Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.
To use social login you have to agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. %privacy_policy%
AcceptHere you'll find all collections you've created before.
COMMENTS
Search Comments By Date
Show Comments for:
The state of State: What Would it Take to Rescue Santa Barbara’s State Street?
Concrete evidence? lol. That’s rich. Where’s the concrete evidence for the other side of the debate? Answer - none. This isn’t a scientific experiment. It’s pure observation. How does State St. business and enjoyability look like now vs. back then? I know what I think.
The state of State: What Would it Take to Rescue Santa Barbara’s State Street?
What I meant by her being 'absentee' was that she was not doing her job. There should be a police presence on State Street. Cops should be walking a beat. Their presence would deter bad behavior. They would have a hands on approach to some of the bad apples harassing shoppers and families both local and tourist alike. They could also be enforcing e-bike speed infractions endangering people using the promenade. Definitely the drug deals would go elsewhere/ These people and there are many of them, are not spending a dime on State Street, but making it very uncomfortable for people who are. There HAS to be civil behavior or if small bad behaviors are overlooked and ignored, sure as can be, the worse stuff will follow. Giulliani cleaned NYC up and quickly, by addressing what was deemed Quality of life' crimes. This where it starts. I definitely suggest opening the street back up. How can commerce continue on a street that is closed? Why would say foreign tourist from a cruise ship, want to return when they see, loads of vagrants sleeping in doorways and the street smells of urine. The shop owners complained to no avail about this situation and it went unheeded. Anyone could see this was going to impact the shop owners negatively. How could it not? Make the street a desirable destination and it will come back. It is that simple. Keep giving more importance to the homeless and bike riders and your downtown will continue to deteriorate until its a ghost town. I try to be active in the conversation here because we LOVE your downtown. Nothing more than that. We have spent a total of 4 months on State Street if we add up all the 4 day weekends we have spent there now in the last 16 years. We miss the trolley. The great parades, the farmers markets on tuesday and thursday. The crowds. etc. Just want it to succeed is all. The Councilmen not making needed hard decisions and throwing away your tax dollars on 'consulting firms' is a joke! Why are THEY not making the decisions. much of this is rudimentary common sense.
Op-Ed: Project Disconnect descends upon Old Town
yeah totally dude lol
The state of State: What Would it Take to Rescue Santa Barbara’s State Street?
Perhaps, Chalf, the comments were because if there were factual errors, the rest of the post is dismissed as likely to be incorrect. Starting: I have not seen what you have seen on State Street, but, admittedly, I now don't spend much time there. A local, I find it depressing and sad --- and nothing that I might say would influence the councilmembers. But, I do care - and did use to have enjoyable times there, windowshopping and strolling ... and biking on the bike paths along the sides of the street. As for the police chief, you called her "absentee" which suggested she lived elsewhere. In apparent fact, she's been extremely busy and has brought the SBPD almost up to full employment, it sounds like. They are now ticketing cars, an easy first step to bring in revenue, and, hopefully, will begin to be able to work with the human situation on State Street that requires revenue ... and show the thoughtfulness needed. "Locals" do care but have found hard to be heard by the city council, I think. Probably most would not have supported paying $800K to an outside planning firm but, in general, we were not asked ... and when opinions were given on questions, eg. the "water feature" and the hardscape at the historic de la Guerra Plaza, we and our opinions were dismissed and they plowed on ahead following in the steps of the city staff who knew best. That most of us did not think so was dismissed, if heard at all. One or two councilmembers, Friedman and Rowse, have timidly stood up against their fellows, but have been ignored. Another councilmember, Sneddon, has raved about the joys and wonders of the "promenade" that had few walkers promenading but who now are banished to the sidewalks. (The councilmember seems to be rethinking.) Indeed, it is a shame! What, specifically, would you suggest that Santa Barbarans do to reverse the decline of our downtown?
The state of State: What Would it Take to Rescue Santa Barbara’s State Street?
Still haven't seen any concrete evidence that more cars on State would equal more business. How do folks figure that will help?
Santa Barbara Airport and UC Santa Barbara Athletics is Skybound
This is nice public relations, but the ever-increasing noise and pollution from the airport is a giant downer for thousands of people in Goleta, More Mesa and Hope Ranch who have experienced the airplane traffic . The City of Santa Barbara has a nice cash cow, and little regard for their neighbors, as the City continues to expand routes and traffic, which now goes for 5:30 in the morning to past midnight.
The state of State: What Would it Take to Rescue Santa Barbara’s State Street?
