Wonderful column, Justin. The three places I've lived in during my life - Santa Barbara, LA and NYC - have been plagued by Progressive “reform.” When I moved to NYC in the 1980s it was still showing the disastrous effects of mayor John Lindsay's policies. I have often explained to young people who think Socialism is cool that movies from the 1970s like Taxi Driver and Serpico are accurate depictions of what NYC had become from it. Under Giuliani, I watched the city become livable again. My last night in NYC before coming home to Santa Barbara to live was ten years ago - I walked home alone through the Village at 2 am from being out with friends and I wasn't afraid. I'd never do that now.
Unfortunately, it isn't just young people who are the problem because they just don't know how hard it is to bring a place back after it's been destroyed by Progressive rule. It's the people of my Boomer generation who yearn to be young again, fightin' The Man because they're bored to idiocy by their cushy lives. They show up for a Carbajal No Kings March and for a brief moment think their lives have meaning when they should be grateful that they spent the years between the 1970s and now without the fear of being mugged or their house broken into and do everything they can to preserve that civilization - and never again allow Progressive politicians to destroy it.
Thank you for this article. It is mind bogling how so few can manipulate us. If you do not know Carl DeMaio, he may have some ideas to help. He founded Reform California.
You captured the local progressive scene in just two words. One pictures the ancient Greek chorus, murmuring local hive mind condemnations on the edges of the scene. Only massed together do they share their performative wailings, while asserting they are the local collective conscience.
But in fact they are predictible verbal bullies, operating only in crowds while taking their lead from off-stage manipulators. Our Nation's founders shall forever be blessed - guard always against mob rule.
Thank you Justin, for exposing the progressive cesspool our community has unfortunately become. Yes, this form of “SB Psychosis” has evolved to the point where now, Senior Citizens are protesting in the streets in favor of giving their Medicare and Social Security benefits to illegals!
How stupid can people be? Apparently very stupid! It amazes me after living here in SB County for the majority of my life, how liberal/progressive ideology has truly brainwashed the majority of voters. They must still be living in the 60’s, protesting the war in Vietnam? Constantly taking the contrarian, antisocial stance against law and order. It’s almost as if these “Social Justice Warriors” have something to prove by making fools out of themselves on ironically, “Hope Ave.” No, I have no “hope” for these people to see the light, realizing we have many local issues which need to be addressed and work together in order to make our community stronger. No, this local crowd has evolved into a “grievance culture” and wants to impeach our leaders and bankrupt our country in the process. Who knows, maybe dropping acid in the 60’s has affected their cognitive abilities and ability to reason? KEYT did an interview of a “Senior Warrior” on Hope, and she became noticeably triggered during the interview as if she was experiencing a nervous breakdown. This is not normal human behavior.
Justin Shores raises some valid concerns about the Progressive Democrat takeover in Santa Barbara, and I think it’s worth breaking down why these issues matter to everyday residents.
Education or Indoctrination?
The California Healthy Youth Act and Planned Parenthood-backed curricula like Teen Talk are not simply “health education.” They are political tools disguised as instruction, prioritizing ideology over academics. When schools focus more on gender politics and race-based identity than literacy and math, we rob children of the very tools they need to succeed. Parents deserve transparency and the right to decide whether their kids are taught controversial material.
Redistricting and Race Politics
CAUSE and its allies push “equity” maps that elevate racial categories above neighborhoods, churches, and schools—the actual communities of interest. Conservatives aren’t opposed to fair representation, but race-based gerrymandering fractures unity and cements permanent political fiefdoms. That’s not democracy; that’s engineered dominance.
Immigration and Resource Strain
There is a clear difference between legal and illegal immigration. Progressives blur that line because illegal immigration gives them a steady supply of political leverage. In Santa Barbara, millions are diverted from housing, fire protection, and infrastructure to fund sanctuary programs. Meanwhile, taxpayers are told to accept crumbling roads, understaffed police, and pension debt as “inevitable.” Why should legal immigrants—who followed the rules—watch unlawful entry rewarded with benefits?
