Bonnie, you are a local treasure. I'm so grateful for your columns because I can't make sense of how Santa Barbara is being run otherwise. To me it seems run for the benefit of government employees, special interest groups and unions. Not for me or other civilian taxpayers.
The government here seems to me - and I hope I'm wrong - to be a grifting operation with several lucrative self-perpetuating hoaxes, one being affordable housing. Through their tax increases, they make it harder and harder for middle class people to continue living here. But voters are seduced by “affordable housing” propositions thinking that will solve the problem and vote them in. And, of course, the tax money just goes to pay for government workers who can afford to live here while the taxpayers' financial problems with living in Santa Barbara only get worse.
After reading Bonnie's column I went over to the Housing Trust Fund website. Good lord, how much bloat can one non-profit organization have? Any money they get would have to go to supporting the organization itself rather than solving anything.
The problems the government says it needs increased taxes to solve? They seem to me to be problems they've created - through their inept problem-solving policies. Franz Kafka would have been right at home in Santa Barbara.
Everyone knows what the problems are, but nobody does anything about them. Look for the problem solvers amongst y'all and get them working on limiting the spending. Narrow the operation of the city to the basics such as: fixing roads, keeping water and sewage moving through pipes, repairing streetlights and signs ... you know what I'm talking about. City government think they are designers and don't have a clue as to what they are doing when creating something. There needs to be a non-government group with the ULTIMATE POWER over the city and county government that imposes spending limits of city-government folk's non-sensical spending projects. Remove or significantly limit the "creation" activities of never-ending project activities. If city government people were smart to create stuff, then they would be working in industry. The city needs to stick to their main purpose in life and that is just fix what's broken without building anything, only allowed to use screwdrivers, hammers, shovels, chisels, etc. Nothing requiring the use of any brainpower because they don't have it in the first place!
Ya, the problem is the unnecessary politics aspect of running a city. A business ignores politics. But what has to be the most irritating to us is the running of the city based on incorporating politics of all the identity politics of giving so-called aid or support to special interest groups. Has nothing to do with running the city, it only has to do with emotionally based so-called leaders that believe they have to spend OUR money to do THEIR stuff. Just fix things broken in the city and if you have anything left over in the budget, then return the money to the taxpayers. We don't give you, the city, to spend money on excess ... like building an empire with thousands of people sitting on their butts all day long.
A system of checks and balances is required to prevent the city from working in an uncontrolled, open loop condition as presently existing. The city actions need to be countered by the people, shutting down excess spending. The city uncontrollably experiments with their personal interests using taxpayers' money. The city operation uses way too many people and spends way too much money to operate. Comparable cities have budgets one-tenth the amount as used in SB. See the problem with this picture? The public is being "screwed" by the city. The city needs to be run like a business. A business will determine the amount of money actually required to operate the city. A business will not use more people than necessary to operate the city. You still need the checks and balances with a city. Residents can provide instantaneous voting for their opinion on any projects. You don't need ballots. If a business-like organization has an idea beyond the basics, ALL the residents can volt on it.
Yet another confidence game being played on us, the taxpayer. When will this ever end? Never, it goes on in perpetuity. The way the con works is simple. The politicians calls for voting in pay and pension raises at the expense of the public and in exchange, the unions give political support to those running for office. It’s not complicated. Quid pro quo…I do something for you, you do something for me!
The pension house of cards is not sustainable and will at some point, collapse. Unless of course, the voters keep bailing them out.
Want to become a millionaire? Simple, become a city or county employee and join a public sector union.
Those that own property need to unite and join together just like Howard Jarvis advocated for. Can anyone who owns property imagine what California would look like if Mr. Jarvis never stood up and said enough is enough?
All of this con by the way, is brought to you by the local Democratic machine which controls all the city/county contracts and unions like the SEIU.
To illustrate how confident and arrogant local politicians are in maintaining their power, they won’t even debate the opposition during elections. That’s right our local Congressman, Salud Carbajal won’t even discuss the issues facing us, the voters by REFUSING to debate his challenger, Thomas Cole. Now that’s true power! I guess the jokes on us…what a bunch of suckers!
