Why does the writer here assume the seat will remain open for nearly 11 months? the city charter requires that the appointment be made within 30 days, although no clear enforcement mechanism exists on how to require such an appointment. why not have this as a “special” election (for the city, at least) to be on the June 2011 ballot? Something surely must be on the ballot then for State propositions or something else that will mean an election will happen so the city can pay the county to run that election for about $30 thousand instead of $300 thousand if the city ran the entire election itself.
Why should the city spend any money on this seat? It’s voter-approved that the council gets to appoint someone to fill the term. If whomever is appointed wants to stay on, they need to run next November. Sure, there’s a distinct possibility the council will not reach a majority vote on a new member, but I think it’s unlikely. There will be at least one candidate who meets the needs and doesn’t have some sort of political agenda. Who knows? the appointee could surprise people.
Why not appoint the runner up in the last election? Lets please, please not appoint someone else who will continue wasting money on social experiments like bulb outs. or even worse the island in the middle of the street on Garden above Islay! Thank goodness we were spared the blue line around town. Another experiment being pushed by very liberal council members as part of the SB plan – high density. what is thematter with medium combined increasing the supply of nice, not too expensive rental options?
Hummm, DeWitt who helped destroy middle class downtown business’ and almost single handed stopped a Large Retailer from going in on Victoria and State, Jostes….the most hard core high density infill people on the Planning Commission, a former(?) homeless person, and also rans? Talk about slim pickings (not the country singer). If you want to destroy the city with density that resembles a mini L.a. then you go for the top two mentioned here. Let it stay vacant until the next election. It is less then a year away and a evenly divided council will assure only the best items will be passed. Remember all you “Golden Triangle” (San Roque area) residents, if the high density gets put in along outer State you can (a) kiss of any reasonable traffic on State at rush hour, and (b) the pressure to convert your single family patch of green neighborhoods to high density will be in full swing.
Bulbouts are a social experiment since the City of SB stated there are no studies proving their claims for pedestrian use or safety. (summer of 2010) they are an experiment since the Traffic Staff has relied upon organizations that are anti car and use them as a “standard of practice” (as quoted from Andersen head of Public Works) because of their congestion causing and accident creating potential. to project walking as a pedestrian and the creation of heatedly disliked concrete protrusions as one in the same is dis-honest. Note: these bulbouts cost between $25,000 per corner and up to $45,000 per corner if they involve utilities and sewers. not a good deal even in economic good times. of course none of the above makes any difference to ideologically driven high density people. In other words …. leave the dang streets alone.
Here is what any council applicants needs to hear: Yeah, we complainers know what “high density” means. that is why we moved to Santa Barbara from someplace else …that was high density. And it sucked. Oxnard and Ventura are calling you if you want the joys of high density. There is no place for high density in Santa Barbara. but there is a call for gardeners and maids quarters in Montecito and Hope Ranch, just like the good old days when these small housing units were always part of those larger estates. now they rent out the maids quarters and the gardeners cottages to swell yuppies, and dump their estate labor pool back on our communities and demand we provide high density low-income housing for their help. Bah. we are not going to do it.
All the nice former middle class residential areas on the East and Westsides – darling little cottages, nice yards and even picket fences and local schools got taken over by the high-occupancy, low-wage labor crowds brought in to do scab labor for the Hope Ranch and Montecito crowd. Montecito and Hope Ranch needs to own up to their own self-generated housing demands and turn those darling West and Eastside cottages back for middle class family housing. These neighborhoods are a wasted resource when there is still employee housing on the large estates that should be used exactly for what it was intended for – employee housing for the estate workforce. Turn back the clock in Santa Barbara and take back the middle class neighborhoods for the middle class families
Just how does one “take back” neighborhoods for Middle Class families? will those same families kick out, and give up the income, from the students, single people, and illegal aliens who fill up the garage conversions and extra bedrooms replete in all these same Middle Class neighborhoods?
There are several others who have announced intentions to apply for the vacancy but have not yet submitted the application. They’ve got until Monday 29 Nov. so far, none of the declared candidates is suitable and certainly none of them would get approved by 4 out of 6 of the seated council. I’d like to see a woman candidate, someone who has lived in our town for a long time, preferably someone who actually lives downtown or in the close-in neighborhoods. someone who is accomplished in another field and now finds the time to serve the city. someone who hasn’t been in the city machinery (served on the Council or works for the city or county) before. Shake it up with some new blood. not an also ran.
Since the Planning Commission so badly mismanaged plan Santa Barbara, this disqualifies any one who served on this train wreck from even thinking about applying to do more damage on the city council itself. the Planning Comissioners applying were appointed by the progressives on the former city council so this would be Ground Hog Day to put them on this new council which is finally getting members who are now responsive to the neighborhoods instead of utopian planning experts who don’t even live here. we do need someone with a proven track record from the East/West Downtown areas: Sharon Byrne is the obvious choice.
Absolutely not Sharon Byrne or anyone of her ilk such as a Mary Mender type. we need a more progressive and in touch person. she was oh so wrong with her rabid attacks on medical marijuana users and their suppoters. someone this closed minded doesn’t represent her the East / West downtown.
