Where are our tax dollars going, when we constantly hear there is insufficient money to provide basic public services?
1. $26.3 trillion in publicly held national debt
2. $16.6 trillion is liabilities that are not accounted for in the publicly held debt
3. $104.2 trillion in unfunded social insurance obligations.
(Source: James D. Agresti)
Decades ago the Tea Party movement raised the alarm about partisan over-spending used to ensure future political re-elections, funded by increasing the long term national debt. In response, the Tea Party was maligned in the most offensive manner and were loudly labeled as "racists". These malignant anti-Tea Party voices came from local community college political science instructors, to national news commentators, and from the very steps leading into the Halls of Congress.
Yet, here we remain today with overwhelming national debt obligations being thrust on ourselves, our children and grandchildren. I cringe every time I hear "the government" claim there is not enough money to provide even the most basic public services today. There is money, but they already spent it on themselves.
Electing budget hawks is a good thing; not a bad thing. Being able to meet a minimum credit card payment every month is not a balanced budget, yet every year this is what Democrats ask this nation to do. How do we tighten our belts today to pay off over $100,000 per capita debt obligations so we can finally have enough money to pay for current government services, instead of spending it on debt servicing?
Salud Carbajal, Monique Limon and Gregg Hart, what are you doing about this?
J - they don't mean public services for us taxpayers. When are you going to stop being so far-right (like Sheryl Schroeder calls us) and have a little liberal humanity!
BC: Voters have yet to see the connection. When they finally do, it will be too late to undo it. Our children will inherit a very different, debt-riddled America than the buoyant years prior. Then partisan politics started living off fumes; and not hard-nosed substance. I hope they are prepared for this outcome they did not create.
I can only engage in a Don Quixote quest myself to help raise this awareness and plea for God's sake, stop the deficit spending. It doesn't work at home, and it does not work for the country.
Well said Andy!!! It's so obvious that the people at the controls are changing the dynamics of this once great country. They, unfortunately, aren't fazed in the least! They are holed up in their palatial estates and could care less if these thugs roam the streets! I have always felt that if they hate what this country stands for and has stood for for ecades, then go somewhere else! The problem is they want the control, they thrive on the control-
The " border czar" has shown by her actions/inactions how she truly feels- This alone should be enough to scare off any human with half a brain to run in the opposite direction!
What really disturbs me is that conservatives still give the pass card to public safety officers that they were, "just following orders". Sorry, they FIRST swore to protect the Constitution of the US. Not follow orders. This country and citizens are in dyer straights. God save this country.
Thank you, Andy. I'm so glad the Democrats' Convention was such a joyous affair and they didn't focus on these so-called terrorist dangers. Because as you know, the real terrorist threat to democracy is Donald Trump…. The terrorists streaming across the border are the kind of wonderful Dreamers we need in America!
This must be going according to someone's plan - that person or those people who are in control of the White House right now. A plan in which there'd be such violent chaos the election would have to be cancelled and the country would have to be under martial law, with a far more extreme lockdown than they rehearsed with Covid. And fortunately, they will have millions of illegal gang members who are already practicing more often at our shooting ranges than our own officers.
I hope this sounds like total tin foil hat paranoia, and I welcome anyone proving me to be a wacko conspiracy theorist. And could you do it quickly? My stomach and I would like to enjoy Sunday Brunch.
I agree that the potential for some event requiring emergency action and suspension of the election is a strong possibility. My favorite theory involves China, the threat of nuclear war and the need to impose world government obviating the need for an American election.
Isn't it amazing how some “liberals” come here and accuse us of being “far-right conspiracy theorists”? I was listening to a Trump rally yesterday and thinking Trump, Kennedy and Vance are talking like me and other hippie liberals of the 60s and 70s! They were saying back to the earth - save our small farms! War is not healthy for children and other living things! Question authority!
I read this excellent article by Mr. Caldwell titled "Mission Failure at the Southern Border
by Andy Caldwell" that should be titled "Mission Failure at Santa Barbara"
and I quote "But that’s not all. Another source reported that in order to cut costs, the Secret Service had halted the requirement to practice shooting monthly. ....The director of the FBI continually warns Congress of an imminent terrorist attack within our borders. Unfortunately, however, the Biden-Harris administration’s inane policies and priorities have served to foment this clear and present danger."
FBI Director Christphor Wray stated these Ominous Words "FBI Director Christopher Wray said Tuesday he has never seen a time during his decades-long career when so many threats against the US were all as elevated as they are now, warning senators he sees “blinking lights everywhere.”
