To Randall Forsyth: I don't think of SB Current as a Conservative publication. I personally wouldn't bother reading or commenting here if it were. I'm not interested in partisan pieces about Santa Barbara - we have enough of that with the Independent and Jerry Roberts. The News-Press was really uninteresting to me because of its Republican take on everything. What I like about the local coverage by Bonnie Donovan, Henry Schulte, Celeste Barber and other SB Current writers is that it's not partisan, it's about cutting through the bs we're being fed by our local media. And it's the best coverage in this county written by people who get the facts to us. I'm grateful for it.
I do agree with you about some of the national political coverage here. There's enough of it in national publications for me to read. But national politics affect our local politics - and the pieces that combine the two are terrific.
When so much of local politics today are controlled by federal funding and large national public employee agendas, it is hard to even talk about truly local issues without running into the national agenda brick walls. Good start is to investigate what exactly is going on with the increasing tentacles in our community emanating from the “Community Environmental Center”.
J., you are one of the best contributors to SB Current because in addition to being able to spot and explain those tentacles, you have a terrific grasp of history.
The next SB Republican candidate seeking to be mayor should define a sidekick like Elon to investigate cost reductions (firings), corruption (stealing money) and spending money on things not connected with common sense (and no "pet" projects). Definitely need someone to focus on productivity. If someone isn't productive, then out the door. Doesn't matter who it is. There was virtually no observable city worker activity when I was living in SB. And I complained a lot, still nothing done.
Do as the winners do like Trump and Elon. In essence, emulate the winners in the Federal government and apply the methods in the smaller city and county governments where the taxpayers feel it the most. I truly believe most of SB could be operated by volunteers.
Lynn Hogan> "A former employee was sentenced to prison Wednesday after pleading guilty to misappropriation of public funds, forgery and conspiracy, admitting to forging claim forms to take more than $2 million in Santa Barbara County Public Works Department funds."
This is just the Tip of the Corrupt Iceberg in SB Folks.
COME ON DOJ MAKE THE ACCOUNCEMENT!
TRANSPARENT AG PAM BONDI IS GOING TO TAKE A CLOSE LOOK-SEE-HERE
Howard Walther, Member of a Military Family
PS1 - News Release White House Trump On Transparency & Accountability>
"RESTORING DEMOCRACY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN GOVERNMENT: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order ensuring that all federal agencies are accountable to the American people, as required by the Constitution. Under this Executive Order:"
If Trump and Elon have simply taught us one lesson, then it would be where there's money there are people willing to successfully figure out how to steal it. Such as developing stupid concept "money buckets" for future personal retirement slush funds. My bucket is titled, "Snowshoes for Penguins Living in Bolivia." I've accumulated $1, but I have hope for more.
Pete, I have a new respect for the ceaseless challenges offered our supervisors. I used to be one of those gadflies but I have now been enlightened. Truly amazing is that supervisors think about their jobs in the shower. Imagine that. Only a government employee could be so charitable with their time to think about their job in the shower. In my little attempt to be so inspired I was thinking about this while on the toilet. Perhaps the supervisors should model their salaries against the lowest rather than the highest paid supervisors. This would show that the supervisors seek to serve the county rather than themselves.
When will taxpayers be afforded the transparency of our elected officials present and past? Yes, that’s right, we need DOGE to audit our County and City spending and show where our tax dollars have gone. Why do we find ourselves virtually broke after paying all these taxes over the years? Why are county and city salaries out of control? Unfunded pension liabilities…why? Where and how has the Bond money which voters approved, gone? We need to know where and how the local Democratic Party and the SEIU has accessed our County and City tax dollars as their own personal piggybank. How much has been spent on DEI and climate activism? Time to open the books and let the chips fall where they may. Open transparency now!
Quid pro quo: offer any future supervisor compensation raise based upon a clear formula, but in exchange relinquish all government pension benefits for time serving as an elected public official. Include any increases in taxpayer funded health care benefits now included in the supervisor total compensation package, as part of any annual “raise”.
