Great expose’ Bonnie. This is EXACTLY why I recently sold my property in the 900 Block of State Street after 30 years of watching poorly managed City of SB policies killing our beautiful city.
Take for example the slow throttling of shopping time from 4 hours free down to the present 75 minutes. How in the world does compromising shopping time balance a parking garage budget primarily dependent on sales tax revenue? Aside from being impossibly ignorant of economics, it is just sad.
Depends on how permanent their decisions are though. Starting to tear up State or tear down Paseo Nuevo would both be pretty hard to reverse. I think that’s why they are full speed ahead and keeping the street closed. Can’t we force them to put the street closure on a ballot?
Voter initiatives can be put on the city ballot, after gaining enough registered voter signatures.
Like our failed effort a few years ago to impose more restrictive building height limits in the downtown area. We were successful putting this on the city ballot, after many many weekends spent gathering the required numbers of valid signatures. Only to have "the city" write the ballot proposition in such a confusing manner, you had to vote yes to get a no vote.
So all that effort when down to defeat with many discouraged voters only realizing later their "no tall buildings vote" ended up in fact being a "yes" vote to maintain the prior standards that allowed tall buildings - or was it vice versa?
Grass roots voter effort were there, but like many ballot initiatives coming directly from the public, the city approved ballot language was sufficiently confusing or intentionally duplicitous to maintain the offending status quo.
The lesson learned was a voter initiative takes both the signature gathering efforts, plus sufficient funds to mount an effective marketing campaign in response to special interests misinformation campaigns dedicated to its defeat.
Thank you, Bonnie, this is brilliant. Because it's common sense! Which as we all know, isn't all that common. May I add that common sense is not only lacking in our local and state politicians - it's something they're openly antagonistic towards. They hate common sense. Common sense is for Deplorables and those middle class people who they'd rather just leave the state, because they protest their vision for a utopic bicyclist CA future - by saying it's nonsense! Their leader in Progressive Nonsense is Scott Wiener, who has the Machiavellian common sense to please his real estate development donors and control Gavin Newsom by telling him he can become President and turn America into the 15-minute woke country it should be! With luck and people like you, Bonnie, we may survive this 15-minute tyranny and not even get run over by a bicyclist as we try to get to our once beautiful downtown and enjoy it for more than 15 minutes. Maybe even spend a leisurely afternoon lunching at sidewalk tables, browsing through galleries and stores, encountering friends, proudly listening to passing-by tourists rave about what an ideal small city Santa Barbara is - rather than feel depressed over what it's becoming.
Jerry, Shalhoob's is a wonderful business here. I buy a lot of what I cook for us from Shalhoob's butcher shop. It's so typical of the know-nothing “experts” running this city (I'm not including Rowse in that category) that they don't say “Hey, Jerry, you've been a successful business person here, what do you think we should do?”
My wife & I walked from 1000 to 600 blocks & back this weekend. We felt like we were putting our lives at risk. The amount of bike traffic was pretty crazy. E-bkes tearing back and forth at top speed & guy s doing wheelies adjacent topedestrians. It would require a cop every half block to maintain order.
It is difficult to impose regulations when there is not a license required to operate E Bikes.
In previous times bikes were not allowed on the sidewalks because it was not a safe situation. Putting bikes, particularly E-bikes, and pedestrians together in the street isn't any less dangerous. You can paint all the stripes you want but they're easily ignored. Someone should fly a drone over State St
on a busy weekend & show the planners that they've unwittingly created a nightmare.
60s TV series, Star Trek, The Return of the Archons. A culture of mindless inhabitants ruled over by "Lawgivers" and a reclusive dictator, Landru. A "Festival" is had periodically of unbridled violence, destruction, and sexual aggression. CHOP, CHAZ, DC Swamp?
Ask the CITY COUNCIL WHY THE E-BIKE FRANCHISE DOES NOT PAY RENTAL FOR ITS SPACES?
Ask the City Council Why it does not demand the MOPED regulations are not forced on E-Motorcycles.
Ask, ask, ask, and when they give you junk, kick them out. Isn't it time when the Democrats complain about the likes of Miki Jordan they don't have the back bone to run against him?
