Crossing Capone
Regarding Brian Campbell’s piece on the “Affordable Housing Crises.” Ever seen the old movie “The Untouchables” starring Kevin Costner and Sean Connery?
There is a scene where they are about to do their first raid.
A young inexperienced Elliott Ness (Costner) says to the older battle weary Chicago Police Department Sgt Malone (Connery): “That’s it? It’s just behind this door?”
Sgt Malone: “Mr Ness, everybody knows where the booze is. The question is who has the balls to cross Capone? You step through that door, there is no going back.”
Just like in the movie, in real life, ask any builder: we all know how to build affordable homes. The question is, “Who has the balls to cross Capone?”
Make no mistake, the Democrat power brokers who have a stranglehold in California are the “Capones” of our time.
These boys play for keeps and will fight to the death to protect their gravy train.
If the people were ever to wise up and realize that the reason we can’t have “nice things” is government... they’d all be run out of town on a rail.
You want affordable housing? Easy peasy: first of all, You don’t build here!
You take a large parcel of land inland or up the coast, use state resources to establish base infrastructure like roads, water, and electricity.
Cut down all the trees, establish a defensible fire break, and call the new town something like “Pacific Oaks.”
Remove all unnecessary regulatory expenses and build. Build Starter Homes that sell for under $300K, rentals for $1K/month!
Young families will move there in droves to take advantage of the American Dream.
Schools will quickly be established, businesses will move there to serve the fledgling upstart town. More businesses will move there to take advantage of the opportunity to get into the area on the ground floor.
In 40 years, the established town will start claiming an “affordability crisis!”
Rinse. Lather. Repeat.
But first, someone has to cross Capone.
Eric Gordon
Santa Barbara
The Centuries-old Never-ending Housing “Crises”
For over 60 years, my family and I have been supplying homes to Santa Barbara residents. We make a point of being just a little lower than others in the area. Owning property is a peril when you have Big Government always wanting more money to tax and spend. It is easy for Santa Barbara Current to look in and criticize... but over the years, we have had walls destroyed, windows broken, and lots of rent stolen from us by people who refuse to pay and skip out on us.
Get it Santa Barbara: CurRENT?
Jim Delmonte
Santa Barbara
(Editor’s note: Neither Brian Campbell nor SBCurrent was criticizing mom-and-pop landlords or even landlords in general. Mr. Campbell was suggesting that the problem lie in government, not landlords. – J.B.)
The Prop 1 “Veterans” Bond Scam
James Fenkner couldn’t be more right about this proposition. On the federal level there is a humongous amount of fraud in veterans programs and benefits. The latest is veteran disability benefits. There has been a huge increase in these disability payments in the last 10 years. They are meant for veterans who have suffered grievous injuries in war. However, nowadays veterans are getting benefits for migraine headaches, dermatitis, and other minor ailments. Some are getting 100% disability for common ailments even though these are meant for veterans who have had legs amputated or some other major injury from active combat.
I know one guy in his 70s who had early stage prostate cancer that was entirely cured. He claimed he got it over 55 years ago because of exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. I see him time from time after he finishes a round of golf. He managed to get Carbajal’s office to go to bat for him and believe it or not was able to qualify for 100% disability. This amounts to over $4,000 a month tax free and he also qualifies for significant property tax breaks in California. I should mention he is a minister and writes about his faith for one of the online newspapers in Santa Barbara.
Jon Stewart , the comedian, lobbied for a law that made it much easier for some veterans to bamboozle the govt with these nonsense claims, and now we have almost 40% of veterans receiving disability benefits for a budget of over $441 billion.
Lou Segal
Santa Barbara
(Editor’s note: Lou, the “Disability” Scam is universal now. Way too many policemen, firemen, and civil “servants” seem to have found a way to be labeled “disabled” and thereby receive enhanced benefits, especially after retirement. The “overtime” scam is another particularly egregious con, as – thanks to collusion between Democrat lawmakers and union bosses – overtime is included in the last years as “salary” and retirement income is then based upon salary plus overtime, putting a definite strain on all taxpayers. Which, in case you haven’t noticed, requires raising taxes regularly to pay for those benefits. – J.B.)
Living the Santa Barbara Dream
This morning between 6:45 am and now, 8:33 am, three families have asked me:
“Is Santa Barbara always this bad?”
