Former Councilmember Popped for DUI, Hit & Run

Assuming Falcone weighs somewhere between 120 and 160 pounds, a Blood Alcohol level of .23 for a woman represents 6-8 drinks/shots.

The dead give-away is 'a couple glasses of wine.'

http://www.brad21.org/bac_charts.html

Do you think they'll be as soft on her as they were Armendariz?

Can't wait to see Bill Clausen call for her lynching any minute...

Of course, the fact that she's a female (you go girl!) in a city dominated by women (oh, yes!) and that she's a longtime supporter of all things law enforcement (whatever the voters want to hear usually works), she'll undoubtedly have her car back within 24 hours and get 30 hours of "community service" as a sentence. I'd guess that she'll wind up behind a series of podiums from which she'll warn local students about the evils of drunk driving while getting even more media attention than Joyce Dudley garners after a statutory rape arrest.
We've come a long way, baby!

Too bad the unneccessary attack on Bill Clausen ruins your otherwise spot-on commentary BeachGirl.

For what it's worth: The man who ran into my dad said the same thing "a couple of drinks". He had a BAC of 0.069 and still ran into my dad even though the latter had been stopped for several seconds.

What is the real issue here people?...the issue is we have a culture in denial. I'm currently on the phone with a friend who is a smoker, and we're discussing this. She smokes, I overeat, but we admit our problems, as seems to be the case with every other smoker and overeater I know. Even the beer culture has a measure of honesty about what they do, but the "wine/wine tasting" culture pretends that what they do is somehow more cultured than the "lowbrow" (my emphasis) beer culture.

Do I even have to mention the way the city council has given the green light to the bar scene downtown?

So here we are yet again: Another intelligent, worldly educated person who somehow can't figure out how to get through the day without drinking and driving and victimizing someone.

We will never totally stop these things from happening, but it stands to reason that if our society would stop glorifying drinking, perhaps the number of drinkers would be reduced just as the number of smokers has gone way down.

By the way, she is lucky she didn't kill/permanently injure herself and/or others. In that sense, she got off easy.

My instinct is to say "how anyone with a conscience and a modicum of intelligence can drink and drive is beyond me", but when you are told the repeated lie that a couple of drinks is ok before you drive, (or even one drink in some cases) you rationalize the lie to the point where you are desensitized and don't see your guilt, much the same way racism was rationalized in our mainstream consciousness until a few decades ago. We (the majority of us anyway) look back at slavery with horror, but at the time, it was so widespread, people were indifferent to it. Hopefully someday, the same progression of consciousness will take hold with drinking and driving, but like racism, it will probably require some high-profile horror stories to finally shock our culture into moral reality.

She blew a .23 at 10:30 AM. I'd say that lady has a problem.

Fully agree, once again, Bill. There is definitely a lowbrow approach to beer drinkers yet people can go wine tasting on the weekends, get completely trashed and it's all ok because it was "classy". I just think people are so used to drinking then driving without getting caught that it becomes normal to them to have a few then get behind the wheel. Now, people do handle alcohol differently and their bodies react different but being an adult and not knowing when you've had enough is just ridiculous. At least this happened in the daylight where people were able to see things and nobody was seriously injured.

Botany nailed it.
"Wine, it's not just for dinner anymore."
And while I agree with bc I am not as adamant about the alcohol culture; if you are old enough to drink you are old enough to darn well know you CANNOT DRINK AND DRIVE.

@Bill - she "can't get through the day" without a hit and run?

And you know this, how? Your magic crystal ball?

This was an incident that we don't really know anything about other than what's been reported. Deciding it's a usual thing for her, or that she's an alcoholic, etc etc is part of the problem here; how are we supposed to have intelligent discussions about situations when comments are skewed with agenda, conjecture and projection. Having an opinion is relevant. Always. Going off on an unsubstantiated tangent....not so much!

Sorry N1 but being drunk at 10.30am is a pretty sure sign she has a drinking problem. I doubt she just finished the night shift at a factory and had several of pops after work.

I agree that .23 at 10:30 in the morning is indicative of a problem. I hammered Joe A. pretty hard and would be a hypocrite if I don't treat my fellow liberal the same way. She must take resposibility for her bad judgment and get help.

