We're not Santa Barbara citizens to our local government, we're not their employers, we're not even people. We're just ATMs. How much would you like to withdraw today? Would you like that in 20s or 1000 dollar bills? I keep saying I'm not leaving Santa Barbara no matter what. You know why I'm not leaving? Because by the time our government gets through with me I won't have enough money to buy a ticket out of here.
Thank you Bonnie for the great information on where our tax dollars are being spent. Of all things almost $10k/yr for the council folks 'car allowance seems the nuttiest.
Car allowance might seem nutty, but it's simply another means of increasing their net salary. They are not smart enough to consider bicycle riding allowance or walking allowance because of wear and tear of a bike and body <g>. Don't forget throwing in haircut expenses because they are always in public trying to look good.
Thanks Bonnie for the morning laugh visualizing any Rep riding a bike like we’re expected to do! Tax free benefits, expense accounts, a car allowance, free meals, lodging, events to self promote for re-election, even wardrobe & haircuts for their highly valued photo ops are significant perks to politicians.
Ask where Salud dines? At only the finest DC restaurants. What’s his primary job? Getting re-elected, messaging scripted DEM issues, and delivering donor dollars.
As usual Bonnie, great article. With the high city and county government salaries and their corresponding retirement plans means they have to "find" more money. My thought is the city/county will end up confiscating and selling the property of local property owners. Noting how slow the permit process is after the LA fire, I believe the LA city/county will access and eventually own many uninsured properties of homeowners that can't afford to rebuild. The slow permit process is also a method of draining the money out of homeowners that will end up having their property stolen by the government folks.
Something feels sinister about the city’s “delay” in submitting the city housing element, which allowed the Mission Canyon behemoth project to slip in on this Builders Remedy loophole. How would we ever find out? They certainly did not put anyone else’s interest ahead of their own “housing crisis” agenda, conveniently using that bureaucratic “stumble.”
Thank you Bonnie for high-lighting the difference between public employee salaries and their full cost to tax payers including their benefits, which is much higher and also tax free.
The Too often when government employees enter collective bargaining, they present to the public complaints about their “low salaries” while never mentioning their often lavish benefits packages they also get, at the taxpayers full expense. Equally disingenuous is when teachers fail to mention they often work only a nine month year.
One other way is to call this first salary number as their take-home pay for their own full discretionary spending, since they do not need to purchase health insurance, dental insurance, or even a limited life insurance policy since taxpayers are the ones who fund all of this for them.
But the biggest taxpayer expense is they do not need to self-fund is any retirement or pension plan. Which also frees up their full take-home pay amount. Which often also includes automatic COLA and longevity increases. Again tax payers are fully on the hook for this guaranteed but unknown defined-benefit pension amounts, to be fully paid for the rest of their lives.
The only drawback for a public pension is having no ownership to any underlying principal amount; only in the monthly payments. So their heirs do not have any inheritance interest in any retirement savings residue. Spouses however do during their own lifetimes, depending on any private agreements made upfront. Some dependent children also have residual rights.
So their next time you hear how underpaid government employees always claim to be, do the math for them. It is their unions who decide how much of the full dollar amount taxpayers are required to fund for them, gets allocated as their actual take-home pay and how much goes to fund some pretty spectacular benefits packages. Also including their $1000 a year plus union dues.
How union bargained health insurance for government employees, guaranteed payment by tax payers, affects the costs for private sector health insurance premiums is another story.
Once again, Bonnie, you are to be applauded with the information that you have come up with. A lot of digging to sort through. And as I read through it I can only shake my head and wonder how it has gotten to the point that it has and one also has to wonder if there is, realistically, any hope for the future of this once lovely town. I do appreciate the fact, though, that a number of the readers of The Current are actively trying to reverse and bring back some sanity from this disaster.
Thanks Bonnie. I find it typical that S.B. hired two Harris's in 2020-2021 to study State Street just as these same politicians were shutting it , and us, down for COVID. Perhaps the next set of smiling faces will be able to figure out how to bring back the department stores that anchored Paseo Nuevo.
