Mayor Is Not Resigning

Has Travis gone off the deep end? He has always been mean spirited; often writes without knowing the facts; and the anti-Blum campaign is nothing new but since he returned from his vacation recently, his Editorials, particularly the first one with the tiara picture that Mayor Blum responded to, and now this one, are truly incredibly bizarre coming from the News-Press' Editorial page editor. Mayor Blum's response to the first article was short and straightforward and was published in many local sites (why not in the Independent?) but of course not in the NP. How can the NP not respond to Mayor Blum's claims this time as well? Who do they think they are kidding? If Armstrong has any evidence whatsoever he must publsih it or it is time for him to leave town and find other employment. This is just unacceptable. There was a similar matter from the PR guy for Caruso, the owner of the Miramar, published in the Montecito Journal last week, regarding Armstrong refusing to respond to his repeated attempts to engage him, after his articles about the Miramar project. Enough of this weirdo already!

I am as anti-Blum as anyone, but Travis is quickly losing credibility with this made up stuff...nobody is going to listen to him anymore.

I agree. Journalism should be filled with true facts! If it was an opinion piece it should have stated clearly that it was only his opinion. I am not a fan of Blum myself but find his behavior totally unethical. I hope that he responds and apologizes for stating false information.

Even columnists and editorials need to be supported by facts.

It seems Travis Armstrong has vigorously asserted an unsupported rumor as fact, and should be judged as critically as if it were a news report.

Or reveal his source (my guess is it's a liquid!).

What a friggin' sad waste of everything and everybody's time.

Travis Armstrong and the News-Press are just total jokes.

We need a real newspaper and great leadership like in the Storke/Chase days. That leadership came out of true consensuses formed by city leaders.

Now we have a News-Press led by sophomoric losers like Armstrong and McCaw. They've never built any great civic institution in their lives, but they can try to burn them down.

I heard the Mayor on her radio show at noon Saturday, when she essentially said the same message that is reported here by Brantingham.

She also partied with 100+ folks last night at the EDC Friday happy event... all pretty chipper for someone allegedly trying to make up an excuse to resign from being Mayor.

Some of the comments here above do seem a bit strange because they still need to ask these questions and observations that have been widely known as truth for years by much of the local public and a couple of Federal judges who evaluated the Travis under oath on the witness stand:

"Has Travis gone off the deep end?"

"Who do they think they are kidding?"

"quickly losing credibility with this made up stuff...nobody is going to listen to him anymore."

"find his behavior totally unethical."

"editorials need to be supported by facts."

Better late than never, but you all have concluded what thousands of your fellow Santa Barbarians already knew. Welcome to the Cabal of truth, dear reader, forsyth, sand, and binky!

Of course, for this spectator sport that watching the News-Press implode has become, the Travistorial today (where he claims Mayor Blum is going to resign but cites no facts or actual sources except those he imagined), is nothing new and is just the same bovine fecal matter piled higher and deeper.

Wendy has changed directions and is now following the National Enquirer business model. More unbelievable stories coming!

Where did you get the smiling photo? Armstrong's columns might be more readable, 'though not believable, if they were accompanied by a picture other than the sour-faced one he uses.

As for Mayor Blum, I think she's been and is a fine mayor. I don't always agree with her votes, not by any means, but unlike the last mayor, she reaches out to people and, I think, truly does listen.

I disagree with her positions about as often as I agree with Armstrong's, probably much less since he does make sense on some issues.

If there weren't term limits I and most I know would vote for her again. What a travesty of a newspaper the N-P is, running what it wishes were so rather than what is.

A traditional political adage is that a failing attack on a leader only make him or her stronger in the end and the attacker even weaker.

Among at least 4 blog-comment sites now, we are reading and watching that happen within only half a day of the latest infamous editorial and the Mayoral response message to all City staff.

The day has just become a lot sooner when "Travisty Factswrong" gets shoved into a closet office at the Young America Foundation to be a special projects writer no one reads from a hastily fabricated Libertarian Think Tank.

Warning: subscriptions falling fast again!

The most effective team now implementing Operation Cold Shoulder continues to be the publishers and editors of the News-Less, all doing a far more effective job at motivating readers and advertisers than the public activists or the Teamsters ever could do!!

Curious you say he ends up at the Young America Foundation. I found that article about Anne Coulter so bizarre. She is a tough person for anyone to like but to hear Travis, a gay American Indian who at least in San Jose was a registered Democrat trying to sound like he liked her and what she had to say in her speech, was again to stretch all credibility. I have always wondered when Ms. McCaw will cut that string. He must know how expendable he is and then I see no way he remains here.

