Comments by RHS
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Posted on November 14 at 10:15 a.m.
AShaw apparently thinks the immigration status of the involved persons has to do with the propensity to commit the act. It is this sort of unrational association that is the hallmark of bigotry. The idea that certain people are unable to conform to social norms, or worse, have an agenda to undermine "our" social norms is what AShaw is suggesting. AShaw won't get this thought because it is easier to decide complex issues with simplistic ideas.
Posted on August 1 at 11:15 a.m.
Every culture has its myths and fairy tales. The one about the time Napa beat the French has become part of California's. Turns out a similar story is told in Chile about how their wine fooled the French at a tasting "back then". Probably there is another famous story about the Barrossa Valley. One must assume that dozens/hundreds of tastings were conducted then as they are now. In some of these tasting California wines did well. No one tasting decided that Napa wines were credible. Consumers did.
Napa produces some great wines. So does France and so does Argentina and so does Australia and so does Italy and so does Hungary and so does South Africa and so does New Zealand and so does Yakima and so does Niagra and so does....
Let's move on from this provincialism and just enjoy good wine from where ever.
On California Beats France in Bottle Shock, Coming Soon to Santa Barbara Movie Theaters
Posted on July 23 at 10:46 a.m.
Oh to be young and knowledgeable as is this author. Clearly he sees the truth much more than the old timers who have been worn out by their dated "progressive" works.
Still one might suggest that Mr. Rutian's naivety is showing. Maybe a little more time on earth will allow him to develop some skepticism about the motives of "smart growth" advocates in Santa Barbara whose agenda seems to encompass only the building of hugely expensive and unaffordable warrens for the tourists and vacationers to own and occupy.
What is needed is an impetus to build more rental housing, not a couple of "affordable"condominiums.
This strategy would validate a urban core concept and provide for a more disparate and sustainable city population.
On Why Old Lefty Tree-Huggers Are Slow to Embrace the New Sustainability
Posted on June 12 at 1:49 p.m.
Your implication that retirement cost increases are the result of the independent County Retirement Board's action shows the difficulty folks have with the complicated funding issues facing government. Certainly the County Retirement Board is responsible for setting rates to meet the retirement obligations. However the increase in retirement obligations is almost entirely due to the willingness, one might even say joyousness, with which the Board of Supervisors and the County Executive Office have been giving benefits to "safety personnel" over the past decade or so. A cynic might suggest that this is because these same groups have extremely effective political operations to support candidates who give such benefits and to defeat candidates who would follow a more prudent course.
At the same time Mike Brown has been outrageously willing to up pay of county employees from clerical to department heads. One hears rumors that this is the cost he pays for not getting bounced for his many expensive transgressions over the years. In any event, these increases translate in higher retirement obligations for the future and despite good investment decisions and very good returns on these investments, the long term obligations have to be actuarialized and money has to be set aside to meet the costs that such studies indicate will be engendered. Of course these problems are decades in the future and the present incumbents will be gone or moved on to other political positions by that time.
Posted on June 11 at 9:24 a.m.
Here is another example of the grotesqueness of California politics today. Money is set aside in different "pots" and those who "manage" these pots are driven to spend them for fear that they won't get more until its gone. No sensible prioritization of needs is undertaken if one of the needs is for something outside the fiefdom of the pot guardian. Thus the idea that this money would be better spent, and save more lives, by providing mental health support is not even in the picture. CalTrans is not about to donate money (even if it were legal) from its pot to another. The voters are often to blame for these state of affairs as they continue to pass legislation creating these restricted uses. programs.
On Caltrans Gives Public Glimpse of Cold Spring Suicide Barrier
Posted on June 2 at 3:19 p.m.
ADMHS (isn't that a mouthful?) is a good part of the problem that has been known and still has persisted for DECADES in this county. ADMHS has refused to take on the hard work, filling PHF with the tame and calm and easily handled and shipping the difficult work out of county. The expense of this had long been known but the passive agressive ADMHS administration, while promising to do something, has never been willing to do what counts--spend money and their own political capital on this problem. And then there's the gross budgetary incompetence of ADMHS which has created big budget problems for their clients (but somehow, not for their administrators staffing level). This group deserves to be scrapped and "reinvented" big time. Because of this it would be folly to give significant funds to these wastrels. And don't look to Mike Brown for help--he has already managed this problem to its present impasse.
Posted on May 23 at 11:54 a.m.
So stop with the disinformation that Measure V is only about protecting the status quo at SBCC. Measure V is an attempt to find money to expand the role of SBCC into programs that are of questionable value to locals but will attract more out of state and out of area students to clog our streets and raise our rents. Right now 30% of the SBCC student body is from out of state (including out of the US) or out of area. Why can't SBCC accept its designated role as a provider of solid, basic and appropriate education to enable locals to improve their lives is the question. Too plebian? Give up this pretense that SBCC is or should be a "world class" institution.
On Down With V
0 of 1 people thought this was a good comment.
Posted on May 21 at 11:11 a.m.
This apology for MacKinnon's 'robeitis' is unfortunate. He is running almost solely out of ego and has arrrogance for the concept that a judge should serve all the people and as the law requires.
Ready shares some of the same ego problems.
Beebe is blahful but not awful and is the best of a poor group of candidates.
(Cutler is beyond bad and his decision to get out of the race was wise in that it saved him an embarrassing reality check on his standing and respect in the legal community.)
Posted on April 18 at 11:21 a.m.
It is interesting to see how offended people can be when they find out that laws enacted by "their" legislature can be used to arbitrarily inflict pain on them. The decision of the Commissioner (not Judge) is completely consistent with the Vehicle Code's permission established for these street sweeping laws. If you don't like the law ask your state official to change it. But most people don't object to the law when it applies only to others. My My.
By the way, the idea that parking enforcement is an appropriate revenue stream should chill us all. Still the City of SB relies on it heavily.
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Posted on November 20 at 10:05 a.m.
Imagine if the all night party and fire that got out of control and led to the Tea Fire disaster had been laid at the feet of a meeting of 10 or so "local Eastside youth" instead of "local college students."
Instead of a community reaction of cakks for understanding and tolerance there would be a public outcry for vengeance and retribution which would cross into racism and xenophobia.
Experiencing this double standard is the "alienation" known first hand by youngsters in the poorer parts of Santa Barbara.
On Anti-Gang Action in Santa Barbara