To clarify, I took the$ 6.2 Trillion the USA spent last year and divided it over all 144,000,000 taxpayers.
If we had a system adjusted for total, complete equality, each taxpayer would be required to pay $41,667 annually just to receive the same amount of Federal government services they enjoy today.
There are two major housing issues in Santa Barbara. One concerning homeless people. The second concerns locals being priced out of their local hometown market by the Santa Barbara City Council tourism policy (what I was referring to is problem number two and generation after generation being forced to leave due to the public policy of the Santa Barbara City Council bringing in an obscene volume of tourists some who buy property here and price out locals from their hometown, much like what has happened in Hawaii, Aspen, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming and any other really nice place). We have "overtourism" here in SB and ALL of the responsibility for overtourism lies squarely with the Santa Barbara City Council (both past and present).
5 years into participation into the workforce a psychology major is earning $19HR, $38,000 annually and graduated with $28,000 in debt.
Even if we eliminated the consequence of taking on $28,000 in debt, the choice made would still resonate with poverty.
This runs counter to state, local, federal governments need for tax revenues from human revenue generating units. The Federal government spends $41,667 a year per taxpayer.
Calling tourism a cancer is, well...silly. If you don't like it, move to Taft...Avenal...Visalia! Living in a stunning spot (in an relatively easily accessible spot) inevitably leads to people wanting to go there (both to live and visit).
This is America. There are NO birthrights, nor any priority given to those who claim to be special. You are differentiated solely by the amount of money you have and earn and your ability to understand and play within the system. As a local, you had a huge advantage over others, a head start if you will. If you squandered those chances and opportunities, that's on you.
As for tourism: It's a cancer that eats its hosts and will - without intervention, eventually kill it. Expecting the bureaucrats who profit and thrive off this cancer to change course is nuts. The city employees only care about themselves, their salaries, their benefits, their jobs. They are incentivized to feed the cancer, not fight it...
The one City Council Member that needs to go (far, far away to another galaxy, and let them deal her) is Alejandra Gutierrez. Send her through the worm hole to the Deep Space 9 Space Station. Be one big huge headache for Commander Benjamin Sisko and the entire crew to deal with her.
I attended a meeting at a neighbor's house to discuss traffic and speeding in the neighborhood, and we were discussing ways of trying to get the city to do something (add more speed bumps, stop signs, speeding signs, police presence), etc. I live in Mike Jordan's district but Oscar actually rode his bike over and attended the meeting.
He was actually great at listening and suggested that instead of emailing people who work for the city departments (who will ignore you), that we email the city council and THEY will talk to the city. Much more likely to get things done that way. However, he was also honest about what can and cannot be done. (Cannot increase the height of speed bumps because of the fire department - it slows down their response time.)
Oscar is actually worse than Alejandra. She seems smart. He seems incapable of rational thought and makes every decision on the basis of his claim to speak for the ethnic majority in his district. Any complaint to him is likely to be responded to by an attack on the suspected bigotry of the complainant.
City Hall needs a full on house cleaning. Vote every one of the current political class out of office. The Santa Barbara City Council should be pushing brooms and not pushing their BAD policies that hurt locals and our lovely little community.
The Santa Barbara City Council is responsible for the housing crisis by seeking so many tourists and tourism dollars. As with many other nice areas where tourism is promoted heavily, people come to visit and purchase real estate, and after fifty years of this policy, we have 2 million dollar Goleta track homes, and generation after generation of SB LOCALS are priced out of their hometown housing markets. Thank every local politician you know. Then vote every current elected person out of office. In the meantime, write to the Santa Barbara City Council and share your thoughts because they care and want to hear from you.
And just what is Randy supposed to do? He's just a figurehead and an additional vote on the Council. You guys all thought he'd be some savior and had no idea about the lack of power the major has in this city.
I think I know how the City can solve the local homeless problem and help to fulfill the City pension shortfall. Put a tax on anyone sleeping outside. "If you tax them, they will go."
You forget that Cathy spent a night in PATH and claimed that she did have something to do with the homeless situation, that she did have an understanding and was going to do something! (fwiw, I thought that was very encouraging until it turned out she couldn't help --- and I don't think that Randy Rowse will be able to help, either. )
Sacjon - I'm so glad you caught that - that is exactly what I did. I remember the daily Murillo beatings - now the shoe is on the other foot and their stories change.
GT - well, as you will recall from previous comments here by our esteemed conservative peers, the mayor has absolutely nothing to do with the homeless problem. Well, that is unless it was Cathy Murillo. See VOICE, COAST, SAIL, et al explain here: https://www.edhat.com/news/transient-arrested-for-robbery-and-attempted-kidnapping-on-loma-alta
GT - It does seem to keep getting worse...hopefully he can accomplish something...time will tell. The previous Mayor wasn't getting it done, and if Randy doesn't, well...we'll get someone else next time.