Agreed. Opening the borders compounded the already tight housing market and since the Newsom crowd has kicked them off of state properties we apparently are expected to pick up the bill.
While at the YMCA I realized their agenda. The politicians S.B. sent to congress, Capps and then Salud, supported open borders. After migrants settled on state property, the politicians S.B. sent to Sacramento voted to kick them off state property before voting to require counties and cities to provide more housing. Undoubtedly they are now planning on a way to force them onto private property. The way S.B. can win is to require Montecito to house them. Politicians would never enforce it.
Outstanding article Bonnie we received Notice late last night that Calpers and CalStrs is Insolvant Newsome is calling this Trump Slump 16 billion in hole stopping payments for 2 years. This article you have written will be forewarded to ncsdoge.com Thank you for all of your contributions We are holding a private election on our principle constitution we passed at our convention tomorrow july 12 2025 11 am to 2 pm Ventura has a voting location too https://www.newcaliforniastate.com/election that you can go vote at check the qrcode if you have followed me on facebook or instagram i ppsted them there too. all counties are listed holding elections im holding the Santa Barbara county here in Lompoc at MIssion Hills Community Services District
1550 E Burton Mesa Blvd Lompoc Ca 93436 11 am to 2 pm hope to see you there. 🕊🕊✨️✨️✨️💥🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲
From DOD Admin Expert Warnetin LinkedIn> VERY INTESTING ........ AUDIT MANAGER EXPERT
"With over 30 years of leadership in the Department of Defense and the U.S. Air Force, I've now relocated from the Washington D.C. Beltway to "The American Riviera" paradise that is my hometown of Santa Barbara to take on the position of Chief Administrative Officer in the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office." Any Security Problems At Our Defense Contractor's In Goleta?
What every you do Do not go here and see what current and former Police, Fire or other county employees are getting paid ..... https://transparentcalifornia.com/
CAB objected to Harris and his love the Failed Santa Monica junk. We had multiple business owners who back us tell him to get lost. Yet it was the shut down the town groups backing the council like Schneider, Garcia, and others who kept him around.
His total cost ... $864,903.49
The second copy cat Harris ... $573,477.71
Just over a Mil....but it is only taxpayer money.
Both Harris' were told by the best 2 Directors of the DO to pound sand and State St. / De la Guerra had to stay open. Vision Zero has failed but the same template of killing downtown continues. Why? (VZ seen an increase in accidents now there is stupid.)
CAB presented to the Blum, Schneider, and Murillo Councils the way to prove once and for all what works is to open State St. back up to the 1970's plan from Victoria to Carrillo. Not once did either mayor or council respond.
The City and the anti Success Council refuse to do what will be the definitive answer. What Works? Instead they blindly plow ahead with their street destruction costing 10's of million when the CAB option would cost less than $2 Million.
There you go. Is it more important to prove "We have Control" then it is to successful. It is your council, you voted for them and they cannot seem to learn by failure.
Bonnie ..... think I can get one of those Million Dollar Jobs? *laugh*
If you were some flunky ‘planner’ and could jab the city for big pay, overtime, travel, pension etc. etc. would you do it? Of course! Who wouldn’t?! I would, in a heartbeat - if they’re stupid enough to pay it, I’d be stupid to turn it down.
I hope you find Joseph Holland. In the meantime, I happened to catch this past Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting. I’ve never seen such disgusting, despicable behavior on public display. I take that back I have seen it, I guess it’s just doesn’t get any easier to hear and see how despicable this administration is, disgusting.
These cabinet meetings consist of lies, name-calling, patting themselves on the back, thanking two-week taco for being a great leader. He’s rude to the reporters that ask those hard questions, but if someone gives him a softball, he’s the sweetest thing to them. They’ve got that atrocious Glenn guy reporter, mtg bf, there to set up two week tacos responses. It’s like watching a king hold court.
Both rubio and Hegseth sitting next to two-week taco, like bumps on a log.
Two-week taco just said talking about energy. If you look at California, they have black out and brown out every other week. We Californians know that is an utter completely evil lie.
