Kidding!? Our Liberal City would never think of awarding/applauding Mesa Cafe their achievements! They would award Montecito Journal for turning a wonderful Community Oriented paper into a Liberal periodical.
Like Reagan, Trump is going to “Tear down This Wall”!
Excellent points, Bonnie. A business-friendly city government? What a novel idea. Imagine city employees and their unions doing everything they can to foster a healthy local economy, because they finally recognize their own best fiscal interests are linked directly to the health of the private sector's best interests.
How little attention is paid for those who can afford to live here; instead of converting more and more of the city to the unearned benefit to those who cannot. All the while, city finances drop into an abyss and city employee pension promises devour more and more of the current city income stream. Stop this unbalanced fiscal insanity.
City employee union members worked hard to install a new business and private property hostile city council majority; poised, ready and organized to inflict even more damage. Elections clearly have consequences. Have they finally divided and conquered this city beyond repair? I fear the tipping point has finally been crossed. An autopsy is in order since this city's decline is a small case study.
Instead of wasting even another public dime on "rising sea levels", it is long past time to encourage a rising local economy that will lift all boats.
And yes, that means paying more attention to those who can afford to live in Santa Barbara. What are we actively doing for them? Besides turning once-vibrant State Street into a dead zone, rising property crimes, unsafe streets, destroying our local schools and foisting more and more of the local tax burdens on the few in the private property sector who have chosen to remain.
Yes, JL the “tipping point” came long ago in regard to maintaining “LOS” (level of service), ie revenues vs. expenditures paid, especially for public employees. The question must be asked; do public employees exist to serve the public or do they exist for self enrichment?
If property owners do not coalesce their mutual interests, then we can all expect decrease in services, responses, maintenance, and a big hefty tax increase to boot! Whereby, we as property owners are subservient to the interests of the majority of renters. This inverted pyramid is NOT sustainable and is a non-sequitur.
LT: You just pointed out the current reality today for Santa Barbara, we are primarily a city of lower-income renters when compared to surrounding communities.
Except city councils and city staff think they can still make demands to single-handedly save the planet and repair social injustices, while completely ignoring the hard fiscal realities they keep inflicting on the rest of us.
Good time to explore what happens to other small communities that became primarily comprised of lower-income renters with high social services dependency needs?
If that is who we have now become and all demographics data supports this, how do we best plan for the long-term consequences of this now unavoidable reality?
Where is the doomsday clock for Santa Barbara - how much more private property can be taken off the property tax rolls, how much property tax increase is required from the remaining private property holders to support the current city budgets and increasing staff levels.
How much more loss of tourism and retail sales can be absorbed by a city with built-in, automatic expense escalators that someone else needs to fund?
Stockton, Ca. comes to mind in which they had to declare bankruptcy! I’m not sure how that ended up? Why in the hell has the UCSB Economic Forecasting not published a SB County fiscal doomsday clock for all to see?
Stockton points out what they learned from their Chapter 9 bankruptcy, pretty much what San Diego and maybe San Bernardino also learned the same thing.
Eg: -----flimsy fiscal revenue projections used to undergird permanent expense obligations. Good to elect city council members who have a demonstrated lick of financial common sense; not ill-founded partisan tropes.
(Stockton)........"She said one big lesson learned was not assuming the economy will remain positive when securing long-term contracts with employees.
"Our revenues declined dramatically, and so we just couldn't afford the commitments that we had made prior to the economy turning down," Trammel said.
“Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Michael Carrozzo facing formal proceedings over alleged abuses of his position ...” According to this article Judge Carrozzo and I quote “According to the Commission on Judicial Performance's Notice of Formal Proceedings, Judge Carrozzo specifically violated the language of article VI, section 18 of the California Constitution in six specific counts:”
The six counts against the former Assistant Presiding Judge and Presiding Judge from 2018 to 2020 are listed and explained in this article that amounts to slap-on-the-wrist infractions however count 2 states as follows “Provided statements to the Commission in response to alleged violations of the Code of Judicial Ethics that were "false, misleading, and reflected a lack of candor" and “Your conduct violated canons 1, 2, 2A, 4A, and 4G of the Code of Judicial Ethics, as well as sections 6125 and 6126(a) of the California Business and Professions Code."