So true! It’s a quid pro quo AND it’s just not sustainable. Also —-I suspect their guaranteed retirement “schemes” absolutely qualify them as millionaires! Although I haven’t taken the time to research and verify that
Seriously, has the SB government adhered to a budget and made cuts when they can’t afford something like every household has to, no.
They just raise your taxes and keep spending.
Perfect example is the State St underpass. Why?
We were in debt before they approved spending millions to beautify an underpass. It will not generate revenue.
It dies out ,Indy into a certain artists pocket which when yiu look back at other nonsensical spending he’s been the recipient before. The Milpas maize street lights in an area that is not traveled by tourists
So instead of actually helping lower income people with housing they spend money on stoopid items putting money in other people’s pockets. How many studies have been done on state street? Over a million dollars.
The DNC endorsed city council doesn’t put the money to the people. The DNC has controlled this city and county for decades. State street has spiraled downward because of them. Homelessness has not decreased under their rule.
Debt has built up along with taxes with nothing to show for it.
This new tax has to go to pay off debt first. Then do you think they will actually do what is right? They haven’t with any previous tax hikes, why would they do the right thing now.
Once again, Bonnie, you have put out an excellent and most important article. I would wish that every Santa Barbara voter would read it, take it to heart, and vote no on the proposals that the City is putting on the ballot. Thank you for your investigative work. It is an eye opener for sure!
They spend like drunken Marxist sailors. California is truly the laboratory and testing ground for every unConstitutional scheme to break down society and our individual liberties. Our government is rotten to the core and needs a massive ‘Twitter-like’ overhaul that fires 80% of those currently employed who are not working efficiently and more importantly, ‘for the people’. Santa Barbara is run like a small tyrannical nation and the citizens need to wake up and take back our City from the Marxists before there is nothing of value left to salvage. They steal nearly half of our working dollars and then use our money to rule over us like subjects that they disdain but tolerate for our tax dollars.
Yes, our medical institutions and Dr's are also under their mismanagement. So, like everyone, they first go along to get along, turning a blind eye, running scared. Until it all turns on them. They become reduced to nothing under the demise of those now in charge.
Peanut, That’s why I go to Dr. Aijians office in Goleta. He is the only local doctor that I know brave enough to have stepped away from the corrupted system during Covid. There are many great docs but it takes a special kind of integrity to risk everything, especially your livelihood that you’ve worked your whole life for.
“Politics is the only field in which the more experience you have, the worse you get…I don't see how the people who created the problem can fix it.” -Kinky Friedman
The same people keep breaking the same promises, getting more brazen in the process. It’s time for voters to stop pretending the result will be different this time.
I read this very good article by Ms. Donovan titled "Sales Tax Go Up Again, Same for the City
Employee Salaries, Perks, and Pensions" and I quote from same "I’ve submitted a Public Records Act Request (PRAR) for the last five years of CALPERS bills to illustrate where the city’s funds are allocated and why they’re seeking an additional half-cent sales tax from us."
AND BOOM!! Ms. Donovan is now using a very powerful tool TO OBTAIN DOCUMENTS just like JUDICIAL WATCH in Washington that obtains Documents to EXPOSE CORRUPTION see weblink >>
PSS - Any "Destruction of Records" in the above Case? Why would the SB Court want to Destroy Records? Any Records Destroyed in Other SB Court Cases?? Refer to Sergeant Schultz above.
"I SEE N O T H I N G!!!!!"
PSSS - Is the SB County Legal Counsel, Rachel Van Mullen currently involved in a Case involving
the "Alleged Sexual Abuse" of a Child? You cannot make this up it is SO BAD.
Yes they hope to suck over $15 million dollars out of our pockets annually. Probably much more when you consider in the rising costs due to inflation.
I’ve lost confidence in their ability to prioritize where they spend money i.e. $11 million to narrow the State Street underpass, millions to exclude vehicles from State Street, just to name a few examples of their dereliction of duty.
The city is also giving employees raises by cutting the hours they need to work and cutting the years they need to work to retire for life on tax payer funded pensions.
SB Current is the closest thing we have to a real newspaper. Yes, it’s opinions and exposing facts. The Indy is a propaganda machine for the Democrats.
