Edhat Staff
By edhat staff
Santa Barbara Mayor Cathy Murillo has addressed the community regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in a new video.
The video was released on Thursday with Murillo stating the city is working hard to ensure the safety and health of community members.
“It’s important to be proactive in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and minimizing economic loss by taking aggressive action now in advance of many confirmed cases,” said Murillo.
The full video is below:
The Mayor (and City Council) have to take actions instead of repeating state guidelines. City government should contact Marburg Industries and have them place any available wash stations and even porta potties on State Street and other pedestrian areas. City owned toilet facilities should also be open and monitored. These locations can be supervised by many of the city employees who now have nothing to do and are getting paid; librarians and other city workers who are idle. They can monitor the use of towels and toilet paper, which will otherwise be stolen.
The homeless pose a health threat to themselves and to the rest of us. A place to wash and eliminate body waste instead of using doorways and sidewalks will be a good start!
You’re a great armchair quarterback. Keep up the good work!
Marburg backlogged on handwashing stations. For what it is worth, I heard from a reliable source.
Thank you Mayor for your pointed and powerful message. We appreciate your assurances.
Okay, enough about Marborg. Since when did they become the ones to make sure that we wash our hands appropriately? For goodness sakes, these guys are picking up our trash come rain or shine. It’s not a perfect science but give them a break. I don’t ever see them wearing masks and they probably should. How dare we criticize them who collect our trash when the alternative is so much worse? Read our history. I say ‘thank you’ to all of the men and women who help to keep our city a little safer and cleaner than what some are not doing. A kind word goes a long way.
Jem, I know that you have been homeless yourself (if you aren’t currently) and have no $5000 sofa. Thank you for speaking the truth.
Fascinating the mayor wants to be proactive in light of this virus, but refuses to be proactive to prevent gang violence. She can tell people to stay home and not gather in groups for the greater good, but won’t impose a gang injunction or clear out homeless camps for the same reason. How many people have died from gang violence, or living in the elements? More than will die from this Virus.
Murrill & Social Distancing. Cathy Murillo, the mayor of Santa Barbara, has not been practicing social distancing. Just take a look at the dog and pony show that she attended to show her support for one of her major donors Ed St. George. Ed St. George bought a church on Mason St. last year and re-named the church after himself and then tried to evict the seniors living on the property because the City Staff did not record a covenant. Since that time large events have been held at the “church.” – In the dog and poly show on Monday, after Social Distancing was put in effect, Murillo can be seen at a press conference where people are seated next to each other and standing next to each other. Some role model huh!? Please report any events where social distancing is NOT practiced at this location 1032 Mason St. Additionally the property is not adhering to the last churches Conditional Use Permit. The City needs to close this site down. —– https://keyt.com/health/coronavirus/2020/03/15/eastside-church-giving-back-during-coronavirus-concerns/
Re: a-1584715383 complaining Murillo hasn’t ‘cleared out homeless camps’ —
makes no sense, if you’re concern is as you claim, about homeless people ‘living in the elements.’ If you destroy their camps, then they WILL be in the elements. In their camps, they have set up protection from the elements. Evict them, and they are obviously more exposed, since the city is not offering them housing (very few).
Re: Gang Injunctions — have a history of being used abusively and targeting innocent people, just because they are of Mexican heritage – ruining lives in the process, making it impossible for these innocent people to get jobs, etc. If it isn’t done RIGHT and CAREFULLY, it does more harm than good.
RGraham says ‘shut down public restrooms’ ! ? ! ? Someone is seriously off their meds.
Anyone who would do that should be jailed for the extreme and criminal harm to public health. Actually they could be charged with second degree murder, since deaths from coronavirus would be a result.
Obviously we need many more public restrooms, since coffeehouses, etc do not allow homeless people to use them without buying something every time, which they can’t afford. Right now physically disabled homeless people have to go more than half a mile to get to a public rest room.
But cheaper, would be porta-potties and hand-washing stations every 2 blocks. Hand-washing stations every block would be better. The most important and effective way to prevent virus spread.
I don’t know about Marborg management, but all the many workers I’ve met are really nice guys. Doing a very hard and risky job with a great attitude. Bless all you hard-working, friendly, kind and generous Marborg guys.
re: SBObserver’s . . Fire-the-city-workers-or-go-bankrupt . . . Pretty much every southern Calif coastal tourist town is in the same boat — I believe that’s what Federal emergency/ disaster funds are for. Trump, Congress, & most economists have been saying to employers (that includes City of SB) : don’t fire your workers, we’ll pay you to keep them on your payroll. This crisis will pass, and we don’t want to have created millions of new homeless, formerly productive to our economy, folks. Not good for the economy on many levels. P.S. They aren’t a ‘headcount,’ they’re human beings. Why don’t we take YOUR job and put YOU on the street?
Our city is dependent upon the tourist trade. If the city does not act fast and lay off 50% of its workers in the next month. We are broke. As in bankrupt. The tourist business is all but non-existent for the rest of the year if not longer. Tax revenues are going to fall through the floor. Santa Barbara is staffed to support a population more than twice our actual size. Way beyond our needs especially during such a dire economic time. Immediate action is required. Tough choices and strong direction. Neither of which will come from a weak politician such as Murillo. If there isnt a significant move by the city of SB to reduce headcount and expenses in the next few weeks our city will be insolvent. The figures do not lie but politicians and public employee unions do… Who is going to save the city from bankruptcy? Not Murillo, that’s painfully evident. This is not a joke.
Jemila, Government workers are not “productive for our economy” as you proclaim. They do not create anything. They do not produce a penny of revenue, nor do they add to the tax basis. By their very being, they exist as a result of those who do create the revenue and commerce and taxes.
Excellent insight SBO. Until you pointed it out, I hadn’t realized that all those workers do nothing good, and then shred or burn their salaries, rather than spending or paying taxes on them! But, just who is it that you posit does all that creation you speak of? The business executives that are laying people off like flies?