COVID and “Never Waste a Crisis”
Santa Barbara progressives exploited the pandemic to expand control. Small businesses were shuttered while activist groups thrived on government contracts. It’s the same Cloward-Piven playbook: overload the system, create dependency, and then swoop in with “solutions” that grow government while shrinking individual freedom.
NGOs and Conflicts of Interest
Groups like CAUSE and Planned Parenthood don’t just lobby—they are the pipeline for progressive candidates. Staff become elected officials, officials funnel taxpayer money back to the NGOs, and the cycle repeats. This isn’t grassroots democracy—it’s an activist machine that drowns out ordinary citizens who are busy raising families, working jobs, and paying the bills.
What Conservatives Stand For
The conservative alternative is simple:
Prioritize literacy, numeracy, and job skills over ideology in schools.
Stop race-based gerrymandering; respect real communities of interest.
Support legal immigration while enforcing laws against illegal entry.
Fund core services—police, fire, infrastructure—before funneling tax dollars into activist causes.
Restore accountability in local government and stop rewarding NGOs with taxpayer contracts.
Final Word
Santa Barbara’s voters need to ask: who benefits from endless crisis politics? Progressive Democrats profit from chaos, division, and dependency. Conservatives, moderates, and independents may not agree on everything, but we share a desire for order, fairness, and opportunity. If we stay pragmatic and united, Santa Barbara doesn’t have to be defined by one-party rule.
Beautifully laid out, Justin. Unfortunately, you, showed how they do it. By indoctrinating them at an age that they cannot mentally fight back against the blatant lies being shoved down their throat. As parents and grandparents we have got to intervene! We have got to shut off the spigot by dismantling the teachers unions across America And put education back in the hands of the locals.
This is essential truth for civic leaders, citizens. Our constitutional republic is a GIFT. We will approach our 250th anniversary with our best ideas and practices. We will fall in love with our country all over again. Ken Burns indicated a strong truth: with a country that had zero probability of success to form in the first place, our gift with this republic was citizenship. Our ability to be part of an idea, a voice in governance would be as citizens … and not subjects.
Within any group of three persons in our town, one of them voted for Trump. This fact alone, causes local "progressives" to turn into stuttering apoplexy.
IVASION BACKFIRES on August 18, 2025! Mexican cartels have BREACHED into Texas communities, unleashing chaos on U.S. soil. What they didn’t expect? Their invasion has already backfired. Instead of fear, it triggered a decisive counterstrike from President Donald J. Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Marines, drones, and precision operations are now targeting cartel empires like never before.
In this video, we break down:
🔥 How cartels were officially designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations under Trump.
🔥 The $13 billion human smuggling empire that fuels cartel power.
🔥 Mexico’s dangerous denial—protecting cartels while shifting costs onto U.S. sanctuary states.
🔥 The media meltdown, blaming America while ignoring cartel terror.
🔥 Governor Abbott’s smart pushback against critics while standing strong for Texans.
🔥 Trump’s Marine counterstrike strategy: targeted, precise, and compassionate.
🔥 Why ordinary Mexicans are begging Trump to intervene as cartels tighten their grip.
🔥 How the invasion backfired, exposing weakness in Mexico and the media, while accelerating cartel downfall.
This is the fight the mainstream won’t cover: Cartel chaos vs. Trump’s America First crackdown.
Outstanding article Justin! You nailed the most critical issues and the pandering to everyone’s emotions regarding illegal aliens , is sad if not comical.
If a good and fair parent can answer the question: who should be in charge of your child’s gender, you or the school system or state ? I think we will find more like minded souls in our community.
But hating DJT so much seems to have blinded the Dems from all reason. As a paying citizen I am tired of my hard earned tax dollars going to whatever whim our City Council decides by their emotions. So over it.
When will the constitution, our rights, and self ownership be upheld, honored, and respected in California? The answer is; when the Democrats are removed from power in California!
Need to identity the problem first, name names. Get rid of Monique Limon and Gregg Hart. Make it personal. Give them name recognition as sponsors for the growing problems we now face in this state. "Voting present" does not relieve them of personal accountability for this current one-party mess.