Yes, I agree the Indy is a local embarrassment. “Angry Poodle,” Nick Welch, Jerry Roberts and “Tom Tomorrow,” clearly slanted, bias reporting… amateur hour!
It infuriates me the city’s Friday closures; and locked police station! Why is everyone so supportive of inaccessible local police, and top brass (Chief and her “caring deputy) who are incapable of strong arming even me let alone a dangerous criminal? Heck we all work Monday-Friday and weekends as needed. SB City is quickly falling below mediocrity. The Mayor needs to lead, better inform voters of the 3 Council reps mostly responsible for present day problems, and get his out of area City Manager to get to work. It’s all too sad and frustrating. Same as SBCC.
Every person out there pays the use tax regardless of income so once more, this affects disproportionately the poor and middle class.
The public records act request was an extipendous idea and the question well stated. When are these tax increases going to stop? My guess is never. Tax and spend is the motto. Specially in those salaries and pensions.
Absolutely, do not use failed strategies of the past. Who can describe what elected politicians fear the most? Certainly not letters. Not 2–3-minute speeches in council meetings.
What they fear the most, are organized demonstrations of public rejection and the press reports on them, especially if the national press gets involved
Will the local voters send a message to the elected Progressive "Leadership" who runs our city, by saying "NO" to yet another tax increase?
I predict the uninformed electorate will blindly agree to yet another self-inflicted theft from their wallets, as they believe the propaganda that is spewed from the mouths of Environmental Studies majors (staff) who run this city.
" . . I predict the uninformed electorate will blindly agree . ." You can count on it. No matter what I ask my Golden Retriever he says "OK." So do the stupid voters.
Nice job Bonnie. As long as the taxes go into the general fund this will continue. I remember the same things happened in New Jersey when the Democrats ran a campaign to vote for casinos in order to finance senior citizens. Later it was admitted that it is not permitted to specify that a tax will be used a specific way. Housing issues are a bottomless pit until the flow from the border is stopped.
Thank you Bonnie for your tireless efforts to save us at the local level, which is the state level, and becomes the national level. Unfortunately liberal minded "freebies" are agog at the next big $tip to our local economy. They never see how all this ALWAYS leads to bankruptcy.. Have they forgotten the great California bankruptcy in 1995? Property values dropped more than 50%. Banks and businesses went under 1993 forward. So here we are again. Santa Barbara now over 7 million in debt, yet their answer is ALWAYS, "Let's tax the people! We will NEVER run out of money." UNTIL the next state wide/national bankruptcy. Welcome to your 1.9 million dollar home being reduced to 950,000 or less! These people are harming everybody with their selfish, ignorant, immature NEW policies.
Btw, the notion that our local government can do much of anything about housing affordability is pretty funny. Sheila Lodge once admitted as much. And it’s clear that 90% of why housing prices have skyrocketed in the last fifteen and especially five years is financial shenanigans at the very highest level. Not much little SB can do about Fed and Treasury policies, let alone what the wicked wizards on Wall Street get up to.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we just stopped pretending there’s much we locals can do about it? But then, what would our local pols and activists have to virtue-signal about? There’s always homelessness, I suppose …
Bonnie, you are a local treasure. I'm so grateful for your columns because I can't make sense of how Santa Barbara is being run otherwise. To me it seems run for the benefit of government employees, special interest groups and unions. Not for me or other civilian taxpayers.
The government here seems to me - and I hope I'm wrong - to be a grifting operation with several lucrative self-perpetuating hoaxes, one being affordable housing. Through their tax increases, they make it harder and harder for middle class people to continue living here. But voters are seduced by “affordable housing” propositions thinking that will solve the problem and vote them in. And, of course, the tax money just goes to pay for government workers who can afford to live here while the taxpayers' financial problems with living in Santa Barbara only get worse.
After reading Bonnie's column I went over to the Housing Trust Fund website. Good lord, how much bloat can one non-profit organization have? Any money they get would have to go to supporting the organization itself rather than solving anything.
The problems the government says it needs increased taxes to solve? They seem to me to be problems they've created - through their inept problem-solving policies. Franz Kafka would have been right at home in Santa Barbara.