“We’re on the way to Reunion Cafe & playground; this is horrible.”
“Who is in charge of your parks? Who do you call?”
I replied that there’s no leadership in Santa Barbara, that the rep is MIA, and no paid staff has stepped in. Our Santa Barbara Police Department gives her deputies Stand Down orders, or so they tell me. The Park Rangers are in hiding: I can show you where they camp out. The Park’s Director is an “Anything Goes, Waste Money Bureaucrat.”
How shameful there is no leadership. Guests pay a premium to bring their families here. Fingers crossed someone will do something.
Chase Palm Park needs signage and hourly enforcement. Install cameras.
Denice S Adams
Montecito
We Are All on Welfare Now
This was sent to me from my Republican friend who sent this letter to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. He asked me to forward it to anyone on Social Security and asked everyone to forward it to their friends.
“Speaker Mike Johnson this is for you:
‘Concerning Social Security payments, my contributions were made for over 50 years on every salary I received. The Social Security check is now (or soon will be) referred to as a “Federal Benefit Payment?”
“I am forwarding it because it touches a nerve in me, and I hope it will in you. Please keep passing it on until everyone in our country has read it.
“The government is now referring to our Social Security checks as a ‘Federal Benefit Payment.’ This isn’t a benefit. It is our money paid out of our earned income! Not only did we all contribute to Social Security, but our employers did too. It totaled 15% of our income before taxes.
“Congress took our money and used it elsewhere. They forgot (oh yes, they knew) that it was our money they were taking. They didn’t have a referendum to ask us if we wanted to lend the money to them. And they didn’t pay interest on the debt they assumed. And recently they’ve told us that the money won’t support us for very much longer. And now, to add insult to injury, they’re calling it a ‘benefit,’ as if we never worked to earn every penny of it.
“Just because they borrowed the money doesn’t mean that our investments were a charity.
“Let’s take a stand. We have earned our right to Social Security and Medicare. Demand that our legislators bring some sense into our government.
“Find a way to keep Social Security and Medicare going for the sake of that 92% of our population who need it. Then call it what it is: Our Earned Retirement Income.”
Ronald Hays
Santa Barbara
Re: Brian Campbell’s Renter vs. Owner:
Great idea regarding contacting clerk@SantaBarbaraCA.gov.
Long ago a family-friendly extension of Fiesta for the kiddies was set up at MacKenzie Park. This included Pony rides, a petting zoo with real animals, young dancers, and other old-fashioned exhibits. That disappeared long ago to make way for the modern “fair” with all its overpriced rides, noise, and junk food. It is very sad indeed that the “old traditions” were thrown out in favor of the modern day “commercial fair” with nothing representative of “Fiesta day.”
Thank you Brian!
Peggy Wilson
Santa Barbara
Democrats and Public Sector Unions Destroying California
Great article by Andy Caldwell. This is the problem when it becomes one-party rule. It becomes a system of no checks and balances. People refuse to see their own hypocrisy and the damage they inflict on us all by letting their TDS not just cloud their judgement, but eclipse their whole sense of right and wrong.
The bigger takeaway from Andy’s article is that they have taken away our chance of getting someone in charge of our schools (via fiat) that could actually start to reform them by taking power away from the teachers union. The fact that the governor’s choice must be confirmed by the Senate also means that if even Steve Hilton were to be elected as governor, his appointee would never be confirmed.
Therefore, we may never see reform in our school system here in California and therefore we will continue to turn out brain dead libtards. California has such a dark road ahead.
Brian MacIsaac
Santa Barbara
(Editor’s note: Good thinking, Mr. MacIsaac. Here’s another one: work to convince Steve Hilton – should he be elected Governor – to appoint Christy Lozano as California State Superintendent of Schools. Then we could begin to see some real changes! – J.B.)
In Search of a Solution to California’s One-Party State
Are there any solutions that can be employed to address these issues following Andy’s lucid commentary and the discussions below, when we Republicans have no levers of power in the state and local governments of California?
Even if a Republican wins the governorship, his power will be limited by the absolute power Democrats have in the two houses of government. And, when Democrat party registered voters have a two to one majority over Republican voters.
There is a solution somewhere out there, but it needs to be identified and pursued with greater dedication, intelligence, and strength, by a new group of visible Republican party members dedicated to recruiting new Republicans to fight the good fight until they are successful.
