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.
Government employee unions have captured the local Democrat party, so if they carry this endorsement one does know what they are getting. There are no partisan designations on city council ballots.
Time for candidates to run as true independent, arms-length power brokers, between competing political forces that now exist within our city government. And school boards too along with all other local elected bodies intended to be non-partisan, rather than misused as political spoils systems.
Politics follows culture. First step is to start talking about this, and make the case why independent elected officials are critical to the responsible functioning of our taxpayer-funded municipal services. Let the conversations begin. Change the culture, and the change in elections will follow. Good conversations are emerging right here.
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?
We need to constantly remind ourselves how much of our money is allocated to these published personnel costs; outside of normal expenditures on supplies, contractual projects, consultants, outside legal expenses, construction and maintenance of city infrastructure
We are all stakeholders in these city expenditures year round; not just every few years as voters.
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.
SS: Private industry unions made their underlying businesses non-competitive so they eventually failed. This had nothing to do with any partisan "war on unions". They did this to themselves. Along with shoddy work products that failed on the growing international market. A popular novel at the time "Wheels" by Arthur Haley foretold the decline of Detroit and the US car industry better than any other post mortem economic analysis.
Reminder SS: Always distinguish between (1) private sector unions subject to the rules of the market place. And (2) public sector government unions supported only by tax payers forced to fund incessant demands, with virtually no marketplace accountability for their work product.
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.
Good to get your insights Michael, since you know this system both inside and out. Learning how to work within the system, which has a life of its own, is critically important. I hope you keep exploring how we can best direct our efforts for change in the future. Your insights on the recent switch to districts elections in the city would be particularly helpful.
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.
Another necessary reform: Recusal required in any later contract negotiations: if a candidate accepted donations from any members of a future employee bargaining group, when future contract negotiations require the participation of that elected board member.
Keep government employee unions off **both** sides of the bargaining table: (1) their unions on one side (legitimate) and (2) candidates their union members helped elect (unethical).
Typical private industry unions bargain at arms length - management vs employees. Public employee contracts are entirely different, since voters elect their representatives to sit on one side of the collective bargaining table that in turn negotiates with government employee unions sitting on the other side.
There is a lot at stake when spending tax dollars during collective bargaining. Taxpayers should be ensured they have truly neutral parties sitting on their side; and not beholden members who previously accepted campaign donations, support and/or endorsements from the very same people now sitting on the other side of the table.
Witness the drama going on right now between SBUSD "teachers" and the SBUSD board of trustees. Case study in the built-in the distortions that infect what should be a neutral "arms-length" bargaining process.
There are only so many tax dollars to spend. But if you rob from Peter to pay Paul, you do have to later dig into your own pockets to pay it off. This shows up later as school bond issues and parcel taxes increasing local property tax bills, since maintenance and construction set-asides are often the first to fall during contentious public agency bargaining conflicts. (To wit: You care more about buildings, than you do people.)
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.
City council elections are structured to be non-partisan.
Let's rehonor that election commitment. How can we remove self-serving partisan influences from our city elections?
How? Elect only registered No Party Preference candidates to positions. Otherwise everything will remain 100% under Democrat control.
Government employee unions have captured the local Democrat party, so if they carry this endorsement one does know what they are getting. There are no partisan designations on city council ballots.
Time for candidates to run as true independent, arms-length power brokers, between competing political forces that now exist within our city government. And school boards too along with all other local elected bodies intended to be non-partisan, rather than misused as political spoils systems.
Politics follows culture. First step is to start talking about this, and make the case why independent elected officials are critical to the responsible functioning of our taxpayer-funded municipal services. Let the conversations begin. Change the culture, and the change in elections will follow. Good conversations are emerging right here.
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?
Good time to bookmark Transparent California for the City of Santa Barbara. https://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/2023/santa-barbara/
We need to constantly remind ourselves how much of our money is allocated to these published personnel costs; outside of normal expenditures on supplies, contractual projects, consultants, outside legal expenses, construction and maintenance of city infrastructure
We are all stakeholders in these city expenditures year round; not just every few years as voters.
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.
SS: Private industry unions made their underlying businesses non-competitive so they eventually failed. This had nothing to do with any partisan "war on unions". They did this to themselves. Along with shoddy work products that failed on the growing international market. A popular novel at the time "Wheels" by Arthur Haley foretold the decline of Detroit and the US car industry better than any other post mortem economic analysis.
Reminder SS: Always distinguish between (1) private sector unions subject to the rules of the market place. And (2) public sector government unions supported only by tax payers forced to fund incessant demands, with virtually no marketplace accountability for their work product.
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
Good to get your insights Michael, since you know this system both inside and out. Learning how to work within the system, which has a life of its own, is critically important. I hope you keep exploring how we can best direct our efforts for change in the future. Your insights on the recent switch to districts elections in the city would be particularly helpful.
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.
Another necessary reform: Recusal required in any later contract negotiations: if a candidate accepted donations from any members of a future employee bargaining group, when future contract negotiations require the participation of that elected board member.
Keep government employee unions off **both** sides of the bargaining table: (1) their unions on one side (legitimate) and (2) candidates their union members helped elect (unethical).
Typical private industry unions bargain at arms length - management vs employees. Public employee contracts are entirely different, since voters elect their representatives to sit on one side of the collective bargaining table that in turn negotiates with government employee unions sitting on the other side.
There is a lot at stake when spending tax dollars during collective bargaining. Taxpayers should be ensured they have truly neutral parties sitting on their side; and not beholden members who previously accepted campaign donations, support and/or endorsements from the very same people now sitting on the other side of the table.
Witness the drama going on right now between SBUSD "teachers" and the SBUSD board of trustees. Case study in the built-in the distortions that infect what should be a neutral "arms-length" bargaining process.
There are only so many tax dollars to spend. But if you rob from Peter to pay Paul, you do have to later dig into your own pockets to pay it off. This shows up later as school bond issues and parcel taxes increasing local property tax bills, since maintenance and construction set-asides are often the first to fall during contentious public agency bargaining conflicts. (To wit: You care more about buildings, than you do people.)