JUST STOP IT

I'm not a big fan of our mayor or our council since they seem to ignore the really big problems (gangs, homeless effect on tourism) in favor of easy-to-do little things, but Armstrong is just a complete embarassment. Mean-spirited, vindictive, close-minded, impervious to fact and logic and differing opinions, and a real one-trick pony when it comes to his editorials - antiBlum and antiBuilding (oops, guess that makes him a 2-trick pony). McCaw has not been noted for wisdom in dealing with her employees in the past, but maybe she could wise up on this one???

"There he goes again, boozed up driving the wrong way down one way streets."

Dudes, I hear the former NP news reporters are asking for readers and advertizers to boycott the paper. A business owner should ask himself/herself why place ads in a paper where editorials are untrue? If the editorials have false info, then maybe the news stories do too.

Also, during Gap Fire evacuations, very few people were relying on the NP. They weren't a free website, they didn't have the army of reporters they used to have. sad, sad, sad. ... Now Travis going off deep end and making up stories.

Politics are 'ugly' - we like Marty Blum as our Mayor.

Get that barstard...

Now NP really screwed up...BIG time...

We read the New York Times, the LA Times and some International papers - won't subscribe to this 'smalll-town mentallity' np...

Sue them!

Speak for yourself Goletaresident - who is the "we" that likes Marty as Mayor? I don't - I want someone with some cajones when it comes to public safety - but I'm not going to make up stuff about her - the truth about her weak stance on gangs speaks clearly enough on it's own. Her main concern on her talk show seemed to be fear of violating the rights of minors with baggy pants, rather than doing what needs to be done to protect the public. At most public events - a search for weapons is done as a matter of course - not in Santa Barbara, the illegals and gang bangers might have their rights violated! (gasp)! Well then how about indiscriminately searching ALL minors regardless of race or dress that hung on street corners looking for trouble giving intimidating looks in groups regardless of what they wear? Does the Mayor then mean the converse, that anyone wearing baggy pants can NOT be searched because that would be profiling? Its like at the airports we wouldn't want to search anyone that looks Islamic. I'll tell you - if there was a rash of professional looking clean cut people stabbing folks, and I was not guilty, I would have no problem with assisting law enforcement by cooperating in a random search, if it meant saving the life of a teenager. And what is the magic number of teen deaths it will take before a gang injunction is implemented? How many before Marty tells her Police Chief to assist in helping Federal Immigration Authorities? On the show, her reason for not implementing a 287(g) agreement with ICE was that the Police had not asked for it. I wish I had a job where the boss wouldn't make me do anything unless I asked him to tell me to! What on EARTH will it take for this dangerous PC sillyness to end? Another death and no change of action .. .just another death, no big deal, it's just a matter of normal course...we LIKE Marty as our Mayor! she's NICE and she's GREEN!

What we need is a little old fashioned Police harassment! I'm not sure when the discomfort of a few became a priority over safety for all.

Yep - living in Goleta for 8 years, reading the stories about 'stabbing...' etc during daylight or on official holidays is very saddening....we lived in LA for 3 years...some police officer got shot during the first week living in LA and we had about 15 helicopters circling above our home in this first week...it's better to lvie in Goleta, but the stories about those 'maniac' teenagers killing other teenagers make us sad....

Hey...you see some teenager runnig with a knife on State Street after another teenage...what do you do?
(just read 'The News' on keyt etc about some further killing...)? Damn It! Just 'trip' that guy with the knife running past you...

I am a Dad - my daughter is 12 - I hate this *hit!!!

CORRECTION: I like Marty Blum as our Mayor.

For 'historic' records: "I did speak up for myself" during last year's Zaca fire...it was not 'appreciated...' but (hopefully) did create some 'food for thought'...by means of intellectual 'thought provocation"...

"Rely" on the NP? Puhleeze

Side note: Really impressed with the GAP fire coverage by the Indy. Thanks.

In other news, it is amazing SB has not implemented a full boycott of the News Press and yet folks continue to give it attention. I'm not trying to brag or anything, but our family hasn't read it since we moved here 10 years ago and I'm happy to report we are doing just fine. While I'm at it, if you have children, cancel your cox subscription too. Just Say No to Mass media. Pure rubbish.

True - we don't watch 'TV' (as we don't "have" a tv...) and that is a good thing...INDY is just fine....

"...he spoke to them in allegories..." - only way they could understand...

The "we" in a previous comment could be understood in the following way: 'Men is a legion, he is not one, but consists of several (often contradictory) parts..."