So what was “Going Down” in the Santa Barbara County Court from “2018 to 2020” that might be a little more serious “On Orders of Magnitude.” And how did “Someone” find these minor infractions; specifically, from Judge Carrozo's emails and cell phone texts.
Let's seque back to former FBI Executive Tom Parker's article on “2/22/2020” titled “Perceptions of Political Corruption Too Often the Harbingers of Stark Reality” and I quote from same “Upon close inspection by trained investigators, the proscribed relationship between the official and the co-conspirator becomes apparent. It can also surface when those plotting the scheme covertly agree to conceal their being symbiotically joined at their hip pockets. In today’s electronic world of emails and high-speed research, such concealment rarely lasts, and the act, or the perception of one, pops to the surface at the most unexpected times, such as right before an upcoming election.”
In defense of Judge Carrozzo, he was helping his secretary that became his wife where there was no consequences to anyone for his actions. Furthermore, Judge Carrozzo is well known for pushing back against the SB DA's Office's heavy-handed and costly litigation; weblink below>
Santa Barbara Judge Rejects DA Motion to Disqualify Him From MS-13 Case | Local News | Noozhawk
If you are going to charge Judicial Officers for Misconduct than do so with real charges but not for these nonsensical and minor charges against Judge Carrozzo.
So what was really “Going Down” in the little ole beach town of Santa Barbara?
Are there Concealed very serious charges of Judicial Misconduct at the CA Judicial Commission?
Howard Walther, member of a Military Family
PS1 - from the Weblink article above and I quote "Disparaging remarks were also made [in emails] about other Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judges including Judge Jean Dandona, Judge Patricia Kelly, Judge James Herman, then-Assistant Presiding Judge Gutavo Lavayen, Judge Raimondo Montes De Oca, Judge Pauline Maxwell, and Judge Donna Geck shared the Commission."
Exactly what statements did Judge Carrozzo make against this many Judges and were they factual? Would we want to see Judge Carrozo's email statements?
Local businesses need our support and praise. In addition to the Mesa Cafe, I would also mention my favorite watering hole, Harry’s Plaza Cafe. Other honorable mentions; Chucks, Tee-Off, Farmers Boys and El Paseo, all offering great times.
Yes, our Elected Officials must recognize our local entrepreneurs which are guaranteed NOTHING and risk EVERYTHING.
How about “Tax Holidays “ for local businesses? That’s right, whereby business owners pay no local tax on a given day(s) throughout the year.
This gesture would be in lieu of the recognition, pay and benefits which public employees receive as part of compensation for being on a taxpayer funded gravy train!
Or eliminate all taxes for everyone in the city. If the city eliminated all its pet projects alone there would probably be a surplus. The State and Feds probably provide enough supplemental money to run the city at a bare bones level.
This brings back such fond memories. In 1990 the Mesa Cafe had a wall which separated the bar from the restaurant. On weekends there was live entertainment in the bar. There was a bandstand of sorts fashioned of several wooden box structures. It was the job of the entertainers to set up the bandstand, it was heavy but we were young and fortified by any number of stimulants popular at the time. My rock n roll band The Bluescasters (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDRN3ICKFh0&pp=ygUVYmx1ZXNjYXN0ZXJzIDE5OTIgaXNo) played frequently at the Mesa Cafe in those days. I remember in a foggy but fond way making my singing debut with Hey Baby by Ted Nugent. I remember Baby Dave, our proper singer, commenting "a star is born" when the audience recieved my performance with enthusiasm. Baby Dave is no longer with us nor is Andy Finch the other guitarist, RIP. I miss them both but the Mesa Cafe is still around and I still play my guitar every day. I did however trade in my electric for a classical model. After 60 years of age I did not want to be mistaken for that guy in a Viagra comercial.
Fun read Bonnie, filling my mind with past experiences about people in government telling others how to act. What a bunch of hypocrites. I recall once when a past mayor and a few of her friends sat down at a table next to ours (me and my wife) at the Wine Cask located outdoors. And we did our best to ignore them. When we got up, I looked at them and one woman gave me the most disgusting look back at me. I wondered if the dirty look she gave me was because I didn't kiss the mayor's ring or bow down, or something. And then they have to have all this recognition when they do something they think deserves recognition. This part always amuses me because I go back in my mind to all my "what I considered" engineering achievements at companies which might not acknowledge with any comment at all. Of course, I'm smart enough to recognize I don't get all the accommodations I think I should because they pay me for my work, regardless how "great" my work is. Some people enter politics thinking they are very special. But really, they aren't that special. I've worked around people that could probably make most politicians look stupid. I mean, really, how much brain power does it take for anyone to outsmart the likings of Das Williams?
