh Molina, Dawn Hobbs or a Tom Schultz carries with them. Then again, my plan assumes the News-Press will still be in operation.

What will happen to BlogaBarbara? I will moderate comments for a few days. If you are someone with thick skin and might be someone I would trust to take over the blog, email me at saradelaguerra@yahoo.com. I wouldn't want anything more than your assurance that you would be responsible about keeping the public service aspect of the blog alive -- where all opinions are given a chance to be expressed.

Thank you so much for following my work over the last four years. Special thanks go to Canon Presidio -- a good friend and partner, who helped me get this started. Citizen Stringer for feeding me stories, writing many of them and taking a supportive interest in the blog. Special thanks are also due to Craig Smith and Edhat for their links to our pages. I appreciate that Joe Armendariz and Lanny Ebenstein realized that they could be good Republicans and still contribute to a liberal-leaning blog like BlogaBarbara. I'm not sure if I could have kept the guise at times without Uncle Don Jose de la Guerra y Noriega's historical context. The Electronic Frontier Foundation deserves extra special thanks for giving me legal help when I needed it -- I will forever be in their debt. I am sure I have forgot many of you and for that I apologize -- I am clear I will hit "publish" and think of 10 other people to acknowledge.

Frank Hotchkiss to Run for Council?

2009-05-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

The Santa Barbara County Republican Party website shows a calendar of events for the next month and includes a Santa Barbara Republican Club fundraiser on May 15th for Frank Hothckiss' campaign for city council. The interesting thing is that I wasn't aware that he had announced his candidacy yet. Maybe I am behind the times...

This isn't too big of a surprise as you might remember that in 2007, Citizen Stringer wrote about his chutzpah in refusing to engage voters via blogs.

Where It All Began...

2009-04-30T20:08:00.000-07:00

Thought many of you would be interested in two videos of Santa Barbara in 1969, plus a time capsule of environmental reporting as it existed at the time-- this series predates PBS and much of the environmental movement...and was the first eco TV series in the US.

"This program examines the controversial 1969 off-shore oil leak near Santa Barbara and demonstrates how the blame belongs not only to the oil companies, but to government, scientific, and civic parties as well."

Video 1 | Video 2

McCaw Continues to Amaze

2009-04-30T07:46:00.000-07:00

Craig Smith reports that the Santa Barbara News-Press wants to hold the 3rd District election over again -- I guess she thinks students don't read newspapers.

Santa Maria Council Member Hilda Zacarias to Run for 33rd Assembly District?

2009-04-26T04:32:00.000-07:00

Back in January, BlogaBarbara looked at whether council candidate David Pritchett had really announced his candidacy on Facebook.

It looks as though Harvard grad and Santa Maria Council Woman Hilda Zacarias has either announced or is getting ready for an announcement that she will be running for the 33rd State Assembly District seat currently held by Sam Blakesleee. Although there is no official news yet that I can see, her Facebook page has been created.

Is Santa Barbara ’s Riviera being treated like it’s a developers’ playground?

2009-04-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

A Community Post from a concerned reader. --Sara

Chapala Street, Outer State Street , the Mesa, St. Francis neighborhood, Waterfront, Hidden Valley , and now the Riviera .
Virtually every part of the City has felt the crushing impact of the City’s practice of piecemeal planning and approving projects that violate the City’s zoning ordinance, through the granting of “modifications.” This “death by a thousand cuts” will eventually destroy the very character and charm of the community so many have worked so hard to maintain.

On Tuesday, April 28th, at 2:00 p.m. the City Council has the opportunity to uphold sound planning practices and preserve the historic qualities of the El Encanto Hotel by upholding the appeal filed by a group of concerned residents.

We all loved the El Encanto Hotel and want to see it restored, updated into a first class hotel that will continue to be a vital part of the historic Riviera neighborhood as it has for 96 years.

But, since the Orient Express purchased the El Encanto with a Master Plan just completed in 2004, the new owners have received permission by city staff to change the approved plan five different times, and a modification to the zoning code with virtually no public notice or review. This included tearing down the historic main building, and replacing it with one that is substantially larger and taller, all without any environmental review whatsoever!

Now they are asking to add an additional 17,000 square feet of new non-residential development on the site, including transferring 10,000 square feet of development rights from an industrial area of town to the residential Riviera . This far exceeds the voters intent to limit non-residential development by adopting Measure E, and again with no environmental review.

We support the restoration and modernization of the El Encanto Hotel, we recognize the importance of this hotel to the local community and our economy. Now that the Orient Express has told the community that they have halted construction because of the economy, there should be no rush to approve a plan that doesn’t fit our community character or that violates our zoning ordinances.

Help uphold Santa Barbara existing zoning ordinances.

Zoning for the El Encanto is R-H. This Resort-Residential Hotel Zone, was initiated in 1957, and updated in 1974 and clearly states the “Legislative Intent” as:

The purpose of the R-H Zone is to provide for the highly specialized uses that are associated with the development and operation of resort-residential hotels and to insure the least possible conflict with or disturbance of the amenities attached to and associated with adjoining residential areas.

The current proposal before the Council seeks 4 more modifications to the Zoning Ordinance! A “modification” is the City’s term for allowing projects to be approved that do not comply with the requirements of the City’s own Municipal Code. This is happening all over town, and must end.

One of our major concerns is the introduction of a huge, redesigned hotel operations and utility distribution complex combined with a 43 car valet parking lot proposed for the corner of Alvarado Place and Mission Ridge Road – one of the gateways to the Riviera .

Previous plans shared with the neighbors and the community, provided for subterranean parking spaces beneath tennis courts. Most in the neighborhood and community felt this was reasonable, and the immediate neighbors supported it. However, without communicating with any of the neighbors or those most effected, the out of town (actually out of country) developers attempted an end run and revised the plans in a manner that will destroy the neighborhood character as we know and love it. This is inconsistent with sound community planning, and we need your help to make our voices heard.

The newly revised plan includes a 43 space, above ground, tandem valet parking lot and the relocation, from the main building, all of the ‘back of house’ operations, administration, laundry, dry cleaning, employee rooms as well as the installation of a centralized industrial plant for heating and cooling for all 96 rooms, hot water boilers, back up generators and electrical transfer stations. In other words, all operational equipment and personnel would be moved out of the main building and away from the guest rooms and placed directly adjacent to the residential neighborhood.

THE RIVIERA’S FATE WILL BE POLLUTION, NOISE, BLOCKED VIEWS, CONGESTION, AND LOSS OF HISTORICAL CHARACTER.

We know there are other ways to design this project so it can be in conformance with existing City codes and ordinances.

Next Tuesday, the project is finally going before officials we elected, and who have indicated in the past that they support Santa Barbara ’s historic fabric and maintaining our quality of life. We are hopeful that they will stand up to the developers make a positive decision to uphold the intent of the zoning code and protect the residential ambiance of this area, by upholding the appeal, and require Orient Express to change their plans to fit the community character.

Bridge Barrier Question Remains

2009-04-21T22:24:00.000-07:00

Received this from an avid reader -- does this change anyone's mind? Could tragedy have been avoided? -- Sara

The latest Cold Spring Bridge suicide--on April 4 of lifelong Santa Barbara resident Lynne Martyniuk has reverberated throughout the Santa Barbara community. So many people throughout the community knew Lynne, who was also a nurse at Cottage Hospital, and had three young children. Where is the bridge barrier? See below links for a glimpse of the grief and outrage this latest preventable tragedy has caused.

http://www.santabarbara.com/lynne/
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/51/support-the-cold-spring-bridge-safety-barrier

Intimidation and the Assembly Race

2009-04-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

There's some talk around Jerry Robert's article last week and what Council Member Das WIlliams said about "feeling intimidated" in his possible race for the Assembly against Susan Jordan in the primary. Much do about nothing? It seems the Jordan people think it says something....

Mayor Pro Tem Francisco Proclamation

2009-04-18T17:34:00.000-07:00

I ran across this proclamation the other day and had to wonder whether the Mayor would have done this...it has to do with Port Hueneme but was heavily covered in the News-Press because of the Navy League. She was out of town....hmmm. Not sure if this is that relevant to Santa Barbara. Is this similar to an Iraq War resolution?

PR: Home Buying Incentives at Willow Creek Goleta

2009-04-18T06:01:00.000-07:00

Got this press release and thought the incentives were rather creative. --Sara

FIRST-TIME HOME BUYERS BENEFIT FROM CREATIVE INCENTIVES IN SANTA BARBARA TOWNHOME COMMUNITY

Willow Creek Townhomes Offers Extra $15,000 in Credits
On Top of 2009 Federal and State Government Homebuyer Tax Credits

GOLETA, CALIF. (Apr. 1, 2009) – Bargain prices, deals and credits are all the rage for first-time homebuyers. But in Santa Barbara County, it’s not just the government luring buyers with extra incentives. Willow Creek, a private enclave of charming Craftsman-style two- and three-bedroom townhomes, is adding $15,000 in purchase credits, a one-of-a-kind incentive program in the city, for first-time home buyers of new homes for a limited time. Willow Creek’s $15,000 credit would give first-time buyers up to $33,000 in purchase credits because it works in tandem with the recent federal and state economic-stimulus package:

As part of the federal program, first-time homebuyers who purchase a home between Jan. 1 and Dec. 1, 2009, are eligible for a tax credit of 10 percent of the value of their home, up to $8,000.
The California state tax credit, on the other hand, is not limited to first-time home buyers and offers either five percent of the purchase price or $10,000 in state assistance taken over the period of three years for new home purchases only.

Four buyers have taken part in the Willow Creek incentive program. One of the recent buyers is Joseph Crosby, 32, born and raised in Santa Barbara. He works for the Santa Barbara Roasting Company as a sales manager. A first-time buyer, Crosby and his wife spent the last two years house hunting in the area. When Crosby learned that he qualified for the federal, state and extra Willow Creek incentives, he made the decision to buy within two days.

“We were on the fence with buying a house and the credits, especially the added boost of $15,000 from Willow Creek really got us off the fence to buy the home of our dreams,” said Crosby. “My two-year-old daughter can live in a new home within a beautiful and safe community and the property value is expected to go up in the next five years, especially in this area—it’s a win-win situation for all.”

The incentive is geared toward single taxpayers with incomes up to $75,000 and married couples with incomes up to $150,000. For the state tax credit, there are no maximum income limitations so any buyer purchasing a previously unoccupied home can qualify.

“We introduced our incentive program to give home buyers much needed relief especially in this economy. In the last month, we have seen more people interested in buying at Willow Creek because of our $15,000 credit incentive,” said Kim Crawford, Willow Creek Sales Agent. “And it helps that we’re located next to UC Santa Barbara and other colleges and businesses close by. Students and their parents, recent graduates and faculty want to live in new homes in the Santa Barbara area and they can finally do so at a much affordable price by purchasing a townhome in Willow Creek.”

The new credit does not have to be repaid. For more information on the federal tax credit, visit www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com.

The difference between the state and federal credit is that qualified buyers must purchase a qualified principal residence that has never been occupied. For more information on the state tax credit, visit www.ftb.ca.gov.

About Willow Creek
Willow Creek is a 37-unit development of Craftsman-style townhomes located in the heart of Old Town Goleta. With construction completed in September 2007, the two and three-bedroom homes feature spacious living areas, vaulted master bedroom ceilings, sleek granite kitchen countertops and soothing limestone-style tile flooring. Prices start in the mid-$400,000’s. Four layouts are available ranging from 905 to 1,413 square-feet. Willow Creek is owned by Hollister Development Company, LLC.

Just a 10-minute drive from Santa Barbara, the lush, natural property is conveniently close to UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara City College, excellent public and private schools, Glen Annie and Sandpiper Golf Clubs, premiere vineyards, and pristine beaches. The address is 345 Kellogg Way, Goleta, 93117. For more information, visit www.willowcreekgoleta.com or call (805) 284-6699.

# # #

JMike doth protest too much, methinks.

2009-04-17T06:16:00.000-07:00

Under the byline, Justin "JMIKE" Michael -- this is part of an opinion piece that was printed in The Daily Nexus on Tuesday:

Do you think I’d run for mayor if I’d strangled, punched or choked a woman? I plead guilty to a misdemeanor domestic charge, which I plan to expunge this June. The girl in question brought charges against three other prominent men. It’s a “Fatal Attraction” or “Swimfan” type saga.

Why all the kvetching about getting the help he needs and received at Zona Seca if he didn't "strangle, punch or choke" a woman? Like Queen Gertrude in Hamlet uncovering her own intentions -- JMike doth protest too much, methinks. Next, why would a mayoral candidate choose the Daily Nexus to submit an opinion piece? Yes, there are student voters that live in Santa Barbara but Nexus readership is certainly more Isla Vista-based.

He goes on, rather full of himself, to tell us about speaking on Oprah and how therapy helps. Day-by-day, he says, he is getting the helps he needs. Now some great advocate for women's rights, JMIke wants to be your Mayor -- all I see is a big ego and an even bigger risk for voters in Santa Barbara.

Pappas Legal Challenge to Return? Wha!?! Redux

2009-04-17T05:36:00.000-07:00

Former President Ronald Reagan might have said -- 'There you go again'. Steve Pappas, even after losing fair and square in a previous case related to the last 3rd District Supervisorial election, has filed an appeal -- presumably again under the tutelage of Nancy Crawford Hall. Supervisor Farr's lawyer says this action may be insanity under Einstein's definition....I agree. Is Pappas working -- or is this his job now?

