Santa Barbara Greens – NO on Prop 50

Proposition 50 would temporarily repeal the Citizens Redistricting Commission that California voters created in 2008. California Democrats are expected to win five more Congressional seats than they currently hold. Because gerrymandering is not compatible with democracy, one of the Green Party’s Key Values, the Green Party of Santa Barbara County strongly opposes Prop 50.

In any democracy, voters must be able to choose their representatives, rather than politicians picking which voters they want in their districts. Under Prop 50, any Democrat or Republican who is moved into a district with a large majority of the opposing party voters would have their voting power minimized.

Currently the distribution among California’s 52 Congressmembers is: 43 Democrats, 9 Republicans, 0 Greens and others. If Prop 50 passes, Democrats would take over 5 Republican seats with 48 Democrats, 4 Republicans, 0 Greens and others.

In contrast, the actual distribution of voters is 45% Democrats, 25% Republicans, 22% Decline to State, and 7% Others. In statewide elections, Greens routinely get from 2% to 4% of the vote.

The Green Party believes the best solution to ensure all Californians’ votes count, would be to change all our legislative elections to a Proportional Representation system. Under Proportional Representation, 2-4% of Green votes would translate into 1 or 2 House seats for Greens, while Democrats would win almost twice as many seats as Republicans. Everybody’s vote would count, including rural Democrats and urban Republicans. 

All Americans need to stand up to defend what little democracy we have left, this Prop 50 scheme is a move in the opposite direction.

Donna Pulling Rent in Santa Barbara

Montecito needs to be informed that Santa Barbara City is doomed unless financially literate, math proficient business people are identified and elected to upcoming open seats in Districts 4, 5, and 6. These three representatives have each termed out. Why should we care?

D4 includes what many think is Montecito, but is actually City: Coast Village Road businesses and residences, lower Hot Springs Road, most homes along Alston Road, plus Eucalyptus Hill, the Riviera to San Roque. D4 has the highest number of voters in owner-occupied homes. 

D4’s elected Rep. Kristen Sneddon is the activist pursuing local rent control at 60% CPI, more public housing exempt from property taxation that is essential to fund municipal services plus our failing SBUSD K-12 schools – our three high schools and four junior highs. 

Please closely review recent test scores: the 2026 SBUSD graduating class is only 18% math proficient! We are not producing financial literates. Unlike our two local highest revenue elementary schools, SBUSD revenues approximate $19,000 per student. (In 2011, to infuse $6M into the cash-strapped SB Elementary District, SB K-6 elementary was unified with 7-12 secondary high schools. Unification has proven a mistake for Montecito.) 

Beyond our high schools, we each remain acutely aware disasters know no boundaries. The City’s Reserves for disasters and the unexpected are near depletion. 

Broke, Council cannot stop spending! It gifts money it doesn’t have to protect and provide for illegals; to create a dysfunction maze and narrowing of streets; and to waste money on staff time pursuing regulations and projects like rent control that it can’t afford to enforce. Until recently, its reserve fund has been sustained by a supplemental $20M from the federal government in 2021. 

At last week’s meeting, Mesa’s D2 Rep. Michael Jordan stated, the City’s Housing policies are actually Economic Ordinances. 

A public commenter remarked, “compassion is not sustainable,” by government. In response, Rep. Sneddon said: property owners are our partners. Sneddon, probably the richest person on that dais in the district least impacted by Council edicts adds: “Increase revenues. We need to increase fees, create new fees.” Sneddon wants “no people, pay, or positions cut! Rather cut capital projects.” Note: Kristen and her County public works husband are compensated around $750,000 annually by taxpayers with guaranteed lifetime pensions. Check it out: county, City, SBCC https://transparentcalifornia.com/

Rent stabilization was PAUSED to the end of the year, it did not “Fail” as per Noozhawk’s headline. It will be pushed by D4 Rep. Sneddon in the coming weeks. The anticipated positive of rent control is limited growth. Lack of water previously justified limiting growth which I quickly learned when moving here in February of 1980 from Northern California.

Local rent control, a rent registry, and then an ordinance mandating spare bedroom rentals are real possible mandates. Additionally, the County and/or City may add a supplemental tax to ‘non-owner occupied’ homes which comprise a noteworthy portion of housing inventory: five of seven homes on my street. 

As D4 and aspiring 2026 Mayor Candidate Sneddon said: property owners are our partners – local government’s source of revenues to fund what we don’t want or need. Santa Barbara became known as “paradise” because of the incredible generosity of philanthropists. Voters need to be informed.  

Denice Spangler Adams, Montecito