Bonnie, I do not know how five or six council members that excludes Randy Rowse can make the decision to close down State Street, it’s ridiculous, all these arguments back and forth complaining about what to do, I say put it on the ballot, let the citizens of our beautiful city decide what needs to be done sense our city council and all their consultants can’t figure it out and get the job done, although I’m for opening up State Street put it before the voters and let them decide,
If they vote to keep it closed I’m fine with it,
I just don’t want five or six people making the decision for the whole city, because obviously they can’t figure it out .
Time to name names, which council persons in which districts make up this anti-State Street majority.
Town is small enough that we know them by their first names and they should be held personally accountable for their choices, made in our names as our elected representatives.
Bonnie, right on…as usual. You do what most media folks in this town don’t do—dig. Thank you for finding a study which should have been made public. Regardless of where you stand on the state street issue (and it’s not simply cars v bikes) Randy’s questions are always sound: What do we do until “then”? Aren’t we putting the conceptual cart before the funding horse? Anyway, reasonable folks can disagree but I for one vote to do SOMETHING because indecision is the definition of poor leadership. Thanks!
Bonnie, would you consider running for mayor? I can understand if you don't want to. Randy Rowse is doing a terrific job, but too much of his energy seems to be spent dealing with Santa Barbara's version of Deep State - what I call Deep State Street.
As someone who's spent the last 15 months regaining my ability to walk, I resent the way our city has given State Street over to people who can walk, but choose to impair other people's ability to walk in their presence. Prior to the State Street change, I would have enjoyed walking in my current slow and cautious way on State Street, but between the cyclists and the homeless all I can think is how to avoid ending up in the ER again.
When I was a teen here we knew the homeless. We knew them by name. And by their handles. There was 1984 who carried around a lot of books. There was The Scream, a guy who wandered around like he was in Munch's painting. There was the father of my City College best friend. Some lived in The Faulding Hotel. Some lived wherever. But we cohabited. Because, contrary to what a reader just wrote here today in an unfounded and unfair comment, the liberal and conservative citizens of this community both felt an obligation to look out for the homeless and the city officials in turn did not organize them as a moral block of antagonists to normal life - and use them against us. Btw, conservatives I know are among the most generous contributors to charities that serve the homeless.
What I feel about State Street is it's been made into a battleground, not a promenade. Our Democrat government uses the Saul Alinsky approach to everything they do. They say they're working for community harmony but that's a lie. They are using State Street to create divisiveness, by the Leftist playbook. They are doing this to every bit of Santa Barbara they can get their greedy hands on.
It's not a healthy environment. I've avoided State Street during my recuperation except for appointments. We're in a stressful enough period with this election. State Street used to be where I'd wander to feel relaxed and happy, to look at art, shop, sit at a cafe. Not now.
We actually need more like-minded city district representatives, not just a sole vote from a like minded mayor.
We need four solid districts plus a mayor in order to stop this Balkanized political free fall our city is now facing. We need to join with other smaller cities and get rid of city district elections and go back to either at-large again, or hybrid district residence but voted for at large elections.
But few now dare run against the local Democrat, city employee union machine who immediately gear up their nasty politics of personal destruction when anyone threatens their hidden grip on our local governance.
Rotten-borough elections where some candidates can win by only a few hundred vote but get a full voice on council have no place in smaller cities like ours. District elections as imposed by our state representatives (Hart and Limon) have proven to be a failure.
This is a tough subject to find an answer to. I remember all the pre-Amazon bookstores, restaurants and cafes to visit. The tipping point for things to be as they once were has long passed. Corrupt politicians with their liberal leaning ideas have wrecked the city, in my opinion. Vote to have the city to be operated instead of a political entity, but only as a business "maintenance" entity; it needs to be run strictly as a business. Destroy all the tentacles of the city that reach out and intrude into your home and your daily life. Bring back common sense. Make the city less attractive to the homeless and they will move southward. City and County governments need to be dismantled and replaced with industry-like organizations. There are so many retired business types in the city you probably need not look any further. I recall decades ago when a retired CEO of Raytheon that blew my mind when listening to him give talks; a really grounded person. Someone like that would probably work for nothing because money is the last worry on their mind. Take the damn politics out of the city and watch it grow back to its glory!
Thanks Polly, when thinking more about this, we have people in government that probably couldn't create a budget for themselves. We have to remember these marginal performers are dealing with OUR money and OUR investments. Why would we select someone, essentially off the street, be responsible for that much money placed in their hands? Government types are held with no responsibility as to where our money is spent on. First of all, where's the logic that defines some government type automatically has the brains to spend OUR money wisely? Why does the public presume a government person has the education and background to spend money wisely on smart projects to better the city rather than destroy it? In industry, a person advances by showing they have the capability from past performances; they climb a ladder. We should want more than a good-looking face to operate anything, and especially when it's OUR money!