Locals Only? Haskell's Beach Scope Hearing

2009-04-12T06:21:00.000-07:00

The Haskell's Beach condo project that The Bacara had tried to ram through the General Plan last year with 13 amendments is finally beginning to hear input from the public (Noozhawk). A scoping hearing last Thursday brought this interesting comment from Michael Lunsford from the Gaviota Coast Conservancy on The Bacara's request for changes to the General Plan:

“The question is, ‘Would this kind of treatment be given to me or any other homeowner in the city of Goleta?’” he asked. “It’s been my experience that you don’t get past the planning desk until you’re consistent. And yet, in this case, we have a massive change.

“I’m afraid that what you’re doing is setting yourself up for a constitutional issue of equal treatment,” he said. “The rooms that are being anticipated are larger than my remodeled house. I suspect that is consistent with most people who live in Goleta.”

Interesting argument as there has been some question in the past as to the more typical beach public access approach (taken by others in the hearing I am sure). Now that the massive changes The Bacara proposed are public -- at least the plan can take public input. Members of the public who missed the scope hearing may submit written comments to Goleta City Hall until 5:30 p.m. April 16.

April Madness? Adam from KJEE Plays Tries to School Tony Strickland in B-Ball

2009-04-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

State Senator Tony Strickland played Adam the sports guy from 92.9 KJEE in one-on-one basketball yesterday and the result, in Adam's words, was "a destruction". State Senator Tony Strickland won 7-0. There was a definite height disadvantage in this game. Adam might have done better Hannah-Beth Jackson as they look to be the same height -- but with Judge Eskin doing the play-by-play, she would have had the advantage.

Photos courtesy of Locals Night.

Of Interest: Dalai Lama Broadcast

2009-04-09T05:39:00.000-07:00

KCSB 91.9 FM to Air Exclusive Live Radio Broadcasts of Dalai Lama’s UC Santa Barbara Speeches

SANTA BARBARA—On Friday, April 24th, KCSB 91.9 FM, Santa Barbara’s only non-commercial community radio station, will air exclusive live broadcasts of two speeches by the Dalai Lama from the Events Center at the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara. The 14th Dalai Lama’s public lectures have been sold out for months, but listeners can tune into KCSB 91.9 FM or to KCSB’s live webstream (www.kcsb.org) to hear his lecture, “The Nature of Mind,” from 9:30-11:30am, PDT, and his follow-up talk, “Ethics for Our Time,” from 2-4pm.

This visit will mark the Dalai Lama’s fourth appearance in Santa Barbara. The special broadcasts are the result of collaboration between KCSB-FM, UCSB’s Department of Religious Studies, the Buddhist Studies program, and UCSB Arts & Lectures. KCSB General Manager Erin Fleming says, “We at KCSB are very excited to make this historic occasion accessible to a wider audience.”

In anticipation of the event, KCSB 91.9 FM is also participating (for the third year) in the UCSB Reads common reading experience: each weekday at noon through April 23rd, KCSB will air live half-hour readings from the Dalai Lama’s book, “Ethics for a New Millennium.”

On a related note for KCSB, today, Wednesday, April 8th, Religious Studies instructor Dr. Gregory Hillis (host of “Aqui Se Puede,” a Latin music show on KCSB), will be presenting the free public lecture, “An Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism,” 7:30pm at the Unity Church of Santa Barbara (227 E. Arrellaga St.). Broadcast information for this talk will be announced at a later date.

KCSB Broadcast of Two Dalai Lama Speeches
Friday, April 24, 2009: “The Nature of Mind,” 930am, and “Ethics for Our Time,” 2pm
Live from UCSB’s Event Center on KCSB 91.9 FM (kcsb.org); Rebroadcast Days/Times To Be Announced.

Community Post: Lifeguards at Sands Beach?

2009-04-07T19:48:00.000-07:00

Eckermann had a good idea for a post -- talk amongst yourselves. -- Sara

Sara, let's talk about something important. Recently, a teenage girl died in a surfing accident at Sands Beach in Goleta, a tragedy beyond endurance for any who loved her.

My question, when such things happen, is could they have been prevented? It is a little known fact that the most common form of death in the California State Park system is drowning. When the data is disaggregated, it is interesting to note that drownings in "guarded water," that is water at which a State Park Lifeguard is stationed, are very rare, and in most years, nil.

Such data suggests to me that we, as a community, should consider finding a way to put trained lifeguards at Sands Beach. Of course nothing we can do would reverse this tragedy. However, I have always subscribed to the theory of learning from one's mistakes and making every effort to avoid repeating them.

Of course it may cost up to $50,000 to $60,000 a year in salaries and equipment to staff a lifeguard tower at Sands Beach. What is the worth of a single life? What say you bloggers?

Justin Michael Update: Facebook Profile Photo Change?!?

2009-04-06T23:46:00.000-07:00

Since our post a week ago, "JHef has become "JMike" and has changed his profile photo. Hmmm.

It Didn't Take Long -- Strickland Fail on Renewable Energy

2009-04-05T21:32:00.000-07:00

Marie Lakin at the Ventura County Star pointed out that it didn't take long for State Senator Tony Strickland to not be so green after all. The erstwhile "renewable energy businessman" failed to vote on renewable energy legislation last Tuesday. I guess it wasn't that important unless he's running for office. Worse yet, as Lakin points out, it wasn't so important for his "green" business.

Show Must Go On: Fiesta Still Scheduled for August

2009-04-04T05:57:00.000-07:00

El Presidente Anthony Borgatello told the press the other day that Old Spanish Days will certainly live to see another day. I don't think anyone thought otherwise but this is after The Big Dog Parade and the Black and Blue Ball have been cancelled recently due to the recession. Cut backs? Definitely, but the show will go on.

At the press conference, Erin Graffy de Garcia went to great pains to show the good economic effect of Fiesta on local business saying it's the local Mom and Pops that seem to do best. I hope she's right as it is hard to believe considering the preponderance of chain stores and restaurants that inhabit Santa Barbara and the many business that have shuttered their doors this year. The cost benefit analyses of Fiesta seem relative to what is spent but what is interesting is the assumption that there is a psychic benefit of having a citywide party in August. It's like we need some kind of good news in these times and I guess we do.

Facebook Profiles of Candidates: Justin Michael

2009-04-02T00:20:00.000-07:00

My mother told me never to trust anyone with two first names or wears a fedora in front of Stearns Wharf to announce their candidacy. Here's mayoral candidate Justin Michael née Slatkin's -- Facebook info. Thanks to a loyal reader for sending it in with the simple admonition to "discuss". Faces are blurred by me to protect the innocent -- although the picture and info is rather public to anyone using Facebook. What's the "JHef" and Visionary! thing about? This is how he chooses to present himself to voters. More on other candidates on Facebook during the course of the campaign.

Pappas Legal Challenge to Return? Wha!?!

2009-03-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

The Santa Barbara News-Press covered the actual final day of former-Supervisor candidate Steve Pappas legal case against Supervisor Doreen Farr. Although I felt it was a little long on supportive statements from the Pappas camp -- there was a key set of quotes from Pappas fan and Santa Ynez Valley Journal 's Nancy Crawford-Hall:

In her newspaper column on Thursday, Mrs. Crawford-Hall essentially said, "It's not over."

"I can't say that anyone was terribly surprised at the outcome of this first phase of the pursuit of legitimacy," wrote Mrs. Crawford-Hall, who attended almost every day of the proceedings. "It seemed fairly evident even before the trial began that the court was not inclined to give much credence to the Pappas attorneys, while all manner of latitude was afforded the opposition.

It was a bit mind-boggling to see the group of people whose names you knew but weren't aware of, just how cozy they all were. I guess it should not be a surprise as this election effort has been perfected probably by the same group over many years."

She added that it was good to see that the "same script has been followed and now that that has been discovered, future litigation will have an easier time to expose it."

Does this mean this spurious litigation is not settled? or does it mean we should assume any election that involves UCSB and Isla Vista will be targeted by Ms. Crawfor-Hall? Did she think she set some sort of precedent? What a waste of money on her part. It's nice some people have money to burn in a recession but the public suffers too as there are definitely costs associated with the defense.

Community News: Emergency Communications

2009-03-29T08:04:00.000-07:00

Good news -- albeit a bit dated. Was catching up this weekend and saw this press release. -- Sara

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. (March 6, 2009) – In response to the need for a system-wide communications solution in the event of a power outage during an emergency situation in Santa Barbara County, a community partnership between private and public organizations is collaborating to enhance the County’s communications capabilities with residents for the next regional emergency.

The Orfalea Fund’s “Aware and Prepare” Initiative along with the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Services and a local community group, California Concern, today announced a partnership to implement the county’s first-ever emergency communications system that links the County Emergency Operations Center with generator-powered radio stations and then to the radio-listening public to provide regular informational updates during a critical emergency when power is out.

“Our Aware and Prepare initiative awarded California Concern a grant to fund the Radio Ready program,” said Lois Mitchell, president of The Orfalea Foundations. “We are committed to funding this program because of its realistic vision in connecting county emergency officials directly to all residents via radio communication during emergency situations.”

While all stations in the county receive emergency information, the Radio Ready program is providing satellite communication equipment to the County’s Emergency Operation Center and select radio stations, which will allow officials to communicate information to local radio stations who can remain on the air with generator power during an emergency. In addition, a satellite station located at the County Betteravia Government Center will assist government officials in communicating when conventional systems have failed.

“The radio can be your lifeline for information during any emergency, and with the Radio Ready program, residents will be able to get accurate information during a power outage when televisions, cell phones and the Internet don’t work,” said Bill Pearlman, project manager for California Concern. “It’s important that everyone put a crank or battery-powered radio in their emergency preparedness kits. It’s a transportable and probably the best option in any emergency to get information.”
In the event of a crisis, the radio stations will broadcast regular information to residents, including evacuation orders, location of areas affected by the disaster, street closures, shelter information and all other relevant data helpful in making informed decisions early enough to save lives, protect property, and ease stress. The program will also be distributing, through the County’s Social Services Department, more than 5,000 hand-crank radios to area residents in need, to help facilitate the receipt of information in the case of an emergency or natural disaster.

“Radio Ready is a vital emergency communication program for the County’s multiple jurisdictions and it will further enhance our efforts to inform and protect Santa Barbara residents during an emergency,” said Michael Harris, Emergency Operations Chief for Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Services.

The program will also involve a public education and awareness campaign, the distribution of hand-crank radios to individuals in need, and emergency drill testing of the equipment. The program will launch March 8, 2009 in conjunction with Daylight Savings Time.

Two in One Day...Now Schneider Changes Position on Height Ordinance

2009-03-27T22:25:00.000-07:00

This morning I referenced a story about Mayor Blum having a few words about Council Member Falcone's vote on the union contract. No sooner than I posted it, a different article came out that pointed towards an apparent change of position on Council Member Helene Schneider's part on the height ordinance issue. Some readers who aren't my fans were quick to point this out as if I didn't mention it on purpose in the last post -- I actually hadn't seen it. I also want to hear more about the reasons why from both and I am sure the issue will be bandied about for days.

City Workers "Fall Guy" for Economy?

2009-03-27T06:23:00.000-07:00

Council Member Iya Falcone heard it from Mayor Marty Blum this week on what must have been a tough decision to switch her vote on the city contract from one week to the next (Santa Barbara Independent). Admitting that the Service Employees union had become the "fall guy", Falcone and Council Member Francisco had moved to block SEIU's modest 5% over two years contract. Falcone had both voted for and spoken in favor of the contract the week before. Does this make them the "big heavy" as they are telling us what we don't want to hear?

These kind of votes so close to an election cycle bother me as they are so prone to political maneuvering. Falcone has enjoyed the support of the police officer's and firefighters union...both of whom received a more than 20% increase over three years fairly recently. Council Members Schneider, WIlliams and Blum have all enjoyed support from the SEIU, who has not only asked for a modest increase but had made $600,000 in concessions in the contract.

Add on top of that how we now have a mayoral campaign landscape where there is one to the left and at least two in the center of the political spectrum -- and candidates have to find some way to distinguish themselves. This may mean running to the right of center on some issues. Unfortunately, city workers are a convenient target for many -- like they are living off of some kind of largesse? Most I know are just like you and me -- struggling to make it in Santa Barbara and save a little money for a rainy day.

NLRB Files More Charges Against the News-Press

2009-03-26T06:13:00.000-07:00

Craig Smith thinks his son may graduate college before the labor situation over at the News-Press is settled. I hate to say I agree. This week, the National Labor Relations Board filed more charges against the newspaper.

Select Staffing Back in the News: Cut Out Severance for Workers?

2009-03-23T21:25:00.000-07:00

Steve Sorenson from Select Staffing is back in the bad graces of the blogosphere after Select parent company Koosharem Corp's acquisition of Walnut Creek-based Westaff for about $10.3 million in cash and perhaps $10.5 million in debt (see PacBizTimes).

I often look twice when several comments show up on a several month old post. This is from a reader on the last post about Select's response to my post about them asking if their employee's were feeling 'spunky about gay marriage':

You buy the company I work for, two days later you terminate the existing severance agreement entirely, then the day after that you start letting people go.

I trashed the link to a blog in the comments here that went into more lurid detail and invective. I'm not really interested in maligning the man's religion -- especially because there are plenty of Christians that don't follow their own values. If you are into that kind of thing you can probably find it.

If this is true -- that's kind of lame to change the severance policy and then expect your remaining employees to trust you. Yes -- we are in a recession, but that does not give one carte blanche to be an uber-capitalist (i.e. The Man).

Republicans keep on talking about socialism like its a dirty word (an inept, incorrect adjective for Democrats if I ever heard one) but they are not usually willing to say when capitalists (separate from a healthy respect for business and capitalism) come up shy of their promise. What do you think?

Downtown Update: Chapala One -- What Happened?

2009-03-21T05:50:00.001-07:00

An avid reader pointed out that Barney Brantingham's column this week in The Santa Barbara Independent went over some of the details in the doomed, $40 million Chapala One condo project that has failed to sell even one unit. The project is unsolvent and going into bankruptcy.