OK Native 1, I guess I should have parsed it "get through that particular day".

I wish I could get drunk at 10:30am on a weekday.
Maybe she was on a staycation- who knows ... This is her first offense by all accounts; Armendariz is an on the record serial drunk driver. Let Armendariz be an example for Falcone before she should become as bad.

Two glasses of wine for breakfast? Yummy.
Look, we all agree that morning drinkers are a problem to themselves and to society and to anyone within range of their moving motor vehicle.
Given that, remember the source of all problems: Follow The Money.
In whose interest is it to have more bars per capita in SB than you might find in any other urban setting harking back to the halcyon days of Tijuana? In whose interest is it to allow every gas station (where, presumably, people are actively driving a car) in the county to sell beer by the 12-pack...and where any 18-year-old with stubble can easily buy cigarettes and all the alcohol he can fit in the back seat of Mom's SUV?
Liquor and sales taxes fund the careers of the Maldonados and Hannah-Beth Jacksons and Joyce Dudleys we all know and love.
Better to lose a handful of hapless motorists and pedestrians at the hands of DUI drivers than to cut off the flow of revenue to Sacramento and Santa Barbara...
The other issue at hand here is the treatment that a select few receive at the hands of local police when they are "arrested". Any other citizen busted with a .24 would be spending the night in jail. You can be sure that Iya Falcone is working the phones from the comfort of her home pleading her mea culpas to her former co-conspirators in city and county government tonight...instead of from the Inmate Reception Center at County Jail where she should be.
Equality under the law is a myth in this city.
It's good to be a woman with friends in high places, boys.

Beachgirl: It's the same up here in Solvang. People protest the incursion of the Yuppie-bar scene but to no avail. I wrote the mayor and his simple response was something to the tune of "who among us is wise enough to craft an ordinance". (Which is what he was quoted as saying in the local paper.) In other words, they all say they're for public safety, but they tacitly support the alcohol industry. (And up here in Republican Solvang, they are very anti-pot shops while embracing the alcohol--excuse me--"wine" industry)

Yes, follow the money, and talk to residents who live in downtown Santa Barbara as well as Los Olivos and you'll find the politicians are far more interested in the revenue of the alcohol industry.

As a preemptive strike (since I often get accused of this) I am *not* a prohibitionist, but against the dishonesty of a culture that pretends that they have no moral culpability per the drunk driving scene. If one wishes to get drunk/high I don't believe we have the right to throw them in jail or harass them in any other way, but when they make a choice to render themselves unsafe to drive, and choose to drive anyway, then a price must be paid, and the hypocrisy of a culture that tells us to "stay off drugs" while hawking booze at just about every turn (knowing perfectly well those consuming it are getting behind the wheel while under its influence) is sickening.

For what it's worth, a friend connected to the Sheriff's department has told me that the drunk drivers they arrest involved in fatal accidents have to be put on suicide watch because of the guilt they feel when the reality of their actions hit them. To any who read this who drink and drive, how would *you* feel if you had to look into the eyes of loved ones of someone you're actions caused to get killed?

Again: Don't drink and drive. Why is that so hard for people to figure out?

Wine Tasting (as per Wiki); http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_tas...
But Wine Drinking/Binge'ing is no different than Beer Drinking/Binge'ing, the end result is getting your "Drunk-On". So too is the story of Alcohol Abuse by any means necessary and thus the Term "Wino"!

BillC, I think you hit the nail on the head: don't drink and drive. Problems are bound to happen when anyone has "just a couple" drinks and tries to assess their ability to drive safely. I enjoy a couple glasses of wine with my dinner (at home) but never get behind the wheel if 've had any alcohol to drink whatsoever. I've noticed as I've gotten older that my reaction to alcohol is highy inconsistent. The bottle of pinot noir enjoyed for Thanksgiving semingly had zero effect while other nights my first sip gives me a buzz.
Be safe, folks.

Wow! An alcohol count of 0.23 is the same as the infamous Travis Armstrong was a few years ago (the time when he was caught).