Got to take the politics out of managing a city, period! Dems and Repubs will continue to fight each other. Go to a pure non-political City Management approach without a political title. Otherwise, the two parties will swing the city back and forth with stupid goons running things. Hire smart people that are required to listen to the public. It has to be formulated for it to work. Someone needs to sit down and write up the entire system as to how you want things to run. A city "Constitution" of sorts.
Thank you, Mr. Brown! I'm doing so much better thanks to my husband and my trainer, Meaghan Wheeler, a beautiful young volleyball player/coach and rehab trainer who works out of Genius of Flexibility https://www.thegeniusofflexibility.com/ The guy behind it, Bob Cooley, is actually a genius. It really is pretty miraculous what Bob has discovered about regaining our abilities after losing them. I had a severe physical collapse 15 months ago due to stress. I had hallucinations, couldn't walk. Oddly enogh my mom, who'd passed away, appeared to me as clear as if she were alive and told me I needed to go home and be well. But I came back and when you almost die it does change your priorities for the better. 💕
Back in the 1980s we had County Mental Health working with the City. Now we have trendy, politically correct Behavioral Wellness sucking up the funding to help the fragile, the thin skinned, rather than address medically needy mentally ill. The shift came in the 1990s. Mental illness within the homeless and veteran demographics needs to be addressed. Very sad the evolution you point out.
BTW: There’s a wonderful obituary tribute in the Indy by a daughter to her homeless forever walking, Bible-in-hand, dressed in all clean whites father, who we all recognize after his 30 years walking our streets. He chose and lived the life he wanted. While deprived of his participation in her life, she understands that we each only have one life to live and (barely) still have the freedom to live it our way. An insightful tribute to a father she barely knew; one showing her mother taught her well.
Oscar Gutierrez sailed into office by only a few hundred votes and the careful nurturing of former mayor Cathy Murillo, who immediately had sold out her own political independence to the city employee unions before she was even sworn in. They tell us who they are upfront. Why are we still refusing to listen?
Ringing the immediate downtown residential areas with increasing numbers of city mandated restrictive housing does not create the necessary economic mix for a thriving downtown. Yet immediate howls are raised when market rate housing is proposed.
We need a moratorium on these demands for more “affordable” housing and pay a lot more attention to those who can afford to live in this very special place. Please, some economic forecasts on our past, current and future restrictive demands being imposed on this city and downtown areas.
The cumulative impact of city micromanaging, with even more demands on the horizon, needs serious impact data before we lose this city forever.
We are not growing organically. We have become a hot house for politically expedient social engineering imposed on us by term-limited, narrow district-focused city councils who escape all accountability for actions taken solely to curry their own next short term election chances.
End goal: City wants control of multi-family housing and to exempt it from taxation, like all Housing Authority and NPO housing projects for elders, families, and students. Then who pays? The rest of us will see more bonds and fees until “they” eliminate Prop 13 protections in an upcoming election. We are out numbered so expect to pay more every year to subsidize the estimated 1 in 7 residents who pay nothing for the many recreational, social and medical services provided to them.
How did voters let this happen? We’re outnumbered by Unionized, government check dependent: those receiving pension and/or social security (now paying up to $4875/month; plus SS benefits to kids w parent over age 62).
Yes indeed. The city is being poorly run by politicians. It should be professionally run by business and property owner representatives. (And rent control is always a bad option. IMO!! )
let me make it clear, the anti car, goo types for 40 years did everything they could to destroy auto use. 3 organizations coordinated attacks on the street grid, and the likes of Dave Davis backing the narrowing of State for decades. When asked by businesses that that were being crushed by the 2 lane State St, and referred to the City's promise if their businesses were not helped by the terrible MIG plan and the street would be returned the answer was NO ANSWER.
CAB has asked repeatedly for the City to list the middle class businesses that were and no longer exist on State St. (prior to covid) again the answer was and is NO ANSWER.
When we make the point ZERO BIKE PATHS there were more bike riders then today the answer by Council and Staff is to turn their backs on their own stats.
How about World going to La Cumbre Plaza? This Council does not care about the reality of failure.
CAB presented a letter to the Council to open State St. back up to 4 lanes of traffic (Victoria to Carrillo) and then take 5 years to see if business returned. The spineless staff and Council refused once again to even comment.
It is time that un-opposed council candidates face "No Confidence" at the elections.
Another by line: by Donovan. Another death of disinformation by the EDA, CEC, AND the bike boys now called MOVE.
Time for Dave Davis to enjoy a permanent retirement. He has done enough damage for one unelected person to inflict on this city, now even as an elder statesman.
Thanks Bonnie, I think the Council Members opposed to opening State St while the plan drags on fear it will succeed in improving the economy in our downtown therefore dashing the hopes of making it residential rather than the gem it once was.
CVR and the Funk Zone are thriving.
One question I would have liked to see is about returning parades to State St, even if her highness Sneddon “doesn’t ever want to see a horse” on State Street. No one would force her attendance.
"The Rowse family name dates back to 1066 when the Norman Conquest of England introduced a plethora of new names and words into Britain. It comes from an early member of the family who was a person with red hair which was in turn derived from the Old French nickname le rous, meaning redhead. Another equally valid derivation suggests that the name is a shortened form of the Norman given name Rufus."