I bristle when I hear Don Hughes representative tell Barney, however, that: “The residential market got clobbered,” Raftery said. “San Diego is a complete disaster as to condo sales,” along with places like Phoenix and Las Vegas."

I say this is an unfair comparison and fails to take into account the type of growth we are talking about. Each of these cities overbuilt without the proper resources behind the growth. He's also comparing $1.5 to $3 million condos on State Street to homes that look more like the opening credits of the Showtime series "Weeds". Orange County type lot line to lot line homes or condos this is not. The key here is the price.

Critics like former Mayor Sheila Lodge and Mayor Marty Blum are correct -- these kind of high prices do not solve the workforce housing problem in Santa Barbara. The rest of the neighborhood on lower Chapala doesn't help either. It's fine for me but isn't going to convince the Land Rover set that they need to move down to lower State Street. More appropriate would have been sub-$1 million condos -- so that living downtown might at least begin to appeal to people tired of driving from the hinterlands to work in Santa Barbara.

Like Chapala One, will Paseo Chapala, Villa Andaluz and the new development on West de la Guerra dissapoint?

How many days you got? City Worker Contract

2009-03-18T19:21:00.000-07:00

From the Taxpayers Association -- worst case scenarios for sure, it is worthy of discussion. I'm not sure why it wasn't directed to the whole council, but here is the text. The title? Some of you may remember it as a variation on the old SNL skit.... -- Sara

March 18, 2009

Hon. Marty Blum, Mayor
City of Santa Barbara

Re: Response to Your Question at City Council Meeting--Number of Days City Employees Report to Work; Question for You

Dear Marty:

Thanks for the opportunity to discuss the derivation of data presented to you at the City Council meeting yesterday. The question of appropriate remuneration of civic employees is important to the public and benefits from clear presentation.

The question you asked was how the figure of a maximum of 83 days per year--16 and a half weeks--that City employees may now not have to report at the City Monday through Friday and yet be considered full-time was derived. Please note that if the furlough program adopted yesterday is more generally implemented (which is likely), this figure would increase to more than 19 weeks per year for some employees.

HOLIDAYS AND PERSONAL, BEREAVEMENT, AND SICK LEAVE

These data are derived from the Memorandum of Understanding between the City and Service Employees' International Union, local 620.

According to the MOU, the number of days which City employees are not required to report to work each year now include, for all employees:

-- Holidays (with new Cesar Chavez holiday)
-- Personal leave
-- Bereavement Leave
-- Sick Leave

This is a total of 31 paid days each year city employees do not have to report to work as a result of holidays and personal, bereavement, and sick leave. It should be noted that many employees in the private sector receive merely 6 paid holidays a year, and if a holiday falls on a weekend they do not receive it. On the other hand, in the City, not only will employees now have 10 holidays a year, but if a holiday falls on a weekend it is taken on the preceding Friday or following Monday.

With respect to the City's 4 paid personal leave days each year, this is not general practice in the private sector.

Concerning bereavement leave, it is a broad net to whom this applies, per the MOU: "mother, father, brother, sister, spouse, child, grandparents by blood or marriage, grandchildren by blood or marriage, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, person standing in loco parentis ..., and step family members." This is typical of wording in the MOU.

Concerning sick leave, the city not only provides 12 days each year, but, if not used, this time (up to 1 year) may be applied to retirement benefits. By way of contrast, many private employees receive merely 6 days of sick leave each year, which may not be accumulated and do not generate retirement benefits.

VACATION

Pursuant to the MOU, city employees receive 23 days of vacation with 11 years of service to the City and 28 days of vacation with 24 years.

This means that for an employee 11 years with the City, he will receive a maximum of 31 paid days each year for holidays and personal, bereavement, and sick leave, plus 23 days of vacation, a total of 54 paid days each year. For an employee with 24 years with the City, he or she receives 5 more vacation days, so this is a total of up to 59 paid days each year per the new MOUs.

As with holidays and personal, bereavement, and sick leave, City vacation days are generous compared to the private sector. Another feature of City vacation benefits is that employees are able to receive cash in lieu of up to 12.5 vacation days per year.

EVERY OTHER FRIDAY OFF

I recognize the argument that a longer work day on the other 9 days means that employees work the same number of hours in 9 days they would otherwise in 10, but I believe this understates the exceptional, and apparently unreplicated, benefit it is to city employees to have 2 Fridays off each month.

This is a total of 24 Fridays off per year. I have been careful in my communications to account for the circumstance with respect to number of hours worked in 9 days versus 10 by saying that City employees may not have to report to work on as many as 83 days per year (59 + 24 = 83). This would be the case for a city employee with 24 years service. City employees with 11 years service would currently have a maximum of 78 days per year (54 + 24 = 78) they would not have to be at work Monday through Friday and be considered full-time.

FURLOUGHS

Pursuant to the MOUs the Council voted for yesterday, some employees will begin to receive furloughs of up to 104 hours per year, or 13 days. It is likely that, as in the County, the City will expand furloughs to more employees.

To return to the example of employees with 11 years and 24 years service with the City, if, in the future, they were furloughed, they would be in the position of not having to report to work for as many as 91 and 96 days per year respectively Monday through Friday, more than 18 to 19 weeks per year, and yet be full-time.

Since employees in the city are typically receiving a 4 percent raise over the next two years and the furlough would be equivalent to 5 percent of salary, this means furloughed employees in another year would receive 1 percent less take home pay than they do now. If an employee received a step or class increase (as many do), he would actually receive more take home pay than now is the case.

Even if the 24 days of every other Friday off were deducted from the 91 and 96 days totals, these employees would not have to report to work for as many as 67 and 72 days per year, or 13.4 and 14.4 weeks. An employee with 24 years would have a 3.6 day work week, and an employee with 11 years would have a 3.7 day work week.

If the additional 24 days of every other Friday off are included, then the work week (in terms of days employees have to report to work) declines to 3.2 days for the employees with 24 years and 3.3 days for employees with 11 years service, and be considered full-time.

Whether one uses the 3.6 and 3.7 figures or the 3.2 and 3.3 figures, these will likely become the work week for many City employees in the coming year.

CONCLUSION/QUESTION

Sometimes Council members talk as if balanced, even-handed settlements have been reached between the City and employee organizations, similar to those in the private sector.

Such a view would be very inaccurate.

Marty, the following is a direct question to you, similar to the question you asked me: Are you aware of private employers in the Santa Barbara area who provide comparable holidays, personal leave, bereavement leave, sick leave, and vacation benefits to the agreements between the City of Santa Barbara and its employee organizations? And also practice a policy of closed offices every other Friday? If so, who are they?

The above analysis does not incorporate retirement benefits whereby many City employees can retire in their early to mid fifties with lifetime pensions of as much as $50,000 to $100,000 per year, health benefits, and other benefits.

Thank you for your consideration. The Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association Board meetings are open to the public, and we welcome your participation, and that of any member of the City Council or City staff, anytime.

Sincerely,
Lanny

Dr. Lanny Ebenstein, President
Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association

Pappas Legal Challenge All But Over

2009-03-17T05:49:00.000-07:00

Saying “It’s over” to the Santa Ynez Valley News -- County Supervisor Doreen Farr's attorney Phil Seymour pointed out that Steve Pappas wasn't able to disqualify a single vote in the last supervisorial race. The judge in the case denied a last challenge yesterday by Pappas to prove that voter fraud occurred in the 3rd District race. A formal judgement is expected in the coming days but it looks like the weight-challenged opera singer sang -- ergo the opera is over.

The Santa Barbara Independent has an article about the case as well and quotes Farr's attorney other attorney Fred Woocher referencing Shakespeare's Macbeth -- "saying the election contest from the beginning had been “a tale… of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

I wonder if Nancy Crawford-Hall, rancher and owner of the Santa Ynez Valley Journal, might feel like she had wasted her money. Even Pappas' attorney at one point strangely stated that he didn't think it was up to him to bring cases of fraud before the judge. Excuse me? Sounds like a legal stimulus package paid for by Crawford-Hall.

The Investigator's Last, Unpublished Column

2009-03-15T05:52:00.000-07:00

Robert Eringer, The Investigator, no longer works at the News-Press and although we will probably never know the details as to his being let go, we do have access to his last column. It is a rather scathing attack on Police Chief Cam Sanchez that makes quite a few allegations and uncovers dirty family laundry. Is this last, unpublished article what got him fired?

I asked....to his credit, Eringer stated that he is prohibited contractually from making statements on News-Press matters. What he could tell me is that he will be signing copies of his (limited edition) new book on March 30th at Piatti in Montecito’s upper village from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Contact the www.artsfundsb.org for more information.

Another look at this story is available over at Craig Smith's Blog.

Where You From? Ventura is Assembly Battle Ground

2009-03-13T19:46:00.000-07:00

In this well-written article by respected VC Star reporter Timm Herdt, the politics of a recent oil-drilling deal is vetted for the effect it has had on the State Assembly race. Based on the State Lands Commission decision, Santa Barbara City Council Member Das Williams has found a possible entry into the race to replace Assembly Member Pedro Nava. Susan Jordan, who happens to be Nava's wife and has worked for private nonprofit coastal advocacy groups, is running as well. Their opposing views on the issue has created the ground upon which a Democratic candidate that wins the primary, wins the general election because of the party registration in the district.

Ventura will be the battle ground in this race and this is reflected in the article. Jordan makes perhaps too much of her leadership in stopping a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal off of Oxnard. Williams, whom many remember as making much of his youth in Isla Vista during the last Supervisorial race, says: “I feel most at home right there at Surfer’s Point.”

Before any of our hyperbole-laced readers get too crazy with that statement, Williams did spend time in both cities during his youth and has worked extensively in Santa Barbara and Ventura since. It is a fair statement. Both of their statements, however, point to how important Ventura will be in that race. Other candidiates might include Ventura City Councilman Bill Fulton and long-time Ventura County Democratic Party activist Irene Henry.

Carpinteria Lowers Fees to Spark Economy

2009-03-11T20:34:00.000-07:00

This from Carpinteria Council Member Armendariz. Interesting concept. Let's hope they can also be careful with responsible planning as well! -- Sara

Carpinteria, CA - By a unanimous vote of the Carpinteria City Council, the "Highway, Interchange and Bridge" Development Impact Fee (DIF) in the City of Carpinteria will be reduced by 50% for the next 18-months. This action by the city council was proposed by council member Joe Armendariz with the support of fellow council member Gregg Carty, who also serves as Mayor.

"I am pleased and very proud of my colleagues for supporting what I would suggest is one of the boldest and frankly one of the most audacious, pro busiess, pro economic growth decisions by a city council anywhere in California", said council member Joe Armendariz.

Presented to the council in the form of a resolution, the 50% reduction goes into effect immediately and will apply to any commercial development permit pulled in the next 18 months.

The decision was applauded by the local business community including a representative of the chamber of commerce. Also speaking in support of the resolution was a representative from Inve.stec, who told the council that because of this decision, their approved project called Lagunitas, has now been restored to viability and the company expects to move forward on the project in the next few months. Lagunitas is a mixed use development in the eastern part of the city and will add over 60,000 square feet of new R&D space to the city's existing commercial space inventory.

One Crisp Blue Shirt and a Shiny Badge

2009-03-11T00:11:00.000-07:00

I did happen to see the News-Press photo of the Falcone press conference late today....I would post a link but they are not available via the News-Press website. The picture clearly shows a man who very much looks to be in uniform. My efforts yesterday to point out that an SBPOA member at the event would not likely have a City of Santa Barbara patch and probably wear an alternate, SBPOA badge are still relevant and we now have visual proof.

I haven't seen that The Santa Barbara Independent has posted an article about the press conference. On Noozhawk, the picture unfortunately just barely crops out the man in the crisp blue shirt with a shiny badge. KEYT had a story on the press conference and had a clear view zoomed in on the crisp blue shirt in question.

My comments regarding the perception of whether a uniformed officer was present or not stands. Really, the issue isn't about SBPOA support for Falcone -- they have every right to do so and considering the filing period hasn't even ended, Falcone has landed a major coup. My congratulations to her stands as well.

The issue is about whether people might think a uniformed officer was present...the gentleman clearly pictured in the crisp blue shirt did not have a City of Santa Barbara Police Department patch but he did have a badge on.

Police Officers, Union Endorsements and Uniforms

2009-03-10T05:22:00.000-07:00

There was some question yesterday in our comments section as to whether or not Santa Barbara police officers were wearing uniforms at Council Member Iya Falcone's press conference announcing police union support. It would certainly be unethical if any of them did.

I wasn't there, reviewed the tape from Channel 3 news and can't tell. What often happens in these situations is that the union member will not wear the City of Santa Barbara patch on their shoulder and even their badge on their chest might be specially designed as a "SBPOA" badge rather than an official City of Santa Barbara version. I have a feeling this was at least happening in the front of the group that were camera facing. Indeed, it would be hard to tell the difference from afar or on camera.

If anyone was there, has a picture to prove otherwise, etc -- please bring it forward. Otherwise, I would assume that SBPOA President Mike McGrew is smart enough after all these years to have his members either not wear a uniform or wear something a bit less than an official one.

Falcone to receive endorsement of City & County Public Safety Organizations for Mayoral Bid

2009-03-08T18:32:00.000-07:00

From Falcone's campaign...the only proviso I would add is that the Deputy Sheriff's Association will usually follow the lead of the SBPOA; and the County Firefighters will usually follow the lead of the City association without much question. Perhaps it is is not so surprising she got all four as supporters (considering her record of staunch support) as it is how early it is in the campaign. Definitely a a good media day for Council Member Falcone tomorrow.

What I hope gets answered during the campaign is what Council Member Falcone's plans are for law enforcement....stimulus monies and long-awaited COPS funding is finally coming through and should translate to more officers on the streets. This is a good thing. Still, will she promise not to cut other services in putting more officers on the street?

