I couldn't even finish reading the article because I am so disgusted by the Santa Barbara City counsel. It does not surprise me. I was born and raised here for 52 years and the state Santa Barbara is in is alarming. This used to be a family oriented, touristy town but no longer. I have never seen the emptiness at paseo Nuevo or on State Street the way it is now. And those stupid bike lanes that were put in, where you have to go around the block is ridiculous. And I have not seen one bike rider ever utilizing those bike lanes in those neighborhoods.
Thank you Bonnie!! I absolutely agree! An audit should be done to see where money is being allocated and exactly what it's spent on. Our public library looks a travesty! They took parking to put in bike lanes that were not necessary. How much did that cost? State Street has never been more empty. This is Santa Barbara!! My home, the city I will never leave and it is a dam shame.
Elizabeth, can you start your audit by getting people to drop off a letter of protest against the trash rate increase? You do know there is also a water increase coming along with a 25% decrease in water used?
Great article, thank you for informing us our local govt is incompetent, inefficient, and fiscally irresponsible.
After speaking to a fellow middle of the road, common sense, check book balancing person I found out they were unaware of anything going on.
I asked if they had their head buried in the sand.
They replied no one talks about this stuff. It’s always Dem talking points through their rose colored glasses that everything is good. The only negative things discussed are anti Trump comments.
No one discusses the homeless, tenant/landlord issues, govt lawsuits, trash rate hikes, water rate hikes, tax increases…
This is by design. If people are unaware they don’t fight the abuse.
Others are part of the cult, they may admit things are not good but they will never deviate.
The Dem Voter and non voter are responsible. both groups are ignorant. Ignorance is bliss. What they don’t know won’t hurt them.
But you are to blame for their ignorance. .
We are here because those in the know choose to vent on social media sporadically but refuse to speak up to family, friends, coworkers, etc…
They choose to allow our town to spiral downward. They choose to not comment on social media and hide.
We need to speak up, do not shy from those conversations. Be informed and have calm honest conversations.
Forums like this are great, but you, yes you, need to talk about these articles to your sphere. Point them here to read for themselves if you are not comfortable having a real conversation.
And one conversation on one topic is not enough. You need to live it, breathe it, talk regularly. With honesty and love, and never shy away.
Why is it ok for the lefty’s to make you uncomfortable, but you are not allowed to speak up? Is that a friend? Is that a true loved one? Or are you just a slave, a servant to those around you doing as you are told? This
Good point about no one talks. The Council and BOS count on the average person will not log into each agenda. Gov. speak is too often boring and sleep inducing. Good catch.
Bonnie-I always appreciate your informative posts. I also dread reading them because I know that you will provide documentation of the inept and corrupt leadership of our city.
Re Anacapa between Haley and Gutierrez, yay!! It's about time. To drive back home after shopping at REI anybody living NE of REI had to take a left on Gutierrez (obvi), cross State St, take a right on Chapala, another right on Haley, and cross State again.
Regarding all the funding and defunding, when is the City going to fund the Ortega Park renovation, specifically the pool? In this context, a couple of years ago I asked Kristen Sneddon about Measure C funds. I understand that Measure C funds, at least in part, are being spent on the State Street debacle? Enquiring minds want to know...
Bonnie we know you know of other cuts coming from Sacramento that is going to add significant heart attacks to the current City Council, and its spendthrift madness.
You mentioned the Golf Course, I doubt that the readers know CAB proposed to the County Association of Governments an alternative to MTD. Elimination of that badly run, massively expensive semi-independent government agency would be another great example of Government is not the answer and how taxpayers can benefit. Example ... Before COVID the downtown shuttle failed so the answer was buy electric air conditioned buses and the people/shoppers would flock to them. That also failed. (oh did I mention most of that failure was called "The Last Mile" ironic isn't it.
The ongoing and expanding costs of government cannot continue.
Multi-generation families know the issues of housing and cost in Santa Barbara going back decades. The government answer to have Mayberry RFD in one of the 6-7 locations in the entire world that has weather and views is fools effort.
The most recent public outrage is Vision Zero that Los Angeles has proven to fail for 15 years, the ongoing outrage of now well over 20 year failure of bikes as removing cars from the streets, and then the really stupid (excuse me, not intelligent) inane (yep Mom taught languages) 15 minute city without personal cars.
Nicely done.