“Given the steady drumbeat of calls for attacks by foreign terrorist organizations since October 7th, we’re working around the clock to identify and disrupt potential attacks by those inspired by Hamas’s horrific terrorist attacks in Israel,” Wray said in his opening remarks before the committee.
And here is a WORD to the SBPD Chief of Police Kelly Ann Gordon. Get your Butts into your HIGH-TECH Shooting Range and have your Officers learn to shoot. The FBI officers were in your Range repeatedly using your Range and were amazed at the lack of the shooting competency of your SB Officers.
Was there a SBPD "Incident" in Downtown Santa Barbara where SB Officers SHOT AT A LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE like a BUNCH OF COWBOYS? Dear God this is what happens with NO OVERSIGHT.
Just Quess WHO that large Group of People were. Remember WHO in my last post folks.
Folks you cannot make this stuff up it is SO BAD.
Howard Walther, member of a Military Family.
PS - Go to "Coastal Commission Comeupance" and look at my post for "WHO"
Very disturbing assessment by Mr. Caldwell. Admittedly, it is personally hard for me to wrap my arms around this problem. Is the open border willful or simply incompetence? Honestly, it doesn’t matter, the net result is disastrous for our country. Take a look around, how has illegal immigration affected our vital social services ie, education, healthcare and criminal justice systems?
The thought of foreign enemy assets operating in our country, whether it be for drugs, trafficking, or terrorism is truly frightening and changing our society permanently, to a point of no return. Clearly, it is on the watch of the Biden-Harris administration.
But why? Why would Harris be in favor of letting in some 10 million, mostly uneducated, unskilled persons into our country? Is it an attempt to change the cultural and racial makeup of our society?
The answer to this question should be clear to all. Legal immigration should be a straight forward process, get in line as millions have done and wait your turn!
This issue alone should demonstrate to all that the Democratic Party is actively pursuing “flooding the zone” with these illegal immigrants to have a permanent and unrestricted voting block. That’s right, doing what liberals have already done to California for the entire country.
These desperate people will stop at nothing to maintain and hold onto power and control. This single action is the biggest act of treachery in world history. Our response as conservatives needs to be loud and clear against this ruthless, feckless, criminal regime. Folks, the time is now to stand up and be heard. It’s now or never. Fight, Fight, Fight!
High birth rate illegals do fill our #45 ranked, failing K-12 classrooms, which keep teaching union dues flowing into Democrat causes. In California alone "english learners" now comprise easily 60-80% of K-12 enrollments, depending on location. Locally, some classrooms have even given up teaching in English, forcing legal English-speaking language residents to attend K-12 schools offering only Spanish language instruction. Open borders, cui bono? The teachers unions for one. We need to talk about this.
So True LT! I have been trying to articulate this new diabolical religion that can be understood as neo-gnostic, progressive, utopian, and revolutionary. There are at least 12 characteristics that must be clearly seen in this new "religion" and it is the culture of death, a religion of non-being and all of us have been conditioned in its principles.
Also, isn't it amazing that people have come here from every part of the world, speaking languages which have nothing in common with English, yet can manage to learn English, except (according to the people running our education system) people from Spanish-speaking countries?
Do these "progressives" think that Jews, back in the early part of the last century, from Eastern Europe, had it any easier than today's immigrants from south of our border? In addition to the horrific anti-Semitism they suffered under the pogroms, they certainly weren't given any favors when they came here, yet they managed to not only assimilate, but in many cases surpass the racist power structure of the day (back when racism truly was systemic). I think of my own grandmother who came from Iran at age twelve speaking only Syriac, dark-skinned, not exactly a beneficiary of "White Privilege" yet somehow her siblings and her (some born in the old country, others born here) all achieve fluency in English and maintained Syriac, with my grandmother picking up a good command of French along the way.
These so-called "teachers" are either naive, or corrupt.
Spot-on J. Livingston, FINALLY, someone is talking about high birth rates. Back in the early 1970's, those days when traffic jams only happened in big cities at rush hour (more or less) and the world population was at 3 billion, the idea of zero population growth was much-discussed in this country, but then as the open-borders advocates buillied the U.S. electorate with racial guilt, the liberals who championed that cause lost their backbones because they didn't want to offend and be deemed culturally insensitive. Meanwhile, as the Democratic Party shifted on this issue, they complained about disappearing open spaces/urbanization. Remember when "slow growth" was the mantra of Santa Barbara?...not any more!
Now it's all about "high density", and shoving ten pounds of humanity into a five-pound sack, and when we speak of gang violence, almost never is the issue of the negative effects of societal overcrowding discussed. We see all the developer projects being approved throughout the state, and if any of you live in the Santa Ynez Valley, the increase in traffic, aggressive driving, and noise has been remarkable, and much more development is on the way.
