Excellent, Bonnie! And so happy to see how many people are writing in with such intelligent observations. UCSB should hire you to teach a course on “How Real Politics Work - In Practice, Pensions and Pay Raises - not Marxist Theory.” ❤️
Salud is an embarrassment not just to himself, but worse, our entire community. I assume he is a fine husband and father. I'm referring to Salud the professional politician. We are told that immigrants...even former illegal immigrants like Salud...become better Americans than native born Americans. If that is true, Salud is clearly the outlier.
His voting record and attendant actions are antithetical to America. His calling card is the happenstance of birth....ethnicity,...not character or patriotism irrespective of his entire stateside military narrative.
This is what America gets for not paying attention until it is too late...just look at Dearborn, Michigan or Minneapolis...irredeemable anti-American hellholes.
Council reps are underworked, overpaid, fiscally illiterate, inept, inexperienced, and many say just plain stupid. Might the good news be law suits naming individual reps and bureaucrats responsible for creating multiple hazards destroying Santa Barbara?
Regarding CKirk Congressional vote: Salud was part of the voting block of caucuses representing only people of color. As instructed, he did vote to represent 40%+ of his Congressional District based on ethnicity/race; and the voting priorities of ‘uncolored’ — whatever that means — who elected Salud. Further local explanation has not been offered.
It’s time to actively unite behind Congressional Candidate Bob Smith! Common sense, informed, responsive representation of ALL. We need qualified reps for all elected positions which requires voter commitment.
State street looks as if it was designed by children. Not to insult the children because I have seen Lego cities layed out with better planning than what local leadership has burped up.
I know of no one favoring a 8 story building behind the SB Mission. It would be an obvious mistake and clearly inappropriate for this historic neighborhood. I know this firsthand being a native of San Antonio. Perhaps the most famous mission, the Alamo is surrounded by huge multi level buildings, which coexists with this historic site.
What I object to more than a behemoth building behind our SB Mission, is the sleazy, underhanded way Monique Limon manipulated her Senate Bill in order to exempt this project from housing mandates by evoking CEQA requirements. No doubt wealthy, lefty donors got to her to put the kibosh on this housing project.
Her Senate Bill, conveniently only apples to city populations between 85,000-95,000, so I guess this doesn’t apply to Goleta? What a surprise.
Our state representatives (Hart and Limon) favored this project, since they did not lift a finger to prevent this "builders remedy" application state wide. .
Monique Limon's recent last minute carve-out of her prior support for this "builder's remedy" legislation stinks of her own of craven self interests. Even when Limon's special interest legislation carve-out, may be the only Hail Mary pass that finally saves us. Where was she when the real policy was being made? MIA.
Where was Limon when she supported the draconian loss of local control in the "builders remedy" legislation , in order to respond to her party's alleged "housing crisis" fostered by her own party's support of California open borders policies? MIA
Hart and Limon fail every day to independently represent the whole of our area, or the best interests of this state.
in Monique Limon's case, she was for it before she was suddenly against it when it became and increasing political liability for herself. She never even considered this legislation is a total disaster for her alleged constituents. Late-stage NIMBY is better than no NIMBY at all. Do better next time, Monique. Gregg Hart , you too.
Bonnie, I really don't have many words left to describe my feelings about the Santa Barbara that I once knew and the horrific creation that has been manufactured by the "leaders" of this city. As always, I appreciate the work you go through to get the information out to the community. Thank you.
Someone has made a lot of money continuously inflicting these failed options on city taxpayers. Those narrow "connector" ramps scream incompetent design.
We had nice wide sidewalks, we had thriving go-to businesses, walking State Street sidewalks was long a perfectly wonderful shared community activity. Then failure to control vagrants, and failure to keep the sidewalks clean from human waste and urine with decorative water features abused for public bathing, accelerated its sad decline.
No, it was not just online shopping that destroyed down town since many business offices were also downtown, along with other downtown businesses services that can be done only in person. Plus, more public safety-controlled towns continued to have thriving downtown activity. How many county or city government employees are still required work in the downtown office buildings , which also added to the downtown daily buzz.
Getting hassled daily by an aggressive panhandlers is what made shopping online more attractive, rather than running their gauntlet on State Street. At its worst, we counted 17 vagrants in just the two block area above Carrillo Street - the previously most attractive State Street blocks of all. Which came first - online shopping or vagrants hassling down town visitors?