I’ve got to stop watching, it’s just so hilarious and rage inducing at the same time watching this cast of traitors to the United States of America.
State’s debt “stands at an alarming $520 billion”. Yet, there’s no requirement, or even any expectation, for a politician to represent their District, our City’s needs, or to ever consider the fiscal burdens to taxpayers. We’re doomed. Just wait til Courts order property owners to pay for unfunded pension obligations. How many property owners even care to push back? We must act to change the tide on our dysfunctional government; dangerous, deceptive NGOs; and end tax exempt status (NPOs: non-profit organizations)
We're not Santa Barbara citizens to our local government, we're not their employers, we're not even people. We're just ATMs. How much would you like to withdraw today? Would you like that in 20s or 1000 dollar bills? I keep saying I'm not leaving Santa Barbara no matter what. You know why I'm not leaving? Because by the time our government gets through with me I won't have enough money to buy a ticket out of here.
I'll buy ya a ticket hon . . . and probably join you!
❤️
Thank you Bonnie for the great information on where our tax dollars are being spent. Of all things almost $10k/yr for the council folks 'car allowance seems the nuttiest.
Car allowance might seem nutty, but it's simply another means of increasing their net salary. They are not smart enough to consider bicycle riding allowance or walking allowance because of wear and tear of a bike and body <g>. Don't forget throwing in haircut expenses because they are always in public trying to look good.
" . . haircut expenses . ."-- ARE YOU KIDDING??? I've got a better idea - it's called 'tar and feathers.'
Thanks Bonnie for the morning laugh visualizing any Rep riding a bike like we’re expected to do! Tax free benefits, expense accounts, a car allowance, free meals, lodging, events to self promote for re-election, even wardrobe & haircuts for their highly valued photo ops are significant perks to politicians.
Ask where Salud dines? At only the finest DC restaurants. What’s his primary job? Getting re-elected, messaging scripted DEM issues, and delivering donor dollars.
As usual Bonnie, great article. With the high city and county government salaries and their corresponding retirement plans means they have to "find" more money. My thought is the city/county will end up confiscating and selling the property of local property owners. Noting how slow the permit process is after the LA fire, I believe the LA city/county will access and eventually own many uninsured properties of homeowners that can't afford to rebuild. The slow permit process is also a method of draining the money out of homeowners that will end up having their property stolen by the government folks.
Great point. An expensive and slow and uncertain permitting process can devalue property to zero.
Something feels sinister about the city’s “delay” in submitting the city housing element, which allowed the Mission Canyon behemoth project to slip in on this Builders Remedy loophole. How would we ever find out? They certainly did not put anyone else’s interest ahead of their own “housing crisis” agenda, conveniently using that bureaucratic “stumble.”
If I was a conspiracy theorist I might think the bureaucratic stumble was intentional as well as the intractable permitting process in LA burn areas.
Thank you Bonnie for high-lighting the difference between public employee salaries and their full cost to tax payers including their benefits, which is much higher and also tax free.
The Too often when government employees enter collective bargaining, they present to the public complaints about their “low salaries” while never mentioning their often lavish benefits packages they also get, at the taxpayers full expense. Equally disingenuous is when teachers fail to mention they often work only a nine month year.
One other way is to call this first salary number as their take-home pay for their own full discretionary spending, since they do not need to purchase health insurance, dental insurance, or even a limited life insurance policy since taxpayers are the ones who fund all of this for them.
But the biggest taxpayer expense is they do not need to self-fund is any retirement or pension plan. Which also frees up their full take-home pay amount. Which often also includes automatic COLA and longevity increases. Again tax payers are fully on the hook for this guaranteed but unknown defined-benefit pension amounts, to be fully paid for the rest of their lives.
The only drawback for a public pension is having no ownership to any underlying principal amount; only in the monthly payments. So their heirs do not have any inheritance interest in any retirement savings residue. Spouses however do during their own lifetimes, depending on any private agreements made upfront. Some dependent children also have residual rights.
