Tag archives: community voices
As the City of SB laments its not insignificant deficit and the County faces its own budget shortfall, our new Community Services Department Director Jesús Armas seems to be bringing a bit of light to the problem of our time – homelessness. Allow me to explain: For the third straight year, permanent housing placement increased […]
After nearly a year of working on cannabis tax alternatives, our Deputy CEO finally presented her findings to the Board of Supervisors who are considering a November election Cannabis tax ballot Referendum. More disappointing than the presentation’s lack of depth, analysis or erudition was its shockingly obvious cannabis-bias. Allow me to explain: There are only […]
It seems like a century ago, but it was only three years. January 26, 2020, started out as a normal Sunday morning in Santa Barbara. The grandkids came over for their Sunday morning brunch with French pastries. Our oldest soccer playing grandson went over to SBCC to referee an adult league soccer match, one of […]
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis introduced the phrase “Sunlight is the Best Disinfectant,” in the early 20th century. He also penned the term in his book, “Other People’s Money.” The Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) regulates campaign financing, conflicts of interest, lobbying, and government ethics. Form 700 – Statement of Economic Interest, is one […]
Recently, I had some L.A. friends move to town (don’t be alarmed, they really are “nice”). Mistakenly, they thought that I knew a bit about our County and asked: “So where does ‘our’ money go?” Mind you, these are philanthropic folks who care about culture so I had to be honest: “I can tell you […]
March is swiftly approaching and for most California counties that means a bit of spring cleaning. As Santa Barbara County insiders know, however, we are not “most” counties – especially as it relates to transparency and possible corruption. Allow me to explain: Once upon a time, our nation had a rich fourth estate and deep […]
The right to vote is one of our most foundational rights as Americans – we have the right to be equally and fairly represented. Our county is redistricting, which means that we are assessing current Supervisorial district boundaries and redrawing all five districts based on the federal 2020 Census to account for changes in the […]
Days after an editorial from local lawyer Jana Zimmer ran in the September 2 edition of the Montecito Journal that challenged the timing of a meeting over a potential Santa Claus Lane cannabis dispensary slated for Yom Kippur (September 16), the County of Santa Barbara has indicated it will not reschedule the meeting, despite a […]
I am not a religiously observant Jew, but on Thursday, September 16, I have an appointment with God. Yom Kippur — the Day of Atonement — is a once-a-year thing, a standing appointment, and it is important to me. I have kept it on the steps of a temple in France, on a Greek Island, […]
Today’s Community Voices by Janna Zimmer is one I encourage readers, including those who plan for and are elected to serve Santa Barbara County, to read (it’s on page 23). As Zimmer points out, the County of Santa Barbara has scheduled an important hearing to discuss the naturally controversial proposed cannabis dispensary on Santa Claus […]
Dear Concerned Community, Recent stories have been shared by the press which portray our beloved Cold Spring community as a war-torn battlefield, the casualty of infighting between the parents, teachers, school board, and administrative staff. Although that narrative is interesting, entertaining and presumably sells papers and gets clicks, it is also hurtful and grossly inaccurate. […]
