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 […]
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 […]
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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 […]
“Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no one was listening, everything must be said again.” – André Gide Our president just imposed a 25% tariff on imported goods from Mexico and Canada plus an additional 10% on China and unleashed a harmful and useless trade war. Tariffs are a […]
Thank you for writing this brilliant piece, Robert Bernstein. It speaks to something in the current zeitgeist (malaise?) of our times. It’s not merely limited to printer software. Best word I’ve never heard of, before seeing it in your piece. It made my day, and I’m still laughing at how it can apply to almost […]
It’s been just two years since we opened our $120M, 376-bed North Branch Jail – and in March the Board will be asked to spend another $160M to add two new jail “pods” to the mix. Frankly, the complexity of the issue far exceeds my 300-word limit but given the cost, we need to “slow […]
I watched the entire inauguration ceremony, and this article is written on that day. You would have to be dead to not appreciate the ceremony and its symbolism. Yes, it was mostly a Trump lovefest, but it was more than that. It was another peaceful transition of power of our Republic. No riots or coups […]
At last week’s Board meeting, there was an Honor Guard, the La Colina HS Jazz Band, and even a bit of soaring keynote rhetoric from Montecito’s own Gwyn Lurie. It was as Supervisor Steve Lavagnino described — a “celebration of democracy” — where Roy Lee took his place on the dais and Supervisor Laura Capps […]
As this week marks the anniversary of the January 9th Debris Flow that killed 23 of our neighbors, friends, and, in my case, my 48-year-old husband, Dave, my 17-year-old son, Jack, and our family dog, I was deeply disheartened by the column entitled Brilliant Thoughts: Bad Grief by Ashleigh Brilliant. Flipping through the Montecito Journal, […]
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[Speech Transcript: Board of Supervisors’ Induction Ceremony, January 7, 2024] Good morning. It’s a true honor to be here today. I still believe that public service, when done right, is one of the loftier things a human being can do. And I have the utmost respect for what all of you here have chosen to […]
My name is Carlos, I was born and raised right here in Montecito. My home has been on a ranch nestled in the middle of East Valley Road, Romero Canyon Road, and Buena Vista drive for as long as I can remember. My mother named me Carlos Romero after the name of the ranch I […]
The year’s end always feels monumental – filled with endings, beginnings, stock-taking, plan-making and desk-clearing to create a clean slate for all the positive developments we hope will come along with our next giant circle around the sun. So, what do we hope 2025 will bring? More importantly, what are we going to do to […]
At noon on January 6, Roy Lee begins his term as Supervisor and while a variety of controversial District 1 issues were recently decided, we still face many challenges. Hoping for something fresh – a real change – is exciting. I, for one, am eager to see how Roy attacks his new role because, as […]
Now that the dust has settled we need to talk about what president-elect Trump should do to better our lives. I’m not talking about making America great again because America is already great, but it could be better. I am not a Trump fan and wish we’d had better candidates from both parties but we […]
