Recent media coverage has focused on the battle of conservative philosophies within the Trump Administration and in conservative circles. In the darker corners of the Internet, radical commentators, so-called “influencers,” are gaining the attention of the rich and powerful and Administration insiders. It’s actually rather fascinating. The Wall Street Journal recently published an important article […]
I’ve had many rabbis in my life – people who have given me spiritual counsel, friends, family members, and yes, clergy, who have been there with me and for me in life’s big and small moments – people whose wisdom I depend on when mine is hard to find. Rabbi Steve Cohen is the senior […]
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Over the course of the past couple of months, I have written a few articles that teased at certain county mysteries and expenses. I thought it would be fun to revisit some of these pieces after receiving the information that I had requested through various Public Record Requests (PRR). I hope you find the updates […]
Kilmar Abrego Garcia was sentenced to jail without due process of law. You cannot look at it any other way. It is one thing to deport an illegal immigrant, it is another thing to put him in jail without a trial. It does not matter that the government outsourced the jail. The issue is one […]
California once proudly led the nation in solar energy adoption, pioneering policies that made rooftop solar accessible and affordable to millions. Yet today Governor Gavin Newsom, his appointed California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), and powerful utilities like PG&E and Southern California Edison (SCE) are engaged in what can only be described as a coordinated vendetta […]
I woke up this morning with the realization that one man ruling largely by fiat is causing global chaos. All everyone seems to talk about these days is Donald Trump and what he’s done or will do. And for good reason. It’s making us nervous. And it’s not just us: the whole world is talking […]
At the April 1 Supervisor meeting a variety of monumental decisions were made – not the least of which was a 3-2 vote approving a $179M expansion of our North County Jail Mahal. A more hopeful sidenote, however, had to do with decisions that the Board made regarding our majestic open spaces. Allow me to […]
On April 1st, our Supervisors made decisions relating to new jail construction (384 beds) and in-custody care that will cost us $200M. These decisions – ones that will affect our County for decades – were squeezed into a 45-item agenda that included such things as proclaiming the week of April 21 “International Dark Sky Week.” […]
Santa Barbara has always been a city of ideas. From environmental activism to technological innovation, we’ve led conversations that shape the future. However, when public discourse is often divided, and big ideas get lost in the noise, we need spaces where thoughtful dialogue and new perspectives can thrive. That’s where TEDxSantaBarbara comes in. Over the […]
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I attended Radius Commercial Real Estate’s 15th excellent annual forecast at the Hilton. One of the presenters was economist Christopher Thornberg who gave an optimistic view of the economy, much of which I agreed with. Regarding the world since Trump took office Dr. Thornberg’s rosiness hit a wall. The current state of things? “Chaos,” he […]
In the annals of Cinderella stories, this was a good one. When Roy Lee decided to throw his hat in the ring against (former) First District County Supervisor Das Williams, naysayers abounded. He lacks the experience, the political savvy, and the familiarity with the Montecito community – were just some of the charges leveled his […]
As Trump said, the meeting was great TV. There was a crowd in the room at the meeting in the White House with President Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It was diplomatically nice-nice until the fireworks broke out. I’ve been around a long time and I can’t recall when world leaders revealed what they […]
The recently litigated AMR lawsuit – where the County lost the (generally speaking) impossible-to-lose Preliminary Injunction – spent $900K in legal fees and then settled, such that we now have the privilege of paying 35% more for ambulance service. This got me to wondering: Who manages our litigation, and what cost-benefit calculus, if any, do […]
A recent conference on poverty in Santa Barbara County sponsored by CommUnify revealed that we have the second highest poverty rate in California. The goal of the Upward Mobility Summit was to create work groups to come up with anti-poverty solutions using the Urban Institute’s Upward Mobility Framework. The Public Policy Institute of California puts […]
