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.
Sounds like city councils are just a license to steal while they feel high and mighty above the peasants. Cape Coral, FL city council voted themselves (no voter input) a THREE THOUSAND DOLLAR A MONTH stipend, no receipts necessary just cold cash in their accounts. Mayor? FIVE GRAND A MONTH. They are shoving through a change in a beautifully wooded park to a food truck court (on concrete), tear out the trees (what?) and insert a bar and a bandstand. Fort Myers, FL is shoving through a ferris wheel for downtown, next to the the harbor that lost $$$$$ in yachts when Ian hit. It's just too bad we can't see into their bank accounts to see where the payoffs are coming from, who's cousin is getting those construction contracts, etc. It's everywhere. I won't even go into the city of Honolulu and their $13B (that's a B) in the fail that is rail. Everywhere. We have the power of vote but we have to TAKE that power.
Peggy: How do you advise we TAKE back control? Various attempts fail. School, government bonds and contracts are widely misused for kickbacks and skimming. The oversight protections are a joke even when caught red handed. Too many agencies from DA to Judges are conflicted. After months preparing an app to the civil grand jury, which GJ accepted for investigation, GJ turned case over to DA for criminal pursuit. DA said it would be pursuing criminal charges until — oops— case involved a lawyer friend, loss of entity’s reputation, potential losses in property valuations, …. . CA has a Fiscal Crisis Mgt Assessment Team (FCMAT) for school fraud audits. But guess what? The alleged guilty govt dept or official must refer the case to FCMAT, not a citizen or constituent group. Victor Davis Hanson is right: ‘The Dying Citizen’. Citizens have no Constitutional or any other protections under single party rule in CA’s Idealogic Dictatorship or Politburo. Sounds like FL and HI aren’t much better at decision making. How is hurricane storm prone Fort Meyers’ Carousel at the wharf insured?
The author writes "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..." Why is this the case? When Municipal, State and Federal government workers were extended those benefits many years ago, it was at a time when over 35% of the American workforce was unionized and received similar benefits. Ronald Reagan's and the GOP's "war on unions" has dramatically changed the composition of the American workforce since the 1980's, so today's non-union workers have lost almost all of those benefits. Once the underpaid "wage slaves" in the private sector wake up and organize, they will again enjoy paid holidays and vacations, sick leave, health care, and pensions.
Unions are a death sentence to essential small businesses. Unionization is NOT the answer. We must preserve the ‘Right To Work’ — without being part of a union — plus regain the right for local businesses to be awarded government contracts when not unionized. Santa Barbara City has a $5M contract threshold; County $10M. Therefore to re-pave a street rather than hire one of our 4 capable local asphalt companies who employ locals, a Sacramento Elk Grove company was hired with taxpayer dollars, crew put up in motels, fed, heavy equipment transported 350 miles each way to pave a short residential street with union labor. It’s beyond time to lower government worker tax free benefits; next, eliminate CA state income tax.
Michael Self: Thank you, thank you for a refreshing honest bold article….from a WOMAN!…..about the state of this ultra expensive, not fully-functioning sea side town which most of the town’s government refuses to acknowledge as too expensive, doesn’t often work well.
You article is testimony to honesty and willingness to get your neck chopped. You will! Coming from the East Coast ( Boston ), it didn’t take me long to realize locals don’t want to criticize…..as though to criticize is evil, dirty, disloyal.
Criticizm is the first step to improvements. Naming the problem is NOT bad or wrong; it is the precursor to improvements, corrections, re-evaluations.
As a 15 year homeowner here, it has taken me this long to believe that whoever runs this town’s government appears to be sleeping, as are many residents. One hardly EVER hears from the people in charge. Why doesn’t Mr. Rouse EVER address us ?
So, again, Michael Self, THANK YOU for a breath of REALITY. Let’s hope it brings changes along with the rocks aimed at your head. Learn to duck.
Fantastic Common Sense review which unfortunately proves that Common Sense is not Common. It reminds me of Middle School student government wherein preteens desire to change civil decorum. Here in the City of Santa Barbara our local government is ignoring much of what was learned about the lack of City Planning during the Middle Ages. Middle School mentality was replaced by the Renaissannce street grid. Their experiment fails in so many ways.
Would be great. However, Governor Jerry Brown made Union contributions legal.
Our former mayor received Union donations from all over the state. The Unions bus members in to walk for the one who will remember this at wage bargaining talks.
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.
“They really find you annoying (until election time)”
That’s because the DNC endorsed only care about ballots.
Let’s see what they decide to “fix” or lie and say they’ll fix it to get your vote.
Do NOT vote for any DNC endorsed candidate. Vote Democrat, just not a DNC endorsed candidate.
Use your brain, why vote for the same people, the same party that charges you $700 inspection fee to reroof a 1,500sf house.
Honestly, where is the money going? Right, their pockets not to you. Not the city, not to the public.
Just like the $200,000,000 annually silent on homeless.
Notice a difference?
I do, there are more and more homeless each year despite their BS 5am hunt with flashlights to find homeless sleeping in plain sight.
Wake up
Pick up that pen and fill your ballot out.
How? Elect only registered No Party Preference candidates to positions. Otherwise everything will remain 100% under Democrat control.