Terrifying that Das is one of the smarter ones leading our community, which is not intended as a compliment to him but as an alarm bell for how stupefyingly dumb others are.
Time to add a "Santa Barbara Currents Salutes" side-bar to celebrate our long-standing local business establishments and encourage their patronage?
McConnell's Ice cream, in its various new iterations, flavor names and locations, gets my first vote. Turkish Coffee ice cream , a long time personal favorite. Do something well, and keep doing it. A lot to recommend when a business finds something reliable and predictable.
La Superica, same thing. Used to make both part of my bike-riding route out to Channel Drive and up Milpas back into downtown - stop at Superica and McConnells in those days only a few blocks apart. Santa Barbara did not get any better.
What was the demographics of the population then? A strong sector was in their late 20's and early 30's. Bike use was at its height. There were no bike paths in the City.
The city hands out employee awards now like water. Talk with the public works "workers" today and quietly cozy up to contractor and you will find them shaking their heads and stating the Council and top administrators don't get it. From planning major road work during the prime holiday spending making outer State and La Cumbre Plaza the place to go and then destroying a 100 year old transportation grid.
Donovan's comment "...Curious about why no one has written or acknowledged Mesa Café’s achievement, ......" highlights the past two decades where promoting the private sector has not been the mind set of the likes like Schneider, Murillo, and the people they made sure the City hired.
What do you do with 20 years of failed planning? What do you do with a City that depends on grants from big brother to fund employees who have growing days off?
There you go. Happy New Year! to the private sector.
When I came in the 1970's, I believe the city plan at that time claimed the leading economic sectors were "pensions and tourism". We were a retirement town, a relative back-water. Few outside of the area even knew exactly where we were located in the state.
The city plan back then also promised to underground all the utility lines. So much for city plans. Assume now city plans are developed only for the interests of the city staff and their personal fiscal demands, and no longer for the community at large.
I gave up a few years back participating in the public discussions as they grew more and more out to touch and the city paid "facilitator" for the public discussions drove the pre-set agendas to what had already been decided ahead of time.
40 years is awesome, I moved here 39 years ago next week and remember with fondness the days gone by.
I was watching "Newsmakers with Jerry Roberts" on You Tube yesterday and he had an all-star group on, Mayor Rowse, Meagan Harmon, Gwyn Lurie, Nick Welsh and Josh Molina. At one point both Meagan and Gwyn were speaking with authority about State street always being in decline. They both said they have been here for 16 years. . . Luckily Josh interrupted and said, "It wasn't in decline when Piccadilly Square was here."
And I'll repeat myself, the more local the subject matter is here the more I agree with every person commenting. Or, almost everyone. So far today, everyone.
Dan we were looking at the responses and came upon this.
Jerry Beaver owned Piccadilly Square and offered to build the downtown shopping center for the City of Santa Barbara AT NO COST. His only request was the City fast track his permits. He was a friend of private enterprise, wanted State St. kept open and Chapala width and capacity to remain. The answer to a fantastic offer by the likes of Blum, was we don't trust the private sector. But again this is the former Mayor who stated we now have 25 miles of interconnected bike path and how great it is. The bike numbers continued to drop.
Thanks for jogging the historic memory about how the city has shafted the private sector.
Thank you, Bonnie. Maybe we should start our own Not for Profit organization and thank the businesses for contributing their efforts, products, and services to our community? Oh yes, and their contribution of sales as well as property taxes to our 'public servants'.
Bonnie, thank you for shining a well deserved light on the Mesa Cafe and their major accomplishment of running a business in an un-friendly business climate for 40 years! This is akin to pigs flying but their tenacity to serve has been deservedly rewarded.
I am counting the days until our Department of Government Efficiency hangs up it’s OPEN sign and begins cutting the worst of the worst pork fat from our Government. It may take time to reach the dumbed down chambers of SB but when it does, few will be left standing and those that make the cut will be forced to serve their community or find a job for their ‘skill sets’. 😂
B, Right On! And one could similarly point to the County whose unwieldy 30 item Board agendas are sometimes peppered with unnecessary resolutions that stretch far beyond our County’s jurisdiction. I mean, sure, the Dalai Lama’s 85 birthday is for many worth celebrating, I’m just not certain the County needed to memorialize it with a resolution :))) Thanks for reminding us that it’s businesses that drive our great Community !