Everyone knows what the problems are, but nobody does anything about them. Look for the problem solvers amongst y'all and get them working on limiting the spending. Narrow the operation of the city to the basics such as: fixing roads, keeping water and sewage moving through pipes, repairing streetlights and signs ... you know what I'm talking about. City government think they are designers and don't have a clue as to what they are doing when creating something. There needs to be a non-government group with the ULTIMATE POWER over the city and county government that imposes spending limits of city-government folk's non-sensical spending projects. Remove or significantly limit the "creation" activities of never-ending project activities. If city government people were smart to create stuff, then they would be working in industry. The city needs to stick to their main purpose in life and that is just fix what's broken without building anything, only allowed to use screwdrivers, hammers, shovels, chisels, etc. Nothing requiring the use of any brainpower because they don't have it in the first place!
Agree. Thank you.
Ya, the problem is the unnecessary politics aspect of running a city. A business ignores politics. But what has to be the most irritating to us is the running of the city based on incorporating politics of all the identity politics of giving so-called aid or support to special interest groups. Has nothing to do with running the city, it only has to do with emotionally based so-called leaders that believe they have to spend OUR money to do THEIR stuff. Just fix things broken in the city and if you have anything left over in the budget, then return the money to the taxpayers. We don't give you, the city, to spend money on excess ... like building an empire with thousands of people sitting on their butts all day long.
Could not agree more.
A system of checks and balances is required to prevent the city from working in an uncontrolled, open loop condition as presently existing. The city actions need to be countered by the people, shutting down excess spending. The city uncontrollably experiments with their personal interests using taxpayers' money. The city operation uses way too many people and spends way too much money to operate. Comparable cities have budgets one-tenth the amount as used in SB. See the problem with this picture? The public is being "screwed" by the city. The city needs to be run like a business. A business will determine the amount of money actually required to operate the city. A business will not use more people than necessary to operate the city. You still need the checks and balances with a city. Residents can provide instantaneous voting for their opinion on any projects. You don't need ballots. If a business-like organization has an idea beyond the basics, ALL the residents can volt on it.
Yet another confidence game being played on us, the taxpayer. When will this ever end? Never, it goes on in perpetuity. The way the con works is simple. The politicians calls for voting in pay and pension raises at the expense of the public and in exchange, the unions give political support to those running for office. It’s not complicated. Quid pro quo…I do something for you, you do something for me!
The pension house of cards is not sustainable and will at some point, collapse. Unless of course, the voters keep bailing them out.
Want to become a millionaire? Simple, become a city or county employee and join a public sector union.
Those that own property need to unite and join together just like Howard Jarvis advocated for. Can anyone who owns property imagine what California would look like if Mr. Jarvis never stood up and said enough is enough?
All of this con by the way, is brought to you by the local Democratic machine which controls all the city/county contracts and unions like the SEIU.
To illustrate how confident and arrogant local politicians are in maintaining their power, they won’t even debate the opposition during elections. That’s right our local Congressman, Salud Carbajal won’t even discuss the issues facing us, the voters by REFUSING to debate his challenger, Thomas Cole. Now that’s true power! I guess the jokes on us…what a bunch of suckers!
So true! It’s a quid pro quo AND it’s just not sustainable. Also —-I suspect their guaranteed retirement “schemes” absolutely qualify them as millionaires! Although I haven’t taken the time to research and verify that
NO ON TAXES
Seriously, has the SB government adhered to a budget and made cuts when they can’t afford something like every household has to, no.
They just raise your taxes and keep spending.
Perfect example is the State St underpass. Why?
We were in debt before they approved spending millions to beautify an underpass. It will not generate revenue.
It dies out ,Indy into a certain artists pocket which when yiu look back at other nonsensical spending he’s been the recipient before. The Milpas maize street lights in an area that is not traveled by tourists
So instead of actually helping lower income people with housing they spend money on stoopid items putting money in other people’s pockets. How many studies have been done on state street? Over a million dollars.
The DNC endorsed city council doesn’t put the money to the people. The DNC has controlled this city and county for decades. State street has spiraled downward because of them. Homelessness has not decreased under their rule.
Debt has built up along with taxes with nothing to show for it.