Google Sharon Byrne’s op ed to the NoozHawk on 2/17/2010 and see for yourself her skills in communication and discerning the facts. See how in one fell swoop she labelled all who benefit from medical marijuana as criminal element many of the people who commented pointed out the fallacy and poor logic in her piece. Her position on medical marijuana was soundly defeated by 61% of the voters, someone that out of touch with her neighbors isn’t someone who should represent them on the City Council.
Get the facts right. the city ballot asked for a total ban to stop Santa Barbara from being the easy pot destination as it is now become since all other surrounding communities do have total bans in place. Nothing wrong with strongly speaking out against the crime and personal degradation pot shops have brought to our town. Yeah right, we have 10,000 people in our town with “serious” medical problems solved only by smoking carcinogenic, unregulated pot. You may not get appointed this time Sharon, but you will surely get elected. we know something has gone very wrong in our city. You know it and have had to courage to stand up and ask for change. that is the personal courage our council needs.
@get the facts straight, why do I get the distinct feeling that the author of some of these posts is Sharon? No, she will not be elected. she is not what most Santa Barbarans are looking for to represent them on the City Council. anyone can stand up and ask for change, big deal. It takes some native intelligence, ability to express oneself and think logically and critically and actually proposing some solutions to be taken seriously Being an obstructionist and Prohibitionist is not the way to make Santa Barbara’s future better for all.As a matter of fact, the over the top tactics of these red-shirted prohibitionists during the last election are what made more progressive and reasonable people aware of the fact that these prohibitionists were twisting facts and statistics and presenting inaccurate arguments against cannabis. the voters soundly trounced the platform Sharon was so passionate about. a Facebook page claimed thousands of “outraged Santa Barbarans” shared her views when only about 32 “friends”were signed up to that page. the people spoke and they didn’t want what she was pushing and they clearly said so. what else has she done anywhere that shows that she has the good of the community in mind?
Mention the name of a bright, articulate, passionate and attractive woman for political power and you get the standard anti-feminist screeds. looks at the word choices. look at the patterns. Time for a frank conversation about gender too. Too late, the Mommy Grizzlies have left their lairs. And they travel in packs.
God help us if she gets another microphone??? the woman fought back against gangs and crime in her neighborhood, didn’t like dispensaries near schools, and is working to pull the Eastside together. what exactly are you standing for?
Grant House owes the city council representation from the Eastside and Downtown. This is where he cut his political teeth and knows deeply how neglected it has been and now continues to be. Grant should be Sharon Byrne’s biggest fan. This part of town needs representation. You can’t just have a bunch of people who live up in the hills while the rest of the city where al the population lives keeps getting lost in the political shuffle.
Conjestion and density really is a misnomer if the concern is merely, crime. the criminal justice system needs to be restructured to reflect current trends in technology as well as comply under witness protection mandate and rules. Hospitality guides that serve the public can serve great chaperones without getting the public to feel bunny with all the squad cars currently imposing presence, and ten year term limits on officers could save a lot of money – while escalating police academy training to two full years. Right now too many vacancies appear in the commercial district downtown State Street serving so much to instead campaign for Das William’s brand exposure instead. Tenants need to earn equity into the commercial property they’re paying .. some franchises blowing up to over $1 Million in a period of over a decade which isn’t very sustainable for private industry and enterprise.
Conjestion and density really is a misnomer if the concern is merely, crime. the criminal justice system needs to be restructured to reflect current trends in technology as well as comply under witness protection mandate and rules. Hospitality guides assigned to serve the public can be great chaperones without getting the public to feel bunny with all the squad cars currently imposing their SCARY presence; and ten year term limits on officers could save a lot of money – while escalating police academy training to two full years. Right now, too many vacancies appear in the commercial district downtown State Street .. benefitting so much to, instead, campaign for Das William’s brand exposure in his election campaign. Commercial tenants need to earn equity into the property they’re paying into .. some franchises blowing up to over $1 Million – in a period of over a decade – which isn’t very sustainable for private industry and enterprise. Chase Manhatten Bank oughtta be SUED by the City on behalf of Paseo Nuevo’s lack of maintenance and upkeep within it’s structural deterioration. Needs paint, seam adjustments and a whole lotta dust from above. And GET RID of that Adult Bookstore for Christ sake! Replace it with a premium hookah boutique tea spa lounge delivering pedicures and the best cannibus the nation can deliver. Occupy the Californian Hotel with SBCC student housing or international hostel, and convert State Street Cafe into a five and dime store for gum drinks and cigarettes. we aren’t Oxnard or Ventura. how utterly fantastic to compare apples with oranges.
I never knew that the city has an ordinance prohibiting free adult book speech, but that pot hookah smoke out stores were legal. also, never knew that $15 million is hidden in the sock drawer to refurbish California Hotel to be a student dormitory.
Daily Sound — Jostes, DeWitt, four others apply to take Das Williams’ seat on the Santa Barbara City Council; council could keep seat vacant
Water pipe, shisha, Hookah Accessories wholesale.