Then build the case why this one-party Democrat supermajority has so badly failed this state and our local community. Talk it up. We cannot ingore this cynical part of "election reform" that was gamed 100% by the Democrats over the past 20 years.
Even if we cannot win a real majority, breaking up super-majority provides some limited relief from the current supermajority excesses.
Once they got to SUPER-MAJORITY STATUS, they got to officially side step the voters and play by their own insider game rules. Even RINO Schwarzenegger in on the team to tame these past two decades of out of control Democrats .
Slay super-majority status and know why this is so critical. Which may first require supporting candidates outside our own districts who have the best chance to beat this down. Make breaking up the current state super-majority a critical task for 2026 elections.
One step at a time -break up the Democrat super-majority status first -that task is a lot easier to target. They have grown lazy, fat and arrogant on supermajority status is Sacramento. They have made many mistakes because of this. Nail them.
There are so many good issues raised by the article; however, I will limit my comments to the following.
The major and most important constituency for the Progressives are the people who are dependent on the government. This explains why Progressives will never do anything which would reduce the size of this constituency but instead will always do things which will increase its size.
Thank you just for pointing out the obvious that the Democrats are making the same mistakes over and over again. Usually people learn from their mistakes and try to change and improve. I guess this is the only playbook they have and figure it worked under the demented one,why won't it work now???.
The light is being shined on the corruption ,the Dems ratings are diving deeper and deeper and they have no policies or forward thinking except hate and fight Trump. It pretty obvious what the end of this story will be.
Wonderful column, Justin. The three places I've lived in during my life - Santa Barbara, LA and NYC - have been plagued by Progressive “reform.” When I moved to NYC in the 1980s it was still showing the disastrous effects of mayor John Lindsay's policies. I have often explained to young people who think Socialism is cool that movies from the 1970s like Taxi Driver and Serpico are accurate depictions of what NYC had become from it. Under Giuliani, I watched the city become livable again. My last night in NYC before coming home to Santa Barbara to live was ten years ago - I walked home alone through the Village at 2 am from being out with friends and I wasn't afraid. I'd never do that now.
Unfortunately, it isn't just young people who are the problem because they just don't know how hard it is to bring a place back after it's been destroyed by Progressive rule. It's the people of my Boomer generation who yearn to be young again, fightin' The Man because they're bored to idiocy by their cushy lives. They show up for a Carbajal No Kings March and for a brief moment think their lives have meaning when they should be grateful that they spent the years between the 1970s and now without the fear of being mugged or their house broken into and do everything they can to preserve that civilization - and never again allow Progressive politicians to destroy it.
Thank you for this article. It is mind bogling how so few can manipulate us. If you do not know Carl DeMaio, he may have some ideas to help. He founded Reform California.
He has lots of ideas. Fighting back against the corruption currently against the redistricting but needs support. Hes pro family also.
......"weaponized empathy".......... Brilliant, Justin.
You captured the local progressive scene in just two words. One pictures the ancient Greek chorus, murmuring local hive mind condemnations on the edges of the scene. Only massed together do they share their performative wailings, while asserting they are the local collective conscience.
But in fact they are predictible verbal bullies, operating only in crowds while taking their lead from off-stage manipulators. Our Nation's founders shall forever be blessed - guard always against mob rule.
Thank you Justin, for exposing the progressive cesspool our community has unfortunately become. Yes, this form of “SB Psychosis” has evolved to the point where now, Senior Citizens are protesting in the streets in favor of giving their Medicare and Social Security benefits to illegals!
How stupid can people be? Apparently very stupid! It amazes me after living here in SB County for the majority of my life, how liberal/progressive ideology has truly brainwashed the majority of voters. They must still be living in the 60’s, protesting the war in Vietnam? Constantly taking the contrarian, antisocial stance against law and order. It’s almost as if these “Social Justice Warriors” have something to prove by making fools out of themselves on ironically, “Hope Ave.” No, I have no “hope” for these people to see the light, realizing we have many local issues which need to be addressed and work together in order to make our community stronger. No, this local crowd has evolved into a “grievance culture” and wants to impeach our leaders and bankrupt our country in the process. Who knows, maybe dropping acid in the 60’s has affected their cognitive abilities and ability to reason? KEYT did an interview of a “Senior Warrior” on Hope, and she became noticeably triggered during the interview as if she was experiencing a nervous breakdown. This is not normal human behavior.