The people speaking here need to pound your observations into the thick heads of the Dumb Dems that treat their political party as some kind of a religion or belief system that needs to be followed (no matter what). Explain to those belonging to the Democrat religion that their members are now considered expendable by their "religion." It's an organization that is only interested in stealing your hard-earned money. Tell these Dems to watch Trump turn the corrupt political system into a business operated system to acquire efficiency of operation using less money. The biggest obstacle is retraining the Dumb Dem to remove them from a corrupt belief system to an honorable reality system. If we can't do that, we are doomed.
Bill, knock it off with your Dumb Dems comments. I've lived in SB for almost four decades and the Dumb Dems as you call us are by far the majority that live here. I also find every comment here logical, except yours.
Ya, I don't like the word "dumb," I'll be more specific to saying "politically stupid or dumb" ... how's that? I'm not saying Dems aren't smart in other areas, but they are politically stupid. Agreeing with that Dan?
Kidding!? Our Liberal City would never think of awarding/applauding Mesa Cafe their achievements! They would award Montecito Journal for turning a wonderful Community Oriented paper into a Liberal periodical.
Like Reagan, Trump is going to “Tear down This Wall”!
Dana, you can thank the SB Current editor Jim Buckley for “turning a wonderful Community Oriented paper into a Liberal periodical”.
Nothing wrong with him turning a profit, but he knew who he was selling the paper to. His son also stayed on with the new owners.
Excellent points, Bonnie. A business-friendly city government? What a novel idea. Imagine city employees and their unions doing everything they can to foster a healthy local economy, because they finally recognize their own best fiscal interests are linked directly to the health of the private sector's best interests.
How little attention is paid for those who can afford to live here; instead of converting more and more of the city to the unearned benefit to those who cannot. All the while, city finances drop into an abyss and city employee pension promises devour more and more of the current city income stream. Stop this unbalanced fiscal insanity.
City employee union members worked hard to install a new business and private property hostile city council majority; poised, ready and organized to inflict even more damage. Elections clearly have consequences. Have they finally divided and conquered this city beyond repair? I fear the tipping point has finally been crossed. An autopsy is in order since this city's decline is a small case study.
Instead of wasting even another public dime on "rising sea levels", it is long past time to encourage a rising local economy that will lift all boats.
And yes, that means paying more attention to those who can afford to live in Santa Barbara. What are we actively doing for them? Besides turning once-vibrant State Street into a dead zone, rising property crimes, unsafe streets, destroying our local schools and foisting more and more of the local tax burdens on the few in the private property sector who have chosen to remain.
Yes, JL the “tipping point” came long ago in regard to maintaining “LOS” (level of service), ie revenues vs. expenditures paid, especially for public employees. The question must be asked; do public employees exist to serve the public or do they exist for self enrichment?
If property owners do not coalesce their mutual interests, then we can all expect decrease in services, responses, maintenance, and a big hefty tax increase to boot! Whereby, we as property owners are subservient to the interests of the majority of renters. This inverted pyramid is NOT sustainable and is a non-sequitur.
LT: You just pointed out the current reality today for Santa Barbara, we are primarily a city of lower-income renters when compared to surrounding communities.
Except city councils and city staff think they can still make demands to single-handedly save the planet and repair social injustices, while completely ignoring the hard fiscal realities they keep inflicting on the rest of us.
Good time to explore what happens to other small communities that became primarily comprised of lower-income renters with high social services dependency needs?
If that is who we have now become and all demographics data supports this, how do we best plan for the long-term consequences of this now unavoidable reality?
Where is the doomsday clock for Santa Barbara - how much more private property can be taken off the property tax rolls, how much property tax increase is required from the remaining private property holders to support the current city budgets and increasing staff levels.
How much more loss of tourism and retail sales can be absorbed by a city with built-in, automatic expense escalators that someone else needs to fund?
Stockton, Ca. comes to mind in which they had to declare bankruptcy! I’m not sure how that ended up? Why in the hell has the UCSB Economic Forecasting not published a SB County fiscal doomsday clock for all to see?
