Anonymous
Photo: Rick Wayman, NAPF’s Deputy Director (NAPF)
Source: Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
On Tuesday, June 18, 2019, the Santa Barbara City Council voted 6 to 1 to include in the new, revised legislative platform for the city, language that supports the prohibition of nuclear weapons, subject to Congressional oversight.
The city’s legislative platform serves to summarize the Council’s official position on a variety of state and federal policy issues and authorizes City representatives, most commonly the Mayor, to take action on pending legislation on behalf of the City. It also enables the City to act quickly when advocacy is needed.
This particular revision to the legislative platform was introduced to the City Council by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF), a non-profit, non-partisan organization based in Santa Barbara whose mission is to educate, advocate and inspire action for a peaceful world, free of nuclear weapons.
The platform language is based primarily on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which was adopted at the United Nations in 2017 and would outlaw the use, threat of use, production and possession of nuclear weapons. Including this language in the legislative platform puts Santa Barbara at the forefront of nuclear abolition, along with other cities that have adopted similar language including Ojai, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C and Baltimore.
Rick Wayman, NAPF’s incoming CEO, spoke at the City Council meeting, stating, “This treaty is the direction in which the world is moving and it’s incumbent upon us as citizens–as human beings–to do everything within our power, both individually and collectively, to prevent nuclear weapons from being used.”
He continued by explaining, “City and state governments do not set foreign policy. But this issue transcends foreign policy. As anyone who has experienced a nuclear explosion will tell you, the devastation is beyond imagination. And the ability of first responders to deal with this situation is non-existent. Cities are the targets of nuclear weapons.”
“For far too long, the world has teetered on the brink of nuclear war and it continues to this very minute. It’s up to all of us to change that course. By adopting this language as part of its legislative platform, the city of Santa Barbara would be doing a great service to its citizens and to the world.”
If you would like to interview Rick Wayman, NAPF’s Deputy Director, please call the Foundation at (805) 965-3443 or (805) 696-5159.
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s mission is to educate, advocate and inspire action for a peaceful world, free of nuclear weapons. Founded in 1982, the Foundation is comprised of individuals and organizations worldwide who realize the imperative for peace in the Nuclear Age. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with consultative status to the United Nations. For more information, click HERE.
Can we do more about homelessness? Petition the state? Anything???
Maybe next we can have a revised platform against dogs driving on State Street. The one ways could be an exception.
@YETI- I hope MACPUZL is correct, but agree with your sentiments.
I don’t know, but he /she probably voted against it as a joke because this is a waste of time . Just a thought.
Randy Rowse, on the basis not that he likes nuclear weapons but that he thinks the business of the council should be Santa Barbara issues.
Randy Rowse for Mayor.
City council should also pass a revised platform in support of nuclear weapons.
Whew! We can all rest easy now.
Who keeps putting out these bizarre PR messages: “As anyone who has experienced a nuclear explosion will tell you, the devastation is beyond imagination.” Who exactly has experienced a nuclear explosion and is alive today? “Cities are the targets of nuclear weapons.” Actually, not all cities. The Russians in the 1980s stated that locally Diablo Canyon, Vandenberg AFB, and Goleta’s MIC industries will be targets for the obvious reasons. Rest easy, the city of SB is not a target. It will be screwed, but only through proximity of fallout.
Um, quite a number of survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are still clinging to life, not to mention thousands of Marine Corps, Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel who were in proximity of open-air atomic weapons testing in the late 40s and 50s. And if you think SB would be immune to blast damage from a thermonuclear weapon detonated at altitude above Vandenberg, you should take a look at the energy levels involved, particularly with Soviet weapons, since they had lower accuracy.
What?, I cant play with my Thermal nuclear devices anymore? O’Kee Doe’kee! Now what will I do on my days off? 🙂
Lets see: Homeless population sleeping on the street and defecating in public places, large commercial downtown vacancy rates, pot holes in the street, huge local illegal cannabis grows, over crowding & congestion, people without food.. and the list goes on.. AND these clowns are wasting time on statements about nuclear war and weapons.. besides the sheer ridiculousness of this act.. you also have to remember the irony of the fact that that 70 miles to the west of us is a huge installation of nuclear tipped missiles at Vandenburg!