Progressives are in love with their progressive Papal icon, Pope Francis, yet isn't it ironic that as they prattle on about Planned Parenthood they remain silent about the fact that even the current Pope is continuing the hardline of "no artificial birth control"? Again, with the world's population now at 8 billion, and the major source of increase being from Latin America and the Middle East, where are all these people supposed to go?
I certainly understand WHY these people want to escape their miserable lives, and are willing to put up with much abuse and indignity in order to make lives better for themselves, and their children, but again, ten pounds of humanity cannot fit into the already-exploding five-pound sack. As such, the survivalist conservative in me sees the danger of continuing the open border policy, and the liberal in me sees that by keeping our border open, all we are doing is enabling the corrupt governments to the south of us, thus making life worse for the people living in poverty in those countries.
The less than hidden agenda to destroy America has as part of its plan to have open boarders to allow as many illegals as possible across the boarder and even terrorists in order to cause instability in our country to soften it up for the fall.
The universities, schools, and media have participated in this crime by providing emotional cover for the criminals who need to destroy our once great country. They do so by the agenda of SEL (social emotional learning) and the Critical race Theory that makes ill-formed souls feel pathological guilt for the past wrongs of others, racializes everything, psychologizes everything, and the diabolical cabal is very few compared to the millions of deluded souls who "feel bad" for illegal immigrants and the haters of America have really good cover from pathological hoards of deformed feelers, some of whom show up in this combox and make their virtue signaling cases against patriots still in possession of their common sense.
Kamala and her ilk are notorious deceivers and how anyone can believe them would be beyond my comprehension if I hadn't been in public classrooms for the last 50 years.
Did anyone attend or see the TV coverage of the Trump rally in Los Olivos yesterday?
I did see it and it had some compelling comments from those attending. Mysteriously, I can’t watch the clip anywhere, Google, YouTube, Fox affiliate, nowhere…poof, gone!
Amazing how many libs have lost their collective minds over ANY mention of a Trump rally.
I pose the same question for the Secret Service as I do for illegal immigration, ie, is the bungled protection of Trump leading to a near miss willful and planned or was it simply incompetence? Answering my own question, the Democratic Party will stop at NOTHING, even assassination of a Presidential candidate to maintain and hold onto power. Clearly, it has become a criminal enterprise. No longer the party of Jack Kennedy, today’s Democrats now have morphed into a twisted, revolting philosophy of death, destruction, despair and insolvency!
What I don’t understand is what we think we owe foreigners? 90% of the rabble in the world wants to live here, with everything handed to them by our government of Commie-Democrats reveling in their righteousness.
As far as I’m concerned we owe foreigners what they owe us - a peaceful co-existence- _no more_! If I were King for a Day I’d take Trumpy’s mandate a bit further - a border wall around the whole country with a big sign - KEEP OUT!
Why is SB building thousands of shoe box apartments when the City has a declining population and the county has a slight increase of 4,000 people over the last twenty years.
Who are they going to house here?
They’re expanding the highway to ease traffic congestion. They don’t need to blow through the City Height restriction, but they are.
What direct benefit do local residents obtain from this wholesale conversion of remaining open spaces to masses of high density subsidized housing? There is no" housing crisis" unless this can be directly quantified. Establish actual metrics that can be validated, instead of just tossing around the non-specific term "crisis".
Noisy voices simply clamoring to live in a desirable area they cannot afford, is not a "crisis". This word must be dropped from all future housing development discussions. It is as unfounded and gratuitous as the "climate crisis", that also never was.
The well known Democrat party marching orders: never let a "crisis" go to waste, even if they have to make one up. No sale.
The state mandates to ALL cities and counties is not all wrong, nor is is all right. How did they determine the quantity for each city county? ( water, impact on environment, available jobs etc- or just not worry bout the details as usual!). Oh and who will be buying these , market and even various level of affordable
Units? I suspect we will be seeing “low income seniors from those cold states whose soc security checks qualify them for it. Oh well….. thinking things thru is a luxury when there s a “Crisis”. As I say, let’s all just sit down and go on strike!
There is that odd and detached term again Cathy ..."the state".
In fact Monique Limon and Gregg Hart and their musical chair Democrat predecessors are "the state". Let's honor them by using their names, instead of them more anonymous term "the state". That term does induce a sense of helplessness; rather than new directions we must take in upcoming elections.
Would "the state" made up of Thomas Cole and Steve Garvey etc take the same directions?