Stockton points out what they learned from their Chapter 9 bankruptcy, pretty much what San Diego and maybe San Bernardino also learned the same thing.
Eg: -----flimsy fiscal revenue projections used to undergird permanent expense obligations. Good to elect city council members who have a demonstrated lick of financial common sense; not ill-founded partisan tropes.
(Stockton)........"She said one big lesson learned was not assuming the economy will remain positive when securing long-term contracts with employees.
"Our revenues declined dramatically, and so we just couldn't afford the commitments that we had made prior to the economy turning down," Trammel said.
I read this article by Ms. Donovan Titled “Celebrating Achievements” in Santa Barbara that
focuses on “The Mesa Cafe” a fond place in my heart and stomach since I use to live close by.
I provide another Title of “Acknowledging Accountability” that many may have missed in
recent news on a consistent problem in Santa Barbara weblink below titled >>
https://tinyurl.com/bddss7cd
“Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Michael Carrozzo facing formal proceedings over alleged abuses of his position ...” According to this article Judge Carrozzo and I quote “According to the Commission on Judicial Performance's Notice of Formal Proceedings, Judge Carrozzo specifically violated the language of article VI, section 18 of the California Constitution in six specific counts:”
The six counts against the former Assistant Presiding Judge and Presiding Judge from 2018 to 2020 are listed and explained in this article that amounts to slap-on-the-wrist infractions however count 2 states as follows “Provided statements to the Commission in response to alleged violations of the Code of Judicial Ethics that were "false, misleading, and reflected a lack of candor" and “Your conduct violated canons 1, 2, 2A, 4A, and 4G of the Code of Judicial Ethics, as well as sections 6125 and 6126(a) of the California Business and Professions Code."
So what was “Going Down” in the Santa Barbara County Court from “2018 to 2020” that might be a little more serious “On Orders of Magnitude.” And how did “Someone” find these minor infractions; specifically, from Judge Carrozo's emails and cell phone texts.
Let's seque back to former FBI Executive Tom Parker's article on “2/22/2020” titled “Perceptions of Political Corruption Too Often the Harbingers of Stark Reality” and I quote from same “Upon close inspection by trained investigators, the proscribed relationship between the official and the co-conspirator becomes apparent. It can also surface when those plotting the scheme covertly agree to conceal their being symbiotically joined at their hip pockets. In today’s electronic world of emails and high-speed research, such concealment rarely lasts, and the act, or the perception of one, pops to the surface at the most unexpected times, such as right before an upcoming election.”
In defense of Judge Carrozzo, he was helping his secretary that became his wife where there was no consequences to anyone for his actions. Furthermore, Judge Carrozzo is well known for pushing back against the SB DA's Office's heavy-handed and costly litigation; weblink below>
Santa Barbara Judge Rejects DA Motion to Disqualify Him From MS-13 Case | Local News | Noozhawk
If you are going to charge Judicial Officers for Misconduct than do so with real charges but not for these nonsensical and minor charges against Judge Carrozzo.
So what was really “Going Down” in the little ole beach town of Santa Barbara?
Are there Concealed very serious charges of Judicial Misconduct at the CA Judicial Commission?
Howard Walther, member of a Military Family
PS1 - from the Weblink article above and I quote "Disparaging remarks were also made [in emails] about other Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judges including Judge Jean Dandona, Judge Patricia Kelly, Judge James Herman, then-Assistant Presiding Judge Gutavo Lavayen, Judge Raimondo Montes De Oca, Judge Pauline Maxwell, and Judge Donna Geck shared the Commission."
Exactly what statements did Judge Carrozzo make against this many Judges and were they factual? Would we want to see Judge Carrozo's email statements?
Local businesses need our support and praise. In addition to the Mesa Cafe, I would also mention my favorite watering hole, Harry’s Plaza Cafe. Other honorable mentions; Chucks, Tee-Off, Farmers Boys and El Paseo, all offering great times.
Yes, our Elected Officials must recognize our local entrepreneurs which are guaranteed NOTHING and risk EVERYTHING.
How about “Tax Holidays “ for local businesses? That’s right, whereby business owners pay no local tax on a given day(s) throughout the year.
This gesture would be in lieu of the recognition, pay and benefits which public employees receive as part of compensation for being on a taxpayer funded gravy train!