That being said -- congrats to some good endorsements! --Sara

Representatives of Santa Barbara City and County law enforcement and firefighting agencies will join Santa Barbara City Councilmember Iya Falcone in an unprecedented show of support for her mayoral campaign at 10:00am Monday....

The Santa Barbara Police Officers Association, Santa Barbara City Firefighters for Better Government, Santa Barbara County Deputy Sheriff’s Association and Santa Barbara County Firefighters Association are all endorsing Falcone, based on her long record of support for issues important to local public safety professionals. No Santa Barbara mayoral candidate in recent memory has earned the endorsements of all four agencies.

“As mayor I promise to use my proven leadership to continue to prioritize public safety” Falcone said. “Public safety is the foundation for maintaining a prosperous and vibrant community, and I am truly honored to have the support of the men and women who have dedicated their lives to strengthening that foundation.”

Homeless "Outlaws" Get Representation from ACLU

2009-03-07T05:59:00.000-08:00

Although I am not sure saying the city treats them like outlaws is the best way to put it, the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California is suing the City of Santa Barbara for the following reason:

On April 1, more than 100 homeless people, including many with physical and/or mental disabilities, will be compelled to leave safe and secure shelter beds at Santa Barbara’s Casa Esperanza emergency shelter because the city permits the shelter to operate only from December through March. These chronically homeless individuals -- who have mental or physical disabilities and have been homeless repeatedly or for an extended period of time -- will have no alternative to sleeping on the streets or in other public places, and will be at serious risk for being cited for illegal activity by police.

According to the ACLU, 11 homeless people have died on the streets of Santa Barbara this year. A similar suit was conducted against Laguna Beach in Orange County. That council responded by repealing their anti-sleeping ordinance this last week. One of the key points is that when you are cited by the police, you can have a hard time renewing a driver's license or receive benefits. Accrued citations could also mean jail.

It is frustrating that this becomes an issue every couple of years and it seems to coincide with the economy. What's sad about it is that we can't seem to come up with a permanent solution to the problem. I don't like tripping over homeless people when I am walking downtown as much as the next person...but what do you do? Christianity talks about caring for the "least of us" -- as does almost every religion -- yet I am sure many of my church fearing readers will be ready to stomp all over the "outlaws". Let's see if we can have a decent discussion about this....without making everyone wrong.

Jerry Roberts Fundraising Letter

2009-03-07T05:38:00.000-08:00

It's gotta be tough when you are in a court case against Wendy McCaw. Like so many two-year olds that want whine with their cheese, McCaw seems to appeal until she gets the answer she wants. This is a money pit for Jerry Roberts and there is little reason for it other than McCaw can appeal. Please help if you can....the following is in Jerry's own words and jumps to his website after the break. -Sara

I want to update you on what's happened in the $25 million lawsuit filed against me by billionaire Wendy McCaw’s Ampersand Publishing, the owner of the Santa Barbara News-Press.

As you know, I resigned as editor in 2006 to protest unethical journalistic practices at the paper. For 2½ years, I have been unable to talk publicly about the litigation because it was filed as a private arbitration. But McCaw's lawyers recently took the matter public, so I can bring you up to date.

The good news is that we've won. The arbitrator has issued interim orders denying all of Ampersand’s claims against me and declaring me to be the prevailing party in the case. The bad news is that because of McCaw's unlimited resources and vindictive effort to ruin my family financially, it's not over yet. [Read More]

Prop 8 Goes to California Supreme Court

2009-03-05T19:36:00.000-08:00

Got this press release from the ACLU...Sara

SAN FRANCISCO - Attorneys for same-sex couples, civil rights organizations and the state Attorney General’s office appeared before the California Supreme Court today to urge the court to strike down Proposition 8, which took away the right of same-sex couples the right to marry. At issue in the case is whether the ballot initiative process can be used to take away a fundamental right only for one group of Californians based on a trait – in this case sexual orientation – that has no relevance to the group’s ability to participate in or contribute to society. Because the case has serious implications for the constitutional rights of all Californians, it has generated unprecedented support from many national and state civil rights groups as well as California legislators, local governments, bar associations, business interests, labor unions, and religious groups. [Read More].

May 19 Special Election Ballot

2009-03-04T06:04:00.000-08:00

The Daily Sound published a short article on the upcoming special election. An avid reader also sent me the official state list of ballot measures and the draft copy of the voter guide that will be sent to our homes. Here's a full list of the measures:

Proposition 1A
Stabilizes State Budget. Reforms California Budget Process. Limits State Spending. Increases "Rainy Day" Budget Stabilization Fund.
Proposition 1B
Election Funding. Payment Plan.
Proposition 1C
Lottery Modernization Act.
Proposition 1D
Protects Children's Services Funding. Helps Balance State Budget.
Proposition 1E
Ensures Funding for Children's Mental Health Services. Helps Balance State Budget.
Proposition 1F
Elected Officials' Salaries. Prevents Pay Increases During Budget Deficit Years.

Community Event: SANTA BARBARA DEMS HOST FIRST EVER COUNTY-WIDE MEMBERSHIP MEETING, SATURDAY MARCH 7TH

2009-03-03T21:37:00.002-08:00

Fresh on the heels of a successful fall campaign, the Santa Barbara County Democratic Central Committee will host its first ever county-wide Democratic Party membership meeting, scheduled for most of the day on Saturday, March 7th, at the University Center at UCSB. Democrats plan to use the meeting to work on a local party platform, and prepare members and delegates for the upcoming State Democratic Party convention that will take place in May.

“This meeting is an opportunity for all of us who are inspired by the election of our new president to apply the principles we fought for in November to local issues,” said Daraka Larimore-Hall, the county party chairperson. “Lasting change requires that we all stay engaged, and this meeting is an important step in the process,” he said. The platform developed at this meeting is expected to guide the party’s endorsement decisions in the fall.

"This is the first time that the local party has got together to draft a platform on local issues. It's very exciting, and is keeping in the spirit of do-it-yourself democracy launched by Howard Dean and Barack Obama,” said Hillary Blackerby, local party Secretary. The event is open to all registered Democrats in Santa Barbara County. The agenda includes statements from candidates for statewide party posts, workshops on ‘starting a Democratic Club’, ‘grassroots activism’, and ‘the role, status and structure of the Democratic Party’. The day will include afternoon working groups to help develop a local Democratic Party platform, and will end with a meeting of elected and appointed local delegates to the California Democratic Party Convention.

When: Saturday, March 7th, 10AM – 5PM
Where: University Center, USCB (near Storke Tower) Flying A Room

Community Event:Eve of Justice

2009-03-03T21:37:00.001-08:00

Pacific Pride Foundation and the Strategic Alliance for Marriage Equality (S.A.M.E.) Announces the Santa Barbara and Santa Maria Eve of Justice Candlelight Vigil

Pacific Pride Foundation and the Strategic Alliance for Marriage Equality (S.A.M.E.) announce local participation in a statewide Eve of Justice candlelight vigil on Wednesday, March 4th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

On Thursday March 5th the California Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the validity of Prop 8. The evening prior, we’ll stand together and send a unified message to our fellow Californians, including the Supreme Court Justices, that individual liberties like the right to marry are guaranteed by the Constitution to everyone and cannot be stripped away at the ballot box by a bare majority. Just as important, we will give our love and support to all the families headed by same-sex couples who are threatened by the recent electoral outcome, as well as same-sex couples whose hopes and dreams of marriage and family have been frustrated by enactment of Prop 8.

Locations for the vigils are as follows:
- in Santa Barbara at the Courthouse Sunken Gardens
- in Santa Maria at the northeast corner of Main & Broadway

We are asking all participants to arrive at 5:30 p.m. and bring a candle and a friend.

S.A.M.E. and Pacific Pride Foundation are also asking everyone who support marriage equality to wear white on Thursday March 5th.

EVENT: TOYOTA VENZA TASTE OF THE MARKET

2009-02-26T20:13:00.001-08:00

Event Series Arrives at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market on Saturday, March 14

SEATTLE – February 26, 2009 –The Toyota Venza Taste of the Market event series continues with a single-day event in California at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market on Saturday, March 14, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Toyota Venza created Taste of the Market to celebrate farmers markets in communities across the United States.

At the Santa Barbara event, located downtown at Santa Barbara and Cota streets, noted local chefs and popular local farmers will be paired together for a day that highlights Santa Barbara Farmers Market’s varied offerings. The chefs will prepare special tastings showcasing their partner farm’s fresh ingredients, and visitors will have the opportunity to sample the chefs’ creations while also learning more about the market vendors, their products, and how to buy and eat seasonally. In addition, to further support the market, Toyota Venza is making a financial donation to the Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market Association, the organization that brings the area’s farmers markets to life each week.

“There is nothing better than being able to go to the farmers market and hand select heads of lettuce, beets, turnips, whatever I’m looking for,” said Taste of the Market participant Justin West, chef/owner of Julienne. “Handpicking ingredients ensures that the creative vision I have for a menu item shows up on the plate for my guests, and that’s key.”

Throughout the course of the Santa Barbara event, 12 local chefs will offer up their culinary creations to market goers. The impressive panel of talented chefs includes Justin West of Julienne, Brandon Hughes of Bouchon, Bob and Ellie Patterson of Here’s the Scoop, Serafin Ruiz of Blue Agave, Greg Murphy of Seagrass, Matthew Reddy of Elements Restaurant and Bar, Nat Ely of Los Olivos Cafe, and John Downey of Downey’s.

In addition to the free tastings, visitors will be able to sign up to receive a month-by-month Taste of the Market Guide to Eating Seasonally in Santa Barbara. Market goers will also be invited to pick up complimentary potted herb plant starts at the Mobile Garden Venza, and can enter for a chance to win a unique culinary prize. Toyota will also provide interested market goers with the opportunity to take a ride in a 2009 Venza and take home a John Boos cutting board as a thank you gift.

After Santa Barbara, Venza Taste of the Market heads north for an event at the Marin Farmers Market at the San Rafael Civic Center on March 22.

”Venza is a vehicle purposely designed for the on-the-go lifestyle, built for those with an interest in experiencing new things," said Keith Dahl, Toyota national marketing manager. "Farmers' markets are an ideal venue to connect with this group, while at the same time providing Toyota an opportunity to give back to the communities where our customers live."

Gallery Opening

2009-02-26T20:11:00.000-08:00

The Goodland Gallery is having an Artist Reception Friday March 6th. 6-8PM. Featuring watercolor artist Erin Williams. Erin studied at the Academy of Art in San Fransisco and received her M.F.A. from the State University of New York at Albany in 1985 where she received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Art. The artist's statement: Each watercolor I create is a prayer for the positive.Painting the beauty of nature is a way for me to connect to the source of the divine in myself.

Please come join us for an evening of Art,Food and Wine. We are located across from Costco next to the theater at Camino Real Marketplace. 805-968-1200

Cushman Reportedly Will Step into the Ring

2009-02-25T06:52:00.000-08:00

The Daily Sound is reporting that Santa Barbara Region Chamber of Commerce President Steve Cushman has asked his board for permission to run for Mayor, and received it. Rumor has it that former Council Member Dan Secord may enter the race too -- which will be even more bad news for mayoral candidate and Council Member Iya Falcone who (as Josh Molina points out) has staked out the middle ground in recent years. Advantage goes to Council Member Helene Schneider who would have the progressive wing of the electorate more to herself.

Community Post: Pappas' Case Lacks Merit

2009-02-23T18:33:00.000-08:00

This letter was submitted to the Journal -- we'll see if it is published on Thursday considering the publisher's bias ($195K to the Pappas campaign). Kudos to UCSB student Liam Keene for writing an intelligent, well organized letter. A similar letter was published in the Daily Nexus this morning. -- Sara

Letter to the SYV Journal, Submitted February 18, 2009

Dear Editor,

I would like to respond to a number of recent articles in your publication regarding the ongoing court case Pappas vs. Farr. I understand that the publisher of this paper has contributed a significant amount to the Pappas campaign (Lompoc Record, Feb 8. 2009), and so I imagine this is an issue close to heart for this newspaper. However, I do recall reading that this paper welcomes dissenting opinions and that its mission is to provide a forum for better understanding, which I commend you for. In the spirit of full disclosure, I would like to state that I am from the Santa Ynez Valley (my family lives in Solvang), I attend UC Santa Barbara, and I live in Isla Vista. I walked to my polling place on election day and voted in one of the precincts Mr. Pappas now seeks to invalidate. Like Mr. Pappas, I am not a registered member of either party.

A number of claims have been made since the election regarding widespread election fraud in Isla Vista. One issue that has been raised was first-time voters providing IDs with regards to the Help America Vote Act (Journal, Nov. 27, 2008). It seemed as if this newspaper believed that voters were required to show their driver's license at the polling place. However, HAVA requirements are met by putting one's driver's license number on one's voter registration form. Further, any doubts regarding the sufficiency of identification presented are resolved in favor of the voter.

Another issue raised was concern that students had provided a P.O. Box address instead of their dorm room number and that these addresses were sequential. At UCSB, no mail is delivered to dorms and every student who lives in campus housing is issued a PO Box in the UCEN. Roommates share boxes and they are issued sequentially.

When the elections office defended the legitimacy of the process, the publisher stated this was “no assurance to those who feel that the UCSB student population for the last 30 years has been used to dictate policy... to the residents and property owners of the Santa Ynez Valley” (ibid). There seems to be two sentiments here. One, that students should not be able to vote because they live in a place for a temporary amount of time. The Supreme Court ruled in Symm v. United States that students who reside in an area are indeed residents. Further, military personnel at Vandenberg are also allowed to vote and are considered full-fledged residents and members of our community; students should be afforded the same respect. The second sentiment, is that the legitimate votes of liberal students are somehow unfair to those who disagree with them. This would make the contention one of gerrymandering, not of fraud.