This new tax has to go to pay off debt first. Then do you think they will actually do what is right? They haven’t with any previous tax hikes, why would they do the right thing now.
Once again, Bonnie, you have put out an excellent and most important article. I would wish that every Santa Barbara voter would read it, take it to heart, and vote no on the proposals that the City is putting on the ballot. Thank you for your investigative work. It is an eye opener for sure!
Amen.
They spend like drunken Marxist sailors. California is truly the laboratory and testing ground for every unConstitutional scheme to break down society and our individual liberties. Our government is rotten to the core and needs a massive ‘Twitter-like’ overhaul that fires 80% of those currently employed who are not working efficiently and more importantly, ‘for the people’. Santa Barbara is run like a small tyrannical nation and the citizens need to wake up and take back our City from the Marxists before there is nothing of value left to salvage. They steal nearly half of our working dollars and then use our money to rule over us like subjects that they disdain but tolerate for our tax dollars.
Yes, our medical institutions and Dr's are also under their mismanagement. So, like everyone, they first go along to get along, turning a blind eye, running scared. Until it all turns on them. They become reduced to nothing under the demise of those now in charge.
Peanut, That’s why I go to Dr. Aijians office in Goleta. He is the only local doctor that I know brave enough to have stepped away from the corrupted system during Covid. There are many great docs but it takes a special kind of integrity to risk everything, especially your livelihood that you’ve worked your whole life for.
HOW?
Dr. Aijian is a terrific dr. I go to his partner, Dr. Alex Murdoch, also really terrific.
Thank you Bonnie for the great reporting on how we got to where we are.
“Politics is the only field in which the more experience you have, the worse you get…I don't see how the people who created the problem can fix it.” -Kinky Friedman
The same people keep breaking the same promises, getting more brazen in the process. It’s time for voters to stop pretending the result will be different this time.
I read this very good article by Ms. Donovan titled "Sales Tax Go Up Again, Same for the City
Employee Salaries, Perks, and Pensions" and I quote from same "I’ve submitted a Public Records Act Request (PRAR) for the last five years of CALPERS bills to illustrate where the city’s funds are allocated and why they’re seeking an additional half-cent sales tax from us."
AND BOOM!! Ms. Donovan is now using a very powerful tool TO OBTAIN DOCUMENTS just like JUDICIAL WATCH in Washington that obtains Documents to EXPOSE CORRUPTION see weblink >>
https://www.judicialwatch.org/
Is their Corruption In Santa Barbara that I have been pounding the Table Here at SB Current?
I have a New Title as follows "Corruption Goes Up Again, Same in the Salaries, Perks and Pensions"
Get your CA Records Act Letters Filed at the SB Local Government Agencies and see what the
CAT TRAGS IN ...... I THINK ALL HERE WILL BE SHOCKED.
Hint .................... I have filed many, many CA RECORDS ACT REQUESTS and yes "BANG" is what I found.
AND I will be posting them on my substack for all to see and be completely sick.
The SB So-Called Leaders Responses are "VERY INTERSTING" Like someone we know of>>>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34ag4nkSh7Q
"I SEE N O T H I N G!!!!!"
"I WAS NOT HERE!!!!"
YEAH RIGHT!!!!
Howard Walther, member of a Military Family
PS - I am going to add this Weblink and please read about a Mother and her Kids >>>
Any "Sexual Abuse" Allegations in this case possibly "Covered Up"?
Any other cases of Concealed Child Abuse or "Sexual Abuse" being COVERED UP FOLKS????
https://www.independent.com/2016/06/09/mom-says-she-abducted-daughters-protect-them/?amp=1
PSS - Any "Destruction of Records" in the above Case? Why would the SB Court want to Destroy Records? Any Records Destroyed in Other SB Court Cases?? Refer to Sergeant Schultz above.
"I SEE N O T H I N G!!!!!"
PSSS - Is the SB County Legal Counsel, Rachel Van Mullen currently involved in a Case involving
the "Alleged Sexual Abuse" of a Child? You cannot make this up it is SO BAD.
They're all ignorant OR have NO soul!!
I am trying to "EDUCATE" them Peanut but it is like dragging a dead horse to drink water.
