Wasting Money the City Council Way
by Michael Self
I Love Santa Barbara
This article is about my experiences in 2004, watching the City proposing “Improvements,” and “Traffic Calming.” I printed the City’s plan and ballots, then canvased my neighborhood. I wasn’t alone in thinking that the “Improvements” weren’t universally accepted by most of the residents. Congesting our already cramped streets was and is controversial. The ballots overwhelmingly proved the residents didn’t want this social engineering experiment. That’s why they don’t ask you anymore. They are spending millions destroying our street grid.
My advocation for the residents is the pivotal issue that encouraged me to run in a successful campaign for City Council. One of the most enjoyable endeavors of my life right behind being a wife and mother.
On Council I never once voted for any tax or fee increase. Having been in business, I could see there was much waste. Our residents don’t have the luxury or clout to ask and receive more money from their customers or employers. These are my thoughts and opinions, you may disagree; that’s okay.
Government workers make much more than their private counterparts. Especially when you factor in paid vacations (two weeks), sick leave, holidays, retirement funds with CalPERS, transportation expenses, educational classes, health insurance increasing every year. I recently saw a woman in a Santa Barbara City car in the Santa Maria Walmart parking lot.
We have more planners than the City of Santa Monica. Can you say employee overload?
The City is saving over $400,000 a year since privatizing maintenance at our Municipal Golf Course. How much more could we save by privatizing our parks? I posit this could be achieved not necessarily by firing anyone, but by not replacing retirees, etc. The City not only pays above market rate, but it also provides vehicles with insurance, fuel, tools, and risk insurance.
How do you think it sits with the public when we’ve been great little water savers, but the City didn’t get the planned revenue, so they raised the rates for water over 10%, while also raising your sewer, trash, and monthly water meter fees. An added insult was to make this water rate increase for the next few years.
Great.
Now they don’t have to look you in the eye when you’re hit with it later. Social Security recipients got a 3.2% inflation increase.
In relocating the Farmers Market, why did Council ignore the Fire Department’s warning that by doing so they would be increasing the response time for an emergency?
Unconscionable.
Guess what.
They really find you annoying (until election time) when you try to get in the way of their plans. Did you realize you are “gaming the system” when you’re allowed enough time to do an errand downtown and not stay long enough to have to pay? The merchants downtown are assessed annually to pay for the 90 minutes free to you the patron, whether you park there or not.
By refusing to open State Street for the enjoyment of all, their anti-car mentality is obvious.
Bikes are the way of the future?
They aren’t letting it happen organically. Just look at the vehicle-to-bike ratio. It’s a no-brainer logically. They have no compassion or consideration for merchants, the disabled, or the elderly.
Coast Village Road and the Funk Zone are thriving.
What’s the difference?
They overspend on too many unneeded pet projects.
Millions just to plan the De la Guerra Plaza redo.
Eleven million to narrow and make the State St. underpass a destination (huh?).
Nine million to improve biking at the Cabrillo underpass.
Thirty million for a pedestrian/101 overpass.
Grants do not pay for all the construction or staff time.
Stop trying to improve Santa Barbara.
It’s not working!
Michael Kathleen Self is a wife, mother, a member of Native Daughters of the Golden West, SB Rotary, The SB Trust for Historic Preservation, Antique Automobile Club of America, the Pearl Chase Society and previous Santa Barbara City Council Member. She can be reached at michaelself2011@yahoo.com
What is new? Not much.
The general public agrees with Michael's statements, but when it comes to objecting the attitude is "you cannot fight city hall." Wrong Michael and I stuffed the City of SB over De la Vina Narrowing and the roundabout at State and De la Vina. We walked and talked to businesses and residents with the outcome a petition to stop them with of over 80% residents and over 90% businesses.
You can fight city hall, but only if people are willing to take the time and get away from their TV/Computers. The wast she talks about is just the tip of the iceberg. Get city staff alone with promises of not being identified and you get the "Real Story."
Most of the Public Works Staff for the City of Santa Barbara think the Current and Past Council have no idea what a successful city planning is about. At the same time they are punished by ideologically driven Council and specific Political appointees when they tell the truth.
This is a great article. It points the dagger at the heart of failed planning, ideologues who only care about their point of view. So now that you have read this and agree with it when will you turn off the TV/Computer and join the Loyal Opposition and stop dedicated failure?
You nailed it: City is mismanaged, wasteful; Council reps self-serving or inept; replacement leaders needed. On the topic of water, may I elaborate on your statement: “the City didn’t get the planned revenue, so they raised the rates for water over 10%, while also raising your sewer, trash, and monthly water meter fees.” Now the City wants a 40% increase. Why?
Starting in 2016, thanks to assistance from Yale grad and then Councilman Frank Hotchkiss (R), now a resident of GA, at my request the City “paused” its unlawful 30% surcharge on water bills to all SBCity Water District (SBWD) Customers with properties outside the City boundaries. This charge had been ruled illegal in 1998, 18 years earlier, when I started advocating to end this unlawful charge locally. Until Hotchkiss, and an expert resident from Rattlesnake Creek/Mission Canyon with his spreadsheets, Council turned deaf ears because extortion is an accepted local tradition. Council knows most homeowners are passive sheep, apparently thinking ‘we’re lucky to have water’. I was armed with the 1907 Barker Pass judicial ruling on “first rights to water” dug up in the County Archieves, and confirmed legit by three past City Attorneys; and the 1998 Orange County ruling.
Thousands of SBWD customers were illegally charged 30% more for water than City residents, generating an additional $1.8M in revenues. This ‘pause’ required City reserves to be spent, and a revision in charges to many customers, when made permanent in 2017. However, the City’s revisions remain flawed!
What needs to happen? 1) The City Charter needs to be amended to give all SBWD water customers representation; 2) the City must stop requiring users of Level 3 to subsidize the cost of providing 4 HCFs of water to every Level 1 customer by billing Department Overhead Expenses to all customers, not just Level 2 and 3 users; 3) Council must hire better, math-smart negotiators, rather than sell water cheaper to Montecito Water District (MWD) than to its own customers who paid for not one but two desal plants, plus holding costs for the required state permit hold.
Often, I wonder why homeowners, users of Level 2 and 3 water, are silent but conclude others must not care: it’s only money. Heads Up: Erosion of property rights is a high priority of both SB City Council and County BOS.