SBLOC - The housing crisis is because the city council "seeks tourists"...what??? It's Santa Barbara...it's a stunning spot that we all love and people all over the world want to visit (and live in). If anything, the way we're (not) dealing with homeless is a (in)action by our city council that is making SB less attractive...which at some point will have some effect on housing prices.
I like (and often espouse) misplaced annoyance and anger at our elected (and unelected) leaders...but this critique doesn't actually make sense.
Definitely plays to some suspicion that city hall employees are into advocacy and defense of city activity which is not really their purview. The elected officials are the proper ones to speak to these decisions in my opinion (especially before they are made).
Comments Penalty Box
No Comments deleted due to down vote
4 Comments deleted by Administrator
32 Comments
-
-
1
-
May 24, 2022 01:38 PMTo clarify, I took the$ 6.2 Trillion the USA spent last year and divided it over all 144,000,000 taxpayers.
If we had a system adjusted for total, complete equality, each taxpayer would be required to pay $41,667 annually just to receive the same amount of Federal government services they enjoy today.
-
-
-
May 24, 2022 09:15 AMThere are two major housing issues in Santa Barbara. One concerning homeless people. The second concerns locals being priced out of their local hometown market by the Santa Barbara City Council tourism policy (what I was referring to is problem number two and generation after generation being forced to leave due to the public policy of the Santa Barbara City Council bringing in an obscene volume of tourists some who buy property here and price out locals from their hometown, much like what has happened in Hawaii, Aspen, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming and any other really nice place). We have "overtourism" here in SB and ALL of the responsibility for overtourism lies squarely with the Santa Barbara City Council (both past and present).
-
-
1
-
May 24, 2022 01:19 PM5 years into participation into the workforce a psychology major is earning $19HR, $38,000 annually and graduated with $28,000 in debt.
Even if we eliminated the consequence of taking on $28,000 in debt, the choice made would still resonate with poverty.
This runs counter to state, local, federal governments need for tax revenues from human revenue generating units. The Federal government spends $41,667 a year per taxpayer.
-
2
-
1
-
May 24, 2022 12:05 PMCalling tourism a cancer is, well...silly. If you don't like it, move to Taft...Avenal...Visalia! Living in a stunning spot (in an relatively easily accessible spot) inevitably leads to people wanting to go there (both to live and visit).
-
2
-
2
-
May 24, 2022 10:23 AMThis is America. There are NO birthrights, nor any priority given to those who claim to be special. You are differentiated solely by the amount of money you have and earn and your ability to understand and play within the system. As a local, you had a huge advantage over others, a head start if you will. If you squandered those chances and opportunities, that's on you.
As for tourism: It's a cancer that eats its hosts and will - without intervention, eventually kill it. Expecting the bureaucrats who profit and thrive off this cancer to change course is nuts. The city employees only care about themselves, their salaries, their benefits, their jobs. They are incentivized to feed the cancer, not fight it...
-
-
2
-
May 21, 2022 12:58 PMThe one City Council Member that needs to go (far, far away to another galaxy, and let them deal her) is Alejandra Gutierrez. Send her through the worm hole to the Deep Space 9 Space Station. Be one big huge headache for Commander Benjamin Sisko and the entire crew to deal with her.
-
1
-
-
May 24, 2022 09:33 AMI attended a meeting at a neighbor's house to discuss traffic and speeding in the neighborhood, and we were discussing ways of trying to get the city to do something (add more speed bumps, stop signs, speeding signs, police presence), etc. I live in Mike Jordan's district but Oscar actually rode his bike over and attended the meeting.
He was actually great at listening and suggested that instead of emailing people who work for the city departments (who will ignore you), that we email the city council and THEY will talk to the city. Much more likely to get things done that way. However, he was also honest about what can and cannot be done. (Cannot increase the height of speed bumps because of the fire department - it slows down their response time.)
-
1
-
1
-
May 21, 2022 06:32 PMOscar is actually worse than Alejandra. She seems smart. He seems incapable of rational thought and makes every decision on the basis of his claim to speak for the ethnic majority in his district. Any complaint to him is likely to be responded to by an attack on the suspected bigotry of the complainant.
-
3
-
-
May 21, 2022 11:19 AMAS IF the city reads EdHat. They should, though. They'd get an eyeful!
-
-
-
May 21, 2022 07:18 AMHaha, well done.