(oh and if the reader wants to attend the CAB monthly meeting send us an email for an invite)
Bullseye Bonnie! The City of Santa Barbara is totally mismanaged decade after decade by a Council Majority with second or third grade math proficiency. Currently, four reps are deaf with no desire to learn, only to wastefully spend and then raise fees (water is survival so what’s with the City’s 40% increase?)
How do we get Council to act responsibly? An ignored example where we taxpayers are on the hook: City of Santa Barbara’s unfunded pension liability. It was reported at $344.5 million in 2021, according to Noozhawk. A 2021 the Santa Barbara County Civil Grand Jury report cited a slightly higher figure of $386 million for the city’s pension systems.
In 2013, the city’s unfunded pension liability was reported at $226.3 million. Our Taxpayer contingent liability continues to increase. (The city participates in CalPERS.)
The 2018 Santa Barbara County Grand Jury report noted that rising pension costs could force the city to reduce services or raise taxes to maintain solvency. This 2018 GJ Report also highlighted that the pension system, for police and fire employees, has a high “solvency risk” due to unfunded liabilities. “The city needs to renegotiate labor contracts or adjust contributions, as it did in 2010 when police officers began contributing 2.266% to their pensions.”The latest recommendation was for a 9% Officer contribution.
How much do we in private sector contribute toward our pensions? A matching amount with our employer?!? Or if self-employed the entire amount.
There are many protections for them, none for local taxpayers. Courts have historically upheld the priority of CA pension obligations (like the bankruptcies of Vallejo, Stockton, and San Bernardino, where CalPERS pensions were largely preserved.)
Ms. Donovan, thank you for your article. If all your figures and facts are correct, ( I have no information to think otherwise), I applaud you for your efforts in letting us tax payers becoming aware of a rather badly run local government. More power to you for your continued exposures, particularly the exorbitant salaries the county workers receive.
Terrific article, Bonnie. Someone might remind the Council majority that Santa Barbara is not in the real estate business. City's are obligated to maintain infrastructure, support public safety (fire, police), maintain public spaces (libraries and parks), and preparedness for extraordinary events (fire, flood, earthquake). A healthy surplus funds the latter as well as the lean years.
Unless it's designated senior or disabled housing, all others be allotted a sunset rental agreement, say 5 years. Ample time to assume responsibility over one's life. As a single mom living in ucsb's "oldmarried housing" on Storke, I knew that upon graduation that I would be required to give up the apartment. Public Housing isn't homesteading.
Thank you Bonnie. The Housing Authority and various homeless services are BUSINESSES. They get their money from intimating elected officials into compliance knowing that they have convinced the voters what they do is a necessary benefit.
These officials don’t want to admit that the money they have spent to destroy our main commercial corridor has been an utter failure. These are mostly small minded ideologues who, with union backing tyrannically rule our City.
Bonnie this is a very informative and also frightening article.
The city is running headlong into insolvency. Contracting out city responsibilities is one way to reduce costs. But, the root causes of this mess are, the voting system and incompetence of the members of the city council, and and a pay & benefits system that rewards failure among the people who who run the organization. How to solve those issues is the question.
Marborg also sends incomplete and confusing notices to its customers. For example, the are now going to charge extra for houses where the garbage isn't wheeled to the curb. They say on the notice that if you switch to cans with wheels you will receive a 35 gallon can for yard waste. However, they fail to inform these customers that they charge the same amount for a 65 gallon can. How many of their customers have 35 gallon cans when they could have the larger can for the same price because they weren't informed of this? Maybe it's time we end the monopoly that Marborg has in Santa Barbara.
Once again, Bonnie, you have done an excellent job of bringing to light the repulsive workings of our city's "leaders". Hopefully more and more will recognize the scam that is being perpetrated
upon the citizens of Santa Barbara before it's too late to stop our town from complete destruction.
As long as the Commie-Dems keep enticing illegal aliens to flood into our beautiful country, of course manufactured ADU's are the answer - but not in our backyards! They belong out in the boonies where land is available.
I couldn't even finish reading the article because I am so disgusted by the Santa Barbara City counsel. It does not surprise me. I was born and raised here for 52 years and the state Santa Barbara is in is alarming. This used to be a family oriented, touristy town but no longer. I have never seen the emptiness at paseo Nuevo or on State Street the way it is now. And those stupid bike lanes that were put in, where you have to go around the block is ridiculous. And I have not seen one bike rider ever utilizing those bike lanes in those neighborhoods.