That’s a good question. And I don’t know- it all comes to their personality and temperament. Are they after broad strokes and want their name on as many bills as possible Or do they want a clearly thought thru and well written regulations for a successful implementation? I’m not an expert, but over the years , I have seen our elected officials vote for a bill that at its core might a good and fair idea. But since they are busy and in their mind at least very important people, the necessary detailed Regulations are “crafted” by unelected, career employees. Devil in the detail boring stuff.
One can’t be a Christian and support a party that continues to promote the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of innocent children per year in this country!
Liberals please take a long honest look inside your heart and ask yourself if you want to stand in front of God one day and explain your stance on this issue.
Republican politicos voted down their own bill to strengthen the border security. Rank hypocracy. The eelcted republicans in Washington are there to serve the people and improving border security was an issue that had a bipartizan bill in place to address it. Except weird Trump would loose a talking point. So can the bill to improve border security.
The border bill did nothing to stem the flow of illegal immigration. In fact, it would facilitate illegal immigration by codifying as "legal" about 5000 illegal entries per day with much of the funding going to processing the legal illegal entries. That you repeat and apparently believe the nonsense about this bill fits the definition of a lemming. It is amazing to me how well lemming describes most supporters of the Democrat party.
Wait, what? The proposed Border Bill would have allowed up to 4-5k daily illegal crossings before the tripwire is activated for border closure. No, it’s DOA and any notion that it was a cure all for the last 3 1/2 years of gross incompetence is a fairly tale.
DH: Best not try to make up "facts" to support your claims. The recent "border bill" was a scam, a non-starter so don't even try to throw this in our faces. it has long been debunked here, so no point trying to trot it out again.
I remember when G.W. Bush defended illegal immigration by saying (in a nervous tone of voice) they do the work...Americans simply won't do.
Newsflash: anybody, whether liberal or conservative who says that is either lying or misinformed, because what they are really saying is that they are ok with circumventing all the labor laws that came into place (after so much struggle) thus being ok with exploiting people here illegally.
Julia, I gather you see yourself as a liberal and we who give you a good laugh are far-right, or conspiracy theorists or conservatives. You are the one who is laughable. Do you really think the Democratic Party is liberal? Listen to Trump, Vance and Kennedy. They are the true liberals - they believe in what 60s and 70s liberals believed in, and the Democratic Party once supported: that war is not healthy for children and other living things, that small organic farms are our way back to nature, that we must question authority, that we can't continue to poison the children of this country through Big Pharma and our processed food. Those were the principles of 60s and 70s environmentalists and anti-war activists. That this is laughable to you shows how far removed you are from your humanity. And how duped you are by the label “Democrat.”
Polly, l don’t like labels. Liberal, Democrat, Republican, whatever. I have a mind of my own. Everything is not black and white, we live in a very grey world. You have an opinion on just about everything, you’re very community minded. Should I label you an opinionated conservative republican?
You are so welcome! It's always great to make people like you laugh. You, who shine with so much love and wit. You made my evening. My MAGA husband was just tediously telling me yet again how wonderful I am, so I showed him your comment and he laughed. He said you're just an angry single woman! Can you imagine? Shows how much he knows. Have a great night and do come back soon and tell me how stupid I am.
That’s good to hear that your MAGA husband, your words not mine, constantly, tediously as you put it, lets you know how wonderful you are. Apparently he thinks I am witty, since he did laugh, but sorry to contradict him, but I am neither single or angry, but I am old. Also I know for a fact I never said you were stupid. There is a difference between stupid and ignorant, and I clearly didn’t mention either one. Enjoy your day.
Where are our tax dollars going, when we constantly hear there is insufficient money to provide basic public services?
1. $26.3 trillion in publicly held national debt
2. $16.6 trillion is liabilities that are not accounted for in the publicly held debt
3. $104.2 trillion in unfunded social insurance obligations.
(Source: James D. Agresti)
Decades ago the Tea Party movement raised the alarm about partisan over-spending used to ensure future political re-elections, funded by increasing the long term national debt. In response, the Tea Party was maligned in the most offensive manner and were loudly labeled as "racists". These malignant anti-Tea Party voices came from local community college political science instructors, to national news commentators, and from the very steps leading into the Halls of Congress.
Yet, here we remain today with overwhelming national debt obligations being thrust on ourselves, our children and grandchildren. I cringe every time I hear "the government" claim there is not enough money to provide even the most basic public services today. There is money, but they already spent it on themselves.