In elementary school, we had air raid sirens Friday once per month at 10:00 am, and often practiced the “Duck and Cover” drills. “What do you do when you see the flash??!” It wasn’t earthquakes we were practicing for……
I agree with Yeti. WT_ our officials should be working on city/local problems. This is ridiculous they waste council time on stuff like this?
Incredible waste of time and resources by our city council….
You won’t find *any* intercontinental missiles with nuclear warheads at Vandenberg. It’s a testing facility for unarmed missiles.
Will the SB Council now endorse Tulsi Gabbard, the only anti-war Dem presidential candidate? Or will the Dem machine make hypocrites of them by forcing them to support a pro-war candidate?
OK, so SB will be limited to only using conventional weapons when we attack Ventura, Glad we got this settled.
Berwynn: Take care of the problems at home then go out and save the world.
Why are so many of you whining and moaning about this? It’s OBVIOUSLY just a symbolic piece of legislation. It’s 100% fluff, but so what? Why can’t the Council take a stand on something, just because they haven’t “solved” homelessness or high rents on State St. Seriously, people…. get a grip.
I’m with Randy on this.
The only thing more useless, over-reactive and petty than the City Council are all these comments crying about them taking a symbolic stance on something.
Phantom – I am absolutely a Beagle Boy hahaha! I thought they wore red shirts though?
Oh thank goodness! Why don’t more people care about this? My dog gets frightened easy especially when nuclear weapons are being made here! Now my dog can sleep safe and sound. Thank you!!!!
Maybe this is the purpose of this act, to remind those that are unaware that many survivors are still with us and many are still actively telling their story. I wrote a book with one of them last year and he is answering questions from students on our website. https://sadakosasaki.com. Please check it out and come to Sadako Day, an event held by NAPF each year on August 6.
Theses comments you call petty pay the City Councils wages they are more entitled to voice their opinions than you are complaining about them…People make fun of the president for having thin skin it must be contagious..
Roger and Randy: Think globally, act locally. It may seem as is if we are playing in an arena that we have no control over. That is an illusion. Does not your vote count in an election? It is an excellent idea to support all causes that promote peace, health and sanity in this life, living in the grace and bounty of our Mother, Earth.
“Please, don’t drop, that H-Bomb on me. Why don’t you go, and drop it, on yourself.”
Charles Mingus
1) Why is our local City Council voting on federal matters outside of local or statewide jurisdiction?
2) Where can we find a copy of our Council’s votes positions on federal legislative and Constitutional issues?
3) When has any other EdHat Reader heard Council Candidates interviewed or questioned on federal issues during Candidate Forums or elsewhere to inform voters of their positions prior to Election Day?
Shame on the 6 of you for grandiose notions of self. Obviously 6 are out of their comfort zones doing the job ethey were eected to do to improve snd manage Santa Barbara. It’s easier for this unprepared, inexperienced, inept Council majority to waste time and our money addressing federal issues. Apparently 6 of them don’t trust Salud to do his job.
While 6/7 of our city council acts like they have unlimited time and resources, they don’t. We don’t. The excellent idea would be for city council to use it’s limited time and very limited monetary resources wisely and efficiently. This type of feel-good-yet-does-nothing-legislation is rampant throughout our state, just look up CA Democrats 14 goals for 2020, half are just this type of legislation.
It’s critical to be informed prior to elected leaders taking positions. Federal security matters are completely outside of any local Council members intell sources. The Council majority need to read their job descriptions: manage our City, address staff errors, solve the homeless and downtown vacancy problems, make parks safe for children, work locally to improve our schools,
Vote CALMICH to Council, then Mayor! We need leaders – not fools — representing us with their votes. CALMICH nailed it: “Glad to see all our local problems have been solved. What a bunch self-important, bumbling fools.”
YETI- other than Randy and Jadon, Council Reps can’t handle local problems. vote in their replacements!
Roger -think for a second….. am I not allowed not support a resolution like this because my “skin is thin??” Again….think.
As I recall there was a resolution passed decades ago declaring Santa Barbara a “nuclear-free city” yet nuclear-powered Navy aircraft carriers like the Abe Lincoln are welcomed to park in the sea to visit. This is just another example of pathetic political grandstanding by our elected officials.
Nuclear deterence is was keeps us safe. It’s what things have come to. Nations with nuclear weapons, even if they said they were going to disarm cannot be trusted to comply. If city council becomes a global police force ensuring compliance then yeah! Yay! The problem is solved!!!