'We' do agree with the 'police harassment' suggestion (surprise, surprise) - with the new 'law' about no cell phones while driving I believe the police can now stop anybody at any time...

P.S.: We don't own a cell phone but do believe that that won't excempt us from 'police harassment'....(for example 'scratching one's head while driving' could be viewed as making a cell phone call...)

More evidence that the NP is a worthless piece of trash! Who does Wendy and Travis think we are? And they wonder why I don't renew my subscription.........

I would have liked to read their coverage of recent fires in our area - but - can't afford (and do not want) to subscribe to their online edition...

Hard to believe - but true: "Life is worthless...until you connect to something 'higher'..." and that includes/excludes 'politics'....

Finally! Now even the most hard nosed, fascist-loving right wingers can no longer claim that there is any method behind the madness of McCaw. She and her rag-tag "editorial staff" have trashed what little credibility they had left with this latest "Travis-ty". I can't imagine why anyone would waste their time reading this pointless nonsense.

Thankfully, Santa Barbara has the Indy, the Daily Sound and several other decent print sources for local news, not to mention the web-based Noozhawk and a very active blogger community. C'mon Wendy, sell the paper already and let's put a hundred or so real journalists back to work. Playtime is over.

Yep - it is "sad"...it is "real"...such is 'life'...

The News Suppressed is a fishwrap. I can't stand SB politics, Marty Blum, or any of the other PC fools in that city, but hey, they voted for her, she's the Mayor, and there it is,like it or not.

Travis Armstrong is an oceangoing gold plated twit of the first order and an absolute waste of skin, just like that flaming eejit of a boss of his Queen Gwendolyn and her eunuch, Arthur Von Wendyburger. They all deserve each other and have zero credibility, period.

Wow! Most posts on any subject I've ever seen. Travesty Armstrong is a very useful columnist in that he gives us a quick summary of how not to think or or vote. Same with the News-Suppress in general. However , to my surprise they have come out against the Bishop Ranch development and that is to their credit. As an actual newspaper, however, they are not very useful. I still subscribe because they do rarely provide some local news that I can't get quite so easily elsewhere and I like to read the comics in the morning. However, I try to make a point of not patronizing any business that advertises in the paper and I'd recommend all of you folks do the same, and let those business know it. If Wendy McCaw keeps losing enough money she might sell the paper and we'd have a decent paper again in SB

'...funny...'

especially the 'eunuch'...

'...men without balls...'

I still subscribe because I want a full service daily paper on my doorstep. But, I expect local enterprise reporting, not these press release rewrites. And, I expect contextual reporting, not these boring episodic process pieces (this government body met, that government body met). There is an obvious lack of editing, experience, courage and skill in that newsroom. And then there's the wasted use of the editorial page. Rather than serve as a powerful institutional voice for the betterment of the community, it seems like a series of random essays on animal rights and childish, vapid attacks on city hall. The sophomoric logic and Wendy's self interest in those editorials is astonishing. And now complete departure from the facts!?! Wake up, News-Press. Turn over a new leaf. Do something worthy. This can't go on.

'...men without balls...' how can they have 'sex'?

Thank you SB News Press - for teaching us that your very weak journalism is unneeded - that there are other ways to read about local, national, and international events. We don't need SB News Press mean spirited attitudes - As for Marty Blum - there should be more people like her.

That's how the "Sex Pistols" got 'famous' in England - by negative 'thought provocation'..

What we have here is a case of Stephen Colbert's
"truthiness." Wow, we have the Fox "News" team and Rush Limbaugh all rolled into one fish wrap right here in SB. What fortune.

...better to be 'positive'...

...in regards to the British 'sex pistols' idiots...

'...living in a "free" world...'

Some quotes are by 'Neil Young' (aka 'Mr. Soul') -what we need at this hour...

'We' thought that "f* yourself Travis comment..." was quite cute...

'Davis'...was the guy that got 'impeached' and 'replaced' by "...we'll be back..."...

To Noletaman; et all. Examine your conscience and cancel your News Press subscription. Everyday I wonder how it is possible for the News Press to become a less credible entity, or to be a bigger embarrassment to the community that it is supposed to serve. Outright lies, vendeta, and self serving manipulation have replaced years of hard work by moral, previous ownership, and responsible journalists. The latest excrements about our fine Mayor by Travis Armstrong are only another in a long litany of political assassination attempts, and union-busting efforts by Wendy & company. When I think that they cannot possibly sink any lower, they do!

"...send a maniac...to catch a maniac..."

- we want Rambo, we want Rambo...

From Sandwhisper:

"...When I think that they cannot possibly sink any lower, they do!"