Electing budget hawks is a good thing; not a bad thing. Being able to meet a minimum credit card payment every month is not a balanced budget, yet every year this is what Democrats ask this nation to do. How do we tighten our belts today to pay off over $100,000 per capita debt obligations so we can finally have enough money to pay for current government services, instead of spending it on debt servicing?
Salud Carbajal, Monique Limon and Gregg Hart, what are you doing about this?
J - they don't mean public services for us taxpayers. When are you going to stop being so far-right (like Sheryl Schroeder calls us) and have a little liberal humanity!
When one comes full circle from being far left in my callow youth, where else does one go than finally getting it Right? Far out, as we used to say.
Administration after administration the national debt increases.
BC: Voters have yet to see the connection. When they finally do, it will be too late to undo it. Our children will inherit a very different, debt-riddled America than the buoyant years prior. Then partisan politics started living off fumes; and not hard-nosed substance. I hope they are prepared for this outcome they did not create.
I can only engage in a Don Quixote quest myself to help raise this awareness and plea for God's sake, stop the deficit spending. It doesn't work at home, and it does not work for the country.
Whatever your efforts yield, you are doing the right thing, so take comfort in that.
Well said Andy!!! It's so obvious that the people at the controls are changing the dynamics of this once great country. They, unfortunately, aren't fazed in the least! They are holed up in their palatial estates and could care less if these thugs roam the streets! I have always felt that if they hate what this country stands for and has stood for for ecades, then go somewhere else! The problem is they want the control, they thrive on the control-
The " border czar" has shown by her actions/inactions how she truly feels- This alone should be enough to scare off any human with half a brain to run in the opposite direction!
Did you say ' . . any human with half a brain . .' - that excludes 3/4 of the voters out there.
What really disturbs me is that conservatives still give the pass card to public safety officers that they were, "just following orders". Sorry, they FIRST swore to protect the Constitution of the US. Not follow orders. This country and citizens are in dyer straights. God save this country.
Thank you, Andy. I'm so glad the Democrats' Convention was such a joyous affair and they didn't focus on these so-called terrorist dangers. Because as you know, the real terrorist threat to democracy is Donald Trump…. The terrorists streaming across the border are the kind of wonderful Dreamers we need in America!
This must be going according to someone's plan - that person or those people who are in control of the White House right now. A plan in which there'd be such violent chaos the election would have to be cancelled and the country would have to be under martial law, with a far more extreme lockdown than they rehearsed with Covid. And fortunately, they will have millions of illegal gang members who are already practicing more often at our shooting ranges than our own officers.
I hope this sounds like total tin foil hat paranoia, and I welcome anyone proving me to be a wacko conspiracy theorist. And could you do it quickly? My stomach and I would like to enjoy Sunday Brunch.
I totally agree with you.. I feel like they are setting the stage just in case… because it’s possible they will stop at nothing to maintain control ..
And let's not ignore Bill Gates spraying our produce with Appeel poison. Do you ever feel like maybe our government would rather we just were dead?
Absolutely..,
It’s infuriating to say the least…
I agree that the potential for some event requiring emergency action and suspension of the election is a strong possibility. My favorite theory involves China, the threat of nuclear war and the need to impose world government obviating the need for an American election.
Isn't it amazing how some “liberals” come here and accuse us of being “far-right conspiracy theorists”? I was listening to a Trump rally yesterday and thinking Trump, Kennedy and Vance are talking like me and other hippie liberals of the 60s and 70s! They were saying back to the earth - save our small farms! War is not healthy for children and other living things! Question authority!
I read this excellent article by Mr. Caldwell titled "Mission Failure at the Southern Border
by Andy Caldwell" that should be titled "Mission Failure at Santa Barbara"
and I quote "But that’s not all. Another source reported that in order to cut costs, the Secret Service had halted the requirement to practice shooting monthly. ....The director of the FBI continually warns Congress of an imminent terrorist attack within our borders. Unfortunately, however, the Biden-Harris administration’s inane policies and priorities have served to foment this clear and present danger."
FBI Director Christphor Wray stated these Ominous Words "FBI Director Christopher Wray said Tuesday he has never seen a time during his decades-long career when so many threats against the US were all as elevated as they are now, warning senators he sees “blinking lights everywhere.”
“Given the steady drumbeat of calls for attacks by foreign terrorist organizations since October 7th, we’re working around the clock to identify and disrupt potential attacks by those inspired by Hamas’s horrific terrorist attacks in Israel,” Wray said in his opening remarks before the committee.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/05/politics/fbi-director-senate-hearing/index.html
And here is a WORD to the SBPD Chief of Police Kelly Ann Gordon. Get your Butts into your HIGH-TECH Shooting Range and have your Officers learn to shoot. The FBI officers were in your Range repeatedly using your Range and were amazed at the lack of the shooting competency of your SB Officers.