The bigger question the Independent has overlooked here is why was Iya Falcone not booked into jail and processed at the time, with a booking photo available to the news media.

Was that the last favor the POA ever will do for her?

Probably, since her days on running for city council are likely over, the POA won't have to consider whether to endorse her or not. Not that the POA endorsement did the candidates any good at all in the last election anyway.

10:30am and already nackered. Good job, sweetie. See you in court-ordered rehab soon!

Current culture: Commercial for local news anchor up north on ch.6 features her with white wine, grape orchards behind her as far as the eye can see. Downtown SB bars where some (not all) also deal in 'party favors' made of white powder. Feds shut down dispensaries of herb.

"Don't drink and drive. Why is that so hard for people to figure out?"
-- billclausen

Riiight. And "just say no" was an effective deterrent to drug use.

What's so hard is that homo sapiens are not fully rational. Ignore that when making public policy and you're also being irrational.

SezMe - Bill's not saying "don't drink at all" which is what the "just say no" motto was saying to drug use. So your point is what???

Thanks Muggy-"Just Say No" was a bizarre mix of preaching and stupidity; "don't drink and drive" is simply common sense.

Muggy, my point apparently you don't do analogies very well.

Indeed, despite my propensity for flippant comments I must sadly say that I wrestle with the same problems. Although I have quit smoking (recently) and overeating, I do deal with the same demons concerning Alcohol. Although my redgmin is constricted to football (vikings) and hockey (kings) game nights as O'mally's, I must say that a DUI at 10:30 AM is definitely a red flag and I wish Iya well in first recognizing the problem and subsequently dealing with it.

I was also a addict to more "serious" drugs in my 20's. I genuinely hope people overcome these problems (even if the subject is as vapid/wealthy/famous e.g. lohan) because i've lived it, and it is difficult to kick any addiction. From experience, I must say that there is no political side to this, a person will heal themselves when the WANT to. That is the end all be all of the subject, the only arguement to be had is that some people really do need public assistance to reach that conclusion.

Peace out....

Stumbling Distance: I too am a hockey fan and a kings fan as well. Not to digress, but as of three days ago it was looking as though the NHL was facing a lockout. Keep me posted.

On an additional note: It's interesting what stumbling distance said about watching sports. For what it's worth, Alice Cooper was near death in 1983 from alcoholism and his marriage was falling apart. Finally, after a last-ditch effort from his parents and wife, he quit drinking and has been dry ever since. (His wife recanted her divorce request and the two remain happily married to this day)

Here's the punch line: Cooper realized he was an addictive type so rather than suppress his personality, he turned his addiction to something positive: Golf. Today he remains a fanatical golfer. The point is, rather than deny one's self, simply turn your energies to something that doesn't hurt yourself or others. I hope this helps, and I hope Falcone is reading this.

my tix for the annual frozen fury game in vegas were just refunded to me, this is not what the sport needs. I played hockey for 14 years before my knee became shredded wheat and hate to see a season in jepordy over a 25% salary rollback when concessions on the previous CBA had already done the same. There are legitimate points on both ends of the negotiation, it's just tragic that both sides let it affect the season for the 4th time in 20 years. The sport deserves better bill.

***correction***
The greatest sport to watch live deserves better.

That was for all of you non-hockey SB sports fans

P.S.-> the Sharks suck.

;-)

And I also agree with Bill's AC analogy, focusing the TREMEDOUS amount of energy gained from stopping certian types of addiction can be refocused into something more positive.

My smoking cessation is enabling me to play hockey again (albeit inline at the fairgrounds) and hopefully coach SB youth hockey goaltenders.

It took me 37 years to learn the lesson but we are what we are as a species.

My favorite saying is "I'm working on it"

Yeah so people are disappointing. I don't think the suggestion of channelizing energies into the hyped-up sports and entertainment industries are a solution or salvation. Maybe less heroic expectations of humans, in favor of some lesser competing form and simpler time would be better.

We have systemic corruption; the marriage of chamber of commerce businesses (primarily booze and bars), the media (including The Independent), non-profits, police, politicians automobile and motorcycle enthusiasts. Community meetings in bars and fundraisers for PAL (Police Activities League.) Hey lets have a community meeting to beat up on homeless....in a Bar! >>> http://www.independent.com/news/2009/...