Even if it takes 10 revisits to finish the column, please read to the end.
Thank you Bonnie!! I absolutely agree! An audit should be done to see where money is being allocated and exactly what it's spent on. Our public library looks a travesty! They took parking to put in bike lanes that were not necessary. How much did that cost? State Street has never been more empty. This is Santa Barbara!! My home, the city I will never leave and it is a dam shame.
Elizabeth, can you start your audit by getting people to drop off a letter of protest against the trash rate increase? You do know there is also a water increase coming along with a 25% decrease in water used?
I am not aware of that. That is nuts. I am starting to listen more to local politics rather than national.
Great article, thank you for informing us our local govt is incompetent, inefficient, and fiscally irresponsible.
After speaking to a fellow middle of the road, common sense, check book balancing person I found out they were unaware of anything going on.
I asked if they had their head buried in the sand.
They replied no one talks about this stuff. It’s always Dem talking points through their rose colored glasses that everything is good. The only negative things discussed are anti Trump comments.
No one discusses the homeless, tenant/landlord issues, govt lawsuits, trash rate hikes, water rate hikes, tax increases…
This is by design. If people are unaware they don’t fight the abuse.
Others are part of the cult, they may admit things are not good but they will never deviate.
The Dem Voter and non voter are responsible. both groups are ignorant. Ignorance is bliss. What they don’t know won’t hurt them.
But you are to blame for their ignorance. .
We are here because those in the know choose to vent on social media sporadically but refuse to speak up to family, friends, coworkers, etc…
They choose to allow our town to spiral downward. They choose to not comment on social media and hide.
We need to speak up, do not shy from those conversations. Be informed and have calm honest conversations.
Forums like this are great, but you, yes you, need to talk about these articles to your sphere. Point them here to read for themselves if you are not comfortable having a real conversation.
And one conversation on one topic is not enough. You need to live it, breathe it, talk regularly. With honesty and love, and never shy away.
Why is it ok for the lefty’s to make you uncomfortable, but you are not allowed to speak up? Is that a friend? Is that a true loved one? Or are you just a slave, a servant to those around you doing as you are told? This
Don’t be a slave to the left.
Good point about no one talks. The Council and BOS count on the average person will not log into each agenda. Gov. speak is too often boring and sleep inducing. Good catch.
Bonnie-I always appreciate your informative posts. I also dread reading them because I know that you will provide documentation of the inept and corrupt leadership of our city.
Our electorate is made up of uninformed morons.
What does that tell ya dear heart . . . that the City can rely on most people being just plain _stupid_!
Well done, Bonnie!
Re Anacapa between Haley and Gutierrez, yay!! It's about time. To drive back home after shopping at REI anybody living NE of REI had to take a left on Gutierrez (obvi), cross State St, take a right on Chapala, another right on Haley, and cross State again.
Regarding all the funding and defunding, when is the City going to fund the Ortega Park renovation, specifically the pool? In this context, a couple of years ago I asked Kristen Sneddon about Measure C funds. I understand that Measure C funds, at least in part, are being spent on the State Street debacle? Enquiring minds want to know...
Bonnie we know you know of other cuts coming from Sacramento that is going to add significant heart attacks to the current City Council, and its spendthrift madness.
You mentioned the Golf Course, I doubt that the readers know CAB proposed to the County Association of Governments an alternative to MTD. Elimination of that badly run, massively expensive semi-independent government agency would be another great example of Government is not the answer and how taxpayers can benefit. Example ... Before COVID the downtown shuttle failed so the answer was buy electric air conditioned buses and the people/shoppers would flock to them. That also failed. (oh did I mention most of that failure was called "The Last Mile" ironic isn't it.
The ongoing and expanding costs of government cannot continue.
Multi-generation families know the issues of housing and cost in Santa Barbara going back decades. The government answer to have Mayberry RFD in one of the 6-7 locations in the entire world that has weather and views is fools effort.
The most recent public outrage is Vision Zero that Los Angeles has proven to fail for 15 years, the ongoing outrage of now well over 20 year failure of bikes as removing cars from the streets, and then the really stupid (excuse me, not intelligent) inane (yep Mom taught languages) 15 minute city without personal cars.
Nicely done.
(oh and if the reader wants to attend the CAB monthly meeting send us an email for an invite)
We need a Trump type to blow into town, take over and kick some ass! The whole City gig is getting out of hand!