Great letters. I like the idea of making Supervisor a full time job and not allowing outside work. Too many times members of the BOS & City Council show up without reading or performing any background research on topics, despite having staff helping them.
It appears some just show up for the paycheck and vote with the crowd.
That’s not working for the people, that is “working” for the pay check solely
Yes Brian, part time city government jobs should only receive a pittance for performing small stuff that requires no special talent. These people appear for voting and then go off to their full-time jobs. During my younger days, someone performing this type of duty would probably do it for nothing. Man, have times changed! Talk about greed.
Former Supervisors Mike Stoker and Peter Adam do not understand economics. The county is on a crash course to bankruptcy. We cannot afford to give anybody receiving a paycheck on the backs of the taxpayers a raise! What I want to see is a courageous leader to implement a county DOGE commission.
Vance might be OK for taking Trump's spot in four years. And then one of the older Trump kids.
Down the road, I believe Barron Trump being refined for the Pres. job. Later I believe X Musk might someday fill the spot. Following Trump, businesspeople will more likely be sought out to run for President.
Incentive and pain. Or, more poetically, carrot and stick. Human nature, here clothed in a discussion of public employment, compensation and unfunded budgets, is very predictable: animated by a baser engine fueled with avarice and self interest. Collect these individual impulses into a public service employees union whose mission is to multiply the carrots and eliminate the sticks and you have a recipe for bankrupting government. Until the presence and influence of service unions is more deeply questioned—dare I suggest eliminated—will public enterprise (read: local, state & federal government) regain the ability to balance its core functions with its actual resources.
Thank you for writing. Upcoming elections in Germany will no doubt affect the EU relationships in Europe, Russia, et al as well as America. I think that Vance, so far, has been a voice that we listen to for reason, logic and common sense. Let's see how Germany's election turns out for the powerhouse of Europe.
Vance derides "Childless cat ladies" and once suggested that people with kids should have more voting power than single people. Salud Carbajal constantly refers to "families", thus making his shared dismissal of single people without kids/families likewise obvious.
I know it's not cool to point this out, but people without families have enough on their plate being alone, but the obvious silent disdain pandering politicians of BOTH parties show for them certainly adds to their sense of alienation.
For the younger folks, there was this band back in the 1960's called the Beatles, and they (mainly the bass player) wrote a song called Eleanor Rigby that speaks to the isolation such people face, with the iconic line "all the lonely people, where do they all come from". For those who are not familiar with this iconic song, it's a must-listen.
Well done sir. The part about the two billion in unfunded debt was my argument as well. How can they ask for a raise when they are clearly failing at their jobs by running up this monstrous debt? IMO with that kind of debt foisted upon the public, the BOS need to be fired and replaced by competent, trained financial/business managers. But alas, we have a popularity contest for these very important positions and no real requirements. Thanks for your service.
To Randall Forsyth: I don't think of SB Current as a Conservative publication. I personally wouldn't bother reading or commenting here if it were. I'm not interested in partisan pieces about Santa Barbara - we have enough of that with the Independent and Jerry Roberts. The News-Press was really uninteresting to me because of its Republican take on everything. What I like about the local coverage by Bonnie Donovan, Henry Schulte, Celeste Barber and other SB Current writers is that it's not partisan, it's about cutting through the bs we're being fed by our local media. And it's the best coverage in this county written by people who get the facts to us. I'm grateful for it.
I do agree with you about some of the national political coverage here. There's enough of it in national publications for me to read. But national politics affect our local politics - and the pieces that combine the two are terrific.
When so much of local politics today are controlled by federal funding and large national public employee agendas, it is hard to even talk about truly local issues without running into the national agenda brick walls. Good start is to investigate what exactly is going on with the increasing tentacles in our community emanating from the “Community Environmental Center”.
