The Great Debate over Measure P: Lanny and Wade Face Off vs. Marsha and Dale on Newsmakers TV

October 22, 2024, 3:04 pm 1.8k Views 48 Comments

Santa Barbara City College (edhat file photo)

Measure P — a proposed $198 million general obligation bond for building construction, facilities upgrades and infrastructure repairs on the campus of Santa Barbara City College — has emerged as the most vigorously debated local issue on the Nov. 5 ballot.

Two weeks before Election Day, Newsmakers on Tuesday convened a debate featuring four players active in the campaign conversation, to argue critical educational, financial, governance, and political questions at stake in the controversy:

Team Yes-on-P…

  • Lanny Ebenstein, professor of economics and president of the Santa Barbara Taxpayers Association;

  • Wade Cowper, political and corporate communications consultant, local boy and City College alum.

…squared off for a robust discussion with…

Team No-on-P

  • Marsha Croninger, attorney and the longest-serving member of the City College Board of Trustees;

  • Dale Francisco, software engineer and former Santa Barbara City Council member, also an SBCC alum.

In an in-depth and detailed discussion, the two sides provided conflicting views and perspectives on key issues in the bond measure conflict — from the long-term cost to taxpayers and the long-term needs of the college, to the changing nature of SBCC’s student body and the candor – or not – of claims made during the campaign.

A must view for those who have not yet voted, it’s all here, right now, on Newsmakers TV.

Check out the Great Debate over Measure P via YouTube below, or by clicking through this link. The podcast is here. TVSB, Channel 17, airs Newsmakers seven days a week, at 8 p.m. M-F., and at 9 a.m. on weekends. KCSB, 91.9, broadcasts the show at 5:30 p.m. on Monday.

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

(Source: Raymond James & Associates).
Chart above, presented to SBCC board June 27,2024, shows projected tax bills for Measure P at the tax rate of $8.50 per $100,000 of assessed value. Measure P bills are blue and grey; tax bills for Measure V, the 2008 SBCC general obligation bond, are in light green.

Read more of our coverage of Measure P:

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Written by Jerry Roberts

“Newsmakers” is a multimedia journalism platform that focuses on politics, media and public affairs in Santa Barbara. Learn more at newsmakerswithjr.com

What do you think?

3 Points

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48 Comments

  2. Why can’t government agencies abide by a budget like private businesses?
    Why do they keep taxing us for their failures & misspending?
    Look at how efficient SB Golf course is run now that it is no longer government run.

    2008 SBCC got $77 million for facilities.
    16 years later they want another $198 million.

    Raise your tuition. Do not ask me for money. Eggs, groceries, fuel are through the roof, my car is old and I can’t afford a new one and if I’m short I can’t go to the government to raise a few million.

    And SB wants to raise the sales tax too.
    How many other tax increases is our local pushing for?

    I have to make cuts and layoffs. Why doesn’t government?

    Right, student enrollment has declined tremendously. Is SBCC able to make payroll? Go bankrupt, throw fundraisers, ask for private help. Do NOT increase taxes in this outrageously expensive economy.

    Yes my rent will go up. The land lord will increase my rent whenever they legally can to help offset the governments overreach and irresponsible business practices.

    Oh and thank you rent control. Now my rent goes up every year by the maximum thanks to you. Previous to rent control my rent had not gone up in over 4 years.

    Government, you are irresponsible. Not one of them could run a private business.

    -4

  3. Consider the source and the bottom line: Yes, Marsha Croninger is a board member who may have a valid point or two (but weighing the balance not enough to make me say no to SBCC). She is also someone who does not like to be wrong and will do almost anything to prove she’s right. She can have a differing of opinion from the others on the board, but to deliberately and publicly campaign AGAINST what the majority of the board decided, to undermine what the majority of the board thinks is best for the college? Shame on her. That tells you more about her than what is best for the future of SBCC. Don’t believe her claims of having a responsibility to say these things. What about her responsibility as a board of trustee?
    She is doing this out of self interest because as an attorney, it’s in her blood to insist she is right, no matter what the cost to students and the community.
    Vote Yes for a community college that serves our community. It’s the right thing to do NOW.

    -1

  4. I would gladly contribute to building maintenance at City College if it were to be used sensibly. Funding a new $100 million gym is not the best use of limited funds when other buildings are equally in need of renovation. The campaign for Measure P is deliberately misleading because they found that funding a new Phys Ed building did not poll well.