Another News-Press hit job, too quickly forgotten:

The front page smear of ex-editor Jerry Roberts attempting to tie him to a computer owned by the N-P filled with porn, some of the kiddie variety.

The News-Press swore they would catch the perpetrator and denied it was a vendetta aimed to chill Roberts in an ongoing employment contract arbitration.

A year & a half later, like OJ, the N-P has yet to uncover the criminal.

"...you are just a dreamer, I am just a dream...you could have been anyone to me...)
Neil Young (while still young...)

'We' are positively' "surprised" by the 'objective' coverage of the Gap Fire by "the official spokesperson" of the SBA fire dept (sorry, forgot his name...)

Folks, the coverage of the Gap fire by the NP online was little and late. Even Inci-web wasn't timely. The Indy and Noozhawk both did magnificent jobs of frequently updating fire/evac/etc status. Kudos and thanks to both of them...

Is it possible that the News-Press is conducting an experiment simply to see how much absurdity the masses are willing to put up with?

I can't believe this is just a simple case of careless journalism, there must be something more sinister behind this.

Does Armstrong have a life? What exactly is his job description at the NewsPress? Why does McCaw keep him on? It seems that the NewsPress considers the usually judgmental opinions of Dr. Laura as "news" to be included in Section A and the the personal diatribes of Armstrong to constitute "editorial commentary"!

Where's the proof? What's the evidence? Who are the sources? Are they real or imaginary?

I don't support alll of Mayor Blum's deicsions myself and I would expect proof of such a claim but facts are apparently not in Armstrong's "Editorials for Dummies Handbook".

."I hope that he responds and apologizes for stating false information." -Santabarbarasand-

It would be nice if he did, but don't hold your breath. When he got busted for drunk driving, all he could say was that he was "Devastated"--in other words--he was saying "poor me". He didn't say "I'm glad I got pulled over because I realize that I could have killed someone". Even if he hasn't had a drink since then (I have no idea whether he has or not) he missed an opportunity to turn a bad thing into something constructive.

"...funny..."...again...

I occaisionally read the NewsPress when someone else has paid for it. The other day I sent a letter to the editor after Travis had slammed the mayor for not cancelling the 4th of July celebration due to the Gap fire (which wasn't really threatening S.B.) and the potential for gang violence (which is always the case during these celebrations). I'm sure the NewsPress didn't print my letter considering that I was quite critical of Travis and Wendy. I asked the NewsPress if Fiesta should be cancelled due to the fact that there has been gang violence during past Fiesta celebrations. It's a good thing Wendy is rich because the NewsPress has to be losing so much money that deep pockets only could keep it operating.

"...you are like a hurrican..."

When a newspaper knowingly fabricates a story it is a very serious matter. Many heads have rolled over less.

It is time for Travis to resign. He can say it is for health reasons.

Hey Indy staff:

could you please combine or otherwise restrict repeated multiple posts? There are simply too many frivolous posts that are making this board very hard to read. (Yes , I am referring specifically to posts by GoletaResident.)

It would be appreciated if you could do something about GR. Could really ruin what is otherwise an interesting discussion. Thanks.

"...you can run...but..you can't hide...."
sorry for causing some 'inconveniance'....

Hey...INDY...if many readers think so...you are very welcome to remove 'our' not-appreciated 'comments'...
'...living in a "free'" world...'

Back in the heyday of CB radio the truckers had a name for those who loved the sound of their own voices and would babble endlessly and nonsensically and take up channel time. They called them "ratchetjaw"s. We need a modern monicker for those who delight in seeing their own "thoughts" in print - those with uncontrollably prolific fingers who clog up the blogs with endless nonsense (blogclogger?).

RCMeltzer writes: Back in the heyday of CB radio the truckers had a name for those who loved the sound of their own voices and would babble endlessly and nonsensically and take up channel time. They called them "ratchetjaw"s. We need a modern monicker for those who delight in seeing their own "thoughts" in print - those with uncontrollably prolific fingers who clog up the blogs with endless nonsense (blogclogger?)."

The technical term is hypergraphia.

"Men..." just 'wake up'..."you slaughtered Christ...."
"....you killed Socrates..."....might as well 'killl me'...

'men with balls...'

'we'...are from Europe...but...'we' are not 'Brititsh'....

Friends shouldn't let friends drink and write. Yeah, and who cut his hair? Looks like a lawn mower kicked his a$$.

This is an extremely interesting topic... and good discussion with the exception of GoletaResident having a mental breakdown before our very eyes! All of this "we" stuff is disturbing and ironically "they" support our mayor but live in Goleta right? So they have a different mayor!