J., you are one of the best contributors to SB Current because in addition to being able to spot and explain those tentacles, you have a terrific grasp of history.
Thank you.
The next SB Republican candidate seeking to be mayor should define a sidekick like Elon to investigate cost reductions (firings), corruption (stealing money) and spending money on things not connected with common sense (and no "pet" projects). Definitely need someone to focus on productivity. If someone isn't productive, then out the door. Doesn't matter who it is. There was virtually no observable city worker activity when I was living in SB. And I complained a lot, still nothing done.
I like this idea, Bill.
Do as the winners do like Trump and Elon. In essence, emulate the winners in the Federal government and apply the methods in the smaller city and county governments where the taxpayers feel it the most. I truly believe most of SB could be operated by volunteers.
I read the Letters to the Editor titled "I think We Drifted off Course"
Jim Buckley and I quote from one key statement>
"I'm just going to keep saying it: Santa Barbara needs a conservative
viewpoint on local news and issues, investigative reporting on the
crooks that are robbing us blind."
David Samuel McCalmont maybe does not know how Prophetic
his words are "Crooks that are Robbing us Blind"
The So-Called-Leaders of CALI and their Copy-Cat Counties (CCC)
destroy everything in their path. Salary Raises, Excessive Overtime,
Golden Parachutes, Misuse of Funds, Fraud, Theft and Bribery seems
to be the "Pattern of Practice" of CALI Leadership just like SB County shown below>
"Ex-County Employee Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling $2 Million in Public Works Funds"
https://www.noozhawk.com/ex_county_employee_sentenced_prison_embezzling_2m_public_work_funds/ See quote below> [SB DA did not find or catch Ms. Hogan]
Lynn Hogan> "A former employee was sentenced to prison Wednesday after pleading guilty to misappropriation of public funds, forgery and conspiracy, admitting to forging claim forms to take more than $2 million in Santa Barbara County Public Works Department funds."
This is just the Tip of the Corrupt Iceberg in SB Folks.
COME ON DOJ MAKE THE ACCOUNCEMENT!
TRANSPARENT AG PAM BONDI IS GOING TO TAKE A CLOSE LOOK-SEE-HERE
Howard Walther, Member of a Military Family
PS1 - News Release White House Trump On Transparency & Accountability>
https://tinyurl.com/ys6samvd Excerpt From Same Below>
"RESTORING DEMOCRACY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN GOVERNMENT: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order ensuring that all federal agencies are accountable to the American people, as required by the Constitution. Under this Executive Order:"
ENSURING A GOVERNMENT THAT ANSWERS TO THE PEOPLE:
If Trump and Elon have simply taught us one lesson, then it would be where there's money there are people willing to successfully figure out how to steal it. Such as developing stupid concept "money buckets" for future personal retirement slush funds. My bucket is titled, "Snowshoes for Penguins Living in Bolivia." I've accumulated $1, but I have hope for more.
😂😂😂
Bill you Semantical Beast. I thought that it was $5 Million for
"Studying the Tajikistan Yaks Hot Urination Patterns in the
Pamir Mountains to better understand Global Climate Change."
Complete with Music & Singing >>>>>
https://tinyurl.com/6fmps8su
😂😂😂
Pete, I have a new respect for the ceaseless challenges offered our supervisors. I used to be one of those gadflies but I have now been enlightened. Truly amazing is that supervisors think about their jobs in the shower. Imagine that. Only a government employee could be so charitable with their time to think about their job in the shower. In my little attempt to be so inspired I was thinking about this while on the toilet. Perhaps the supervisors should model their salaries against the lowest rather than the highest paid supervisors. This would show that the supervisors seek to serve the county rather than themselves.
Lol you're wicked today, Mr. Barton.