So their next time you hear how underpaid government employees always claim to be, do the math for them. It is their unions who decide how much of the full dollar amount taxpayers are required to fund for them, gets allocated as their actual take-home pay and how much goes to fund some pretty spectacular benefits packages. Also including their $1000 a year plus union dues.
How union bargained health insurance for government employees, guaranteed payment by tax payers, affects the costs for private sector health insurance premiums is another story.
Invaluable. Thank you Bonnie!!!
Once again, Bonnie, you are to be applauded with the information that you have come up with. A lot of digging to sort through. And as I read through it I can only shake my head and wonder how it has gotten to the point that it has and one also has to wonder if there is, realistically, any hope for the future of this once lovely town. I do appreciate the fact, though, that a number of the readers of The Current are actively trying to reverse and bring back some sanity from this disaster.
Thanks Bonnie. I find it typical that S.B. hired two Harris's in 2020-2021 to study State Street just as these same politicians were shutting it , and us, down for COVID. Perhaps the next set of smiling faces will be able to figure out how to bring back the department stores that anchored Paseo Nuevo.
There will never be stores like Macy's in Paseo Nuevo again... They are going to build 500 apartments there. They have an agenda.
Agreed. Opening the borders compounded the already tight housing market and since the Newsom crowd has kicked them off of state properties we apparently are expected to pick up the bill.
While at the YMCA I realized their agenda. The politicians S.B. sent to congress, Capps and then Salud, supported open borders. After migrants settled on state property, the politicians S.B. sent to Sacramento voted to kick them off state property before voting to require counties and cities to provide more housing. Undoubtedly they are now planning on a way to force them onto private property. The way S.B. can win is to require Montecito to house them. Politicians would never enforce it.
Salud tried to interfere woth an ice raid on a pot farm in Carpinteria https://abc7.com/videoClip/17058756/
Salud is an ass. Save all these videos for the election...
Did you hear why both locations (same owner, Camarillo and Carpinteria) were raided yesterday? Child labor and possibly trafficking!
Yes it was obvious they only removed the criminals (10 people) they left the protesters alone.
Outstanding article Bonnie we received Notice late last night that Calpers and CalStrs is Insolvant Newsome is calling this Trump Slump 16 billion in hole stopping payments for 2 years. This article you have written will be forewarded to ncsdoge.com Thank you for all of your contributions We are holding a private election on our principle constitution we passed at our convention tomorrow july 12 2025 11 am to 2 pm Ventura has a voting location too https://www.newcaliforniastate.com/election that you can go vote at check the qrcode if you have followed me on facebook or instagram i ppsted them there too. all counties are listed holding elections im holding the Santa Barbara county here in Lompoc at MIssion Hills Community Services District
1550 E Burton Mesa Blvd Lompoc Ca 93436 11 am to 2 pm hope to see you there. 🕊🕊✨️✨️✨️💥🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲
Hello Ms. Foster 2nd Link inoperative can you pls provide revised link?
CALI is Bankrupted and without US Government Money CALI is DEAD>
https://usafacts.org/answers/how-much-money-does-the-federal-government-provide-state-and-local-governments/state/california/
I just corrected the link figured it out newcaliforniastate.com/election
Thanks Ms. Foster will do.
I checked the link for Ventura is incorrect i have a call in to get the voting location.
Ventura County Location is the following Location Victory Outreach Church 2875 Elba Street Ventura, California
https://calcoastnews.com/2025/07/ten-children-found-during-ice-raid-at-central-coast-cannabis-farm/
Salud!!!
I read this uncovering article by Oh My Bonnie Bell titled
"We Might Have a Chance of Finding Joe Holland"
From the Poem/Song by Robert Burns 1792>
"Now crystal clear are the falling waters,
And Bonie blue are the sunny skies.
All creatures joy in the sun's returning,
And I rejoice in my Bonie Bell."
The "falling waters" are the SB Employees, like Joe Holland who
have "Disappeared" and Vanished into Thin Air. Should we list them all here?
I quote from Bonnie Bell as follows>
"Transparent California is preparing to release its latest update (2024) on government employee compensation, benefits, and pensions."