And .... Mayor Rowse is part of the HUGE problem here who has no SOLUTION.
Is this off topic? But I just reread the informative article Bonnie wrote in feb 2024 (I’ll post link) then I googled Will Santa Barbara become a 15 minute city? And got the AI response of YES will post link or just google it.. let’s vote out these Deep State cohorts
Shout out to support the online *California Globe* to keep your eye on what new perversities Sacramento and our own local elected representatives, Hart and Limon, want to inflict on us.
Interesting update Bonnie. Only certain people agree to be surveyed, which skews surveys. Incredibly ignorant Westside Rep Oscar Gutierrez is indeed a problem. Oscar has positioned himself well in pursuit of his mayoral aspirations (with the other two) as evidenced in the March Primary Election when he captured the most votes to be a SB-DNC Delegate. Kudos Bonnie for exposing this exchange: “Council Member Oscar Gutierrez made a comment during the City Council meeting saying this gentleman that paid $13,000 for this survey should have just donated that money to the City. Mayor Rowse replied that it was just because Gutierrez didn’t like the outcome of the survey.” Additionally, Oscar stated that HE SURVEYED BUSINESSES along State Street, and ALL wanted State Street kept as is: closed to cars. I immediately wrote him for a list of those businesses he surveyed. No reply. Next we chatted at the blatantly biased, prejudicial League of Women Voters (LWV) sponsored Council Candidate Forum: no reply from Oscar on State Street topic. (We did agree LWV are … !!).
Next step would be for me to file a Freedom of Information Act request. However, Oscar and CITY will ignore that too, because that’s the norm. When former Mayor Murillo gifted $800,000 of our money to Black Lives Matters (BLM), Krystal Farmer and others, I filed a FOIA request, after receiving calls from staff insiders telling me dates, times and participants to closed door meetings — in violation of the Brown Act — whereby agreements were reached. The former Mayor called asking me to drop it. Then I was told if I couldn’t or wouldn’t pay to pursue it in Court, there was nothing more to discuss.
Mayor Rowse is only one honest man who is trying. We need to actively support his efforts as the ONLY non-Democrat. He needs a minimum of three more experienced executive level business experienced TRUTH SEEKERS on Council.
If Oscar Gutierrez is re-elected on November 5, expect his future run for Mayor against other weak candidates. Search now for qualified candidates to actively support for Council.
Work immediately with your time and/or money to support Tony against Oscar. Every individual can spend $1000 without any FPPC reporting requirements. Look at the grassroots ‘No on P’ progress $0 versus SBCC’s $500,000. Texting, talking, emailing your networks is free. Let’s stop complaining and act to obtain results!
I don't think I could despise anyone more than Oscar. He is a self-absorbed lunatic. He is rude, unprofessional, obnoxious, and a liar. I literally can't stand him, but guess what? I am now in his district and I would rather cut off my arm than vote for him. I am NOT VOTING FOR HIM! I will vote for a cockroach before I vote for him!
I wish I could! I am not in town right now and unfortunately, as much as I absolutely despise having to do this, I have to mail in my ballot. I hate it. If I was in town, I would definitely be all over this!
I've lived on the Westside for over twenty years, never voted for Oscar or Cathy. There's an article on Noozhawk today about Oscar/Tony and it says Oscar won with a total of 538 votes his first time running. Next time he ran unopposed and yet recently he claims, "I'm the elected representative." Oh brother. . . . Oscar doesn't represent anything. This all goes back to how stupid district elections are for a city with a population of 90,000.
If Oscar runs for mayor or if Kristen does I just might have to. I've got notebooks full of the stupid things they have said while on the dais.
I hope you will run Dan. Three current reps seem to be in the running. One, Sneddon has Mary Rose in tow. Oscar and Sneddon grandstand at every meeting. The third is more strategic.
Any word yet from Mayor Rowse of his plans? What is clear is that the others — with the exception of outspoken, courageous Eastside Rep Alejandra Gutierrez — are DEM loyalists to ensure their continued political careers. We need new informed reps, like you.
It’s time now build the required support base. Time to recruit prepared, fiscally competent candidates with business experience (like Barrett Reed). Time to vote out career politicians needing a safe DEM machine protected government paycheck and pension.
Is it possible in Santa Barbara? Randy Rowse was elected by NNPs, conservatives and yesteryear old-time, moderate Democrats. If conservatives stick to politics — don’t commingle with personal religious beliefs — some could win. NPPs like Randy proved what’s required to obtain victory. Go for it!
How many reports were made about State St use? How many public surveys? And we stil have no clear direction.
This is obvious leadership issues.
How big is the City Debt? How much did the State St underpass cost?
Not very responsible knowing the amount of debt and still spending money on pet projects.
Our City Council, Randy has been in City Hall going on 12 years now, has been slowly either ignoring at best case scenario or purposefully killing state street for decades.
For years prior to COVID State St has been suffering, dying a slow death.