-
2
-
4
-
May 20, 2022 12:55 PMCity Hall needs a full on house cleaning. Vote every one of the current political class out of office. The Santa Barbara City Council should be pushing brooms and not pushing their BAD policies that hurt locals and our lovely little community.
The Santa Barbara City Council is responsible for the housing crisis by seeking so many tourists and tourism dollars. As with many other nice areas where tourism is promoted heavily, people come to visit and purchase real estate, and after fifty years of this policy, we have 2 million dollar Goleta track homes, and generation after generation of SB LOCALS are priced out of their hometown housing markets. Thank every local politician you know. Then vote every current elected person out of office. In the meantime, write to the Santa Barbara City Council and share your thoughts because they care and want to hear from you.
Send your emails to:
sbcitycouncil@santabarbaraca.gov
-
-
-
May 24, 2022 09:29 AMWhat defines an "SB LOCAL", and what makes one deserving of living here?
Asking for a friend.
-
4
-
-
May 21, 2022 04:47 PM8:44am - He's "supposed" to do the same thing you all wanted Cathy Murillo to do. Take a stand to help solve the homeless crisis.
-
2
-
1
-
May 21, 2022 04:43 PM"I like (and often espouse) misplaced annoyance and anger"
Saying the quiet part out loud.
-
1
-
3
-
May 21, 2022 03:25 PMI had to re read your link be sure, and you are again incorrect Sacjon.
-
4
-
-
May 21, 2022 08:56 AMNotReallyDave, taxing (or fining) people who have no money doesn’t actually achieve much.
-
3
-
2
-
May 21, 2022 08:44 AMAnd just what is Randy supposed to do? He's just a figurehead and an additional vote on the Council. You guys all thought he'd be some savior and had no idea about the lack of power the major has in this city.
-
1
-
2
-
May 20, 2022 08:18 PMI think I know how the City can solve the local homeless problem and help to fulfill the City pension shortfall. Put a tax on anyone sleeping outside. "If you tax them, they will go."
-
-
-
May 20, 2022 02:29 PMYou forget that Cathy spent a night in PATH and claimed that she did have something to do with the homeless situation, that she did have an understanding and was going to do something! (fwiw, I thought that was very encouraging until it turned out she couldn't help --- and I don't think that Randy Rowse will be able to help, either. )
-
1
-
2
-
May 20, 2022 01:58 PM* that is exactly why I posted what I did.
-
4
-
2
-
May 20, 2022 01:57 PMSacjon - I'm so glad you caught that - that is exactly what I did. I remember the daily Murillo beatings - now the shoe is on the other foot and their stories change.
-
4
-
1
-
May 20, 2022 01:35 PMRowse absolutely needs to do more (something!) about the homeless situation...it is only getting worse!
-
6
-
1
-
May 20, 2022 01:24 PMGT - well, as you will recall from previous comments here by our esteemed conservative peers, the mayor has absolutely nothing to do with the homeless problem. Well, that is unless it was Cathy Murillo. See VOICE, COAST, SAIL, et al explain here: https://www.edhat.com/news/transient-arrested-for-robbery-and-attempted-kidnapping-on-loma-alta
-
2
-
1
-
May 20, 2022 01:23 PMGT - It does seem to keep getting worse...hopefully he can accomplish something...time will tell. The previous Mayor wasn't getting it done, and if Randy doesn't, well...we'll get someone else next time.
-
3
-
-
May 20, 2022 01:22 PMAnd if you do email, be sure you don't use an ignorant term like "track home".
-
4
-
-
May 20, 2022 01:12 PMRandy Rowse has done nothing to address the homeless issue.
-
4
-
2
-
May 20, 2022 01:00 PMSBLOC - The housing crisis is because the city council "seeks tourists"...what??? It's Santa Barbara...it's a stunning spot that we all love and people all over the world want to visit (and live in). If anything, the way we're (not) dealing with homeless is a (in)action by our city council that is making SB less attractive...which at some point will have some effect on housing prices.
I like (and often espouse) misplaced annoyance and anger at our elected (and unelected) leaders...but this critique doesn't actually make sense.
-
2
-
1
-
May 20, 2022 12:44 PMWell played CB!
-
4
-
-
May 20, 2022 12:38 PMHahaha! Same could be said of many businesses in the area.
-
3
-
2
-
May 20, 2022 11:14 AMDefinitely plays to some suspicion that city hall employees are into advocacy and defense of city activity which is not really their purview. The elected officials are the proper ones to speak to these decisions in my opinion (especially before they are made).
-
3
-
-
May 20, 2022 10:47 AMBravo. Thanks for the laugh.
-
4
-
-
May 20, 2022 10:28 AMC.B. that's hilarious!