Any other SB Employees Missing-In-Action MIA and can't be found yet still are taking down
BIG MONEY FROM OUR POCKETS?
Have they all FLIPPED as I said before?
https://www.usmarshals.gov/what-we-do/witness-security
Howard Walther, Member of a Military Family
PS1 - The County So-Called Leaders Are Being Replaced - Going-Going and Gone>
https://www.noozhawk.com/gary-warkentin-named-sheriffs-office-chief-administrative-officer/
From DOD Admin Expert Warnetin LinkedIn> VERY INTESTING ........ AUDIT MANAGER EXPERT
"With over 30 years of leadership in the Department of Defense and the U.S. Air Force, I've now relocated from the Washington D.C. Beltway to "The American Riviera" paradise that is my hometown of Santa Barbara to take on the position of Chief Administrative Officer in the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office." Any Security Problems At Our Defense Contractor's In Goleta?
'Bonnie Bell - I really like that. And I've always like Bobby Burns.
Hello Earl, use to sit in our lil ole library as a kid and ...........
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
Only this and nothing more.”
Al wright folks...move along nothing to see here...move along....nothing to see here..please...
https://youtu.be/aKnX5wci404?si=Ceg2W1c_a8f_0ZvG&t=26
What every you do Do not go here and see what current and former Police, Fire or other county employees are getting paid ..... https://transparentcalifornia.com/
CAB objected to Harris and his love the Failed Santa Monica junk. We had multiple business owners who back us tell him to get lost. Yet it was the shut down the town groups backing the council like Schneider, Garcia, and others who kept him around.
His total cost ... $864,903.49
The second copy cat Harris ... $573,477.71
Just over a Mil....but it is only taxpayer money.
Both Harris' were told by the best 2 Directors of the DO to pound sand and State St. / De la Guerra had to stay open. Vision Zero has failed but the same template of killing downtown continues. Why? (VZ seen an increase in accidents now there is stupid.)
CAB presented to the Blum, Schneider, and Murillo Councils the way to prove once and for all what works is to open State St. back up to the 1970's plan from Victoria to Carrillo. Not once did either mayor or council respond.
The City and the anti Success Council refuse to do what will be the definitive answer. What Works? Instead they blindly plow ahead with their street destruction costing 10's of million when the CAB option would cost less than $2 Million.
There you go. Is it more important to prove "We have Control" then it is to successful. It is your council, you voted for them and they cannot seem to learn by failure.
Bonnie ..... think I can get one of those Million Dollar Jobs? *laugh*
If you were some flunky ‘planner’ and could jab the city for big pay, overtime, travel, pension etc. etc. would you do it? Of course! Who wouldn’t?! I would, in a heartbeat - if they’re stupid enough to pay it, I’d be stupid to turn it down.
I hope you find Joseph Holland. In the meantime, I happened to catch this past Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting. I’ve never seen such disgusting, despicable behavior on public display. I take that back I have seen it, I guess it’s just doesn’t get any easier to hear and see how despicable this administration is, disgusting.
These cabinet meetings consist of lies, name-calling, patting themselves on the back, thanking two-week taco for being a great leader. He’s rude to the reporters that ask those hard questions, but if someone gives him a softball, he’s the sweetest thing to them. They’ve got that atrocious Glenn guy reporter, mtg bf, there to set up two week tacos responses. It’s like watching a king hold court.
Both rubio and Hegseth sitting next to two-week taco, like bumps on a log.
Two-week taco just said talking about energy. If you look at California, they have black out and brown out every other week. We Californians know that is an utter completely evil lie.
I’ve got to stop watching, it’s just so hilarious and rage inducing at the same time watching this cast of traitors to the United States of America.
State’s debt “stands at an alarming $520 billion”. Yet, there’s no requirement, or even any expectation, for a politician to represent their District, our City’s needs, or to ever consider the fiscal burdens to taxpayers. We’re doomed. Just wait til Courts order property owners to pay for unfunded pension obligations. How many property owners even care to push back? We must act to change the tide on our dysfunctional government; dangerous, deceptive NGOs; and end tax exempt status (NPOs: non-profit organizations)