Or eliminate all taxes for everyone in the city. If the city eliminated all its pet projects alone there would probably be a surplus. The State and Feds probably provide enough supplemental money to run the city at a bare bones level.
This brings back such fond memories. In 1990 the Mesa Cafe had a wall which separated the bar from the restaurant. On weekends there was live entertainment in the bar. There was a bandstand of sorts fashioned of several wooden box structures. It was the job of the entertainers to set up the bandstand, it was heavy but we were young and fortified by any number of stimulants popular at the time. My rock n roll band The Bluescasters (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDRN3ICKFh0&pp=ygUVYmx1ZXNjYXN0ZXJzIDE5OTIgaXNo) played frequently at the Mesa Cafe in those days. I remember in a foggy but fond way making my singing debut with Hey Baby by Ted Nugent. I remember Baby Dave, our proper singer, commenting "a star is born" when the audience recieved my performance with enthusiasm. Baby Dave is no longer with us nor is Andy Finch the other guitarist, RIP. I miss them both but the Mesa Cafe is still around and I still play my guitar every day. I did however trade in my electric for a classical model. After 60 years of age I did not want to be mistaken for that guy in a Viagra comercial.
I remember the Bluescastors! Good music, good times. Happy New Year everyone!
Fun read Bonnie, filling my mind with past experiences about people in government telling others how to act. What a bunch of hypocrites. I recall once when a past mayor and a few of her friends sat down at a table next to ours (me and my wife) at the Wine Cask located outdoors. And we did our best to ignore them. When we got up, I looked at them and one woman gave me the most disgusting look back at me. I wondered if the dirty look she gave me was because I didn't kiss the mayor's ring or bow down, or something. And then they have to have all this recognition when they do something they think deserves recognition. This part always amuses me because I go back in my mind to all my "what I considered" engineering achievements at companies which might not acknowledge with any comment at all. Of course, I'm smart enough to recognize I don't get all the accommodations I think I should because they pay me for my work, regardless how "great" my work is. Some people enter politics thinking they are very special. But really, they aren't that special. I've worked around people that could probably make most politicians look stupid. I mean, really, how much brain power does it take for anyone to outsmart the likings of Das Williams?
Terrifying that Das is one of the smarter ones leading our community, which is not intended as a compliment to him but as an alarm bell for how stupefyingly dumb others are.
Das Williams has his own Wikipedia page which I presume represents his brilliance to society he has brought forth.
I would like to know as a matter of public interest and transparency, what percentage of our City/County tax dollars goes to:
“Green” Initiatives (Including Bike Paths)
Homeless Services/Housing
Migrant Services/Housing
Public Employee Pensions
DEI Implementation
Section 8 Housing
I would venture to say this is the majority of our tax dollars spent.
LT: Send this very good list to your local district elected representative. I will too. Let's compare notes if/when we get a response.
____Just sent in my request. Link to contact SB City Council members: https://santabarbaraca.gov/government/mayor-city-council/contact-mayor-council
Time to add a "Santa Barbara Currents Salutes" side-bar to celebrate our long-standing local business establishments and encourage their patronage?
McConnell's Ice cream, in its various new iterations, flavor names and locations, gets my first vote. Turkish Coffee ice cream , a long time personal favorite. Do something well, and keep doing it. A lot to recommend when a business finds something reliable and predictable.
La Superica, same thing. Used to make both part of my bike-riding route out to Channel Drive and up Milpas back into downtown - stop at Superica and McConnells in those days only a few blocks apart. Santa Barbara did not get any better.
Nice truthful article. But yet we forget, they think we are slaves to them.
Remember which Ruler/Pious pustule proclaimed this famous statement?
"You did not build that!!"
Find the comment about the 1980's interesting.
What was the demographics of the population then? A strong sector was in their late 20's and early 30's. Bike use was at its height. There were no bike paths in the City.
The city hands out employee awards now like water. Talk with the public works "workers" today and quietly cozy up to contractor and you will find them shaking their heads and stating the Council and top administrators don't get it. From planning major road work during the prime holiday spending making outer State and La Cumbre Plaza the place to go and then destroying a 100 year old transportation grid.
Donovan's comment "...Curious about why no one has written or acknowledged Mesa Café’s achievement, ......" highlights the past two decades where promoting the private sector has not been the mind set of the likes like Schneider, Murillo, and the people they made sure the City hired.