These smarmy fools think they're cool revelling in their righteousness.
Reply: Standing Up for Santa Barbara’s Future
Justin Shores raises some valid concerns about the Progressive Democrat takeover in Santa Barbara, and I think it’s worth breaking down why these issues matter to everyday residents.
Education or Indoctrination?
The California Healthy Youth Act and Planned Parenthood-backed curricula like Teen Talk are not simply “health education.” They are political tools disguised as instruction, prioritizing ideology over academics. When schools focus more on gender politics and race-based identity than literacy and math, we rob children of the very tools they need to succeed. Parents deserve transparency and the right to decide whether their kids are taught controversial material.
Redistricting and Race Politics
CAUSE and its allies push “equity” maps that elevate racial categories above neighborhoods, churches, and schools—the actual communities of interest. Conservatives aren’t opposed to fair representation, but race-based gerrymandering fractures unity and cements permanent political fiefdoms. That’s not democracy; that’s engineered dominance.
Immigration and Resource Strain
There is a clear difference between legal and illegal immigration. Progressives blur that line because illegal immigration gives them a steady supply of political leverage. In Santa Barbara, millions are diverted from housing, fire protection, and infrastructure to fund sanctuary programs. Meanwhile, taxpayers are told to accept crumbling roads, understaffed police, and pension debt as “inevitable.” Why should legal immigrants—who followed the rules—watch unlawful entry rewarded with benefits?
COVID and “Never Waste a Crisis”
Santa Barbara progressives exploited the pandemic to expand control. Small businesses were shuttered while activist groups thrived on government contracts. It’s the same Cloward-Piven playbook: overload the system, create dependency, and then swoop in with “solutions” that grow government while shrinking individual freedom.
NGOs and Conflicts of Interest
Groups like CAUSE and Planned Parenthood don’t just lobby—they are the pipeline for progressive candidates. Staff become elected officials, officials funnel taxpayer money back to the NGOs, and the cycle repeats. This isn’t grassroots democracy—it’s an activist machine that drowns out ordinary citizens who are busy raising families, working jobs, and paying the bills.
What Conservatives Stand For
The conservative alternative is simple:
Prioritize literacy, numeracy, and job skills over ideology in schools.
Stop race-based gerrymandering; respect real communities of interest.
Support legal immigration while enforcing laws against illegal entry.
Fund core services—police, fire, infrastructure—before funneling tax dollars into activist causes.
Restore accountability in local government and stop rewarding NGOs with taxpayer contracts.
Final Word
Santa Barbara’s voters need to ask: who benefits from endless crisis politics? Progressive Democrats profit from chaos, division, and dependency. Conservatives, moderates, and independents may not agree on everything, but we share a desire for order, fairness, and opportunity. If we stay pragmatic and united, Santa Barbara doesn’t have to be defined by one-party rule.
A tour de force, WH. Thanks for putting the long history of negative ramifications from our one-party political scene, into one short column.
Beautifully laid out, Justin. Unfortunately, you, showed how they do it. By indoctrinating them at an age that they cannot mentally fight back against the blatant lies being shoved down their throat. As parents and grandparents we have got to intervene! We have got to shut off the spigot by dismantling the teachers unions across America And put education back in the hands of the locals.
Progressives are the ones who in fact are "ripping children away" from their own families.
An excellent, informative, truthful article. However, progressives, social-democrats, and most Democrats will ignore and poo-hoo the facts.
JR: This time, we are ready for them. Stand up, push back and be heard.
Excellent article!! A real eye opener and alert as to how far left Santa Barbara has become!
This is essential truth for civic leaders, citizens. Our constitutional republic is a GIFT. We will approach our 250th anniversary with our best ideas and practices. We will fall in love with our country all over again. Ken Burns indicated a strong truth: with a country that had zero probability of success to form in the first place, our gift with this republic was citizenship. Our ability to be part of an idea, a voice in governance would be as citizens … and not subjects.