Bullseye Bonnie! The City of Santa Barbara is totally mismanaged decade after decade by a Council Majority with second or third grade math proficiency. Currently, four reps are deaf with no desire to learn, only to wastefully spend and then raise fees (water is survival so what’s with the City’s 40% increase?)
How do we get Council to act responsibly? An ignored example where we taxpayers are on the hook: City of Santa Barbara’s unfunded pension liability. It was reported at $344.5 million in 2021, according to Noozhawk. A 2021 the Santa Barbara County Civil Grand Jury report cited a slightly higher figure of $386 million for the city’s pension systems.
In 2013, the city’s unfunded pension liability was reported at $226.3 million. Our Taxpayer contingent liability continues to increase. (The city participates in CalPERS.)
The 2018 Santa Barbara County Grand Jury report noted that rising pension costs could force the city to reduce services or raise taxes to maintain solvency. This 2018 GJ Report also highlighted that the pension system, for police and fire employees, has a high “solvency risk” due to unfunded liabilities. “The city needs to renegotiate labor contracts or adjust contributions, as it did in 2010 when police officers began contributing 2.266% to their pensions.”The latest recommendation was for a 9% Officer contribution.
How much do we in private sector contribute toward our pensions? A matching amount with our employer?!? Or if self-employed the entire amount.
There are many protections for them, none for local taxpayers. Courts have historically upheld the priority of CA pension obligations (like the bankruptcies of Vallejo, Stockton, and San Bernardino, where CalPERS pensions were largely preserved.)
How is Sneddon “personally is pulling down a quarter of a million dollars a year in total taxpayer compensation”?
https://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/2023/santa-barbara-county/christopher-sneddon/
Ms. Donovan, thank you for your article. If all your figures and facts are correct, ( I have no information to think otherwise), I applaud you for your efforts in letting us tax payers becoming aware of a rather badly run local government. More power to you for your continued exposures, particularly the exorbitant salaries the county workers receive.
Seriously, God help us all
Terrific article, Bonnie. Someone might remind the Council majority that Santa Barbara is not in the real estate business. City's are obligated to maintain infrastructure, support public safety (fire, police), maintain public spaces (libraries and parks), and preparedness for extraordinary events (fire, flood, earthquake). A healthy surplus funds the latter as well as the lean years.
Unless it's designated senior or disabled housing, all others be allotted a sunset rental agreement, say 5 years. Ample time to assume responsibility over one's life. As a single mom living in ucsb's "oldmarried housing" on Storke, I knew that upon graduation that I would be required to give up the apartment. Public Housing isn't homesteading.
Thank you Bonnie. The Housing Authority and various homeless services are BUSINESSES. They get their money from intimating elected officials into compliance knowing that they have convinced the voters what they do is a necessary benefit.
These officials don’t want to admit that the money they have spent to destroy our main commercial corridor has been an utter failure. These are mostly small minded ideologues who, with union backing tyrannically rule our City.
Bonnie this is a very informative and also frightening article.
The city is running headlong into insolvency. Contracting out city responsibilities is one way to reduce costs. But, the root causes of this mess are, the voting system and incompetence of the members of the city council, and and a pay & benefits system that rewards failure among the people who who run the organization. How to solve those issues is the question.
City, county salaries/ pensions Santa Barbara ....
.https://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/2023/santa-barbara/
https://transparentcalifornia.com/pensions/all/
Thanks for following up!!!
Marborg also sends incomplete and confusing notices to its customers. For example, the are now going to charge extra for houses where the garbage isn't wheeled to the curb. They say on the notice that if you switch to cans with wheels you will receive a 35 gallon can for yard waste. However, they fail to inform these customers that they charge the same amount for a 65 gallon can. How many of their customers have 35 gallon cans when they could have the larger can for the same price because they weren't informed of this? Maybe it's time we end the monopoly that Marborg has in Santa Barbara.
Once again, Bonnie, you have done an excellent job of bringing to light the repulsive workings of our city's "leaders". Hopefully more and more will recognize the scam that is being perpetrated
upon the citizens of Santa Barbara before it's too late to stop our town from complete destruction.
As long as the Commie-Dems keep enticing illegal aliens to flood into our beautiful country, of course manufactured ADU's are the answer - but not in our backyards! They belong out in the boonies where land is available.