Nextdoor continues posting complaints about exhibitionist bikers who threaten pedestrians navigating this now artificially-closed State Street. They vow never to return again. Bike lanes are for orderly transit only; not to be used as shooting galleries that terrorize hapless pedestrians who are asked to share this irresponsibly-planned shared thoroughfare.
Ban all bike traffic on State Street in its current design. Create bike transit lanes only on Chapala and Anacapa to share with auto traffic. Never attempt to mix bikes and pedestrians in the same corridor, now intended for leisurely strolling.
Closed-down State Street has been a tragic fail at all levels. End this ignoble experiment now.
24/7 camera and drone surveillance, with electronic monitoring of each bike works better for me. With Blue Call Boxes on every block to immediately report time and date of incidence.
Santa Claus used to know if you were naughty or nice, but today we need far more definite monitoring.
Very informative article, Bonnie. Thank you for keeping on top of things as well as you do. Even though I am not within the City limits and am unable to vote on issues, I, like many others, am certainly affected by the policies the City puts forth. I do not like going into S.B. proper anymore but have a post office box there so am aware of the mess. On a side note, I was in downtown Goleta the other day and was dumbfounded by what they have done to the main thoroughfare! It is insane! I wish there was someone like you that could tackle that issue. Thanks for all you do in trying to get S.B. back to its glory days.
Bonnie, your numbers tell the story. A forum from 8:30-10:30---120 minutes---to address State street? If les than a third of the 700 business impacted attend, each will have 30 seconds start to finish, not counting any time used by others, such as bicyclist.
seem that the agenda is to transform Santa Barbara into a 15-minute city…another top-down plan to control populations worldwide, sponsored by the globalist…
Yes, I’m familiar with Vision Zero, having spent 35 years in the traffic engineering/transportation profession…our motto “safe & efficient movement of goods and people” — with safety first…you’re correct, the Vision Zero Plan has been taken to extremes by overly cautious zealots & wrong minded do-gooders…our society & leaders need to revert back to basic common sense in order to serve the greater population instead of loudly squawking zealots.
PS…our consulting firm of 15 mostly refused to contract with City of SB…wild ideas & takes years to get anything done…time better spent assisting other city, county, state level agencies
Brent, just a bit of further information. Cars Are Basic, attended 2 forums when the discussion was started. We submitted requests to speak at each one when it was at the University Club.
We were told flat out you and CAB will not be allowed to speak.
CAB has submitted letters to the Council objecting and providing alternatives. None of which has seen the light of day or discussions at open council sessions.
Yes, more shenanigans from our local leaders regarding the fate of State St. What a surprise! Why is it liberals have major issues with making decisions lately? Wait, what? Can’t find the phone numbers for landlords on State? I bet if you were trying to give them rebates or grant money they’d come running out of the woodwork!
All this tells me is there must be several silent owners which are landlords on State? Go figure.
So, as per liberal SOP they “vision” a plan with no plan in place…surprise!
Well, I’m sure glad they consulted with the Bike lobby. After all, we need to get their permission. Amazing how we spend millions of tax dollars on bike lanes/infrastructure and they pay no taxes as vehicles do? Obviously no gas tax or registration, smog check or user fees?
So, see if I get this. SB is operating under a $7 million deficit, can’t locate landlords responsible for the tax base, want to raise our sales tax, need the blessing of bikers for approval but then have no definitive plan? What could possibly go wrong! Ummm, the tail wagging the dog?
As for the local elected seats, interesting how candidates seem to jockey for vacant offices and clearly seek approval/permission by local Dem bosses?
The dog ate my homework! Children. Excuses. That is our City Council & bureaucrats. It’s not that they lost the info. It’s that they do not want participation
They are going to do what they want to do and put the millions into some friends pocket no matter what.
Like the State Street underpass during a large deficit. Notice how they used a high end artist/architect. Like when they put the maze corn lights on lower Milpas where no one goes or notices them
It’s the same name that keeps poping up for these expensive, useless projects.
As to the Mayor, he was on City Council for 8 years, took a 4 year break and went back as Mayor.
To say he’s not involved is, well I guess that says slot about his 12 years at the City then.