By the way good Moniker.
Thanks Bonnie.
Yes they hope to suck over $15 million dollars out of our pockets annually. Probably much more when you consider in the rising costs due to inflation.
I’ve lost confidence in their ability to prioritize where they spend money i.e. $11 million to narrow the State Street underpass, millions to exclude vehicles from State Street, just to name a few examples of their dereliction of duty.
The city is also giving employees raises by cutting the hours they need to work and cutting the years they need to work to retire for life on tax payer funded pensions.
Scandalous, you’d think the Press would take this Ponzi scheme apart and report it to the public. Oh but wait….their on the take as well!
SB Current is the closest thing we have to a real newspaper. Yes, it’s opinions and exposing facts. The Indy is a propaganda machine for the Democrats.
Yes, I agree the Indy is a local embarrassment. “Angry Poodle,” Nick Welch, Jerry Roberts and “Tom Tomorrow,” clearly slanted, bias reporting… amateur hour!
Oh! Thank You ❤ So much agree!!
It infuriates me the city’s Friday closures; and locked police station! Why is everyone so supportive of inaccessible local police, and top brass (Chief and her “caring deputy) who are incapable of strong arming even me let alone a dangerous criminal? Heck we all work Monday-Friday and weekends as needed. SB City is quickly falling below mediocrity. The Mayor needs to lead, better inform voters of the 3 Council reps mostly responsible for present day problems, and get his out of area City Manager to get to work. It’s all too sad and frustrating. Same as SBCC.
Excellent article and topic.
Every person out there pays the use tax regardless of income so once more, this affects disproportionately the poor and middle class.
The public records act request was an extipendous idea and the question well stated. When are these tax increases going to stop? My guess is never. Tax and spend is the motto. Specially in those salaries and pensions.
Absolutely, do not use failed strategies of the past. Who can describe what elected politicians fear the most? Certainly not letters. Not 2–3-minute speeches in council meetings.
What they fear the most, are organized demonstrations of public rejection and the press reports on them, especially if the national press gets involved
Will the local voters send a message to the elected Progressive "Leadership" who runs our city, by saying "NO" to yet another tax increase?
I predict the uninformed electorate will blindly agree to yet another self-inflicted theft from their wallets, as they believe the propaganda that is spewed from the mouths of Environmental Studies majors (staff) who run this city.
" . . I predict the uninformed electorate will blindly agree . ." You can count on it. No matter what I ask my Golden Retriever he says "OK." So do the stupid voters.
Nice job Bonnie. As long as the taxes go into the general fund this will continue. I remember the same things happened in New Jersey when the Democrats ran a campaign to vote for casinos in order to finance senior citizens. Later it was admitted that it is not permitted to specify that a tax will be used a specific way. Housing issues are a bottomless pit until the flow from the border is stopped.
Yes, California is fast becoming New Jersey and ran by our version of the Sapranos!
Yes!! Exactly. Chicago, NYC, and New Jersey "players." A rose by any other name...........
Thank you Bonnie for your tireless efforts to save us at the local level, which is the state level, and becomes the national level. Unfortunately liberal minded "freebies" are agog at the next big $tip to our local economy. They never see how all this ALWAYS leads to bankruptcy.. Have they forgotten the great California bankruptcy in 1995? Property values dropped more than 50%. Banks and businesses went under 1993 forward. So here we are again. Santa Barbara now over 7 million in debt, yet their answer is ALWAYS, "Let's tax the people! We will NEVER run out of money." UNTIL the next state wide/national bankruptcy. Welcome to your 1.9 million dollar home being reduced to 950,000 or less! These people are harming everybody with their selfish, ignorant, immature NEW policies.
Another great column from Bonnie!
Btw, the notion that our local government can do much of anything about housing affordability is pretty funny. Sheila Lodge once admitted as much. And it’s clear that 90% of why housing prices have skyrocketed in the last fifteen and especially five years is financial shenanigans at the very highest level. Not much little SB can do about Fed and Treasury policies, let alone what the wicked wizards on Wall Street get up to.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we just stopped pretending there’s much we locals can do about it? But then, what would our local pols and activists have to virtue-signal about? There’s always homelessness, I suppose …