In court, Pappas has claimed that because Box 12 on a registration card was not filled out, the vote should be discounted. Regardless of whether registrars were required to complete that box, California Elections Code 2158(b)(1) makes it clear that failure to complete Box 12 “shall not cause the invalidation of the registration of a voter”. Pappas and his attorney knew of this section and yet they proceeded to make this claim in court. As they knew would happen, Judge McLafferty dismissed this claim.

Pappas also claimed that because volunteers did not turn in registration cards within three days of collecting them, the votes should be discounted. However, Elections Code 2107(a) states that the county shall accept registrations “at all times” during the registration window. The sections that state that cards must be submitted in three days and the sanctions they discuss apply to the volunteers and not to the voters. The code makes it very clear that any minor technicalities are not to invalidate a vote; again, Judge McLafferty acted appropriately.

With these issues addressed, it remains to be seen what Mr. Pappas intends to claim. Until Mr. Pappas provides real evidence, I am forced to question the motives of the suit. In the Journal, the publisher wrote “Our election process is too precious to cavalierly distort even a single vote.” However, Mr. Pappas' selective targeting of precincts intends to silence a community. Everyone is concerned with improper registrations but some number of irregularities are likely to be found county wide. To insinuate that Joe Holland or Doreen Farr have done anything wrong is irresponsible. All too often, political elements make cavalier claims of election fraud (see http://TruthAboutFraud.org/). Many would like to eliminate the voices of minorities or young people (demographics present in the 18 precincts Mr. Pappas targets).

We certainly don't want votes to be cast improperly, but looking at the laws and the facts as they stand, it almost appears that the contesting of the election outcome is more of a dog and pony show designed to drum up support for future redistricting of the Third District than a case based on legitimate concerns of fraud. Instead of rallying the base against “the activist courts” or some vast left-wing conspiracy, I hope that those involved can stick to the facts and will examine the law as it's written. And if Mr. Pappas does have legitimate evidence of improper voting, I am eager to see to see it.

—Liam Keane
Isla Vista

Falcone to Announce Mayoral Bid

2009-02-22T20:12:00.000-08:00

Press release from the Falcone campaign...let the games begin! Not like it's Falcone's fault, but I just wish we had a bit more recovery time since the last election....whew!

Citing the need for city government to "get back to basics" by prioritizing public safety, needed infrastructure improvements, and providing for an environment where a vibrant economy can flourish, Santa Barbara City Council Member Iya Falcone will announce her campaign for Mayor at a press conference to be held at 1:15pm Monday, February 23rd at the Storke Placita of De La Guerra Plaza.

"As Mayor I will ensure Santa Barbara remains safe, clean and economically viable. Fixing our sidewalks, and paving our streets, dealing with the gang crisis and graffiti removal may not be glamorous, but they are the heart of what a city must focus on to effectively serve its citizens. I will provide proven, experienced leadership as Mayor."

Falcone is former attorney and crisis counselor who has served for the last seven years as a member of the City Council. Falcone has also worked with developmentally disabled children with autism, downs syndrome, and cerebral palsy.

Falcone received a BA in Child Development from Cal State Northridge, with concentration in abnormal psychology. Falcone earned her Juris Doctor degree from McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific in Sacramento. Falcone is a seventeen year resident of Santa Barbara who moved to California in 1967. Falcone has a daughter, Niki, as well as two step- sons, two granddaughters and two twin grandsons from her marriage to her late husband, Vincent Falcone.

Middle Eastern Descent and Class Now Officially Puts You in the Back of the Bus

2009-02-17T21:17:00.000-08:00

There is a very disturbing comment thread on the release of names of 10 young people who allegedly began the Tea Fire over at Edhat. It seems that Middle Eastern descent and classicism runs rampant but I suppose the real issue is that people are just plain mad. Why that has to bring out the worst in us is one of the mysteries of being human.

We've had our fair share of heated exchanges here at BlogaBarbara. Far from being Edhat's fault (it's just a series of comments on a news story), it's hard to swallow and hard to see why people have to be so mean-- even if we feel like we have to find someone to blame for a senseless tragedy. Cheers to Edhat for being a place where free speech is taken seriously, shame on those that take advantage of it to show their hate.

Tea Fire Decision from DA

2009-02-14T08:29:00.001-08:00

The press release from the District Attorney's Office yesterday was carefully worded and cautious in it's approach. EdHat published the PDF.

The result of their investigation, however, will not sit well with everyone. It's hard to understand that the chain of events don't prove that the ten college students began the fire beyond a reasonable doubt. The will face criminal charges for the misdemeanors of criminal trespass and starting a fire without the property owner's permission. Also, their names will likely become known once charges are filed.

Laid Off in Paradise, What Do You Do?

2009-02-13T04:53:00.000-08:00

I'm glad Cathy Murillo did a piece on the recent spate of layoffs in our area in The Independent. I was beginning to think we were all in denial about it.

We have people out of work across a great many industries. Stock Building Supply which used to be near Casa de la Raza through Texas Instruments, Citrix Online, Sonos and QAD. The Pacific Coast Business Times estimated 1,780 layoffs in the tri-counties in December. There have been a few more since then.

I think we will see a significant number of people leave Santa Barbara to find opportunities elsewhere. This will likely trickle down to the housing market too, no? It's too bad all the money financial institutions made a few years ago never seemed to make it down the line. I like the idea of paying it forward rather than assuming it will trickle down.

Roberts Gets Tentative Ruling in His Favor

2009-02-11T06:03:00.000-08:00

A Santa Barbara judge has tentatively ruled against Wendy McCaw in her acrimonious and "take-no-prisoners" arbitration battle against former editor Jerry Roberts.

Apparently, McCaw has spent $2 mill in her recent legal battles. This is enough to keep a few non-profits in Santa Barbara going for years. The tentative ruling orders her to pay Roberts $12,153 in attorney's fees and $48,600 in arbitrator fees. Her legal team had said the arbitrator was too slow -- I've yet to hear an admission from them that they have been slow in responding to the National Labor Relations Board. What's good for the goose....

Pappas Now Faces Uphill Battle

2009-02-10T21:38:00.000-08:00

Last night I was craving coverage of the Pappas-Farr court case -- there were finally articles about it today. One of them was at The Daily Nexus who actually serves the people whose votes could be stolen by Pappa's lawyers.

Superior Court Justice William McLafferty ruled that he would not consider much of the evidence that Pappas’ llawyers planned to use against first-time voters in Isla Vista and UCSB from the last election. Lucky for voters, evidence related to late registration cards or without help signatures will not be allowed in next week's trial.

I know it ain't over until it's over but to think of all the ways this money could have been spent.

No Word on Pappas/Farr Court Case

2009-02-09T19:47:00.000-08:00

The Daily Nexus had an article this morning, but there isn't any word in the mainstream print and internet media as to the results of today's court hearing. Although I missed KEYT News tonight -- it looks as though The Palm filed a report that will hopefully be shown on the KEYT website later.

Tea Fire Faux Contractors Alert

2009-02-09T05:01:00.000-08:00

Interesting article over at The Indy about the contractor sting. What were these yahoos thinking -- advertising and thinking they could get work without a license and not get caught?

City Pay Raises Come at a Bad Time but with Fair Concessions

2009-02-05T21:19:00.000-08:00

I'm not so sure I agree with my friend Bill Carson's assessment of Das William's "attack" on Dale Francisco in the comments of my last post- -I think there is more to it than meets the eye and new council people can take awhile before they understand closed sessions. Considering what is going in DC, it's hard not to think Francisco is grandstanding as well.

Still, his point that this is a rough time for raises is well taken, even though they won't really go into effect for a couple of years. See the Noozhawk article for details on the deal.

Back to Future, Back to the Bridge

2009-02-05T18:08:00.000-08:00

Doc Brown, Marty McFly? No, it's the illegally fired reporters from the News-Press who will be unfurling a banner tomorrow in an early morning press conference reminiscent of their protest action two years ago to get Santa Barbarans to cancel their subscriptions. As a tactic then -- I'm not so sure it was the best one. As one now, maybe they will have some news that will coincide with it. It certainly points toward how nothing has been done on the News-Press' part to address the NLRB decision in the reporter's favor. Here's most of their press release....I wish them the best! -- Sara

Back to the Bridge: A Press Conference and Banner Drop on Feb. 6

Friday, Feb. 6 marks the two-year anniversary of the day that six of us Santa Barbara News-Press reporters were fired — illegally — for holding a banner on the Anapamu Street footbridge encouraging motorists to cancel their newspaper subscriptions. A federal judge ordered our reinstatement in December 2007, but News-Press owner and co-publisher Wendy McCaw appealed that decision — and we are still waiting for justice. In all, nine News-Press reporters have been illegally fired for union organizing.

This Friday, the Teamsters will be returning to the Anapamu Street footbridge to ask motorists to cancel their News-Press subscriptions. Also, we’ll update you on the status of negotiations and on recent developments in our legal case as we continue our fight for reinstatement and a fair employment contract.

Downtown Update: Rob Lowe Helps Open Pinkberry

2009-02-04T00:18:00.000-08:00

Amid all the festivities for the Santa Barbara International Film Festival last week, Pinkberry opened a store at 742 State Street (between De la Guerra and Ortega). I was sent a picture of actor Rob Lowe (click to enlarge) at the event who helped celebrate the grand opening with a champagne toast and free Pinkberry, hosted by Pinkberry founders Shelly Hwang and Young Lee.

With my many missives about the direction of La Cumbre Plaza, I couldn't help but think that Pinkberry is more aware of their demographic and understands the importance of location. I wish them well.

Santa Barbara County 3rd District Supervisor Doreen Farr Comments on Challenge to her Election

2009-02-04T00:10:00.000-08:00

Community News from Friends of Doreen Farr

Today Santa Barbara County 3rd District Supervisor Doreen Farr issued the following statement about the lawsuit Steve Pappas has brought against her:

"In response to numerous calls and emails that I have received about this lawsuit, I would like to clear up any possible confusion about what has happened, and why I am confident that the will of the voters will not be overturned by this suit.

In November 2008 3rd District Supervisor's race, I won by more than 800 votes, about 52% to Steve Pappas' 48%. Rather than concede, Mr. Pappas has so far paid over $11,000 for a recount of only the votes cast in all 18 UCSB and Isla Vista precincts. The recount resulted in his gaining one vote. On January 6, I was sworn in and seated as the 3rd District Supervisor.

On January 7th, Mr. Pappas filed an amended suit against me personally, seeking to invalidate the majority of more than 9,700 votes cast solely in UCSB and Isla Vista precincts and seeking to declare him the winner. Mr. Pappas has publicly stated that my campaign did nothing wrong, but that election laws require him to file against me, even for actions he alleges were done by others.

I'm committed to ensuring that this suit does not disenfranchise legitimate voters nor create divisiveness among 3rd District residents. At the same time I'm determined that Mr. Pappas' lawsuit will not distract me from addressing the issues and challenges facing all the residents of the 3rd District and Santa Barbara County.

I also want to express my confidence in Joe Holland, Clerk-Recorder, Assessor and Elections Chief as well as the integrity of the voter registration and elections process. Mr. Holland was elected by the voters, and has demonstrated the high degree of professionalism and independence that voters have a right to expect. It's most unfortunate that in these difficult economic times, substantial Santa Barbara County staff time and resources must be spent on Mr. Pappas' lawsuit.

I'm confident that the court will uphold the actions of our county's elections officials, the rights of the voters, and the results of the 2008 election."

News-Press Fail: Goleta Sanitary District is a Private Company that Collects Property Taxes?!?

2009-02-01T20:42:00.000-08:00

David Pritchett published virtually the same post I would have published yesterday but didn't get to. The truth is I got so worked up I figured I better wait a day before I put it up. There is so much wrong with what we had separately decided to write about on so many levels...

His story over at Edhat is about the Santa Barbara News-Press story on Saturday about the Goleta West Sanitary District and the City of Goleta possibly splitting away from the district. Apparently, the loss of the Goleta Valley Voice hasn't translated to better coverage of Goleta politics in the News-Press which is something they had promised when axing the Voice.

There are several major problems with the News-Press article which Pritchett covers in detail. I hope the News-Press editor was sick that day:

It was reported that the Goleta West Sanitary District is a “privately-owned sanitation company”. Nothing could be further from the truth as their board of directors are elected by voters every two years.
The article said that this "company" collected property taxes. Wha?!? Taxpayer money being collected by a private company? I want that gig. That should have been the editor's first clue.
The article twice confused this agency’s budget surplus with its fiscal reserves. This kind of math allows me to buy a home I can't afford and have you bail me out in a couple of years.

Pritchett asks if there will be a correction....somehow I doubt it but hope they surprise me.

Smack Down at the County? From the BOS Agenda...

2009-01-30T19:47:00.000-08:00

From the County Agenda for February 17, 2009 -- is County Executive Officer Mike Brown being taken down a notch? Read on....

On March 1, 2005 the Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance amending Chapter 2, Article X of the County Code which established the duties, responsibilities and authorities of the County Executive Officer. The Board letter premised the recommended action upon the goal to strengthen organizational effectiveness and to establish an organizational culture that would improve operations.

The ordinance that was adopted on March 1, 2005 transferred direct oversight and control of most County Department heads from the Board of Supervisors to the County Executive Officer. Specifically and most pertinent to the current recommendation, Section 2-71 (f) provided the CEO with “full authority of the Board to select, appoint, evaluate, suspend, terminate and retain those department directors except the directors whose appointment or removal is otherwise expressly provided for in statute.”