Ask yourself why the City refuses to help businesses, refuses to clean up State St, refuses to enforce vagrant laws to prevent aggressive panhandling, squatting in front of businesses, violent attacks on people downtown. Why do they allow bicycles to speed up State St amongst pedestrians.
Yet they spend millions on “art” to “beautify” downtown when there are 41 vacancies and only unsuspecting tourists frequent the area.
Are they seriously proposing bringing the street level up? HAHAHA. Oh dear. I suppose they’ll tell us that they “engineered it” like they engineered some of their other messes in town; De La Vina, the Milpas round a bout. Bulb outs.
What would you expect from a radical Right Winged Liberal?
Transparency: ???? Construction Impact: ?????? Decisive Action:???????
You are starting to see the continued failed actions by 3 previous City Managers and with this new one(?). But then again the intentional failure of Street Planning is nothing new for a business community that continues to say "we have to negotiate." Yea Right. As the opposition that is destroying the City, holds out it's hand and states "well work with you" (just ignore the intention delays to create destruction and business failure), don't look at the danger in the opposite hand.
CAB just finished a exhaustive and intense review of Cupertino et al in the San Jose Bay area. You know the dagger that is in the opposite hand that is gutting you. The "in crowd" you know them called the City Councils of Santa Barbara and Goleta point how "great" and "wonderful" the NEW URBAN PLANNING IS GOING TO BE. Well folks just as Death Valley (aka State St.), Santa Monica, Downtown Frisco can attest (yea Mom was a English major) failure is just a generation away.
The plans for State is the destruction of one of the last beautiful cultural areas of Calif. that has attracted tourists and residents for decades. So why would the Liberal Right want to destroy it? Because to play politics you have to compromise. Just ask the controlling power in Sacramento (until they gained controlled and created an un-constitutional gov.) how well compromise works now that the "People" (oh heavens not them again) are angered at RHNA Density, forcing social morals, and destroying the public with massive billion dollar deficits.
Time we stopped listening to the Donovan, she makes sense. Cannot have rational publications.
Nice going Bonnie, come to the next CAB meeting at the end of the month and we'll give you "The Rest of the Story" and why Bay area is headed for collapse.
I read somewhere the City of Oxnard is facing insolvency? We’re next folks, unless we extricate ourselves from the liberal political machine that controls everything in this failing State.
Our new credo ought to be “Make California Golden Again!”
Great expose’ Bonnie. This is EXACTLY why I recently sold my property in the 900 Block of State Street after 30 years of watching poorly managed City of SB policies killing our beautiful city.
Take for example the slow throttling of shopping time from 4 hours free down to the present 75 minutes. How in the world does compromising shopping time balance a parking garage budget primarily dependent on sales tax revenue? Aside from being impossibly ignorant of economics, it is just sad.
Idiots are running the show. Oops I spelled Democrat wrong again.
😅, 'Clowns to the left of me jokers to the right, HERE we are stuck in the middle with them......
Never take voters out of the equation when exposing what "The City" does; or does not do. We all have the duty to get out the vote.
Depends on how permanent their decisions are though. Starting to tear up State or tear down Paseo Nuevo would both be pretty hard to reverse. I think that’s why they are full speed ahead and keeping the street closed. Can’t we force them to put the street closure on a ballot?
Voter initiatives can be put on the city ballot, after gaining enough registered voter signatures.
Like our failed effort a few years ago to impose more restrictive building height limits in the downtown area. We were successful putting this on the city ballot, after many many weekends spent gathering the required numbers of valid signatures. Only to have "the city" write the ballot proposition in such a confusing manner, you had to vote yes to get a no vote.
So all that effort when down to defeat with many discouraged voters only realizing later their "no tall buildings vote" ended up in fact being a "yes" vote to maintain the prior standards that allowed tall buildings - or was it vice versa?
Grass roots voter effort were there, but like many ballot initiatives coming directly from the public, the city approved ballot language was sufficiently confusing or intentionally duplicitous to maintain the offending status quo.
The lesson learned was a voter initiative takes both the signature gathering efforts, plus sufficient funds to mount an effective marketing campaign in response to special interests misinformation campaigns dedicated to its defeat.
Another liberal ploy to fake-out the public. Because too many are not paying attention, or just lazy.