When will taxpayers be afforded the transparency of our elected officials present and past? Yes, that’s right, we need DOGE to audit our County and City spending and show where our tax dollars have gone. Why do we find ourselves virtually broke after paying all these taxes over the years? Why are county and city salaries out of control? Unfunded pension liabilities…why? Where and how has the Bond money which voters approved, gone? We need to know where and how the local Democratic Party and the SEIU has accessed our County and City tax dollars as their own personal piggybank. How much has been spent on DEI and climate activism? Time to open the books and let the chips fall where they may. Open transparency now!
Quid pro quo: offer any future supervisor compensation raise based upon a clear formula, but in exchange relinquish all government pension benefits for time serving as an elected public official. Include any increases in taxpayer funded health care benefits now included in the supervisor total compensation package, as part of any annual “raise”.
Great letters. I like the idea of making Supervisor a full time job and not allowing outside work. Too many times members of the BOS & City Council show up without reading or performing any background research on topics, despite having staff helping them.
It appears some just show up for the paycheck and vote with the crowd.
That’s not working for the people, that is “working” for the pay check solely
Yes Brian, part time city government jobs should only receive a pittance for performing small stuff that requires no special talent. These people appear for voting and then go off to their full-time jobs. During my younger days, someone performing this type of duty would probably do it for nothing. Man, have times changed! Talk about greed.
Former Supervisors Mike Stoker and Peter Adam do not understand economics. The county is on a crash course to bankruptcy. We cannot afford to give anybody receiving a paycheck on the backs of the taxpayers a raise! What I want to see is a courageous leader to implement a county DOGE commission.
Vance might be OK for taking Trump's spot in four years. And then one of the older Trump kids.
Down the road, I believe Barron Trump being refined for the Pres. job. Later I believe X Musk might someday fill the spot. Following Trump, businesspeople will more likely be sought out to run for President.
I predict that in that line-up Tulsi Gabbard is in the plan as the first female President. After Vance I & 2, and before Baron.
Incentive and pain. Or, more poetically, carrot and stick. Human nature, here clothed in a discussion of public employment, compensation and unfunded budgets, is very predictable: animated by a baser engine fueled with avarice and self interest. Collect these individual impulses into a public service employees union whose mission is to multiply the carrots and eliminate the sticks and you have a recipe for bankrupting government. Until the presence and influence of service unions is more deeply questioned—dare I suggest eliminated—will public enterprise (read: local, state & federal government) regain the ability to balance its core functions with its actual resources.
Thank you for writing. Upcoming elections in Germany will no doubt affect the EU relationships in Europe, Russia, et al as well as America. I think that Vance, so far, has been a voice that we listen to for reason, logic and common sense. Let's see how Germany's election turns out for the powerhouse of Europe.
Well Michaeal things in Germany are pretty screwed up.
I provide a Video from X that shows just how screwed up
the Elections will be today this Sunday 2/23/25.
There is NO FREE PRESS IN GERMANY>SOUND FAMILIAR
https://x.com/EvaVlaar/status/1866526726966349905
https://x.com/CilComLFC/status/1893626129811984839/photo/1
https://x.com/WallStreetMav/status/1870614015262756902
Vance derides "Childless cat ladies" and once suggested that people with kids should have more voting power than single people. Salud Carbajal constantly refers to "families", thus making his shared dismissal of single people without kids/families likewise obvious.
I know it's not cool to point this out, but people without families have enough on their plate being alone, but the obvious silent disdain pandering politicians of BOTH parties show for them certainly adds to their sense of alienation.
For the younger folks, there was this band back in the 1960's called the Beatles, and they (mainly the bass player) wrote a song called Eleanor Rigby that speaks to the isolation such people face, with the iconic line "all the lonely people, where do they all come from". For those who are not familiar with this iconic song, it's a must-listen.
Well done sir. The part about the two billion in unfunded debt was my argument as well. How can they ask for a raise when they are clearly failing at their jobs by running up this monstrous debt? IMO with that kind of debt foisted upon the public, the BOS need to be fired and replaced by competent, trained financial/business managers. But alas, we have a popularity contest for these very important positions and no real requirements. Thanks for your service.