Given the numerous tripping hazards and clearly in conflict with ADA, it is a matter of time before there is litigation. This is a dream come true for some PI Attorneys. How is it the City Attorney or the city insurance carrier has signed off on this?
I agree for the most part, but I do recall Eric Friedman putting forth a plan to open all blocks except the 500 & 600. His idea was shot down by our new City Administrator Kelly McAdoo. Mayor Rowse was in favor of it.
Yes, lets remember to vote for a positive thinking Republican at the next regular election, and not again for a fence sitting Democrat like Salud Carbajal who could not support a resolution for Charles Kirk.
Bonnie, I look forward to Friday's on SB Current to read your posts and as I read I'm nodding and silently saying, yes, yes, oh yeah. You are spot on.
This week's HLC had some interesting moments early on when they were talking about their sub committee reports. Ed Lenvik asked Cass Ensberg, thru the Chair, if there had been talk about the look of the Pedletts. Cass responded by saying she asked the questions of SB city staff but it was approved w/o anyone ever getting back to her. I could tell that all nine members would have liked to chime in but the subject was not on the agenda.
Chairman Grumbine said they would put it on a future agenda but would limit it to TWENTY minutes of discussion. Really? That's like two minutes per person!! I'm posting the link to the You Tube page, it starts just after 13:00 and goes for a few minutes.
But even better is when the plan for housing at Paseo Nuevo is discussed. At 2:38:15, Sheila Lodge looked like she's about to lose her composure when she asks, "How is it possible that this plan has a height of 75 feet when we have always had the 60 foot limit?"
We all know the answer, because State law supersedes local ordinances. What follows is great viewing.
Thanks so much for watching and commenting on HLC! I really appreciate you sharing the link—it makes it so much easier for others to tune in and stay informed. Keep up the great work and community engagement!
I walked the 500 block of State st. this morning, took some photos to share on my social media. I think there are ten or eleven businesses so far that are using the sidewalk for outside seating. Joe’s Cafe looks nice, five tables, but Sandbar and Holdren’s have packed tables out to the curb. A question to ask the powers that be, “Are these businesses paying per table and chairs?” “Are they paying anything?”
The delineators and cones are really foolish looking. The pots still have price tags on them! And as a gardener I was pissed to see two pots with Milkweed plants, and not the native kind. These plants will attract Monarch butterflies to lay their eggs, then the caterpillars will eat the plants. . .
That’s one of my goals—to get back there and take photos of the price tags. Are they from SB Home Improvement? As for whether they’re paying rent or fees… the answer is no.
In last week’s column, “It’s Only Temporary,” city staff confirmed that these businesses aren’t currently paying to use the space. They say a formal program is in the works, but for now, it’s free use of public property.
Carbajal’s intervention of ICE and doxxing of a law enforcement agent is neither representation or leadership. Recovery of those minors and an aggressive search for others is law enforcement in action. Godspeed to ICE. 🟣 Carbajal’s refusal to acknowledge the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk, a conservative Christian youth leader, speaks for Carbajal’s hatred of those outside his political party. Again, not a commitment to representation or leadership. For what reason does Carbajal serve?
As I understand it, the City is an uninsured municipality, so that when (not IF) someone takes a fall on a PedWhat and fractures their wrist (oops, already happened) they can sue the City for compensation and without an insurance buffer the City just pays out an agreed compensation. Out of our taxes paid. My landlord tried to get me to agree that I was responsible for the sidewalk on front of my studio on State Street, something my lawyer and I argued out of the lease. But I think that was because the management company IS responsible if something happens on that sidewalk in front of the property. Or at least is liable for the annoyance of a protracted argument with the City over who pays the claim. Just wait, the drunks stumbling over the PedWhats are going to be the next statistic.
Bonnie, I was a property manager for a 4 story building downtown 1/2 block from State St. Spent for 5 years and 3 years prior to that part time. I watched the ultimate decline of State St. and it was saddening. The old Downtown Organization repeatedly told the previous Council idiots that narrowing streets, destroying parking (but we have parking structures), pushing bike paths that failed to maintain let alone increase bike use, was not working. That was just for the locals let alone driving away tourists.