    2

    • Trick or Treat no on P!

      Supporters of Measure P are removing many “no-on-P” signs and replacing them with “yes-on-P” signs. This group, capable of lying and misrepresenting, is also stealing signs.
      They are trying to trick voters into supporting a tax increase using lies and deceit, which will affect both property owners and renters in the form of rent increases.

      Santa Barbara City College has a continuing decline in enrollment, with only 40% of students attending in person, and an excess of facilities.
      Both current and previous administrations and Boards have a pattern of deficit spending and prioritize things that are not in the best interest of students or the community.
      Don’t be fooled, Vote “no” on Measure P!

      -2

  6. Op Ed from Congressional candidate Thomas Cole RE: No on Prop P

    Regarding Trustee Abboud’s plea for another $300,000,000 in tax dollars. In the first place, I would point out the trustees have no experience running a giant facility like SBCC. These trustees cut maintenance by 90% years ago, while increasing salaries and pensions for their far leftist friends, while spending millions on DEI courses, anti white and anti Christian courses and curriculum, and then spending more millions defending those courses as parents and community leaders brought lawsuits. (Fair Education)

    Also of note are trustee Abboud’s classic radical left statements which speak for themselves. Like.. “No amount of money is enough to spend on anti racism..” and his other infamous statement on FB.. ”Met some white supremacists today, can’t wait for all these old white people to be dead.”

    With this kind of racial hatred and animosity emanating from SBCC leadership, it’s no wonder campus buildings are in disrepair, and student enrollment is down 40%. Who would want to go to college and listen to all this crap from these unhinged far left activists/trustees ?

    If, instead of all this hatred and violence directed against our American culture, a culture that has welcomed and fully supported ungrateful immigrants like Abboud, we had trustees who valued their positions of trust and took seriously their responsibilities to maintain academic standards, civility, and also practical facility maintenance standards, well. We all would be in better shape, and SBCC, a fine public facility, would not be in need of constant bailouts, lawsuits, lockdowns, anti pledge riots, constant false racism charges, 12 deans in 14 years and the all bad national attention these inane distractions from true learning have brought.

    Teaching meaningful subjects, the beauty of the arts, history, business and the trades all in one public owned facility would be a welcome return to sanity and the trustees should be pursuing this. But they are not and it is they who should be replaced.

    Spoiled rotten ideologues have no business running major public institutions like SBCC. They have betrayed their constituents, their students and the taxpayers. These perennially vexatious so called trustees need to hear two words. You’re all fired.
    Thomas Cole JD Montecito

    -5

        • ChatGPT is helpful here:

          The term “fascism” has both technical and colloquial meanings, and there’s often disagreement about its precise definition. Your interlocutor’s response highlights one interpretation but does not encompass the broader academic understanding of fascism. Let’s break down the differences between these interpretations.

          ### Technical Definitions of Fascism

          In a technical sense, fascism refers to a specific set of political, social, and economic beliefs rooted in authoritarianism, nationalism, and often militarism. Key aspects include:

          1. **Authoritarianism and Dictatorial Power**: Fascist states concentrate power in the hands of a single leader or party, dismissing democratic processes and civil liberties.
          2. **Ultra-nationalism and Xenophobia**: Fascism emphasizes intense loyalty to the nation or race, often portraying outsiders as threats.
          3. **Suppression of Opposition**: Fascist regimes use police and military force to suppress dissenting views, both through state mechanisms and with the help of civilian organizations.
          4. **Militarism**: Fascist ideologies often prioritize military strength and war, viewing it as a means to national renewal or glory.
          5. **Corporatism**: Classic fascist regimes, like those under Mussolini in Italy, instituted “corporatism,” which involved structuring the economy through state-mediated partnerships with large businesses, unions, and other interest groups to support government goals without necessarily assuming direct control.

          Mussolini described fascism as the merger of state and corporate power, but this did not mean the government simply co-opted all private entities to support it. Instead, it controlled key industries and heavily regulated labor and business, using them to strengthen the state. This corporatist model is not synonymous with government control over all businesses, academia, or media, as your interlocutor suggested. It’s also distinct from socialism or communism, where the state directly controls production.