Was there a SBPD "Incident" in Downtown Santa Barbara where SB Officers SHOT AT A LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE like a BUNCH OF COWBOYS? Dear God this is what happens with NO OVERSIGHT.
Just Quess WHO that large Group of People were. Remember WHO in my last post folks.
Folks you cannot make this stuff up it is SO BAD.
Howard Walther, member of a Military Family.
PS - Go to "Coastal Commission Comeupance" and look at my post for "WHO"
Very disturbing assessment by Mr. Caldwell. Admittedly, it is personally hard for me to wrap my arms around this problem. Is the open border willful or simply incompetence? Honestly, it doesn’t matter, the net result is disastrous for our country. Take a look around, how has illegal immigration affected our vital social services ie, education, healthcare and criminal justice systems?
The thought of foreign enemy assets operating in our country, whether it be for drugs, trafficking, or terrorism is truly frightening and changing our society permanently, to a point of no return. Clearly, it is on the watch of the Biden-Harris administration.
But why? Why would Harris be in favor of letting in some 10 million, mostly uneducated, unskilled persons into our country? Is it an attempt to change the cultural and racial makeup of our society?
The answer to this question should be clear to all. Legal immigration should be a straight forward process, get in line as millions have done and wait your turn!
This issue alone should demonstrate to all that the Democratic Party is actively pursuing “flooding the zone” with these illegal immigrants to have a permanent and unrestricted voting block. That’s right, doing what liberals have already done to California for the entire country.
These desperate people will stop at nothing to maintain and hold onto power and control. This single action is the biggest act of treachery in world history. Our response as conservatives needs to be loud and clear against this ruthless, feckless, criminal regime. Folks, the time is now to stand up and be heard. It’s now or never. Fight, Fight, Fight!
High birth rate illegals do fill our #45 ranked, failing K-12 classrooms, which keep teaching union dues flowing into Democrat causes. In California alone "english learners" now comprise easily 60-80% of K-12 enrollments, depending on location. Locally, some classrooms have even given up teaching in English, forcing legal English-speaking language residents to attend K-12 schools offering only Spanish language instruction. Open borders, cui bono? The teachers unions for one. We need to talk about this.
The plan is diabolical. What sickness disguised as "compassion."
Diabolical indeed. It has become a demonic culture which worships on the alter of evil and wickedness.
So True LT! I have been trying to articulate this new diabolical religion that can be understood as neo-gnostic, progressive, utopian, and revolutionary. There are at least 12 characteristics that must be clearly seen in this new "religion" and it is the culture of death, a religion of non-being and all of us have been conditioned in its principles.
Not that that lower percentages doesn't make it an issue - but most of the numbers I found for 'english learners" were in the 20-25%.
Also, isn't it amazing that people have come here from every part of the world, speaking languages which have nothing in common with English, yet can manage to learn English, except (according to the people running our education system) people from Spanish-speaking countries?
Do these "progressives" think that Jews, back in the early part of the last century, from Eastern Europe, had it any easier than today's immigrants from south of our border? In addition to the horrific anti-Semitism they suffered under the pogroms, they certainly weren't given any favors when they came here, yet they managed to not only assimilate, but in many cases surpass the racist power structure of the day (back when racism truly was systemic). I think of my own grandmother who came from Iran at age twelve speaking only Syriac, dark-skinned, not exactly a beneficiary of "White Privilege" yet somehow her siblings and her (some born in the old country, others born here) all achieve fluency in English and maintained Syriac, with my grandmother picking up a good command of French along the way.
These so-called "teachers" are either naive, or corrupt.
Spot-on J. Livingston, FINALLY, someone is talking about high birth rates. Back in the early 1970's, those days when traffic jams only happened in big cities at rush hour (more or less) and the world population was at 3 billion, the idea of zero population growth was much-discussed in this country, but then as the open-borders advocates buillied the U.S. electorate with racial guilt, the liberals who championed that cause lost their backbones because they didn't want to offend and be deemed culturally insensitive. Meanwhile, as the Democratic Party shifted on this issue, they complained about disappearing open spaces/urbanization. Remember when "slow growth" was the mantra of Santa Barbara?...not any more!
Now it's all about "high density", and shoving ten pounds of humanity into a five-pound sack, and when we speak of gang violence, almost never is the issue of the negative effects of societal overcrowding discussed. We see all the developer projects being approved throughout the state, and if any of you live in the Santa Ynez Valley, the increase in traffic, aggressive driving, and noise has been remarkable, and much more development is on the way.