Great description of the ped(whats), the dangerous conditions for people with balance/orthopedic conditions. The 4 year old, toys are great designers, including architect degrees "well this is what we do in Europe and Frisco" bigoted one sided view of the world that has failed for over 40 years - are now proven wrong and their supposed swells on the Mesa, Riviera, and San Roque continue to destroy the town.
Let's go back to a Council paid $500 / mo., no retirement, no medical (unless they want to pay for it out of their own pockets), and driving allotment????????? now there is a joke for the - we want the idiot 15 minute city staff and elected.
MTD that these same shut down the streets idiots in both press and media have beat the drum for has failed, wasted both money and land is their excuse???
Quote "a staggering $178.06 per minute. And that’s just for the Council. It doesn’t include the cost of city staff...... """ How about staff that refuses to answer questions under Calif. Law, or just shove them off to the side, because we were/or are proponents of MOVE & CEC that are PACS at election time? Oh and staff again...why is a city that is shrinking in size exploding staff?
Bonnie, it takes quite a lot to shock me, but the whole decision process by which we have arrived at the debacle shown in your pictures seems like a nightmare created by a mess of idiots.
Please tell us how much collectively is being paid by taxpayers to those involved in the decision process which has given away the pedestrian right-of-way to restaurants, and the roads to electric bicycles driven by children, topped off by pedestrian walkways that are guaranteed to cause personal injury.
It is difficult to believe that any small city with such highly paid employees and city council members in a modern state could have created such a debacle, at such high cost.
It is criminal that council members get city pensions and are in a position to approve city worker wage and pension contracts . The conflict of interest would be a felony (bribery/racketeering) in the private sector. How this is not illegal is beyond me.
The Council did not approve a budget for the pots and plants – staff has used existing resources on hand for these. ..................Another DUH...
CAB asked this question of the City of Santa Barbara and Council when State St. was originally closed. The answer was - it was impossible to determine, and when CAB objected to this answer the Mayor and Council refused to comment.
"The latest State Street obstacle course...." Pdelets....
(where are George and Garcy when you need them)
CAB has been given inside information as to the number of accidents because of the bricks that replaced safer sidewalks..... On the admonition of secrecy there is a cottage industry with personal injury attorney's suing the city because of accidents caused by the brick side walks and has cost the city $millions over the years. The same goes for the tiled crosswalks.
Bonnie asks: "Does this look safe?" Of course not. But where is Carbajal's former chief of staff Eric Friedman who touts working with SBCAG. He promotes street destruction, narrowing, and more he votes for 2 projects that cannot be supported with fact and costs the City $500,000 each.
The same can be asked of the rest of the Council who hide after repeated failures of the past 7 years.
Bonnie goes on to ask: does that point to a design flaw or unsafe installation?
Of course these are design flaws. They are based upon failed concepts like the idiotic Visionless - Vision Zero - and RHNA failures.
Failed installation? Where is Friedman, Sneddon, Jordan, Oscar defender of la Raza, Santa Maria, and the supposed intellect of Harmon (attorney that should know better)?
Look around at failed installation of the failed St. Francis Program, the Failed Sola Bike Path that failed to generate demand, the Failed Bulbout Program all over Santa Barbara (or should we ask the deceased traffic planner Gerth, Blum, Schneider, Murillo? Or the fired traffic planner Clilfford (oh that is right he got another job?)
Bonnie has the Bully Pulpit and this is a good article...(no offense this was soooo easy)
What this is pointing out is well over 50 years of effort by anti car and let's go back to Woe Be Gone era. In the process you hire failures of the bike guys to plan your streets???
Keep hammering Bonnie, you have a hill to climb when faced with failed politicians who hire Beam Me Up Scotty and Ed let's move along in traffic to cover their tracks.
Excellent, Bonnie! And so happy to see how many people are writing in with such intelligent observations. UCSB should hire you to teach a course on “How Real Politics Work - In Practice, Pensions and Pay Raises - not Marxist Theory.” ❤️
Salud has been a tool for the left from the onset. Don’t expect change, it’s all part of their takeover agenda. Incrementalism…
We know this. Now let's vote like in fact we do know this.
Salud IS a tool.