'Social Service' is now dispensed by expensive Police Department personnel, while simultaneously two-buck chuckers whiz by in BMWs, ducatis, Hogs and Lifted Trucks; vroom, boom, bang, crash, maiming and killing, occurring far too often. And meanwhile police go after a modest pedalist going the wrong way, a minor skateboarder on the wrong sidewalk, a restricted medical marijuana shop, a deficient 98%er protester, or a meager homeless man arrested for speaking out for spare change?

We need a reboot our our local system of representation. Then perhaps we'll see a truly lucid electorate where you wouldn't even think of blowin a .23 let alone at 10:30 a.m. Some people need representation and some don't. Ms. Falcone I suspect needs a booking, a booking photo published, perhaps rehab. The quote and flimsy explanation in this article is exactly what one would expect of a one arrested of a DUI. Still, I would hold judgment until all the details emerge at trial.

Of course the hyperbolic notion of a of one fix fits all is out of the question Don, I was merely sharing what has worked for me. Any Moron (insert carp tea party poster here) can demagogue any issue. I’m just saying that Iya needs to make a decision about her life going forward.

I still drink but I limit it to certain situations. It helps being within Stumbling Distance of the 400 and 500 block of state.

Don how could you say that about the Indy, they did use the word "popped" in the title to describe her arrest, isn't that deterrent enough for all future politicians who might be considering to drink and drive?

AZ2SB: The million dollar question is "do these people realize how dangerous their drinking and driving is?".

My point is, people will rationalize that a couple of drinks is safe, or even more than a couple is safe if they have done it before. Some people get wasted multiple times, drive home, and get away with it (By sheer incredible luck) while others kills someone after a couple of drinks. It's like getting AIDS: It's a roll of the dice so the logic of denial on the part of those reading this is "I've done this many times before, I know what I'm doing" and then one day someone swerves on a bike in front of them, or they didn't get enough sleep, or drank on an empty stomach, and then tragedy. The element of denial/rationalization is very strong.

Coming for a culture where drinking is integral but getting drunk is frowned upon, I have never personally understood why the U.S. celebrates getting smashed. Perhaps that is why I don't worry too much about "why" but instead opt for making it clear with equal enforcement of the law that you will go to jail if you drink and drive.
Even the claim of denial about "a couple of drinks" is as silly to me as smokers that claimed they did not really know the consequence of smoking over the past 3 decades. And yea, like too many Italians, I have 2 or 3 cigarettes per day; caveat emptor and I am no victim of the big tobacco companies.

The problem with the drunk is that they don't really KNOW how drunk they are. My point of view is that WE all know that drinking and driving is illegal and any crimes committed while under the influence (of anything) is still punishable by the law. Even if you have never seen or heard one of those DUI commercials or come from another country, you are still on notice since the law is in the books. What I don't get is these people that kill other people while intoxicated and get probation, and at the most 1 year in county. WT*!!!!

Isn't transportation and walk/skateability also a much different picture in Italy?
One of the things I love about NYC (or living downtown) is walk/sk8ability and you can always just hop a train anyplace you don't feel up to walking to. Here people are insulted if you dare suggest they walk further than a block.

There is certainly less bar hopping in Italy although my teenage relatives are not unlike their American counterparts in that they love cars and cruising around. It's just not considered OK to get hammered. People older than that, whether in the country or the city, tend to go to one place and eat for hours while sipping wine and talking etc. The alcohol is viewed as one part of a wholistic sum. Clearly the discourse and depth of topics strikes me as deeper in Italy among all social classes.
I have never seen anyone chug a beer, but of course chugging a warm Peroni is not too appetizing anyway...
And that is why I live downtown in SB, almost unique among my friends, because I prefer to walk whenever possible and the thought of drinking and driving NEVER occurs to me.

THE D.A. DROPPED THE HIT-AND-RUN CHARGES FILED BY THE ARRESTING OFFICERS!
Hell, let's toast to this city's ongoing corruption! Here's to ya, Joyce Dudley!