Progressives are in love with their progressive Papal icon, Pope Francis, yet isn't it ironic that as they prattle on about Planned Parenthood they remain silent about the fact that even the current Pope is continuing the hardline of "no artificial birth control"? Again, with the world's population now at 8 billion, and the major source of increase being from Latin America and the Middle East, where are all these people supposed to go?
I certainly understand WHY these people want to escape their miserable lives, and are willing to put up with much abuse and indignity in order to make lives better for themselves, and their children, but again, ten pounds of humanity cannot fit into the already-exploding five-pound sack. As such, the survivalist conservative in me sees the danger of continuing the open border policy, and the liberal in me sees that by keeping our border open, all we are doing is enabling the corrupt governments to the south of us, thus making life worse for the people living in poverty in those countries.
Time to wrap your arms around reality
Non of this is a mistake
Actually, I thought about wrapping myself around a Gin bottle. This shit is truly depressing!
Really important article Mr. Caldwell!
The less than hidden agenda to destroy America has as part of its plan to have open boarders to allow as many illegals as possible across the boarder and even terrorists in order to cause instability in our country to soften it up for the fall.
The universities, schools, and media have participated in this crime by providing emotional cover for the criminals who need to destroy our once great country. They do so by the agenda of SEL (social emotional learning) and the Critical race Theory that makes ill-formed souls feel pathological guilt for the past wrongs of others, racializes everything, psychologizes everything, and the diabolical cabal is very few compared to the millions of deluded souls who "feel bad" for illegal immigrants and the haters of America have really good cover from pathological hoards of deformed feelers, some of whom show up in this combox and make their virtue signaling cases against patriots still in possession of their common sense.
Kamala and her ilk are notorious deceivers and how anyone can believe them would be beyond my comprehension if I hadn't been in public classrooms for the last 50 years.
Did anyone attend or see the TV coverage of the Trump rally in Los Olivos yesterday?
I did see it and it had some compelling comments from those attending. Mysteriously, I can’t watch the clip anywhere, Google, YouTube, Fox affiliate, nowhere…poof, gone!
Amazing how many libs have lost their collective minds over ANY mention of a Trump rally.
There was a rally in Buelton on the 24th, and Solvang on the 23rd. I haven't heard of a Los Olivos rally.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0VllBmjSjNo; TrumpTrain Rally 8 24 2024 222 E Hwy 246 Buellton, California
This is not Mission Failure. This is Mission Accomplished. The mission is to import Democratic voters.
I pose the same question for the Secret Service as I do for illegal immigration, ie, is the bungled protection of Trump leading to a near miss willful and planned or was it simply incompetence? Answering my own question, the Democratic Party will stop at NOTHING, even assassination of a Presidential candidate to maintain and hold onto power. Clearly, it has become a criminal enterprise. No longer the party of Jack Kennedy, today’s Democrats now have morphed into a twisted, revolting philosophy of death, destruction, despair and insolvency!
More reasons the nation cannot endure 4 more years of this
What I don’t understand is what we think we owe foreigners? 90% of the rabble in the world wants to live here, with everything handed to them by our government of Commie-Democrats reveling in their righteousness.
As far as I’m concerned we owe foreigners what they owe us - a peaceful co-existence- _no more_! If I were King for a Day I’d take Trumpy’s mandate a bit further - a border wall around the whole country with a big sign - KEEP OUT!
Totally agree, Earl.
Why is SB building thousands of shoe box apartments when the City has a declining population and the county has a slight increase of 4,000 people over the last twenty years.
Who are they going to house here?
They’re expanding the highway to ease traffic congestion. They don’t need to blow through the City Height restriction, but they are.
What direct benefit do local residents obtain from this wholesale conversion of remaining open spaces to masses of high density subsidized housing? There is no" housing crisis" unless this can be directly quantified. Establish actual metrics that can be validated, instead of just tossing around the non-specific term "crisis".
Noisy voices simply clamoring to live in a desirable area they cannot afford, is not a "crisis". This word must be dropped from all future housing development discussions. It is as unfounded and gratuitous as the "climate crisis", that also never was.
The well known Democrat party marching orders: never let a "crisis" go to waste, even if they have to make one up. No sale.
The state mandates to ALL cities and counties is not all wrong, nor is is all right. How did they determine the quantity for each city county? ( water, impact on environment, available jobs etc- or just not worry bout the details as usual!). Oh and who will be buying these , market and even various level of affordable
Units? I suspect we will be seeing “low income seniors from those cold states whose soc security checks qualify them for it. Oh well….. thinking things thru is a luxury when there s a “Crisis”. As I say, let’s all just sit down and go on strike!