Find a way to open State Street and make it affordable again for small business to flourish. Small business owners on Street and the surrounding downtown used to own their buildings, or at least had an affordable rent that enabled them to open and have a profitable operation. Over time, most of the property along State got bought up by a few very wealthy locals as well as out of town investors. It has become too expensive to have a small jewelry, home goods, cooking store, shoe store, clothing store, grocery or any regular small consumer store in the area. The investors, and the those in Sacramento who are doing their bidding, want to shove more and more rental apartments into their properties, under the guise of "affordable housing". Which isn't, as we have found. This isn't Barcelona, where families gradually built housing for their growing families on top of their long-owned family businesses on the first floor. Locals are abandoning downtown SB for Goleta, taking their tax money with them.
Over 5,700 Pounds of Trash Removed from Santa Cruz Island
Thank you! Your generous day of work benefits so many living creatures, including us.
California Republicans want to Take Financial Aid from Protesters if they were Violent
PATRICK - more spot on points. Peace of mind is one of the most important measures of happiness in my book and, under Biden, I think most people have it. Trump was chaotic, an embarrassment and in my opinion, deadly (see how many died of Covid due to his "advice" about vaxxes) in his first term. The thought of the damage a 2nd term Trump could do is terrifying. Also, I have the privilege of being born a white, straight male, so my "peace of mind" about my job, healthcare, overall rights, is not close to what others felt during his last term and what they must be fearful of in his next, should it happen. Biden pissed off whiney Cons with all his pro-environment, pro-being good to others policies, but Trump could actually do real damage to people who aren't born like him. People will actually suffer under Trump, not just have to watch their tax dollars be spent protecting the future of our planet or the livelihood of others. In other words, Biden didn't hurt anyone. Trump did and will.
California Republicans want to Take Financial Aid from Protesters if they were Violent
Another thing that I don't get, is that people seem to forget how awful life was during the Trump administration. People ask "are you better off now than you were four years ago" and my answer is definitely "YES". While net worth isn't the ultimate measure of personal happiness, it is one component. During the Trump administration, our net worth increased by 40%. So far, during the Biden years, our net worth increased by 100%. This would be slightly affected by inflation, but not the magnitude of the difference. Besides monetary considerations, my personal happiness and peace of mind are much better now, knowing that a rational thoughtful adult has the keys to the White House, rather than an impulsive immature egotistical bully. Biden's staff and appointed secretaries seem to have the best interest of their departments in mind. Trump appointed secretaries who didn't believe in the purpose of the departments they headed (such as DeVos in Education and Zinke in Interior) and did their best to dismantle or nullify those departments.
Rep. Carbajal’s Bipartisan Bills Combating PFAS Contamination Approved by House, Headed to President’s Desk
Nice to know you're working hard for us, and having success with bipartisanship despite the rethuglican chaos.
Santa Barbara Public Library Receives Library Innovation Lab Grant Award
$5500 is an almost trivial amount considering what the SBPL spends on on-going remodeling and restructuring and renovating and other remarkably wasteful efforts that have dramatically interfered with the ability of the library to do the things this "award" encourages.
California Republicans want to Take Financial Aid from Protesters if they were Violent
PATRICK - absolutely right. Problem is, MAGAns are mentally (maybe even physically - yeah, they're that backward) unable to think critically in any capacity. If they had that basic ability, they wouldn't be MAGAns, right?
Baron Ranch Revisited for Mothers’ Day
Thanks for another enjoyable read Pat and Tobe.
Salud: Biden’s Fiery State of the Union Provided Crucial Contrast with Trump, Took on Age and Fitness Concerns
You are SO right. MAGA foloks live in a different world than we do.
Baron Ranch Revisited for Mothers’ Day
A genuinely nice little travel log. I look forward to reading more from the Mule Log.
California Republicans want to Take Financial Aid from Protesters if they were Violent
I agree. When I ask MAGAns exactly when they define America’s past great time, they never have an answer. It’s a myth, similar to claiming that America is a Christian country or that racism has been solved. I think that if MAGAns would take a good look at Trump and their own wishful thinking, they might conclude that Trump is actually Satan, and that they are being duped by a con man. The only thing DJT cares about is DJT. He has no affinity for the general population, other than using them as a tool to massage his ego and achieve his personal gains.
California Republicans want to Take Financial Aid from Protesters if they were Violent
Word salad again.
California Republicans want to Take Financial Aid from Protesters if they were Violent
Reactionaries always spurn progress and yearn for an imaginary past..
The state of State: What Would it Take to Rescue Santa Barbara’s State Street?
Once again, a word salad, when actual words are present. Maybe more an alphabet soup? Why do cons who don't live here feel the need to speculate and rant about things they really know nothing about, except as fed to them in their social media bubble?