When Sachs left, years later Nordstrom departed it was known back then there are issues.
The City is known to be unfriendly towards businesses. The City has to hire a liaison to help businesses navigate their tedious, expensive process.
Numerous issues with downtown, it’s not just one.
Mentally ill, drug addicted homeless are an issue.
Two years ago a teenager was attacked by a homeless causing him to get stitches. A woman’s dog had its head kicked in in the Upper East, there are people,e sleeping, defacating in business doorways, yelling all day long so businesses cannot work or have clients come to their office.
These are just a couple examples out of numerous.
Goleta hotels charge more per night than comparable SB hotels and have fewer vacancies.
More people rather stay in Goleta than SB. Look at the TOT taxes.
Wake up, our local city council is inept unless it’s about neighbors complaining about
Can’t blame Randy Rowse when he has only a single vote and district voters refuse to give him a council majority vote. Work to improve your own district’s input on city council.
Thank you, Bonnie. As always, a very informative article. I only wish there were more of us that could vote in the City elections to help get some more council people who would try and get Santa Barbara back in shape. What a shamble this town has become!
More insanity within our great city. I remember as a kid being able to park on State Street. My Dad would need something from Ott’s or to have lunch with my sister at the Copper Coffee Pot, who worked at JC Penny’s. Yes, those great memories are gone forever. But who would ever had predicted this?
What a self imposed disaster! It would seem the only groups to be happy with the current “state” of State are the influential and powerful bike lobby and the environmentalists. How can the CC allow yet another large retailer such as World Market to leave, causing locals to lose their jobs and loss in tax revenue?
How is SB to survive and crawl out of a substantial deficit with losing so many high end retailers? It seems the only entities left are Not-for-Profits!
Yes, this is the same mentality which prevents Sable from completing work on their own pipeline and restoring vital energy supplies and much needed royalties!
It would seem our Nirvana has been taken over by a odd cabal of socialists and environmentalists who demand we as a society forego any and all use of fossil fuels, even if we scuttle our local economy in the process.
What a travesty and property owners had better stand up and sound off, because clearly we are past the tipping point!
Yep LT- NPOs exempt from taxation is exactly what 5 reps on this Council want! Socialism. We pay for about 1 in 7 others to reside here. We need a country of commercial properties exempt from taxation. On state St, didn’t Bonnie once write City owned 32 or 34 properties EXEMPT from paying taxes? What about Tim Parker? Will Granada now be exempt now owned by SBIFF? Time to END EXEMPTIONS.
Here,Here Monte! On the County level, how about MASSIVE swaths of land, all EXEMPT from the County tax roles “owned” by NFP “land trusts.” Whereas only they seem to have access, along with their liberal, green buddies!
Thanks Bonnie, just one thought. Randy is not alone with these opinions. Eric Friedman has voted with the mayor all along. Eric put forth a motion to open all of State street except the 500 & 600 blocks but it was voted down by the "frivolous five," as I think of them. Oscar, Kristen, Mike, Meagan and Alejandra. (Alejandra has since seen the light and has come over to our side. Love her.)
I went to the opening day Saturday Farmer Market in its new location and parked in the structure (Anacapa/Figeroa) near the library. As I walked down the stairs from the 2nd floor, I was accompanied by a live mouse. I reported this to one of the City workers at the Market. He said that a contractor company is responsible for pest control.--there was no sense of City responsibility, and it is no wonder that people are turned off.
PLEASE EMAIL OSCAR about your experience at OGutierrez@santabarbaraca.gov. Be warned, he will call you a liar, he will berate you, and then he will tell you to meet him and show him in person and when there is no mouse there, he will call you a liar again.
Bonnie, I do not know how five or six council members that excludes Randy Rowse can make the decision to close down State Street, it’s ridiculous, all these arguments back and forth complaining about what to do, I say put it on the ballot, let the citizens of our beautiful city decide what needs to be done sense our city council and all their consultants can’t figure it out and get the job done, although I’m for opening up State Street put it before the voters and let them decide,
If they vote to keep it closed I’m fine with it,
I just don’t want five or six people making the decision for the whole city, because obviously they can’t figure it out .
Time to name names, which council persons in which districts make up this anti-State Street majority.
Town is small enough that we know them by their first names and they should be held personally accountable for their choices, made in our names as our elected representatives.
Oscar
Eric
Alejandra
Kristen
Mike
Kristen
Meghan
Bonnie, right on…as usual. You do what most media folks in this town don’t do—dig. Thank you for finding a study which should have been made public. Regardless of where you stand on the state street issue (and it’s not simply cars v bikes) Randy’s questions are always sound: What do we do until “then”? Aren’t we putting the conceptual cart before the funding horse? Anyway, reasonable folks can disagree but I for one vote to do SOMETHING because indecision is the definition of poor leadership. Thanks!
Bonnie, would you consider running for mayor? I can understand if you don't want to. Randy Rowse is doing a terrific job, but too much of his energy seems to be spent dealing with Santa Barbara's version of Deep State - what I call Deep State Street.