          ### Colloquial Definition and Modern Usage

          In modern discourse, “fascism” is often used more loosely. Colloquially, it can refer to:
          – **Authoritarian or Undemocratic Actions**: People sometimes use “fascist” to describe any authoritarian behavior, even if it doesn’t align with traditional fascism.
          – **Suppression of Dissent**: The term can also describe actions that limit free speech or assembly, whether by governments, corporations, or other groups.
          – **Control of Information**: Fascism is sometimes invoked to describe efforts to dominate media, education, or public opinion, even if it lacks the full political framework of classic fascism.

          This broad use can lead to misunderstandings, as it doesn’t always align with the formal academic definition.

          ### Your Interlocutor’s Claim

          The definition provided by your interlocutor captures aspects of fascism but oversimplifies it. Fascist governments do seek control over business, media, and academia to push their agenda, but the method is usually coercive and focused on nationalist goals rather than simple “government support.” True fascism is more than just aligning media, academia, and business with government policy; it is a holistic political ideology aimed at transforming society to reflect ultra-nationalist, authoritarian ideals.

          In summary:
          – **Technical Definition**: Fascism involves an authoritarian, nationalist state that may co-opt or control various sectors but fundamentally aims to reshape society through authoritarian means.
          – **Colloquial Use**: The term often serves as a catchall for authoritarian or oppressive behaviors, losing some of its technical specificity.
          – **Your Interlocutor’s Claim**: This claim reflects elements of fascism but lacks the full picture, omitting fascism’s authoritarian, nationalist, and militaristic components that differentiate it from other systems of government control.

          1

    • Thomas Cole. The guy who is so scared by LGBTQ people that he stands outside elementary schools and scares children, throwing nonsense propaganda leaflets at them. He wants to protect free speech, as long as it doesn’t include women, gay people, trans people, or black people. Or immigrants. Just any minority really. He’s also anti-Ukraine and claims he’s for peace but is shockingly quiet about the war in the Middle East. After he’s done pestering us all with his MAGA nonsense, I expect to see him shouting at clouds in Montecito.

      4

    • Well, as you must recall, every single one of the KKK were democrats. But if you want to see some real hood ornaments, just take a look here at these SBCC race training manuals used at SBCC to ‘teach’ our young people about, well, tolerance? . All paid for with millions of taxpayer dollars, and approved by the unhinged, race obsessed trustees at SBCC. Now who’s the racist? The guy pointing this out, or the people propagating race hatred to college students? https://www.coalition4liberty.com/post/how-to-get-arrested-in-santa-barbara

      -3

        • Cole write about “radical leftists”, but I can’t think of anyone who is further right than he is.

          https://www.aol.com/news/slo-county-candidate-congress-made-212835666.html

          However, he’s right that members of the KKK were Democrats … but that was then when Dixie Democrats were right wing racists and this is now when Republicans are right wing racists.

          Here is ChatGPT on the subject:

          Yes, many early members of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) were indeed affiliated with the Democratic Party in the post-Civil War era. This period of U.S. history was marked by a major partisan realignment regarding race and civil rights, resulting in changes in party positions over time.

          Historical Background
          The first Klan was founded in the South during Reconstruction (late 1860s) by ex-Confederate soldiers. At that time, the Democratic Party largely represented white Southern interests, opposing Reconstruction efforts that sought to secure rights for newly freed Black Americans. The KKK targeted Black citizens, as well as Republicans (both Black and white), who supported Reconstruction.

          Evolution of Party Stances
          Over time, particularly by the mid-20th century, the Democratic and Republican parties underwent significant ideological shifts:

          1930s-1960s: Democratic leaders, notably during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal and later under Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society, embraced civil rights reforms, gaining support from Black voters and progressive allies. This shift alienated many Southern white voters.
          Civil Rights Movement: When Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, many white Southern Democrats (often called “Dixiecrats”) felt alienated and began shifting to the Republican Party. This transition is often referred to as the “Southern Strategy,” where Republicans appealed to Southern white voters’ discontent with civil rights changes.
          The Parties Today
          Today, the Democratic Party strongly opposes organizations like the KKK and aligns itself with policies promoting civil rights, equality, and social justice. The Republican Party, which now holds much of its base in the South, also denounces the Klan and disavows its historical associations with white supremacy. The KKK today is not formally aligned with any major political party, and its membership is small and widely condemned across the political spectrum.

          This history illustrates how party ideologies can and do change over time.

          1

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