The language adopted by the BOS did not require the CEO to inform, brief or seek the input of the Board of Supervisors regarding such actions. Section 2-71 (f) provides only that “the County Executive Officer may, from time to time, consult with the Board of Supervisors regarding the execution of these responsibilities.”

Concerns have been raised regarding the organizational effectiveness of this structure including the absence of required direct consultation with the elected Board of Supervisors on the appointment of department heads. Further, several contradictions seem inherent in Chapter 2, Article X. For example, Section 2-69 contains the statement that “As the legislative
body of the County, the board of supervisors is responsible for its efficient and effective management….and the Board has ultimate authority and control over County policy, budgetary matters and strategic direction.”

Because of these concerns, and a concern that the Board meet its legislative responsibilities, we believe that now is the appropriate time to reevaluate this aspect of the County organizational structure and to consider amending section 2-71 (f) to return the authority to the Board of Supervisors to “select, appoint, evaluate, suspend, terminate and retain” department directors who are not elected or appointed by the courts.

We hope through objective review of the ordinance including a comparison to similar aspects of duties and powers of the CEO/CAO position in other Counties, this Board will have the opportunity to establish and define its responsibilities as well as the overall county structure.

Greka Oil Says County Ordinance 'Unconstitutional'?

2009-01-30T06:43:00.000-08:00

Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.

A KEYT News reports says that Greka thinks the county ordinance designed to shut down repeat spill offenders in unconstitutional....they are even running some ineffective talking head TV ads with their CEO with zombie-like employees in the background.

When will they learn?

Community News: Transportation Workshop in Ventura

2009-01-26T18:50:00.000-08:00

Moving the Central Coast Forward: Transportation Action Forum
January 31, 2009 at Ventura Community College

VENTURA, Calif. On Jan. 31, 2009 – Central Coast residents will gather to hear from transportation advocates about how to take action to improve public transportation. The Keynote speaker will be Senator Alan Lowenthal, Chair of the California State Senate Committee on Transportation and Housing. Other speakers and workshop participants will include Mark Criollo of the LA Bus Riders Union, Ventura City Manager Rick Cole, Santa Barbara City Councilmember Das Williams, and representatives from local transit agencies. The group will be invited to participate in creating a community strategy to improve public transportation.
The event will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Ventura Community College Cafeteria, located at 4667 Telegraph Road, in Ventura, and will end at 12 p.m. The day will start at 8:30 a.m. with registration, followed by speakers, workshops and finally a group prioritizing our transit needs.

"It's a perfect time for our communities to strategize about how to achieve enhanced public transportation alternatives for the health of our economy and our families," said Marcos Vargas, Executive Director of CAUSE, one of the partner organizations in ASERT, the Alliance for Sustainable and Equitable Regional Transportation. Other collaborating organizations are VC Cool, PUEBLO, COAST, Coastal Rail Now, Arts for Action, and Local 721 SEIU. George Roberts, a retired manager from a local grocery store, said "I like to get around without a car when I can, so I'm excited to attend and learn more about my options now, and what new ones could come in the future."

The public is welcome; admission is free but reservations are requested by e mail or phone to carmen@coastalalliance.com or to (805) 658-0810, ext 213. Gold Coast bus lines 6A and 10 travel to the college from the Ventura Transfer Center at Pacific View Mall.

Community News: Free Tree Workshop

2009-01-26T18:42:00.000-08:00

If you are interested in horticulture -- this would be good workshop. -- Sara

Keep your trees healthy with proper pruning techniques taught by professionals in a free public workshop. Goleta Valley Beautiful, California ReLeaf and The Central Coast Region of the California Urban Forest Council are among the co-sponsors of a Citizen Pruner Workshop on Saturday February 7th from 8 AM to 2:30 PM at the Goleta Union School District Board Room, 401 N. Fairview Avenue in Goleta, across from the Goleta Public Library.

The workshop is open to anyone who is interested in the planting and maintenance of trees in urban landscapes. The workshop will be taught in an easy to follow format by local and state experts in tree care. Members of the public, whether novices or those who have some experience at tree care will benefit, as well as more experienced tree care professionals looking for a refresher. Six continuing education units are available for professionals. Pruning public shade trees will be emphasized, with limited fruit tree pruning discussion.

Workshop leaders Dan Condon, Dougal House Jr., George Jimenez and Ken Knight will demonstrate techniques that professionals use to care for young public trees. Participants will get actual experience in pruning, with all work being done from the ground and no tree climbing involved. A short open book exam and field practice at the end will demonstrate proficiency and ability to assist in future public young tree pruning projects in your area. There will be ample opportunities to discuss your specific questions with the speakers.

The workshop is free if you register in advance or $10 at the door. Registration forms are available by visiting the GVB website: www.goletavalleybeautiful.org. For more information call 685-7910. An optional box lunch is available for $7 if ordered in advance. The workshop is made possible through grants from the Central Coast Region Urban Forest Council and California ReLeaf. Other agencies co-sponsoring this workshop include the Santa Barbara School District, the City of Goleta, and California ReLeaf.

Attached courtesy photo by Ken Knight shows Arborist Dan Condon demonstrating pruning techniques at last year’s workshop.

Strickland Chooses Tabling at Borders Over Educator Meeting?

2009-01-26T05:48:00.000-08:00

Interesting piece over at the Ventura County Star blog that accuses Sen. Tony Strickland of choosing tabling at Borders in Goleta over a meeting with educators in Ventura. Democratic activists had sent out an email about Strickland's tabling that morning as if it was October and the 19th Senate District was at stake. It left me wondering if we will ever get a break from that contentious campaign.

A post a few days prior shows Pedro Nava and his wife Susan Jordan promoting her recently announced campaign for the State Assembly. Jordan, who is director of the California Coastal Protection Network, is already campaigning hard while Nava is talking up a run for Attorney General. It's two years from now but I guess you have to start somewhere -- especially if you might run against someone more well known. I'm guessing there will be a battle royale between Jordan and someone like First District Supervisor Salud Carbajal who has been quietly raising and saving money for several years.

Welcome to the permanent campaign.

Community Post: Governor, Republicans, Are Making the Budget Crisis Worse by Targeting Home Care

2009-01-23T18:39:00.000-08:00

By Doug Moore, Executive Director of United Domestic Workers of America

Except for the anti-tax zealots who have tied our Legislature in knots, everyone recognizes by now the gravity of our state’s budget situation. Every rational person in Sacramento now understands that we have a serious revenue problem that cannot be solved just by cutting government programs. Things like closed state offices and IOUs instead of tax refunds have a tendency to refocus the mind.

This is not to say that cuts in spending are not needed. However, in many cases, the cuts proposed by Gov. Schwarzenegger and legislative Republicans will only make the state budget crisis worse.

For example, the governor has targeted the In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, one of the most humane, cost-effective programs in state government.

IHSS keeps nearly a half million seniors and people with disabilities in their own homes and out of costly institutions. According to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), it costs less than $10,000 a year to provide home care to an individual under IHSS. If that person can no longer obtain home care because of cuts in IHSS, he or she will be forced to go to a nursing home or other institution. That will cost taxpayers $55,000 a year or more, according to the LAO.

And if you think the thousands of dedicated, unsung heroes who provide home care are making exorbitant incomes, think again. Here in Santa Barbara, home care workers make just $10.50 an hour.

So why on earth would you cut a cost-effective program that helps a half million of our state’s most vulnerable citizens remain independent in their own homes and communities when the alternative will cost taxpayers at least six times more?

That’s not being fiscally responsible; it’s being penny wise and pound foolish. And it’s exactly the kind of ideological, knee-jerk thinking that helped put our state in this financial mess in the first place.

Fortunately, the Democratic leaders of the State Senate and Assembly have steadfastly supported IHSS. Indeed, Senate President Darrell Steinberg recently told the Sacramento Bee: “In my view, the people who do IHSS work; they’re doing God’s work.”

To that, the members of UDW say: “Amen!”

Doug Moore is Executive Director of the 60,000-member United Domestic Workers of America, California’s only union made up entirely of home care providers. He is also an International Vice President of AFSCME, which represents some 1.4 million members.

From Farm to Fork -- Local Food Guide Published Online and in Print

2009-01-23T05:02:00.000-08:00

Promoting the locavore concept of eating food grown locally, this statewide project in online and print format has gotten some help from the Environmental Defense Center.

The guide is available online at www.buylocalca.org. Printed copies are available at certified farmers markets around the region and at select restaurants, retailers, and farm stands including: Environmental Defense Center, Fund for Santa Barbara, Isla Vista Food Co-op, The Orfalea Foundation, Fairview Gardens, Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau, and Sojourner Restaurant.

The online guide itself is a good start but some of the search tools could use a bit of work. I typed in a local zip code and got different info than when I did the search by area. Both search results gave me minimal information on where local farms were and where I could buy local food. Still, it's a great idea and I wish them well.

Are you ready for a 100-mile diet though? Many economists point out that transport is only part of the total impact of food production and consumption. In the Wikipedia article listed above, it fairly points out:

...any environmental assessment of food that consumers buy needs to take into account how the food has been produced and what energy is used in its production. For example, it is likely to be more environmentally friendly for tomatoes to be grown in Spain and transported to the UK than for the same tomatoes to be grown in greenhouses in the UK requiring electricity to light and heat them.

Another part says:

According to a study by engineers Christopher Weber and H. Scott Matthews of Carnegie Mellon University, of all the greenhouse gases emitted by the food industry, only 4% comes from transporting the food from producers to retailers. The study also concluded that adopting a vegetarian diet, even if the vegetarian food is transported over very long distances, does far more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, than does eating a locally grown diet.

Is this kind of like buying a Prius with a $5,000 battery? Not really as it depends on who you buy your food from. Overall, it is a good idea to buy locally from responsible growers but I can't imagine keeping it local for every meal. The again, maybe it's time to go vegan.

Inauguration Day: It's Finally Arrived

2009-01-20T05:27:00.000-08:00

Inauguration Day has finally arrived and whether you are blue or red -- you gotta admit excitement is in the air. I know several people taking the day off, others whose workplaces are taking a couple hours off, etc. History will be made today. Tell us your stories -- especially if you are blogging from Washington, DC.

Armstrong Continues Tirade Against Cabal: KEYT and Palminteri Skewered

2009-01-18T06:47:00.000-08:00

I haven't done a post on a Travis Armstrong editorial in awhile -- mainly because I don't read the News-Press anymore and keeping up with who is in the "Cabal" and who isn't has gotten tiring over the last year or so.

Yesterday's opinion piece, however, was ridiculous in it's hatred to others. Forget that Armstrong went on about KEYT Tea Fire coverage when the News-Press coverage was less than adequate. Forget that he feels the need to judge them for laying off employees without mentioning the fact the News-Press recently laid off more than twice the amount of employees. Forget that he is fixated on the "infamous" newsroom video in rather lurid detail when the News-Press has plenty of their own problems with soap opera like drama.

This opinion took his obsessive compulsive hatred for "cabal" members too far. Armstrong included a reference to a website outlining a court case being filed against John Palminteri (http://www.johnpalminteri.com).

Unfortunately, the web site URL is Prime Time's own name....he must feel hijacked on several fronts. If Palminteri really committed fraud as this site suggests, I'm sure the courts will work out the details find justice for all parties involved. It is, however, a private matter and separate from the more public nature of his work life at KEYT -- which is contrary to what Armstrong suggests.

What concerns me most is that Armstrong so easily attacks people in our community when he lives in a glass house. How can he sleep at night? He must feel his choices have narrowed so much with his and the News-Press' standing in our community that he has no choice but to lash out at others. It is hard to believe that his vitriol would be accepted at any other newspaper.

Did David Pritchett really launch a City Council campaign by Facebook? Well, not quite...

2009-01-16T06:10:00.000-08:00

Word on the street is that community activist and Off-Leash Public Affairs video producer David Pritchett apparently launched a campaign for City Council via Facebook last weekend. The truth is that a Facebook "status" post almost a month ago asked his network of friends what they thought about him running for council:

David Pritchett is thinking seriously about running for Santa Barbara City Council and wants to know your opinion about that.

Perhaps the confusion was in the wording as Facebook inevitably starts you off with the awkward “David Pritchett is…” when beginning a post on what you happen to be doing at that moment. If you’ve ever used Facebook you know that you are never sure what to do with it if you want to use the past tense. It’s also not easy to find the date as to when the post was made.

Techno-subtleties of Facebook aside, things got more confused when the item was posted outside of the relative safety of his Facebook network last weekend in a way that may have left some people thinking Pritchett was being more public about his intentions than what he had likely intended. What ensued was a Q & A grilling for a candidate who may not even end up a candidate and hasn’t even formally announced yet.

The ironic thing is that those of us involved with politics who also are technologically savvy have been waiting for candidates to get Facebook, blog, and social media savvy for several years. Das Williams did a decent job at it and others have tried – but there is a lot more candidates can do.

Pritchett, in showing his prowess at social media, may have shown us what other candidates have been afraid of…the anonymous blogger. Me? I’m used to people attacking me in their comments and asking me questions they wouldn’t ask their mother. I’ve learned to develop a thick skin and delete mean comments. Most candidates and potential candidates don’t have a lot of experience with that.

It seems like commenters can forget or do not appreciate how a new candidate is at a huge disadvantage when the discussion turns to topics they have not had an opportunity to write a white paper about. It is the commenter’s biggest issue and something near and dear to their heart – but the candidate may just need the commenter to help them form an opinion and identify unexpected issues, and, with apologies to Neal Kinnock and Joe Biden, build a platform upon which to stand. Hopefully Facebook, and local blogs like Blogabarbara can help that happen.

Pappas Lawsuit Explained....