As someone who's spent the last 15 months regaining my ability to walk, I resent the way our city has given State Street over to people who can walk, but choose to impair other people's ability to walk in their presence. Prior to the State Street change, I would have enjoyed walking in my current slow and cautious way on State Street, but between the cyclists and the homeless all I can think is how to avoid ending up in the ER again.
When I was a teen here we knew the homeless. We knew them by name. And by their handles. There was 1984 who carried around a lot of books. There was The Scream, a guy who wandered around like he was in Munch's painting. There was the father of my City College best friend. Some lived in The Faulding Hotel. Some lived wherever. But we cohabited. Because, contrary to what a reader just wrote here today in an unfounded and unfair comment, the liberal and conservative citizens of this community both felt an obligation to look out for the homeless and the city officials in turn did not organize them as a moral block of antagonists to normal life - and use them against us. Btw, conservatives I know are among the most generous contributors to charities that serve the homeless.
What I feel about State Street is it's been made into a battleground, not a promenade. Our Democrat government uses the Saul Alinsky approach to everything they do. They say they're working for community harmony but that's a lie. They are using State Street to create divisiveness, by the Leftist playbook. They are doing this to every bit of Santa Barbara they can get their greedy hands on.
It's not a healthy environment. I've avoided State Street during my recuperation except for appointments. We're in a stressful enough period with this election. State Street used to be where I'd wander to feel relaxed and happy, to look at art, shop, sit at a cafe. Not now.
We actually need more like-minded city district representatives, not just a sole vote from a like minded mayor.
We need four solid districts plus a mayor in order to stop this Balkanized political free fall our city is now facing. We need to join with other smaller cities and get rid of city district elections and go back to either at-large again, or hybrid district residence but voted for at large elections.
But few now dare run against the local Democrat, city employee union machine who immediately gear up their nasty politics of personal destruction when anyone threatens their hidden grip on our local governance.
Rotten-borough elections where some candidates can win by only a few hundred vote but get a full voice on council have no place in smaller cities like ours. District elections as imposed by our state representatives (Hart and Limon) have proven to be a failure.
This is a tough subject to find an answer to. I remember all the pre-Amazon bookstores, restaurants and cafes to visit. The tipping point for things to be as they once were has long passed. Corrupt politicians with their liberal leaning ideas have wrecked the city, in my opinion. Vote to have the city to be operated instead of a political entity, but only as a business "maintenance" entity; it needs to be run strictly as a business. Destroy all the tentacles of the city that reach out and intrude into your home and your daily life. Bring back common sense. Make the city less attractive to the homeless and they will move southward. City and County governments need to be dismantled and replaced with industry-like organizations. There are so many retired business types in the city you probably need not look any further. I recall decades ago when a retired CEO of Raytheon that blew my mind when listening to him give talks; a really grounded person. Someone like that would probably work for nothing because money is the last worry on their mind. Take the damn politics out of the city and watch it grow back to its glory!
Beautifully and practically said. Thank you.
Thanks Polly, when thinking more about this, we have people in government that probably couldn't create a budget for themselves. We have to remember these marginal performers are dealing with OUR money and OUR investments. Why would we select someone, essentially off the street, be responsible for that much money placed in their hands? Government types are held with no responsibility as to where our money is spent on. First of all, where's the logic that defines some government type automatically has the brains to spend OUR money wisely? Why does the public presume a government person has the education and background to spend money wisely on smart projects to better the city rather than destroy it? In industry, a person advances by showing they have the capability from past performances; they climb a ladder. We should want more than a good-looking face to operate anything, and especially when it's OUR money!
Got to take the politics out of managing a city, period! Dems and Repubs will continue to fight each other. Go to a pure non-political City Management approach without a political title. Otherwise, the two parties will swing the city back and forth with stupid goons running things. Hire smart people that are required to listen to the public. It has to be formulated for it to work. Someone needs to sit down and write up the entire system as to how you want things to run. A city "Constitution" of sorts.
Pol - "regaining my ability to walk" Sure hope you're doing ok.
Thank you, Mr. Brown! I'm doing so much better thanks to my husband and my trainer, Meaghan Wheeler, a beautiful young volleyball player/coach and rehab trainer who works out of Genius of Flexibility https://www.thegeniusofflexibility.com/ The guy behind it, Bob Cooley, is actually a genius. It really is pretty miraculous what Bob has discovered about regaining our abilities after losing them. I had a severe physical collapse 15 months ago due to stress. I had hallucinations, couldn't walk. Oddly enogh my mom, who'd passed away, appeared to me as clear as if she were alive and told me I needed to go home and be well. But I came back and when you almost die it does change your priorities for the better. 💕
Thanks _to_ you know who. :)
Back in the 1980s we had County Mental Health working with the City. Now we have trendy, politically correct Behavioral Wellness sucking up the funding to help the fragile, the thin skinned, rather than address medically needy mentally ill. The shift came in the 1990s. Mental illness within the homeless and veteran demographics needs to be addressed. Very sad the evolution you point out.