Salud is an embarrassment not just to himself, but worse, our entire community. I assume he is a fine husband and father. I'm referring to Salud the professional politician. We are told that immigrants...even former illegal immigrants like Salud...become better Americans than native born Americans. If that is true, Salud is clearly the outlier.
His voting record and attendant actions are antithetical to America. His calling card is the happenstance of birth....ethnicity,...not character or patriotism irrespective of his entire stateside military narrative.
This is what America gets for not paying attention until it is too late...just look at Dearborn, Michigan or Minneapolis...irredeemable anti-American hellholes.
Council reps are underworked, overpaid, fiscally illiterate, inept, inexperienced, and many say just plain stupid. Might the good news be law suits naming individual reps and bureaucrats responsible for creating multiple hazards destroying Santa Barbara?
Regarding CKirk Congressional vote: Salud was part of the voting block of caucuses representing only people of color. As instructed, he did vote to represent 40%+ of his Congressional District based on ethnicity/race; and the voting priorities of ‘uncolored’ — whatever that means — who elected Salud. Further local explanation has not been offered.
It’s time to actively unite behind Congressional Candidate Bob Smith! Common sense, informed, responsive representation of ALL. We need qualified reps for all elected positions which requires voter commitment.
State street looks as if it was designed by children. Not to insult the children because I have seen Lego cities layed out with better planning than what local leadership has burped up.
I know of no one favoring a 8 story building behind the SB Mission. It would be an obvious mistake and clearly inappropriate for this historic neighborhood. I know this firsthand being a native of San Antonio. Perhaps the most famous mission, the Alamo is surrounded by huge multi level buildings, which coexists with this historic site.
What I object to more than a behemoth building behind our SB Mission, is the sleazy, underhanded way Monique Limon manipulated her Senate Bill in order to exempt this project from housing mandates by evoking CEQA requirements. No doubt wealthy, lefty donors got to her to put the kibosh on this housing project.
Her Senate Bill, conveniently only apples to city populations between 85,000-95,000, so I guess this doesn’t apply to Goleta? What a surprise.
https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/09/budget-bill-santa-barbara-housing-project/
Our state representatives (Hart and Limon) favored this project, since they did not lift a finger to prevent this "builders remedy" application state wide. .
Monique Limon's recent last minute carve-out of her prior support for this "builder's remedy" legislation stinks of her own of craven self interests. Even when Limon's special interest legislation carve-out, may be the only Hail Mary pass that finally saves us. Where was she when the real policy was being made? MIA.
Where was Limon when she supported the draconian loss of local control in the "builders remedy" legislation , in order to respond to her party's alleged "housing crisis" fostered by her own party's support of California open borders policies? MIA
Hart and Limon fail every day to independently represent the whole of our area, or the best interests of this state.
in Monique Limon's case, she was for it before she was suddenly against it when it became and increasing political liability for herself. She never even considered this legislation is a total disaster for her alleged constituents. Late-stage NIMBY is better than no NIMBY at all. Do better next time, Monique. Gregg Hart , you too.
Bonnie, I really don't have many words left to describe my feelings about the Santa Barbara that I once knew and the horrific creation that has been manufactured by the "leaders" of this city. As always, I appreciate the work you go through to get the information out to the community. Thank you.
Monica sure you have the words. You are just too polite to point out in blunt terms how the supposed elite have failed.
Ha ha. I wouldn't want to get censored for what I could have said and think.
From the beginning of state street closures, to this current walkway ramp debacle, city council has been incompetent.
Someone has made a lot of money continuously inflicting these failed options on city taxpayers. Those narrow "connector" ramps scream incompetent design.
We had nice wide sidewalks, we had thriving go-to businesses, walking State Street sidewalks was long a perfectly wonderful shared community activity. Then failure to control vagrants, and failure to keep the sidewalks clean from human waste and urine with decorative water features abused for public bathing, accelerated its sad decline.
No, it was not just online shopping that destroyed down town since many business offices were also downtown, along with other downtown businesses services that can be done only in person. Plus, more public safety-controlled towns continued to have thriving downtown activity. How many county or city government employees are still required work in the downtown office buildings , which also added to the downtown daily buzz.