2009-01-13T22:08:00.001-08:00

Mea culpa -- I had a really bad day for typos yesterday. Let's see if I do better today :) -- Sara

There are a few things about the Pappas lawsuit over the Third Supervisorial District election which bother me but I'm not so sure I've been able to communicate them effectively in prior posts. The following is a list published over at Black Box Voting which succinctly states what is problematic with the lawsuit from a small-d democratic point of view:

(1) Candidate Steve Pappas proposes to eliminate the votes of entire precincts based on the contention that a few voters were ineligible. This would set a horrific precedent. Of course, you can't purge just the votes of any voters found to be ineligible, because votes are anonymous. Therefore this candidate proposes purging ALL the votes in certain precincts, eligible and ineligible, which would not only wrongfully disenfranchise legitimate voters, but would set a precedent that could allow tampering with elections by injecting a few ineligible voters in key precincts as "poison pills."

(2) This lawsuit illustrates how the Help America Vote Act can be used against voters. This kind of litigation imposes what is probably an unsustainable burden of diligence on poll workers and election officials to research every voter registration and voter who shows up to vote.

(3) Alleges "potentially improper" registrations. We don't want ineligible people voting, but we certainly don't want registering to vote to cause voter intimidation through personal investigations or harassment.

Whether Democrat or Republican, at least some of the above should bother you. Would you want your vote invalidated because of a few bad registrations for instance? Do we want county employees spending time on this so far after the fact? Finally, aren't "improper" registrations more relative to the intent of the person registering than whether the registrar signed the card as well? Maybe....but are we willing to throw away votes based more on the precinct one votes in (that happens to be filled with liberal students) than on someone's ability and intent to vote? I don't think so....

Lesson to Lassen's: Don't Alienate Your Base

2009-01-13T05:48:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a regular reader who sent me a link to the Californians Against Hate website. They have published a list of donors to the Yes on 8 efforts that, of course, includes our very own Select Staffing. This we knew.

Surprising to me though was the fact that Lassens Health Food gave $25,000 to the Yes on 8 campaign. When your business' main demographic are Land Rover Hope Ranchers, Granola Soccer Moms and NASCAR environmentalists -- why on earth would you go so public with large monied support for such a conservative cause? At least Apple, which gave something like $100,000 to the No on 8 campaign, is aware of who their peeps are.

Another small surprise in the list of donors at a database of donors at SF Gate is that Council Member Dale Francisco gave $100 to the No Yes on 8 campaign. $1 short of the limit for publication -- I'll chalk his rathe public, small donation to inexperience. Still, it wasn't just Republicans that got him into office.

Budget Cutbacks Loom for 2009

2009-01-11T20:36:00.000-08:00

I saw on EdHat today that a Noozhawk article points to Goleta Library cutbacks which bums me out as it is one of my favorite places in Goleta. Yet another article on a local MSNBC article points to increases in fees at the County Clerk's and at the Planning Department.

"How does it cost so much to get copies when Kinko's only charges 10 cents," asked Donald Ricketts, attorney for California Public Records Research, a document-management company that has filed written opposition to the fee increase.

Kinko's real cost can't be more than a few cents for a copy. County Clerk Joe Holland is lowering prices on "digital copies" which is more affordable to the title companies that get discs every month....versus individuals who are more likely to pay the following:

In Santa Barbara County, the charge for individual copies of real estate documents is $3 for the first page and $1 for each subsequent page. With the increase, the fees will change to $2 per page. For example, 10 copies under the current fee structure would cost $12, but it would cost $20 under the proposed change.

I like Joe Holland but when he says the fees haven't changed in five years -- I wonder why he would be considering this when the copy fees are high versus the actual cost anyway? That isn't a fair justification for raising fees for something that takes a few moments to copy and very little cost -- even with increases in paper costs. $2 per page -- even at a generous .25 cent cost for the copy, paper and labor -- is eight times what the true cost is. I guess when you have a monopoly, you can charge what you want. What he is really doing is offsetting other costs or future costs with fee increases when he can likely get away with it.

Nippers.com Comments Get Rowdy Over News-Press

2009-01-09T05:56:00.000-08:00

Craig Smith had a small bit in one of his recent posts about discussion over at Nippers.com about the News-Press. Nipper himself actually commented on the Jerry Robert's suit against the paper:

Did you know that Jerry Roberts, the former News-Press Editor sued over the thread that was on Nippers about the News-Press issues? He believed that the "Hamburger" satire was about him (although his name was never mentioned in it) and he sued for $200,000. Interesting how the "champion of free speech" will use a legal hammer to smash anything written that could be remotely critical of him.

I doubt News-Press Editor Travis Armstrong would call Nipper tacky -- as he has accused Council Member Helene Schneider of late -- but I might when pressed.

Audra Strickland's Chief of Staff Finally Charged for Battery in Protest Incident

2009-01-06T05:14:00.000-08:00

Comments are running hot over at fellow blogger Marie Lakin's (Ventura County Star) blog who writes that Assembly Member Audra Strickland's Chief of Staff is finally going to court over the fracas with anti-tobacco protestors which left a 67-year old man sprawled on the ground with his hearing aid knocked out. Joel Angeles will be in court on February 6th for several counts of battery and interfering in protester civil rights.

Why did it take so long? Lakin says the "seemingly languished on Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten's desk for an eternity before he recused himself and passed it up to the State Attorney General's office". Totten, who is a major Strickland supporter, did the right thing on a rather political timetable considering it is now months past election day.

The wheels of justice are on a different schedule than I would have them to be and sometimes I wonder what difference they make. Craig Smith, for instance, pointed out recently that it has been a year since the News-Press reporters were awarded victory from an administrative law judge yet they have seen no relief from Wendy McCaw for winning that case fair and square. Let's hope this case in Ventura gets the respect and review it deserves.

Wendy Says Adieu to 2008, Promises Hope, Kindness and Faith in 2009

2009-01-01T19:01:00.000-08:00

In a front page note to readers today -- Wendy McCaw said the following:

As 2009 begins a fresh start let's not wallow in the difficulties of the year that was but look to the future with hope, kindness and faith.

Let's hope she puts her money where her mouth is...given the news around several layoffs this year and the Jerry Roberts arbitration, I have to doubt we shall see the above in practice, but can't I dream? Craig Smith has similar thoughts listed over at his blog. Can we both be wrong? :)

Note to Steve Pappas: Nothing Changes on New Year's Day.

2009-01-01T05:47:00.000-08:00

First of all, Happy New Year to you all. I was thinking of taking a BlogaHoliday today but this news is too rich to pass up.

In an end of the year move sure to rankle taxpayer advocates, Steve Pappas is asking Superior Court to contest the November 4th Third District election. Interestingly enough, the only place the story seems to be available is over at the Santa Ynez Journal -- home of his uber-supporter Nancy Crawford Hall. A relatively even piece written by SYVJ Staff writer Leah Etling tells us the story, including a quote from Doreen Farr, but also strangely includes a full copy of Pappas' press release afterwards. Objective enough?

Pappas has already cost the Elections Office a good amount of time and money in asking for a recount for which he only gained one vote.

What's different this time? In this action, he is saying that a very specific group of voters were improperly registered and therefore their votes should not be counted. If you know anything about 3rd District politics, you are probably shaking your head right now in understanding as it is often "those damned students" who take the brunt of the losing side's ire in 3rd District contests. According to Pappas, some registration cards were turned in late, improperly filled out and represented re-registrations. There are also rules around turning in registration cards within a certain amount of days and not holding on to the cards. He also points to a Help America Vote Act (“HAVA”) which requires that a person's ID be cleared through something called the Calvalidator system -- I'll have to do some research on that as I've never heard of it.

Not being a constitutional lawyer, I'm not sure what the opposing side arguments will be other than despite any timing issues with registration cards, for instance, voters registered to vote expect to be able to vote on election day. I'm not clear a court would take that right away from them on a technicality. This effort also seems so student-centered when there were plenty of registrations accepted in Goleta and the Santa Ynez Valley during a major election as well.

Why Pappas would invest so much in a losing battle seems only centered on the fact he has a financial backer willing to spend the money. Although it seems that he has convinced himself that he is championing democracy, it's hard to think that this effort will get very far.

Jerry Prevails, Wendy Stalls, Bold Prediction for 2009

2008-12-31T04:50:00.001-08:00

A new development in the continuing saga of the News-Press Mess yesterday awarded former editor Jerry Roberts the prevailing party in a $10 million suit (which ended up only possibly covering his legal fees -- amount TBD) only to see News-Press owner Wendy McCaw counter by trying to throw out the arbitrator off the case. With some of the arbitration information only just now becoming public, The Santa Barbara Independent says the arbitrator called McCaw's legal tactics “scorched earth,” “take-no-prisoners,” and “go-for-broke.”

The News-Press apparently wrote an article about their actions but it sits behind the pay wall of their web site. Robert's attorney Andrine Smith called the article a "shoddy piece of propaganda disguised as a news story" -- no surprise to BlogaBarbara readers who have been following the News-Press Mess over the last few years.

Seen within the rather green light of this story, one has to wonder whether the recent layoffs at the News-Press are a result of not just poor business decisions, but poor past personnel decisions on the part of Ampersand Publishing.

What will be next with the pending February 29, 2009 National Labor Relations Board hearing about using temps as reporters? Coupled with a noticeable drop in advertising and editorial -- my bold prediction for 2009 is that the News-Press will be sold at a bargain.

Note at 7 AM: I edited the post due to an initial misunderstanding on my part of the award in the case....although the suit was for $10 million, Roberts will only get his attorney fees covered in an amount yet to be determined.

BlogaBarbara Person(s) of the Year - 2008

2008-12-30T05:42:00.000-08:00

Many thanks to all of you who put nominations in the hat for the BlogaBarbara person(s) of the Year. There were a good amount of nominations and given the events of the last year -- the result should be pretty obvious.

The BlogaBarbara Person(s) of the Year will yet again go to a group of people rather than an individual. In my mind, we would be fools not to name the many firefighters of the Gap and Tea Fire as the recipients for 2008. It is amazing to think how we went through two very serious fires this year and the work that went into fighting each of them. Our community is thankful and many of us were lucky not to have lost our home even though many of us did. We also saw an impressive display of interagency cooperation as local governments, the state, the feds and fire departments across the west worked to keep our community safe.

Runner Ups:

Gangs - a nomination that is worthy as their impact was far too great with an increase in violence that was noticeable everywhere.
Bill Mahan for organizing the height limitation ordinance. This nomination may have been a bit orchestrated but is well received for his efforts.

Other worthy nominations included:

Barack Obama -- who I did not consider as his achievements are more national in scope.
Wendy McCaw for further diminishing the quality of local news.
The City College Nine Plus One -- wasn't sure what this reference was about...I must have been sick that day.
City Bureaucrats -- for draining the life out of downtown. This might be up to interpretation in a recession but I saw the point.

BlogaHoliday through Sunday

2008-12-27T05:05:00.000-08:00

The de la Guerra's are gathering at their adobe this weekend and I will be unavailable for moderation of comments through Sunday night.

I will be announcing the BlogaBarbara Person(s) of the Year next week. I'm still open to accepting nominations...

Ooops! They Did It Again! Greka Oil Spills 600 Gallons

2008-12-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

I'm kind of tired of doing these posts about new oil spills at Greka -- when will they be shut down for good? They don't deserve to be in business....this from KEYT News video:

A HAZMAT crew is trying to clean up a 600 gallon oil spill at the Greka oil facility near Los Alamos. The spill happened around 3:20 p.m. Friday on Palmer Road, just east of Highway 101.

Initial reports indicated only 10 to 15 barrels of crude oil spilled, but now, county fire officials say up to 2,000 gallons of toxic produced water and 600 gallons of crude leaked from an eight-inch underground production line.

The CHP has shut down Palmer Road to all traffic at the 101 on the west end, and Dominion Road on the east end.

Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Holidays!

2008-12-25T05:48:00.000-08:00

MC from SDLG. Whatever you celebrate today, I wish you all the best and hope you have a great day of celebration. Here's a picture of the Santa Barbara Mission I took the other night -- it was beautiful!

Also, if you haven't made a nominations yet for BlogaBarbara Person(s) of the Year -- there is still time!

Stabbing at the Movies Update: "I was just doing my job". Wha?!?

2008-12-23T20:01:00.000-08:00

For my second follow-up of the day, read the Daily Sound report on the stabbing at Metro 4 last weekend....the assailant reportedly said he was "doing his job" when keeping a customer from sneaking in a cup of coffee. Are we really supposed to believe the stabbing was over spilled milk -- errr, coffee? They must have had a prior relationship to this incident....how many of us have snuck a coffee or at least a bottled water into a theater and not been stabbed? It just doesn't seem like we are getting the whole story here!

Fatburger Sign Update

2008-12-22T17:42:00.000-08:00

Fatburger corporate marketing types must read the local blogs -- the "We're Closed" sign has changed since several local bloggers mentioned the incorrect "Palmdale" reference the other day. Thanks to an avid reader for forwarding me a photo (click to enlarge):

On a whim -- I checked their website as well. The closest Fatburger to the "93101" zip code is now in Ventura:

Stabbing at the Movies?

2008-12-21T16:03:00.000-08:00

The Daily Sound reports a stabbing by a theater employee of a "customer" downtown at Metro 4. It's hard to believe it was an argument about the finer points of The Four Christmases, Yes Man or The Day the Earth Stood Still --- or perhaps there being too much butter on the victim's popcorn could be the cause. It will be interesting to see what their relationship was and if any of the reasons for bellicose behavior will be made public. Anyone have any reports as to what happened?

State Street Update: Fatburger Evicted?

2008-12-19T20:20:00.000-08:00

I noticed via Edhat that Fatburger just below De la Guerra and State was evicted -- see the story at santabarbara.com.

Very strange was the notice on the window as reported by The Restaurant Guy:

This restaurant is closed. We have enjoyed serving the Palmdale community.