BTW: There’s a wonderful obituary tribute in the Indy by a daughter to her homeless forever walking, Bible-in-hand, dressed in all clean whites father, who we all recognize after his 30 years walking our streets. He chose and lived the life he wanted. While deprived of his participation in her life, she understands that we each only have one life to live and (barely) still have the freedom to live it our way. An insightful tribute to a father she barely knew; one showing her mother taught her well.
Very empathetic and smart response to the situation.
YES YES YES!! #BONNIEFORMAYOR But she also needs council members with their HEADS on straight! First up: FIRE OSCAR!! What a menace 🙄
Oscar Gutierrez sailed into office by only a few hundred votes and the careful nurturing of former mayor Cathy Murillo, who immediately had sold out her own political independence to the city employee unions before she was even sworn in. They tell us who they are upfront. Why are we still refusing to listen?
Calling people Bums is very charitable Polly, you would know mocking others yourself.
Ringing the immediate downtown residential areas with increasing numbers of city mandated restrictive housing does not create the necessary economic mix for a thriving downtown. Yet immediate howls are raised when market rate housing is proposed.
We need a moratorium on these demands for more “affordable” housing and pay a lot more attention to those who can afford to live in this very special place. Please, some economic forecasts on our past, current and future restrictive demands being imposed on this city and downtown areas.
The cumulative impact of city micromanaging, with even more demands on the horizon, needs serious impact data before we lose this city forever.
We are not growing organically. We have become a hot house for politically expedient social engineering imposed on us by term-limited, narrow district-focused city councils who escape all accountability for actions taken solely to curry their own next short term election chances.
End goal: City wants control of multi-family housing and to exempt it from taxation, like all Housing Authority and NPO housing projects for elders, families, and students. Then who pays? The rest of us will see more bonds and fees until “they” eliminate Prop 13 protections in an upcoming election. We are out numbered so expect to pay more every year to subsidize the estimated 1 in 7 residents who pay nothing for the many recreational, social and medical services provided to them.
How did voters let this happen? We’re outnumbered by Unionized, government check dependent: those receiving pension and/or social security (now paying up to $4875/month; plus SS benefits to kids w parent over age 62).
Yes indeed. The city is being poorly run by politicians. It should be professionally run by business and property owner representatives. (And rent control is always a bad option. IMO!! )
What happened to State Street in Santa Barbara?
let me make it clear, the anti car, goo types for 40 years did everything they could to destroy auto use. 3 organizations coordinated attacks on the street grid, and the likes of Dave Davis backing the narrowing of State for decades. When asked by businesses that that were being crushed by the 2 lane State St, and referred to the City's promise if their businesses were not helped by the terrible MIG plan and the street would be returned the answer was NO ANSWER.
CAB has asked repeatedly for the City to list the middle class businesses that were and no longer exist on State St. (prior to covid) again the answer was and is NO ANSWER.
When we make the point ZERO BIKE PATHS there were more bike riders then today the answer by Council and Staff is to turn their backs on their own stats.
How about World going to La Cumbre Plaza? This Council does not care about the reality of failure.
CAB presented a letter to the Council to open State St. back up to 4 lanes of traffic (Victoria to Carrillo) and then take 5 years to see if business returned. The spineless staff and Council refused once again to even comment.
It is time that un-opposed council candidates face "No Confidence" at the elections.
Another by line: by Donovan. Another death of disinformation by the EDA, CEC, AND the bike boys now called MOVE.
Good article
Time for Dave Davis to enjoy a permanent retirement. He has done enough damage for one unelected person to inflict on this city, now even as an elder statesman.
Thanks Bonnie, I think the Council Members opposed to opening State St while the plan drags on fear it will succeed in improving the economy in our downtown therefore dashing the hopes of making it residential rather than the gem it once was.
CVR and the Funk Zone are thriving.
One question I would have liked to see is about returning parades to State St, even if her highness Sneddon “doesn’t ever want to see a horse” on State Street. No one would force her attendance.
Plus Sneddon’s golf cart might scare the horses.
If I were a horse I wouldn't ever want to see Sneddon on State Street.
I read this article by Ms. Donovan titled "Another Retailer Abandons Santa Barbara Promenade"
that should be titled "Smart Citizens Abandons the State of CA including Santa Barbara"
and I quote "When will the Council – aside from Mayor Randy Rouse – and City Staff acknowledge the significant missteps they've made? "
The answer to "...the significant missteps they've made?" Is NEVER.
There are very serious problems here and it ain't just State Street but
THE ENTIRE RULING CLASS of Santa Barbara.
I again refer to Tom Parker's Independent Article on "Public Corruption"
"Perceptions of Political Corruption Too Often the Harbingers of Stark Reality"
https://www.independent.com/2020/02/22/perceptions-of-political-corruption/
Good Folks of SB Current you have no idea what is going on in your little ole beach town.
Howard Walther, member of a Military Family
Why do so many still intentionally misspell the mayor’s last name?
I just Quoted the name and spelling, and grammar is not my thing.