Great video!!!
Within any group of three persons in our town, one of them voted for Trump. This fact alone, causes local "progressives" to turn into stuttering apoplexy.
https://www.youtube.com/live/L9AmDG_73Pg?si=nQCdDN3JUeWOQtNt
IVASION BACKFIRES on August 18, 2025! Mexican cartels have BREACHED into Texas communities, unleashing chaos on U.S. soil. What they didn’t expect? Their invasion has already backfired. Instead of fear, it triggered a decisive counterstrike from President Donald J. Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Marines, drones, and precision operations are now targeting cartel empires like never before.
In this video, we break down:
🔥 How cartels were officially designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations under Trump.
🔥 The $13 billion human smuggling empire that fuels cartel power.
🔥 Mexico’s dangerous denial—protecting cartels while shifting costs onto U.S. sanctuary states.
🔥 The media meltdown, blaming America while ignoring cartel terror.
🔥 Governor Abbott’s smart pushback against critics while standing strong for Texans.
🔥 Trump’s Marine counterstrike strategy: targeted, precise, and compassionate.
🔥 Why ordinary Mexicans are begging Trump to intervene as cartels tighten their grip.
🔥 How the invasion backfired, exposing weakness in Mexico and the media, while accelerating cartel downfall.
This is the fight the mainstream won’t cover: Cartel chaos vs. Trump’s America First crackdown.
Outstanding article Justin! You nailed the most critical issues and the pandering to everyone’s emotions regarding illegal aliens , is sad if not comical.
If a good and fair parent can answer the question: who should be in charge of your child’s gender, you or the school system or state ? I think we will find more like minded souls in our community.
But hating DJT so much seems to have blinded the Dems from all reason. As a paying citizen I am tired of my hard earned tax dollars going to whatever whim our City Council decides by their emotions. So over it.
Thank you for this article
When will the constitution, our rights, and self ownership be upheld, honored, and respected in California? The answer is; when the Democrats are removed from power in California!
First step - at least break up their super-majority status in Sacramento. We start by getting rid of both Monique Limon and Gregg Hart.
" . . . break up their super-majority status in Sacramento . ." How?! How?! How! ??
Need to identity the problem first, name names. Get rid of Monique Limon and Gregg Hart. Make it personal. Give them name recognition as sponsors for the growing problems we now face in this state. "Voting present" does not relieve them of personal accountability for this current one-party mess.
Then build the case why this one-party Democrat supermajority has so badly failed this state and our local community. Talk it up. We cannot ingore this cynical part of "election reform" that was gamed 100% by the Democrats over the past 20 years.
Even if we cannot win a real majority, breaking up super-majority provides some limited relief from the current supermajority excesses.
Once they got to SUPER-MAJORITY STATUS, they got to officially side step the voters and play by their own insider game rules. Even RINO Schwarzenegger in on the team to tame these past two decades of out of control Democrats .
Slay super-majority status and know why this is so critical. Which may first require supporting candidates outside our own districts who have the best chance to beat this down. Make breaking up the current state super-majority a critical task for 2026 elections.
" . . . when the Democrats are removed from power in California! . ." Yeah - when hell freezes over.
One step at a time -break up the Democrat super-majority status first -that task is a lot easier to target. They have grown lazy, fat and arrogant on supermajority status is Sacramento. They have made many mistakes because of this. Nail them.
There are so many good issues raised by the article; however, I will limit my comments to the following.
The major and most important constituency for the Progressives are the people who are dependent on the government. This explains why Progressives will never do anything which would reduce the size of this constituency but instead will always do things which will increase its size.
Berney
Thank you just for pointing out the obvious that the Democrats are making the same mistakes over and over again. Usually people learn from their mistakes and try to change and improve. I guess this is the only playbook they have and figure it worked under the demented one,why won't it work now???.
The light is being shined on the corruption ,the Dems ratings are diving deeper and deeper and they have no policies or forward thinking except hate and fight Trump. It pretty obvious what the end of this story will be.
" . . obvious what the end of this story will be. . ." - Yeah . . what? As long as voters are as stupid as they are, the Commie-Dems will prevail.