Getting hassled daily by an aggressive panhandlers is what made shopping online more attractive, rather than running their gauntlet on State Street. At its worst, we counted 17 vagrants in just the two block area above Carrillo Street - the previously most attractive State Street blocks of all. Which came first - online shopping or vagrants hassling down town visitors?
Given the numerous tripping hazards and clearly in conflict with ADA, it is a matter of time before there is litigation. This is a dream come true for some PI Attorneys. How is it the City Attorney or the city insurance carrier has signed off on this?
I agree for the most part, but I do recall Eric Friedman putting forth a plan to open all blocks except the 500 & 600. His idea was shot down by our new City Administrator Kelly McAdoo. Mayor Rowse was in favor of it.
Yes, lets remember to vote for a positive thinking Republican at the next regular election, and not again for a fence sitting Democrat like Salud Carbajal who could not support a resolution for Charles Kirk.
Bonnie, I look forward to Friday's on SB Current to read your posts and as I read I'm nodding and silently saying, yes, yes, oh yeah. You are spot on.
This week's HLC had some interesting moments early on when they were talking about their sub committee reports. Ed Lenvik asked Cass Ensberg, thru the Chair, if there had been talk about the look of the Pedletts. Cass responded by saying she asked the questions of SB city staff but it was approved w/o anyone ever getting back to her. I could tell that all nine members would have liked to chime in but the subject was not on the agenda.
Chairman Grumbine said they would put it on a future agenda but would limit it to TWENTY minutes of discussion. Really? That's like two minutes per person!! I'm posting the link to the You Tube page, it starts just after 13:00 and goes for a few minutes.
But even better is when the plan for housing at Paseo Nuevo is discussed. At 2:38:15, Sheila Lodge looked like she's about to lose her composure when she asks, "How is it possible that this plan has a height of 75 feet when we have always had the 60 foot limit?"
We all know the answer, because State law supersedes local ordinances. What follows is great viewing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTKE5T69wU0
Hi Dan,
Thanks so much for watching and commenting on HLC! I really appreciate you sharing the link—it makes it so much easier for others to tune in and stay informed. Keep up the great work and community engagement!
I walked the 500 block of State st. this morning, took some photos to share on my social media. I think there are ten or eleven businesses so far that are using the sidewalk for outside seating. Joe’s Cafe looks nice, five tables, but Sandbar and Holdren’s have packed tables out to the curb. A question to ask the powers that be, “Are these businesses paying per table and chairs?” “Are they paying anything?”
The delineators and cones are really foolish looking. The pots still have price tags on them! And as a gardener I was pissed to see two pots with Milkweed plants, and not the native kind. These plants will attract Monarch butterflies to lay their eggs, then the caterpillars will eat the plants. . .
That’s one of my goals—to get back there and take photos of the price tags. Are they from SB Home Improvement? As for whether they’re paying rent or fees… the answer is no.
In last week’s column, “It’s Only Temporary,” city staff confirmed that these businesses aren’t currently paying to use the space. They say a formal program is in the works, but for now, it’s free use of public property.
I was at HIC this morning and saw the price tags are white. The tags I saw on the pots were white on top, sliver/mylar on the bottom.
And it’s not right these business are getting all these free breaks. . .
Carbajal’s intervention of ICE and doxxing of a law enforcement agent is neither representation or leadership. Recovery of those minors and an aggressive search for others is law enforcement in action. Godspeed to ICE. 🟣 Carbajal’s refusal to acknowledge the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk, a conservative Christian youth leader, speaks for Carbajal’s hatred of those outside his political party. Again, not a commitment to representation or leadership. For what reason does Carbajal serve?
As I understand it, the City is an uninsured municipality, so that when (not IF) someone takes a fall on a PedWhat and fractures their wrist (oops, already happened) they can sue the City for compensation and without an insurance buffer the City just pays out an agreed compensation. Out of our taxes paid. My landlord tried to get me to agree that I was responsible for the sidewalk on front of my studio on State Street, something my lawyer and I argued out of the lease. But I think that was because the management company IS responsible if something happens on that sidewalk in front of the property. Or at least is liable for the annoyance of a protracted argument with the City over who pays the claim. Just wait, the drunks stumbling over the PedWhats are going to be the next statistic.