The main point is everyone gets it and I just lump them all into one nice
and lovely group called the "So Called SB Leaders" that way I do not have
list and spell all of their names as I address the HUGE problems here in SB.
https://santabarbaraca.gov/directory/randy-rowse
Rowse name https://www.houseofnames.com/rowse-family-crest
Rowse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Origins Available: England, Scotland
"The Rowse family name dates back to 1066 when the Norman Conquest of England introduced a plethora of new names and words into Britain. It comes from an early member of the family who was a person with red hair which was in turn derived from the Old French nickname le rous, meaning redhead. Another equally valid derivation suggests that the name is a shortened form of the Norman given name Rufus."
And .... Mayor Rowse is part of the HUGE problem here who has no SOLUTION.
’Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
Howard Walther member of a Military Family
Is this off topic? But I just reread the informative article Bonnie wrote in feb 2024 (I’ll post link) then I googled Will Santa Barbara become a 15 minute city? And got the AI response of YES will post link or just google it.. let’s vote out these Deep State cohorts
Thank you Bonnie for caring so much 🙏🏻💕
https://www.sbcurrent.com/p/introducing-the-15-minute-city
https://www.google.com/search?q=will+Santa+Barbara+become+a+15+minute+city&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari
Pretty scary stuff for sure!
More views on 15 minute cities
https://californiaglobe.com/fl/are-15-minute-cities-smart/
Shout out to support the online *California Globe* to keep your eye on what new perversities Sacramento and our own local elected representatives, Hart and Limon, want to inflict on us.
Interesting update Bonnie. Only certain people agree to be surveyed, which skews surveys. Incredibly ignorant Westside Rep Oscar Gutierrez is indeed a problem. Oscar has positioned himself well in pursuit of his mayoral aspirations (with the other two) as evidenced in the March Primary Election when he captured the most votes to be a SB-DNC Delegate. Kudos Bonnie for exposing this exchange: “Council Member Oscar Gutierrez made a comment during the City Council meeting saying this gentleman that paid $13,000 for this survey should have just donated that money to the City. Mayor Rowse replied that it was just because Gutierrez didn’t like the outcome of the survey.” Additionally, Oscar stated that HE SURVEYED BUSINESSES along State Street, and ALL wanted State Street kept as is: closed to cars. I immediately wrote him for a list of those businesses he surveyed. No reply. Next we chatted at the blatantly biased, prejudicial League of Women Voters (LWV) sponsored Council Candidate Forum: no reply from Oscar on State Street topic. (We did agree LWV are … !!).
Next step would be for me to file a Freedom of Information Act request. However, Oscar and CITY will ignore that too, because that’s the norm. When former Mayor Murillo gifted $800,000 of our money to Black Lives Matters (BLM), Krystal Farmer and others, I filed a FOIA request, after receiving calls from staff insiders telling me dates, times and participants to closed door meetings — in violation of the Brown Act — whereby agreements were reached. The former Mayor called asking me to drop it. Then I was told if I couldn’t or wouldn’t pay to pursue it in Court, there was nothing more to discuss.
Mayor Rowse is only one honest man who is trying. We need to actively support his efforts as the ONLY non-Democrat. He needs a minimum of three more experienced executive level business experienced TRUTH SEEKERS on Council.
If Oscar Gutierrez is re-elected on November 5, expect his future run for Mayor against other weak candidates. Search now for qualified candidates to actively support for Council.
Work immediately with your time and/or money to support Tony against Oscar. Every individual can spend $1000 without any FPPC reporting requirements. Look at the grassroots ‘No on P’ progress $0 versus SBCC’s $500,000. Texting, talking, emailing your networks is free. Let’s stop complaining and act to obtain results!
I don't think I could despise anyone more than Oscar. He is a self-absorbed lunatic. He is rude, unprofessional, obnoxious, and a liar. I literally can't stand him, but guess what? I am now in his district and I would rather cut off my arm than vote for him. I am NOT VOTING FOR HIM! I will vote for a cockroach before I vote for him!
Are you actively working, volunteering your time and commitment to Tony?
I wish I could! I am not in town right now and unfortunately, as much as I absolutely despise having to do this, I have to mail in my ballot. I hate it. If I was in town, I would definitely be all over this!
I've lived on the Westside for over twenty years, never voted for Oscar or Cathy. There's an article on Noozhawk today about Oscar/Tony and it says Oscar won with a total of 538 votes his first time running. Next time he ran unopposed and yet recently he claims, "I'm the elected representative." Oh brother. . . . Oscar doesn't represent anything. This all goes back to how stupid district elections are for a city with a population of 90,000.
If Oscar runs for mayor or if Kristen does I just might have to. I've got notebooks full of the stupid things they have said while on the dais.
I hope you will run Dan. Three current reps seem to be in the running. One, Sneddon has Mary Rose in tow. Oscar and Sneddon grandstand at every meeting. The third is more strategic.
Any word yet from Mayor Rowse of his plans? What is clear is that the others — with the exception of outspoken, courageous Eastside Rep Alejandra Gutierrez — are DEM loyalists to ensure their continued political careers. We need new informed reps, like you.