Wha!?! They must be closing a few restaurants to be putting up the wrong sign...can you imagine the guy in charge of putting up the signs up and down the coast? "Where am I? Doh! Gotta go to the next one!"

No news on the Fatburger website (click screenshot to enlarge) -- Santa Barbara still shows as one of their restaurants.

Unfortunately, I have a feeling their closing may be a sign of things to come...

Goleta Initiates General Plan Amendments

2008-12-19T05:34:00.001-08:00

Based on a proposal for 300 apartments near CostCo, the Goleta Council approved two general plan amendments to make way for a mixed use project between Glenn Annie and Santa Felicia Drive. The vote, 4-1, marked the first vote for the new council and showed they are serious about increasing housing along the Hollister Corridor where shopping and transporation would be easiest. New Council Members Ed Easton voted for the amendment and Margaret Connell against citing concerns about the increase in height limits allowed for the project. For the whole story, see The Daily Sound.

Schneider to Run for Mayor

2008-12-18T19:22:00.000-08:00

Although I was surprised to see it first on a newsstand for the News-Press, Council Member Helene Schneider has chosen to run for Mayor (KEYT Report). Good for her, she would make a very good one.

Wolf Calls for Greener County Building

2008-12-17T20:31:00.000-08:00

While Pappas spent $10,000 for one vote, Farr announced her staff and then Wolf called for a greener County Building :) I think it's time to move on...

At yesterday’s Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors hearing, Second District Supervisor Janet Wolf called for the County to “get it’s own house in order” by reconstituting the County’s Green Team as the “Conservation and Sustainability Team,” under the direction of General Services, charged specifically with developing a strategic plan and action steps within 90 days so that County Departments can begin to immediately and significantly reduce their energy consumption in existing buildings and activities. Wolf’s motion to the board calling for a bold strategic plan and action steps within 90 days was approved 4-1.

In the past year, Supervisor Wolf strongly advocated for the hiring of the County’s first-ever Energy Manager, who began work in April 2008. In a recent briefing, Wolf learned that the County could be doing much more to reduce energy costs and establish sustainable practices.

Wolf said, “While the County has been moving ahead with some good programs in conservation and sustainability, we need to quickly and comprehensively reduce energy use in our existing County buildings and practices. We need to model sustainable, energy efficient practices in the County, and we need to do it now.”

The County is in the process of certifying its carbon footprint and establishing a baseline. Wolf said, “Not only can we reduce energy consumption and save money, we could choose to bank the dollars we save and invest them in renewable energy with the goal of someday making the County ‘carbon neutral.’”

Farr Names Planning Commissioner and Staff

2008-12-16T21:08:00.001-08:00

While Pappas spent $10,000 to gain one vote yesterday, Doreen Farr named her commissioner and staff

SOLVANG—Today, Supervisor-elect Doreen Farr announced her Planning Commissioner-designate, Marell Brooks and her 3rd District staff, Chris Henson, Stephanie Langsdorf, Esther Aguilera, and Elizabeth Farnum.

Chris Henson will serve as Chief of Staff, and Stephanie Langsdorf, Esther Agiulera and Eizabeth Farnum will serve as district representatives throughout the 3rd District. "One of the main tenants of my campaign was that I would be accessible and responsive to the residents of the 3rd District and County. These experienced individuals will help me in this endeavor", said Farr.

Marell Brooks, 3rd District Planning Commissioner-designate

Marell Brooks is a 30-year resident Santa Barbara County. She currently serves as a Vice President on the board of the Citizens Planning Association, a local non-profit promoting responsible land use planning and environmental protection in Santa Barbara County. Brooks also serves on the Santa Barbara County Commission for Women and as a board member of the Vandenberg Village Association.

Chris Henson

Chris Henson has served as a Senior District Representative to a member of Congress, and as coalition organizer for national non-profit organizations. Henson worked locally for Congresswoman Lois Capps for over 5 years in both Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. His work for Congresswoman Capps ranged from environmental, offshore oil and military issues to telecommunications and healthcare. Additionally, Henson's work for several non-profit organizations included the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a national non-profit based in Washington, DC that serves to reduce tobacco use and its devastating consequences in the United States and around the world.

Stephanie Langsdorf

Stephanie Langsdorf has worked locally for many years on environmental and habitat restoration issues. As the former Executive Director of Growing Solutions, a local non-profit organization focused on watershed restoration and environmental science education, Langsdorf was involved with many restoration projects from Lake Cachuma to the Santa Barbara Airport.

Esther Aguilera

Esther Aguilera brings her experience as a community organizer and social and mental health advocate to Supervisor-elect Farr's office. Aguliera has been involved with numerous local organizations including People United for Economic Justice Building Leadership Through Organizing (PUEBLO) as a Co-Chair, and The Phoenix of Santa Barbara, a local non-profit, as a counselor and case Manager to those with developmental disabilities.

Elizabeth Farnum

Elizabeth Farnum, a resident of Los Olivos, has served Santa Barbara County previously as a 3rd District Planning Commissioner and Deputy County Counsel. Farnum is a Board member for the Fund for Santa Barbara and the Land Trust of Santa Barbara County. She has vast experience on environmental, land use, and housing issues throughout the area. Farnum's work on behalf of Supervisor-elect Farr will be based in the Santa Ynez Valley, Buellton and Vandenberg Village.

The Pappas-Farr Race is Not THAT Close!

2008-12-15T06:04:00.001-08:00

I saw over at The Indy that Steve Pappas' $100,000 supporter thinks he was "acorned". Now that the Chicago organization has become an verb, I'm afraid it will forever be in the right wing lexicon right next to socialism.

Nancy Crawford-Hall, owner of the Santa Ynez Valley Journal, seems to think supervisorial candidate Steve Pappas came a lot closer to beating Doreen Farr than it looks on paper. With a 2.27% spread with 35,621 votes, I would be hard pressed to say he has a chance of surpassing Farr. 51% to 48% races generally do not get recounted and Pappas has apparently caused $6-7,000 of the Elections Division time up to this point. To be fair, the Elections Division didn't have to do the work but probably made a good decision in doing so as there were some questions worth answering.

This is a waste, however, of taxpayer money. Bully on Pappas for looking for integrity in the voting process but it looks as if County Clerk-Recorder Joe Holland is doing his job. A machine count which would be conducted today or tomorrow would be significantly more expensive. If there is one, Pappas and Crawford-Hall should be ready to pay for it.

Is a Griswold Christmas Socially Irresponsible?

2008-12-14T08:51:00.000-08:00

I like holiday lights just as much as the next person but I wonder if some people go a little overboard. In driving around this season, it seems that there are a few more "over the top" homes than in prior years. I wonder if one can correlate economics to the number of homes that are pulling more than their share of amps from the electric grid. A Freakanomics assessment would be interesting...

What do you think? Is is socially irresponsible to use so much electricity considering the state of the planet and the economy or would it be Scrooge-like of anyone to ask? A 'bah-humbug!' response doesn't seem to address the issue to me, however. Is having a Griswold-like Christmas just part of the deal with the holidays?

New Technology BETA at BlogaBarbara

2008-12-12T06:17:00.000-08:00

After over 1,000 posts and almost four years of blogging, I've decided that it is time for some modernization and change to go along with the theme in our nation's capitol.

Starting today I invite you to test some new technology with me that I'd like to make permanent on the blog should we find it useful. Drop.io is an easy to use, online file sharing service that provides users with a simple and private way to share images, video, audio, documents and other digital content through unique, user-created and controlled sharing points called 'drops.'

During this beta period, which I would imagine would be at least a couple of weeks, you can anonymously upload just about anything to http://drop.io/hidden/p6xh1v9rkb0omw/upload.

I also have a voicemail associated with this account which will convert your message to MP3. Only I can hear the message but if you are okay with me sharing the message online, say so. Again, it is anonymous so don't self-identify on a voice mail unless you are okay about me knowing who you are -- otherwise I would have no idea.

The voicemail phone number is 646-402-5686 x 85162

One of the reasons why I would like to do this on a trial basis is that there clearly is an opportunity for spam in that even just a person or two could misuse these tools and flood me with unnecessary messages. I also think it could be a useful tool for sharing files and news tips, etc. Let's see how it goes and if it doesn't work out, I won't use it!

Look for more changes as we approach the new year, I have a few ideas that I hope you agree will help continue the community building BlogaBarbara began in 2005 and take it to a new level.

Should he stay or should he go now? Anti-Noel Movement Calls for His Ouster

2008-12-11T22:30:00.000-08:00

Now former School Board Member Nancy Harter is a level-headed, easy going person. Rarely does she raise her voice or make a fuss. She is a quiet and effective leader that I respect. She's also a school board member that has put up with fellow Board Member Bob Noel's antics and pontifications for several years. Was it a surprise that she called for his resignation given Noel's history of combat with his fellow school board members? I, for one, am not so sure Superintendent Brian Sarvis deserved Noel's call for resignation during public comment recently. To make matters worse, Noel walked out the door and didn't come back.

Here's what Harter said in a commentary published at Noozhawk:

Noel’s comments were the equivalent of a verbal hand grenade lobbed into the room while he dashed out the door and refused to participate in the closed-session discussion. He delivered a follow-up attack in the Sunday edition of the Santa Barbara News-Press, just to be thorough. This is the kind of atmosphere that he thrives in — strike out at others for perceived shortcomings, assign blame, and defy established procedures and processes for problem solving.

If you don't believe the sincerity of Nancy Harter -- maybe you would consider Chamber of Commerce President Steve Cushman who said:

“I’ve sat on 100 nonprofit boards and commissions in Santa Barbara — a hundred,” Cushman said. “I have never seen a board member attack a director of that board in public. I find it offensive.”

United Way of Santa Barbara County CEO Paul Didier and recently retired Santa Barbara City College President John Romo both added their support of Sarvis as well. If you are Bob Noel -- what do you do? If he stays there could be trouble, if he goes there could be double....

Nominations for BlogaBarbara Person(s) of the Year

2008-12-09T20:00:00.001-08:00

It's that time of the year again. It's December and we are all looking back at what happened in the last year.

The criteria is the same as it has been since 2006 -- for better or worse, who had the most impact on our community in the last year?

Prior winners include the fired News-Press reporters and the Zaca Fire Firefighters. If that line didn't put you in the space to nominate who I would nominate, I'm not sure what would. Far from a fait accompli, please give me your suggestions as runner-ups have always been an important part of the BlogaBarbara Person(s) of the Year process.

The BBPOY will be announced within the last couple days of December and nominations will be taken until the 25th of this month.

There Outta Be a Law: The $2 Unemployment Check

2008-12-08T20:34:00.000-08:00

Because a young woman was a poll worker on election day and made what? $20? She received a $2 unemployment check because she had worked since being laid off.

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-158591

Moral of the story is pretty sad considering she was doing a public service.

Consumer Advocacy Coalition Has Town Hall at Faulkner Gallery

2008-12-06T04:40:00.000-08:00

The Consumer Advocacy Coalition, a recently formed group of mental health advocates, recently held a town hall meeting at the Santa Barbara Library, More than 120 people came, including a good amount of public officials in response to a shortfall in mental health funds at Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Services (ADMHS) anticipated for this coming year. Complicating matters is an investigation led Auditor-Controller Bob Geis of a County practice of over billing Medi-Cal for mental health services, perhaps as much as $31.5 million.

The coalition was formed by a client of mental health services, Roger Thompson, who has said publicly that he has bipolar disorder. ADMHS Medical Director Dr. Edwin Feliciano told Noozhawk that: “The community lacks an understanding of what mental illness is. We need to educate ourselves on what services are most effective.”

The organization hosts weekly meetings held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Sundays at Unity House, 1626 Santa Barbara St. A second town hall has been scheduled for the North County on March 18 at the new Santa Maria Main Public Library.

Update on SBNP Layoffs and Voice Over

2008-12-04T22:01:00.000-08:00

There wasn't too much new information early today about the SBNP layoffs today other than Craig Smith reporting how it all went down at De la Guerra Plaza. Apparently, security was present but there were not any awkward moments like with the May Day Massacre. Apparently, there was no severance given and laid off employees were left wondering how they were going to celebrate the holidays.

Although the newsroom at De la Guerra Plaza was saved from more blood letting for now -- several columnists were laid off from the Voice. There's a picture of the Voice's Rebecca Carol at EdHat showing the quality time she is now spending with her child. She wrote the Police Blotter -- one of my favorite columns. Other columnists who were laid off are not yet widely known but I would wager there are a few.

Matt Kettman at The Indy wrote a good article where, as I predicted yesterday, the News-Press blamed the economy as what drove this spate of layoffs and the death of two community newspapers. Don Katich was quoted as saying the economy and "out of town" union protesters were responsible for their woes.

Perhaps more telling of what the future holds for the Santa Barbara News-Press was his quote on how the newsroom now works. To the point, he was specifically asked how many reporters remain in the newsroom but could not come up with a number for Kettman's article.

“We don’t necessarily have people who just report, or have people who just do copy, or who just do management, because we all kind of jump in and do what is necessary depending on who is working that day and what stories develop….It’s a tough question to answer in today’s digital world. In the past, 20 years ago, [newsroom roles] were much more defined.”

Antithetical to union organizing and protecting the craft of journalism, I guess that means that anyone can write a "staff report"? Feigning surprise to the "digital world" when the News-Press website is a closed system -- when even the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times offer their content to the world -- is irresponsible considering today's economy. Also, his statement is ironic considering the slow speed of their website and how hard it is to navigate. If they were to make even a small effort in this area -- I would be more open to hearing him discuss the challenges of a "digital world". Clueless are they.

Firing Jesus to Save a Buck...

2008-12-03T20:45:00.000-08:00

Jim Logan from the Valley Voice tells The Independent that 'Wendy would fire Jesus to save a buck'. Quote of the Week.