Thank you, Bonnie, this is brilliant. Because it's common sense! Which as we all know, isn't all that common. May I add that common sense is not only lacking in our local and state politicians - it's something they're openly antagonistic towards. They hate common sense. Common sense is for Deplorables and those middle class people who they'd rather just leave the state, because they protest their vision for a utopic bicyclist CA future - by saying it's nonsense! Their leader in Progressive Nonsense is Scott Wiener, who has the Machiavellian common sense to please his real estate development donors and control Gavin Newsom by telling him he can become President and turn America into the 15-minute woke country it should be! With luck and people like you, Bonnie, we may survive this 15-minute tyranny and not even get run over by a bicyclist as we try to get to our once beautiful downtown and enjoy it for more than 15 minutes. Maybe even spend a leisurely afternoon lunching at sidewalk tables, browsing through galleries and stores, encountering friends, proudly listening to passing-by tourists rave about what an ideal small city Santa Barbara is - rather than feel depressed over what it's becoming.
Thank you Bonnie, I’m with you 100%,
Open up State Street !
Jerry, Shalhoob's is a wonderful business here. I buy a lot of what I cook for us from Shalhoob's butcher shop. It's so typical of the know-nothing “experts” running this city (I'm not including Rowse in that category) that they don't say “Hey, Jerry, you've been a successful business person here, what do you think we should do?”
My wife & I walked from 1000 to 600 blocks & back this weekend. We felt like we were putting our lives at risk. The amount of bike traffic was pretty crazy. E-bkes tearing back and forth at top speed & guy s doing wheelies adjacent topedestrians. It would require a cop every half block to maintain order.
It is difficult to impose regulations when there is not a license required to operate E Bikes.
In previous times bikes were not allowed on the sidewalks because it was not a safe situation. Putting bikes, particularly E-bikes, and pedestrians together in the street isn't any less dangerous. You can paint all the stripes you want but they're easily ignored. Someone should fly a drone over State St
on a busy weekend & show the planners that they've unwittingly created a nightmare.
They don’t give a shit. They are driving an International plan.
Yup 100%
Order followers…following the money….one step at a time the agenda is implemented.
60s TV series, Star Trek, The Return of the Archons. A culture of mindless inhabitants ruled over by "Lawgivers" and a reclusive dictator, Landru. A "Festival" is had periodically of unbridled violence, destruction, and sexual aggression. CHOP, CHAZ, DC Swamp?
Nice read!
Ask the CITY COUNCIL WHY THE E-BIKE FRANCHISE DOES NOT PAY RENTAL FOR ITS SPACES?
Ask the City Council Why it does not demand the MOPED regulations are not forced on E-Motorcycles.
Ask, ask, ask, and when they give you junk, kick them out. Isn't it time when the Democrats complain about the likes of Miki Jordan they don't have the back bone to run against him?
Nextdoor continues posting complaints about exhibitionist bikers who threaten pedestrians navigating this now artificially-closed State Street. They vow never to return again. Bike lanes are for orderly transit only; not to be used as shooting galleries that terrorize hapless pedestrians who are asked to share this irresponsibly-planned shared thoroughfare.
Ban all bike traffic on State Street in its current design. Create bike transit lanes only on Chapala and Anacapa to share with auto traffic. Never attempt to mix bikes and pedestrians in the same corridor, now intended for leisurely strolling.
Closed-down State Street has been a tragic fail at all levels. End this ignoble experiment now.
How about the City adopt a $100/yr. for ALL bikes as a registration fee to help pay for all their infrastructure!
24/7 camera and drone surveillance, with electronic monitoring of each bike works better for me. With Blue Call Boxes on every block to immediately report time and date of incidence.
Santa Claus used to know if you were naughty or nice, but today we need far more definite monitoring.
Very informative article, Bonnie. Thank you for keeping on top of things as well as you do. Even though I am not within the City limits and am unable to vote on issues, I, like many others, am certainly affected by the policies the City puts forth. I do not like going into S.B. proper anymore but have a post office box there so am aware of the mess. On a side note, I was in downtown Goleta the other day and was dumbfounded by what they have done to the main thoroughfare! It is insane! I wish there was someone like you that could tackle that issue. Thanks for all you do in trying to get S.B. back to its glory days.