There is that odd and detached term again Cathy ..."the state".
In fact Monique Limon and Gregg Hart and their musical chair Democrat predecessors are "the state". Let's honor them by using their names, instead of them more anonymous term "the state". That term does induce a sense of helplessness; rather than new directions we must take in upcoming elections.
Would "the state" made up of Thomas Cole and Steve Garvey etc take the same directions?
That’s a good question. And I don’t know- it all comes to their personality and temperament. Are they after broad strokes and want their name on as many bills as possible Or do they want a clearly thought thru and well written regulations for a successful implementation? I’m not an expert, but over the years , I have seen our elected officials vote for a bill that at its core might a good and fair idea. But since they are busy and in their mind at least very important people, the necessary detailed Regulations are “crafted” by unelected, career employees. Devil in the detail boring stuff.
My theory: to accommodate all the rich people fleeing the nightmare of Los Angeles and the surrounding areas, propelled by the open border.
One can’t be a Christian and support a party that continues to promote the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of innocent children per year in this country!
Liberals please take a long honest look inside your heart and ask yourself if you want to stand in front of God one day and explain your stance on this issue.
Have a great day!
Lot's of Conservatives looking for abortions too.
Republican politicos voted down their own bill to strengthen the border security. Rank hypocracy. The eelcted republicans in Washington are there to serve the people and improving border security was an issue that had a bipartizan bill in place to address it. Except weird Trump would loose a talking point. So can the bill to improve border security.
Atrocious behaviour. A bully wins.
The border bill did nothing to stem the flow of illegal immigration. In fact, it would facilitate illegal immigration by codifying as "legal" about 5000 illegal entries per day with much of the funding going to processing the legal illegal entries. That you repeat and apparently believe the nonsense about this bill fits the definition of a lemming. It is amazing to me how well lemming describes most supporters of the Democrat party.
Wait, what? The proposed Border Bill would have allowed up to 4-5k daily illegal crossings before the tripwire is activated for border closure. No, it’s DOA and any notion that it was a cure all for the last 3 1/2 years of gross incompetence is a fairly tale.
DH: Best not try to make up "facts" to support your claims. The recent "border bill" was a scam, a non-starter so don't even try to throw this in our faces. it has long been debunked here, so no point trying to trot it out again.
The Democrat controlled senate sunk a bill proposed by Republicans to secure the border before this bill; Secure the Border Act of 2023 (H.R. 2)
I remember when G.W. Bush defended illegal immigration by saying (in a nervous tone of voice) they do the work...Americans simply won't do.
Newsflash: anybody, whether liberal or conservative who says that is either lying or misinformed, because what they are really saying is that they are ok with circumventing all the labor laws that came into place (after so much struggle) thus being ok with exploiting people here illegally.
DH: reader tip - check your spell checker. I have the same problem myself.
Santa Barbara Current never fails to give me a good laugh.
Julia, I gather you see yourself as a liberal and we who give you a good laugh are far-right, or conspiracy theorists or conservatives. You are the one who is laughable. Do you really think the Democratic Party is liberal? Listen to Trump, Vance and Kennedy. They are the true liberals - they believe in what 60s and 70s liberals believed in, and the Democratic Party once supported: that war is not healthy for children and other living things, that small organic farms are our way back to nature, that we must question authority, that we can't continue to poison the children of this country through Big Pharma and our processed food. Those were the principles of 60s and 70s environmentalists and anti-war activists. That this is laughable to you shows how far removed you are from your humanity. And how duped you are by the label “Democrat.”
Polly, l don’t like labels. Liberal, Democrat, Republican, whatever. I have a mind of my own. Everything is not black and white, we live in a very grey world. You have an opinion on just about everything, you’re very community minded. Should I label you an opinionated conservative republican?
Thanks for the laugh.
You are so welcome! It's always great to make people like you laugh. You, who shine with so much love and wit. You made my evening. My MAGA husband was just tediously telling me yet again how wonderful I am, so I showed him your comment and he laughed. He said you're just an angry single woman! Can you imagine? Shows how much he knows. Have a great night and do come back soon and tell me how stupid I am.
That’s good to hear that your MAGA husband, your words not mine, constantly, tediously as you put it, lets you know how wonderful you are. Apparently he thinks I am witty, since he did laugh, but sorry to contradict him, but I am neither single or angry, but I am old. Also I know for a fact I never said you were stupid. There is a difference between stupid and ignorant, and I clearly didn’t mention either one. Enjoy your day.