CityofSantaBarbaraSource: City of Santa Barbara
The City of Santa Barbara collected $1.0 million in transient occupancy taxes (TOT) for November 2020. TOT revenues in November 2020 were 21.8% below November last year. The COVID-19 pandemic and the related response has affected the local travel industry. Despite a steady recovery since April 2020, lodging operators have experienced a difficult travel environment, as the most recent surge and State advisories against leisure travel have further depressed demand for accommodations. Staff expect this reduction in demand to continue at least until the spring months.
The City has collected $6.8 million through five months of the City’s fiscal year, which runs from July 1 through June 30. The City’s adopted TOT budget is $17.2 million.
The Transient Occupancy Tax table can be viewed here.
Only down 1/5th? This is what is killing America. No one should be visiting Santa Barbara in this time of plague. We should simply make their time here unpleasant.
Wow, I worry more about the sanity of people who don’t know what the word pandemic means.
“Pandemic” means, for some people, sitting on top of a column like a medieval mystic and engaging in masochistic self-flagellation. I think we can meet the pandemic with a less hysterical, safe, and more pragmatic point of view. I think that this pandemic is a dream-come-true for every killjoy, prohibitionist and self-appointed policeman. Let’s mask up, socially distance, open restaurants for indoor dining, enjoy ourselves outdoors, and do this responsibly. And, most of all, let’s hope that the authorities get their s**t together, and get the vaccine in everyone pronto. The delay is ridiculous and inexcusable.
Our governors mandates to control the spread of covid have not had a statistically relevant impact on the actual spread of covid in our communities. We’re nearly a year in, why are we continuing a path that is so destructive with no clear benefit? All you lockdown proponents can’t even argue this (but will). Your excuses why don’t matter, it simply isn’t working. So why continue to bear the extreme cost? Other states have proven they can act safely and responsibly without such devastating restrictions in place.
VOR – It’s not “having an impact on the actual spread” because people aren’t staying home. The ICU beds in use are finally on the downturn. Why? Because the spikes from Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and other holidays are over. Now if people will just stay home while Biden has a few weeks to invoke the Defense Production Act to make a few hundred million vaccines, we could put this nightmare behind us.
Your focused on the wrong “why”. “Why” it’s not working isn’t important if you can’t fix why it’s not working. Focus on the “why” we’re continuing to pursue a course of action that carries such a high toll but no benefit? Why?