Bonnie, your numbers tell the story. A forum from 8:30-10:30---120 minutes---to address State street? If les than a third of the 700 business impacted attend, each will have 30 seconds start to finish, not counting any time used by others, such as bicyclist.
They have an ‘agenda’ and it doesn’t require anyone’s feedback cuz they are not going to incorporate any of it anyway.
seem that the agenda is to transform Santa Barbara into a 15-minute city…another top-down plan to control populations worldwide, sponsored by the globalist…
https://www.westernstandard.news/opinion/morgan-the-wefs-latest-push-is-the-15-minute-city/article_4a24b542-a7da-11ed-b1c2-e3aeed62aa09.html
What are the demographics of those living within "15 minutes" State Street?
What State Street businesses meet their needs. Is "15 minutes" defined as walking, biking, driving and/or public transit?
F the 15 minute prison
Yes that’s exactly it. Have you deep dived “vision zero”? Do it. It’s being implemented internationally, run by an NGO full of young, liberal women.
Yes, I’m familiar with Vision Zero, having spent 35 years in the traffic engineering/transportation profession…our motto “safe & efficient movement of goods and people” — with safety first…you’re correct, the Vision Zero Plan has been taken to extremes by overly cautious zealots & wrong minded do-gooders…our society & leaders need to revert back to basic common sense in order to serve the greater population instead of loudly squawking zealots.
PS…our consulting firm of 15 mostly refused to contract with City of SB…wild ideas & takes years to get anything done…time better spent assisting other city, county, state level agencies
Brent, just a bit of further information. Cars Are Basic, attended 2 forums when the discussion was started. We submitted requests to speak at each one when it was at the University Club.
We were told flat out you and CAB will not be allowed to speak.
CAB has submitted letters to the Council objecting and providing alternatives. None of which has seen the light of day or discussions at open council sessions.
Scott Wenz, President CAB
Yes, more shenanigans from our local leaders regarding the fate of State St. What a surprise! Why is it liberals have major issues with making decisions lately? Wait, what? Can’t find the phone numbers for landlords on State? I bet if you were trying to give them rebates or grant money they’d come running out of the woodwork!
All this tells me is there must be several silent owners which are landlords on State? Go figure.
So, as per liberal SOP they “vision” a plan with no plan in place…surprise!
Well, I’m sure glad they consulted with the Bike lobby. After all, we need to get their permission. Amazing how we spend millions of tax dollars on bike lanes/infrastructure and they pay no taxes as vehicles do? Obviously no gas tax or registration, smog check or user fees?
So, see if I get this. SB is operating under a $7 million deficit, can’t locate landlords responsible for the tax base, want to raise our sales tax, need the blessing of bikers for approval but then have no definitive plan? What could possibly go wrong! Ummm, the tail wagging the dog?
As for the local elected seats, interesting how candidates seem to jockey for vacant offices and clearly seek approval/permission by local Dem bosses?
The dog ate my homework! Children. Excuses. That is our City Council & bureaucrats. It’s not that they lost the info. It’s that they do not want participation
They are going to do what they want to do and put the millions into some friends pocket no matter what.
Like the State Street underpass during a large deficit. Notice how they used a high end artist/architect. Like when they put the maze corn lights on lower Milpas where no one goes or notices them
It’s the same name that keeps poping up for these expensive, useless projects.
As to the Mayor, he was on City Council for 8 years, took a 4 year break and went back as Mayor.
To say he’s not involved is, well I guess that says slot about his 12 years at the City then.
Ask yourself why the City refuses to help businesses, refuses to clean up State St, refuses to enforce vagrant laws to prevent aggressive panhandling, squatting in front of businesses, violent attacks on people downtown. Why do they allow bicycles to speed up State St amongst pedestrians.
Yet they spend millions on “art” to “beautify” downtown when there are 41 vacancies and only unsuspecting tourists frequent the area.
As to Randy, my point is he wasn't on council or mayor when they closed state street. He also is pushing to open it back up...
Bonnie D. for President.
Whatever happened to Cathy Murillo, former Mayor and architect of this cluster?
Did she land somewhere with a golden parachute?