I used to be religious in my reading of SB News Press & started reading it as a teenager every day on the bus to school. I like to know what is going on in my town, enjoyed having a physical paper to read and of course, rewarded myself with the crossword puzzle after reading up on local news. I had my coffee/paper routine in the morning for MANY years. Then when I got a computer I subscribed to the online version, which is pretty pathetic, but saved paper. I was a very loyal reader, even when I moved out of town for a couple of years I still got the SB NewsPress!

Well, not anymore, I've been boycotting the paper for a while now because it is all fluff. Not only do they overcharge for the lack of newsworthy information, they don't even report the things that I want to know about! Yes, the SB Independent has become a much better source of current, valid and local news! For world news there is cnn.com and msnbc.com. For traffic issues there is chp.ca.gov. Between these, I get all the news that I want and then some!

I have a fantasy about making enough money to buy the local newspaper and as I embark on starting my own business that will remain something I work towards. If not purchase, than create my own and provide real journalism about real issues with REAL facts!

Besides the fact that the SBNP has very little actual news, I keep hearing rumors of how the city government censors them and disallows them to write about many of the local gang issues. I don't know if that is true or not but having grown up here and only recently seeing gang related articles in our publications, I do believe it. Real news should focus on all of the issues, whether they happen on crowded streets or not. The public should be educated as to what to look for, what to avoid and what they can do to help this town fight crime. It takes a village right? Well the village needs to be informed! The SBNP does nothing to help the community, sadly, and it has become such a waste of paper!

santabarbarasand I feel your pain... but if I may reign in your conspiratorial dervish dance of despair just a bit.

After producing pages and pages of editorial diatribes against virtually all of Santa Barbara city and county government officials, does it make any sense Wendy McCaw & Wrong-Way Armstrong would tow some sort of government line about sanitizing the news, keeping out the gang activity?

Say what you want about Mrs. McCaw, but she has proven willing to spend and waste millions of dollars to protect her right to run the News-Press into the ground, publishing whatever loopy nonsense and evil deception she deems appropriate.

Today by Travis:

"I noted on Saturday that there was speculation that Mrs. Blum has been discussing a possible resignation with associates..."

That is not what his article said. He stated that sources who are political supporters of Mayor Blum, had personally informed Travis, that they had been told by the Mayor, that she had been discussing with family and friends, resigning. Even the sturcture of his sentence, which one assumes is the product of close and careful editing, is the epitomy of deception: " ...there was speculation that Mrs. Blum has been discussing a possible resignation..." How can one speculate about what someone else has been discussing???
Did Travis have a reliable source who told him that he/she was witness to a conversation with the Mayor about an imminent resignation? It appears not other than maybe in an intoxicated dream.

And his tired complaint about our Mayor using her City email account to communicate with City staff? "Shes used plenty of taxpayer resources to go after me and other individual citizens...." Does it cost us any more that Mayor Blum uses her email account for this purpose? I have no problem with our relatively poorly paid Mayor using her email account to communicate with City staff.

And how about a parttime janitor at the Carrillo Rec Center being his big headline whistle blower story. No one who has any knowledge or sophistication about our City government really believes Mayor Blum gets involved with hiring decisons regarding part time janitors, particularly right now with all that is going on in the City.

Finally while I am at it, it will be curious to read how Travis spins the vote on the Price Coast Village Road Project. The 4-3 coalition makes it difficult for him to take his usual jibes against the Mayor and his other cabal members, with her voting with his favorites, Falcone and Francisco.

I don't care about the politics of it binky, I care about the lack of news! I care about the lack of hearing what the SBNP does for our community. I am bothered that the coverage is so thin and late, they report things days after they happen and only do it halfway. Is that because people don't want to talk to the SBNP? I don't know and I don't care about the reasons, it's still a disgusting disappointment. I don't care how much money Mrs. McCaw is spending, that doesn't matter. It is the total lack of trust and integrity that is what is apparent here, not money being spent.

"The truth needs no explanation" Throw water on the witch and the flying monkey will buzz off.

Well Mayor Blum made the national news:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/146475

Rules, censorship on the internet....keep wasting trees Indy, you just became the NP..."Be careful what you wish for" Oh, by the way, while your at it, I'm offended by the use of the "F" word in your articles, your sleazy sex ads and the F'N ink you use that pollutes my epidermis. Go
Ref girls softball !

PS ADIOS!

Sorry for this late response, but some of you brought up some good points: Basically, 'we' now better understand why Goleta became it's own city. So 'we' don't really have to worry about what's going on with the local ' Santa Barbarians'...