Action is what is needed
Derek Hanley
Santa Barbara
(Editor’s note: A little optimism is in order here, Mr. Hanley. When you get so low that you can see the sky over the gutter, only then will you begin to see the light. After more than half a century of deterioration, even San Francisco is on the mend, so don’t give up hope. – J.B.)
Re: A Nation of Laws, Not Men
The first few paragraphs of Andy Calwell’s column are a good reminder of why we revolted against our last king. How did you not find space to enumerate wannabe king President Trump‘s violation of the Constitution and business law, and pardoning thousands of violent insurrectionists and common criminals while continuing to waste time and taxpayer money with his fraudulent claims about the 2020 election?
Thomas Kirwin III
Santa Barbara
(Editor’s note: I’m not aware of any “violation of the Constitution” made by President Trump. As for his pardoning of most of the innocents caught up in the January 6 web of Democrat Party outrage, they would certainly qualify as “mostly peaceful” protestors, unlike those involved in the barrage of destruction and death perpetrated by Antifa and other less than peaceful agitators. Oh, and there are millions of us who also believe the 2020 election was stolen. – J.B.)
Re: New California Muslim State Holidays
There is no “multiculturalism” in Islam. If one is not with them, one is considered an infidel and subject to the ultimate penalty. In general, we’ve been hearing what they want to do to the United States, the chant is “Death to America,” and yet California is catering? I might add that not all people from the Middle East or Africa, or across our world at large, are Islamic. Not all Islamic people are radicals. We have seen what the radicals do and have done recently and throughout history. Take a lesson. This is not about diversity and inclusion and all the Liberal-Leftist propaganda, this is about the life of our nation and its people. Pay attention to what’s happening in Nigeria, and what has happened and is happening in Europe and the UK.
Paula F
A Californian who has lived in the Middle East
(Editor’s note: Sadly, many European countries have already passed the point of no return. “Leaders” in Sweden, Germany, Holland, France, Spain, and other places, have “invited” so many young, mostly male, Muslim “asylum seekers,” and then followed up by allowing them to bring in their extended families, that they are swallowing up what remains of the indigenous Christian population. – J.B.)
Community Calendar:
Got a Santa Barbara event for our community calendar? Fenkner@sbcurrent.com
How do we finally change Sacramento? Start small and locally, by not re-electing Democrat party clones Gregg Hart and Monique Limon.
"Term-limits" resulted in Democrat party clones like Hart and Limon being handed their Democrat party marching orders, as soon as they arrive in Sacramento. And those same Democrat party marching orders simply get handed over to the next crop of "term -limited" Democrat party clones.
Break the cycle. No more Democrat party clones elected to anything, including the new DSA crop of city council candidates. (1) Independence, (2) experience, (3) accountability and (4) integrity remain the primary criteria that should matter when casting our own votes.
If there is a (D) by their names today, they are already lacking in all four of the above. Term-limits were not intended to be a revolving door for an endless stream of more Democrat party clones. But that is where we are today. The state is now drowning under the weight of this Democrat party election process perversion.
Lessons learned. It is not a risk to vote out Democrat party clones; it is a necessity .
"...work to convince Steve Hilton – should he be elected Governor – to appoint ChristyLozano as California State Superintendent of Schools. Then we could begin to see some real changes!"
Not gonna happen,
The Democrat mob bosses are already one step ahead of us to thwart that possibility.
Thinking there was a slim possibility that a conservative might squeeze into control of our school system, Newsome neutered the position entirely just a few weeks ago ahead of the midterms.
The State superintendent will no longer manage California schools under the deal Newsom cut with the Legislature.
It's really impossible to state emphatically enough that we are dealing with an organized crime syndicate, a "cartel" if you will, that has taken over the state of California.
Christy Lozano never stood a chance. They actually passed a law that prohibits anyone except the incumbent, Susan Salcedo, (incompetent hack lackey for the Democrat mob bosses) from being able to run for that public office.
Similar to me passing a law that says to run for the position I now hold: your name must be Eric Gordon and you must have brown eyes and brown hair stand 5'11" and been born and raised in Virginia to parents who emigrated here from Russia.
If anyone wants to register any complaints, I'll be in my office to listen to my constituents' complaints between 1:30AM-1:33AM every April 31st and September 31st!
https://edsource.org/2026/california-education-governance-reform-3/761057