From Transparent California:
Currently receiving a lifetime pension for her time in Santa Barbara elected office:
Cathy Murillo - Pension: $13,022.37
Also from Transparent California 2018 while serving as mayor of Santa Barbara
Cathy Murillo Mayor (2018)
Regular pay: $53,696.54
Overtime pay: $0.00
Other pay: $9,950.00
Total pay: $63,646.54
Benefits: $17,314.22
Pension debt: $9,900.44
Total pay & benefits: $90,861.20
UGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Goes to show, you can FAIL upwards!
Per her website "Writer * Mentor * Classroom Guest Speaker".
From linkedin
Project ManagerProject Manager
Senior Resource Group · Full-timeSenior Resource Group · Full-time
Sep 2022 - Mar 2024 · 1 yr 7 mos
Writer, mentor? On what “ how to screw up a once beautiful city?”
Wow, there's a Swamp in Santa Barbara ran by Kimberly Cheatle! Maybe IT'S ran by an HOA, modeled after Dalton Township. New Jersey? So classy!
Are they seriously proposing bringing the street level up? HAHAHA. Oh dear. I suppose they’ll tell us that they “engineered it” like they engineered some of their other messes in town; De La Vina, the Milpas round a bout. Bulb outs.
…oh and btw, we don’t want any cruise ships and their millions in sales tax to help us defer the pending financial disaster!
Ya, cruise ships are just too messy.
Ports of Call such as Barcelona, Cannes or Florence are just not as “sensitive “ as we are when it comes to the environment!
(NB: Livorno is the "port city" for Florence -about two hours away. Similar to what deep water Port Hueneme, or Port San Luis is to Santa Barbara)
I read this article by Ms. Donovan titled "Missing Contacts" where the actual title
should read "SB So-Called-Leaders Missing in Action"
As I stated here in the SB Current, there are very serious problems that can only
be solved by the Complete Overhaul of the Entire SB Government which is happening
currently but you all just have not been informed until now.
Forget about wasting you time at this meeting or that other one just get rid of the entire
group of "Bad Apples" which is also happening with another group we all have been talking
about the So-Called-Leaders of the Secret Service. There are alot of good men and women
who work at the SS so don't get me wrong but the major problems always comes down to
LEADERSHIP or the lack thereof. People are FED-UP with the lack thereof here and in the US.
Howard Walther, member of a Military Family.
YEA YEA YEA..... more of the same for Dono...who?
What would you expect from a radical Right Winged Liberal?
Transparency: ???? Construction Impact: ?????? Decisive Action:???????
You are starting to see the continued failed actions by 3 previous City Managers and with this new one(?). But then again the intentional failure of Street Planning is nothing new for a business community that continues to say "we have to negotiate." Yea Right. As the opposition that is destroying the City, holds out it's hand and states "well work with you" (just ignore the intention delays to create destruction and business failure), don't look at the danger in the opposite hand.
CAB just finished a exhaustive and intense review of Cupertino et al in the San Jose Bay area. You know the dagger that is in the opposite hand that is gutting you. The "in crowd" you know them called the City Councils of Santa Barbara and Goleta point how "great" and "wonderful" the NEW URBAN PLANNING IS GOING TO BE. Well folks just as Death Valley (aka State St.), Santa Monica, Downtown Frisco can attest (yea Mom was a English major) failure is just a generation away.
The plans for State is the destruction of one of the last beautiful cultural areas of Calif. that has attracted tourists and residents for decades. So why would the Liberal Right want to destroy it? Because to play politics you have to compromise. Just ask the controlling power in Sacramento (until they gained controlled and created an un-constitutional gov.) how well compromise works now that the "People" (oh heavens not them again) are angered at RHNA Density, forcing social morals, and destroying the public with massive billion dollar deficits.
Time we stopped listening to the Donovan, she makes sense. Cannot have rational publications.
Nice going Bonnie, come to the next CAB meeting at the end of the month and we'll give you "The Rest of the Story" and why Bay area is headed for collapse.
I read somewhere the City of Oxnard is facing insolvency? We’re next folks, unless we extricate ourselves from the liberal political machine that controls everything in this failing State.
Our new credo ought to be “Make California Golden Again!”
Steve Garvey for US Senate.