Comments by Pagurus
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Posted on October 2 at 12:44 a.m.
Nick! You rarely disappoint, but I was taken aback by your comment "I was also struck that the league’s forum — usually notoriously balanced — on Measure B featured four speakers who supported the height restriction and not one who was against it." Laddie, the SB chapter of the LWV has been anything but balanced over the past many years. It has regularly taken positions on issues - always on the NIMBY side -- which has always seemed in direct contrast to LWV chapters in general which strive to scrupulously maintain neutral positions on issues, instead wanting to serve as a truly objective civic resource where issues can be debated fairly. The SB chapter, befitting the Santa Barbara philosophy of "having your cake and eating it, too", has wanted to have it both ways, and the mystery is why more people don't understand - and find objectionable - the hypocrisy. Including, apparently, SB's usually reliable watch poodle.
Posted on September 16 at 7:50 a.m.
Here's another old saying, in reference to the first three responders to Cearnal's well-written, well thought-out, article: Pearls before swine.
Or: You can lead a mule to water, but you can't make him think.
Posted on August 21 at 8:28 a.m.
And Walmart doesn't like this guy??? Geez - a REAL opponent would have to fear for his/her life.
What's wrong with Walmart is what's wrong with America, and "tegrat" hit the nail on the head: thoughtless consumers always looking for a cheaper deal, and the externalized costs that entails. Additionally, what this UCSB "scholar" doesn't have a clue about is the grave impacts that Walmart and big box stores in general have had on the economic well being of communities in the way retail dollars spent used to recycle locally - to local banks, to other local businesses, to local charities -- and no longer do.
What's wrong with Mr. Lichtenstein is that he thinks "efficiency" is everything -- and it's that sort of unanalyzed presumption which leads to loss of community flavor and livability. Give me an inefficient downtown with small, independent retailers (the so-called Mom and Pops), where personal relationships are the basis of business, over a suburban mall big box store where constant turn-over of low wage workers have caused lasting personal relationships to essentially disappear.
He's also flat wrong in his conclusion that all small employers exploit their workers. There are many examples of good small businesses, with long time loyal employees who are revered and appreciated, but this "researcher" apparently doesn't know about them. That piece of generalized thinking should disqualify him from any more credibility than his namesake country of Lichtenstein has on the world stage...
Posted on August 21 at 7:31 a.m.
Maybe Francisco just likes the letter B. Maybe he's neither anti-gay or anti-tall buildings. Maybe he just likes B.
1 of 1 people thought this was a good comment.
Posted on July 28 at 9 a.m.
It would be wonderful if all comments posted, including this one, could be fact-checked for accuracy. Por exemplo, "revisionist" claims that "almost all" population growth is "due to international immigrants..." Wrong. US population growth is mostly due to internal birth rates. And, ultimately, the vast majority of Americans spring from "international immigrants," including Mr./Ms. revisionist - unless he/she claims 100% pure Native American blood. As Pogo said, "We have met the enemy and he is us."
But, more to the point: Good on the Community Environmental Council for once again demonstrating smart leadership on complicated issues. They are absolutely on the right side of this endless debate, and it's good to see that they have the courage of their convictions. Unfortunately, the City of SB hired consultants who did not help the conversation in the least by coming up with an astronomically high figure for density. 60 units/acre is a figure guaranteed to make groups like CPA and the League of Women Voters positively hysterical (although good on former CPA-er Dick Jensen for "seeing the light" on higher densities and admitting it).
Here's another, and I think better, way of looking at SB density: The current density for SB is around 4 units/acre. There are MANY examples of wonderfully designed apartments and condos, scattered throughout SB's neighborhoods, that provide 20-30 units/acre -- and no one complains, and no one has died as a result of their presence over the last 40 years. If more such projects could be replicated along the lines that the MODA proposal calls for, SB would go a long way to solving its jobs-housing imbalance. So SB's goal should be to increase its average density to, say, 8 units/acre over the next 20 years -- THAT would help SB become a more self-reliant city, less dependent on importing commuters who aren't able to coach their daughters' soccer teams or participate on PTA boards.
And, yes, an occasional mixed use project with up to 60 units/acre (think something the size of the Balboa Building) could provide jobs and housing to more people who won't be needing that extra car (or two).
1 of 1 people thought this was a good comment.
Posted on July 27 at 9:24 a.m.
So -- diamonds aren't a girl's best friends, after all?!?!
Ya gotta shake your head in bemused wonder at those who don't understand the science (and sometimes art) of archeology and paleoecology... This work is just another piece in assembling the complicated jigsaw of earth's sometimes turbulent, and always changing, history. The truth WILL set us free - from the myths and superstitions that get erected in the absence of demonstrable evidence, whether the children of Bishop Usher like it or not.
Posted on July 25 at 9:11 a.m.
What's Centeno doing hiring a guy as his PRINCIPAL advisor/assistant who believes "radio waves" affect blood alcohol readings? That shows Centeno's judgment to be as impaired as Armijo's...
4 of 5 people thought this was a good comment.
Posted on May 15 at 7:06 a.m.
This is a country and society of mixed messages and muddled thinking. Advertising and media objectify women, emphasizing youth and blemishless physical qualities. Ambitious (and wholly screwed-up) mothers and fathers push their little girls into "beauty pageants" where kindergartners are made up to look like miniature sex kittens. Female consumers spend billions to enhance themselves sexually in one way or another - without ever asking who they're trying to affect and why. And yet our laws prosecute adult males (and only occasionally adult females) for succumbing to under-18 girls who are inclined to employ the sexuality they're been encouraged (subtly and overtly) to develop. This is not to justify the male's actions - asking a girl's age ain't that difficult, and providing drugs, if that actually happened, is just damn dumb.
But how much jail time is appropriate for this sort of offense? Should the punishment not be in proportion to the damage done and the full circumstances of the case? It seems that prosecutor Dudley was acting out of a warped sense of vengeance, rather than the dispassionate approach that "facts in a case" should merit. Usually, the weaker the case, the greater the passion of the prosecution, and Ms. Dudley seemed to go well beyond a rational level. There's more than a hint of witch-burning here...
1 of 1 people thought this was a good comment.
Posted on May 4 at 12:44 a.m.
May Day, known the world over as "International Workers' Day," a specific date that Wendy celebrates by firing more loyal NewsPress workers. And some people accuse Ms. McCaw of having no sense of humor? If only she could foment her own version of the Haymarket Riot at De La Guerra plaza, her dreams would come true...
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Posted on October 12 at 1:22 a.m.
If God belongs anywhere, it's at home and in churches - not on currency or in pledges of allegiance. How about starting this movement by expunging those? Unfortunately, the vicious Christian-types insist that everyone should be infected with their brand of mental imbalance and would no doubt respond by expressing their Christian love with violent acts.
On Secular Coalition of America Lobbies for Separation