Bonnie, I was a property manager for a 4 story building downtown 1/2 block from State St. Spent for 5 years and 3 years prior to that part time. I watched the ultimate decline of State St. and it was saddening. The old Downtown Organization repeatedly told the previous Council idiots that narrowing streets, destroying parking (but we have parking structures), pushing bike paths that failed to maintain let alone increase bike use, was not working. That was just for the locals let alone driving away tourists.
Great description of the ped(whats), the dangerous conditions for people with balance/orthopedic conditions. The 4 year old, toys are great designers, including architect degrees "well this is what we do in Europe and Frisco" bigoted one sided view of the world that has failed for over 40 years - are now proven wrong and their supposed swells on the Mesa, Riviera, and San Roque continue to destroy the town.
Let's go back to a Council paid $500 / mo., no retirement, no medical (unless they want to pay for it out of their own pockets), and driving allotment????????? now there is a joke for the - we want the idiot 15 minute city staff and elected.
MTD that these same shut down the streets idiots in both press and media have beat the drum for has failed, wasted both money and land is their excuse???
Quote "a staggering $178.06 per minute. And that’s just for the Council. It doesn’t include the cost of city staff...... """ How about staff that refuses to answer questions under Calif. Law, or just shove them off to the side, because we were/or are proponents of MOVE & CEC that are PACS at election time? Oh and staff again...why is a city that is shrinking in size exploding staff?
Thank Bonnie
Can you say “lawsuit”. The handicap are at great risk. I wonder: are the bicyclists going to use the ramps for fun?
Bonnie, it takes quite a lot to shock me, but the whole decision process by which we have arrived at the debacle shown in your pictures seems like a nightmare created by a mess of idiots.
Please tell us how much collectively is being paid by taxpayers to those involved in the decision process which has given away the pedestrian right-of-way to restaurants, and the roads to electric bicycles driven by children, topped off by pedestrian walkways that are guaranteed to cause personal injury.
It is difficult to believe that any small city with such highly paid employees and city council members in a modern state could have created such a debacle, at such high cost.
It is criminal that council members get city pensions and are in a position to approve city worker wage and pension contracts . The conflict of interest would be a felony (bribery/racketeering) in the private sector. How this is not illegal is beyond me.
The Council did not approve a budget for the pots and plants – staff has used existing resources on hand for these. ..................Another DUH...
CAB asked this question of the City of Santa Barbara and Council when State St. was originally closed. The answer was - it was impossible to determine, and when CAB objected to this answer the Mayor and Council refused to comment.
"The latest State Street obstacle course...." Pdelets....
(where are George and Garcy when you need them)
CAB has been given inside information as to the number of accidents because of the bricks that replaced safer sidewalks..... On the admonition of secrecy there is a cottage industry with personal injury attorney's suing the city because of accidents caused by the brick side walks and has cost the city $millions over the years. The same goes for the tiled crosswalks.
Bonnie asks: "Does this look safe?" Of course not. But where is Carbajal's former chief of staff Eric Friedman who touts working with SBCAG. He promotes street destruction, narrowing, and more he votes for 2 projects that cannot be supported with fact and costs the City $500,000 each.
The same can be asked of the rest of the Council who hide after repeated failures of the past 7 years.
Bonnie goes on to ask: does that point to a design flaw or unsafe installation?
Of course these are design flaws. They are based upon failed concepts like the idiotic Visionless - Vision Zero - and RHNA failures.
Failed installation? Where is Friedman, Sneddon, Jordan, Oscar defender of la Raza, Santa Maria, and the supposed intellect of Harmon (attorney that should know better)?
Look around at failed installation of the failed St. Francis Program, the Failed Sola Bike Path that failed to generate demand, the Failed Bulbout Program all over Santa Barbara (or should we ask the deceased traffic planner Gerth, Blum, Schneider, Murillo? Or the fired traffic planner Clilfford (oh that is right he got another job?)
Bonnie has the Bully Pulpit and this is a good article...(no offense this was soooo easy)
What this is pointing out is well over 50 years of effort by anti car and let's go back to Woe Be Gone era. In the process you hire failures of the bike guys to plan your streets???
Keep hammering Bonnie, you have a hill to climb when faced with failed politicians who hire Beam Me Up Scotty and Ed let's move along in traffic to cover their tracks.