It’s time now build the required support base. Time to recruit prepared, fiscally competent candidates with business experience (like Barrett Reed). Time to vote out career politicians needing a safe DEM machine protected government paycheck and pension.
Is it possible in Santa Barbara? Randy Rowse was elected by NNPs, conservatives and yesteryear old-time, moderate Democrats. If conservatives stick to politics — don’t commingle with personal religious beliefs — some could win. NPPs like Randy proved what’s required to obtain victory. Go for it!
On the Mesa, more votes were cast for other candidates then Mike Jordan received.
This is not recent
How many reports were made about State St use? How many public surveys? And we stil have no clear direction.
This is obvious leadership issues.
How big is the City Debt? How much did the State St underpass cost?
Not very responsible knowing the amount of debt and still spending money on pet projects.
Our City Council, Randy has been in City Hall going on 12 years now, has been slowly either ignoring at best case scenario or purposefully killing state street for decades.
For years prior to COVID State St has been suffering, dying a slow death.
When Sachs left, years later Nordstrom departed it was known back then there are issues.
The City is known to be unfriendly towards businesses. The City has to hire a liaison to help businesses navigate their tedious, expensive process.
Numerous issues with downtown, it’s not just one.
Mentally ill, drug addicted homeless are an issue.
Two years ago a teenager was attacked by a homeless causing him to get stitches. A woman’s dog had its head kicked in in the Upper East, there are people,e sleeping, defacating in business doorways, yelling all day long so businesses cannot work or have clients come to their office.
These are just a couple examples out of numerous.
Goleta hotels charge more per night than comparable SB hotels and have fewer vacancies.
More people rather stay in Goleta than SB. Look at the TOT taxes.
Wake up, our local city council is inept unless it’s about neighbors complaining about
Can’t blame Randy Rowse when he has only a single vote and district voters refuse to give him a council majority vote. Work to improve your own district’s input on city council.
Thank you, Bonnie. As always, a very informative article. I only wish there were more of us that could vote in the City elections to help get some more council people who would try and get Santa Barbara back in shape. What a shamble this town has become!
More essential reading from Bonnie, many thanks.
More insanity within our great city. I remember as a kid being able to park on State Street. My Dad would need something from Ott’s or to have lunch with my sister at the Copper Coffee Pot, who worked at JC Penny’s. Yes, those great memories are gone forever. But who would ever had predicted this?
What a self imposed disaster! It would seem the only groups to be happy with the current “state” of State are the influential and powerful bike lobby and the environmentalists. How can the CC allow yet another large retailer such as World Market to leave, causing locals to lose their jobs and loss in tax revenue?
How is SB to survive and crawl out of a substantial deficit with losing so many high end retailers? It seems the only entities left are Not-for-Profits!
Yes, this is the same mentality which prevents Sable from completing work on their own pipeline and restoring vital energy supplies and much needed royalties!
It would seem our Nirvana has been taken over by a odd cabal of socialists and environmentalists who demand we as a society forego any and all use of fossil fuels, even if we scuttle our local economy in the process.
What a travesty and property owners had better stand up and sound off, because clearly we are past the tipping point!
How many World Market items can a customer take home easily on just thier bike?
Yep LT- NPOs exempt from taxation is exactly what 5 reps on this Council want! Socialism. We pay for about 1 in 7 others to reside here. We need a country of commercial properties exempt from taxation. On state St, didn’t Bonnie once write City owned 32 or 34 properties EXEMPT from paying taxes? What about Tim Parker? Will Granada now be exempt now owned by SBIFF? Time to END EXEMPTIONS.
Here,Here Monte! On the County level, how about MASSIVE swaths of land, all EXEMPT from the County tax roles “owned” by NFP “land trusts.” Whereas only they seem to have access, along with their liberal, green buddies!
It would be great if world market too over the old Bed Bath and Beyond or the Pier one space by the Home Depot.
But I do agree that State Steet has deteriorated an awful lot in the last 13 years. It is what sold us on moving to SB from Ohio 13 years ago.
Thanks Bonnie, just one thought. Randy is not alone with these opinions. Eric Friedman has voted with the mayor all along. Eric put forth a motion to open all of State street except the 500 & 600 blocks but it was voted down by the "frivolous five," as I think of them. Oscar, Kristen, Mike, Meagan and Alejandra. (Alejandra has since seen the light and has come over to our side. Love her.)
I went to the opening day Saturday Farmer Market in its new location and parked in the structure (Anacapa/Figeroa) near the library. As I walked down the stairs from the 2nd floor, I was accompanied by a live mouse. I reported this to one of the City workers at the Market. He said that a contractor company is responsible for pest control.--there was no sense of City responsibility, and it is no wonder that people are turned off.
PLEASE EMAIL OSCAR about your experience at OGutierrez@santabarbaraca.gov. Be warned, he will call you a liar, he will berate you, and then he will tell you to meet him and show him in person and when there is no mouse there, he will call you a liar again.