Just 6 words. WE NEED YOU BACK ON COUNCiL. Please 🙏🏻
Sounds like city councils are just a license to steal while they feel high and mighty above the peasants. Cape Coral, FL city council voted themselves (no voter input) a THREE THOUSAND DOLLAR A MONTH stipend, no receipts necessary just cold cash in their accounts. Mayor? FIVE GRAND A MONTH. They are shoving through a change in a beautifully wooded park to a food truck court (on concrete), tear out the trees (what?) and insert a bar and a bandstand. Fort Myers, FL is shoving through a ferris wheel for downtown, next to the the harbor that lost $$$$$ in yachts when Ian hit. It's just too bad we can't see into their bank accounts to see where the payoffs are coming from, who's cousin is getting those construction contracts, etc. It's everywhere. I won't even go into the city of Honolulu and their $13B (that's a B) in the fail that is rail. Everywhere. We have the power of vote but we have to TAKE that power.
Peggy: How do you advise we TAKE back control? Various attempts fail. School, government bonds and contracts are widely misused for kickbacks and skimming. The oversight protections are a joke even when caught red handed. Too many agencies from DA to Judges are conflicted. After months preparing an app to the civil grand jury, which GJ accepted for investigation, GJ turned case over to DA for criminal pursuit. DA said it would be pursuing criminal charges until — oops— case involved a lawyer friend, loss of entity’s reputation, potential losses in property valuations, …. . CA has a Fiscal Crisis Mgt Assessment Team (FCMAT) for school fraud audits. But guess what? The alleged guilty govt dept or official must refer the case to FCMAT, not a citizen or constituent group. Victor Davis Hanson is right: ‘The Dying Citizen’. Citizens have no Constitutional or any other protections under single party rule in CA’s Idealogic Dictatorship or Politburo. Sounds like FL and HI aren’t much better at decision making. How is hurricane storm prone Fort Meyers’ Carousel at the wharf insured?
Way to go Michael, I couldn't agree with you more. Don't you want to run for city government again!!? Maybe even president!
The author writes "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..." Why is this the case? When Municipal, State and Federal government workers were extended those benefits many years ago, it was at a time when over 35% of the American workforce was unionized and received similar benefits. Ronald Reagan's and the GOP's "war on unions" has dramatically changed the composition of the American workforce since the 1980's, so today's non-union workers have lost almost all of those benefits. Once the underpaid "wage slaves" in the private sector wake up and organize, they will again enjoy paid holidays and vacations, sick leave, health care, and pensions.
Unions are a death sentence to essential small businesses. Unionization is NOT the answer. We must preserve the ‘Right To Work’ — without being part of a union — plus regain the right for local businesses to be awarded government contracts when not unionized. Santa Barbara City has a $5M contract threshold; County $10M. Therefore to re-pave a street rather than hire one of our 4 capable local asphalt companies who employ locals, a Sacramento Elk Grove company was hired with taxpayer dollars, crew put up in motels, fed, heavy equipment transported 350 miles each way to pave a short residential street with union labor. It’s beyond time to lower government worker tax free benefits; next, eliminate CA state income tax.
And,...throw in "Affordable" housing!
I don't live in Montecito because, I can't "afford" it.
So my family moved years ago to where we could afford it, then. The S.Y.V. See Ya' S.B.
Michael Self: Thank you, thank you for a refreshing honest bold article….from a WOMAN!…..about the state of this ultra expensive, not fully-functioning sea side town which most of the town’s government refuses to acknowledge as too expensive, doesn’t often work well.
You article is testimony to honesty and willingness to get your neck chopped. You will! Coming from the East Coast ( Boston ), it didn’t take me long to realize locals don’t want to criticize…..as though to criticize is evil, dirty, disloyal.
Criticizm is the first step to improvements. Naming the problem is NOT bad or wrong; it is the precursor to improvements, corrections, re-evaluations.
As a 15 year homeowner here, it has taken me this long to believe that whoever runs this town’s government appears to be sleeping, as are many residents. One hardly EVER hears from the people in charge. Why doesn’t Mr. Rouse EVER address us ?
So, again, Michael Self, THANK YOU for a breath of REALITY. Let’s hope it brings changes along with the rocks aimed at your head. Learn to duck.
Thank you Nancy,
Randy Rowse is the only sane advocate for this City. I hear from him regularly. He asks for community support.
Email him:
rrowse@santabarbarsca. gov
He’ll appreciate your comments and you’ll get updates.
Being a girl named Michael stiffens ones spine
Weird: a person who THINKS. Thanks.
Oops Rowse’s
Email is:
rrowse@santabarbaraca.gov
Fantastic Common Sense review which unfortunately proves that Common Sense is not Common. It reminds me of Middle School student government wherein preteens desire to change civil decorum. Here in the City of Santa Barbara our local government is ignoring much of what was learned about the lack of City Planning during the Middle Ages. Middle School mentality was replaced by the Renaissannce street grid. Their experiment fails in so many ways.
Only allow campaign donations from individuals for starters.
Would be great. However, Governor Jerry Brown made Union contributions legal.
Our former mayor received Union donations from all over the state. The Unions bus members in to walk for the one who will remember this at wage bargaining talks.