What do you do with 20 years of failed planning? What do you do with a City that depends on grants from big brother to fund employees who have growing days off?
There you go. Happy New Year! to the private sector.
When I came in the 1970's, I believe the city plan at that time claimed the leading economic sectors were "pensions and tourism". We were a retirement town, a relative back-water. Few outside of the area even knew exactly where we were located in the state.
The city plan back then also promised to underground all the utility lines. So much for city plans. Assume now city plans are developed only for the interests of the city staff and their personal fiscal demands, and no longer for the community at large.
I gave up a few years back participating in the public discussions as they grew more and more out to touch and the city paid "facilitator" for the public discussions drove the pre-set agendas to what had already been decided ahead of time.
40 years is awesome, I moved here 39 years ago next week and remember with fondness the days gone by.
I was watching "Newsmakers with Jerry Roberts" on You Tube yesterday and he had an all-star group on, Mayor Rowse, Meagan Harmon, Gwyn Lurie, Nick Welsh and Josh Molina. At one point both Meagan and Gwyn were speaking with authority about State street always being in decline. They both said they have been here for 16 years. . . Luckily Josh interrupted and said, "It wasn't in decline when Piccadilly Square was here."
And I'll repeat myself, the more local the subject matter is here the more I agree with every person commenting. Or, almost everyone. So far today, everyone.
Dan we were looking at the responses and came upon this.
Jerry Beaver owned Piccadilly Square and offered to build the downtown shopping center for the City of Santa Barbara AT NO COST. His only request was the City fast track his permits. He was a friend of private enterprise, wanted State St. kept open and Chapala width and capacity to remain. The answer to a fantastic offer by the likes of Blum, was we don't trust the private sector. But again this is the former Mayor who stated we now have 25 miles of interconnected bike path and how great it is. The bike numbers continued to drop.
Thanks for jogging the historic memory about how the city has shafted the private sector.
"Scott Wenz, makes sense." We should put it on shirts and bumper stickers.
Thank you, Bonnie. Maybe we should start our own Not for Profit organization and thank the businesses for contributing their efforts, products, and services to our community? Oh yes, and their contribution of sales as well as property taxes to our 'public servants'.
Bonnie, thank you for shining a well deserved light on the Mesa Cafe and their major accomplishment of running a business in an un-friendly business climate for 40 years! This is akin to pigs flying but their tenacity to serve has been deservedly rewarded.
I am counting the days until our Department of Government Efficiency hangs up it’s OPEN sign and begins cutting the worst of the worst pork fat from our Government. It may take time to reach the dumbed down chambers of SB but when it does, few will be left standing and those that make the cut will be forced to serve their community or find a job for their ‘skill sets’. 😂
B, Right On! And one could similarly point to the County whose unwieldy 30 item Board agendas are sometimes peppered with unnecessary resolutions that stretch far beyond our County’s jurisdiction. I mean, sure, the Dalai Lama’s 85 birthday is for many worth celebrating, I’m just not certain the County needed to memorialize it with a resolution :))) Thanks for reminding us that it’s businesses that drive our great Community !
The people speaking here need to pound your observations into the thick heads of the Dumb Dems that treat their political party as some kind of a religion or belief system that needs to be followed (no matter what). Explain to those belonging to the Democrat religion that their members are now considered expendable by their "religion." It's an organization that is only interested in stealing your hard-earned money. Tell these Dems to watch Trump turn the corrupt political system into a business operated system to acquire efficiency of operation using less money. The biggest obstacle is retraining the Dumb Dem to remove them from a corrupt belief system to an honorable reality system. If we can't do that, we are doomed.
Bill, knock it off with your Dumb Dems comments. I've lived in SB for almost four decades and the Dumb Dems as you call us are by far the majority that live here. I also find every comment here logical, except yours.
Am I hitting a little too close to home, Dan? You believe everything you read should be what you accept? Sounds like a Dumb Dem comment to me!
You're not hitting too close because you are not hitting, anything. Get it? You're shouting into the wind, and I cleaned that one up.
Ya, I don't like the word "dumb," I'll be more specific to saying "politically stupid or dumb" ... how's that? I'm not saying Dems aren't smart in other areas, but they are politically stupid. Agreeing with that Dan?
Great job Bonnie
Keep doing your honest best!