Comments by johnathansmith
Page 1 of 4 | Next
Posted on June 30 at 4:07 p.m.
It is the average everyday citizen that enjoys all these militaristic displays that are very disturbing to me. What a waste of time and resource. Defense is one thing but using a child..... " teach your children well."
Posted on June 26 at 12:56 p.m.
It is odd what "Naturally" crosses one's mind when observing the council meetings. My mind often focuses on what the public says. Wandering and wondering as the golfing "community" panicked and victimized, pitched on about their narrowly focused issues. The city would not allow the Municipal Golf greens go deadly brown if it could avoid it. We did see this golfing "community" in selfless civic action, years later, during a council discussion of high-performance balls, errant balls, high fences and those pesky NIMBY neighbors.
The council we have is very deliberative and complex. The best we can expect from Dale Francisco is that he will throw out there his "tart" opinion representative of those who voted for him. It is really not a very comprehensive opinion that property owners and builders are the victims in these real estate schemes.
Posted on June 13 at 8:35 p.m.
Dear Phyllis
Thanks for the startling links. The CEC has a regional "Fossil Free by 33" campaign http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZMaOsVeZ...
I think the City of Santa Barbara has adopted at least part of the campaign as policy but I am not sure. My observation is that many politicians would probably like to take up this issue but the problem is that the populace will react just as emotionally as the profiteers from chaos direct them to.... i.e. This "red line" malarkey is just theory afterall and it should be received just as suspiciously as the "light blue line" art project.
http://lightblueline.org
I recall reading, or hearing that what will also contribute to this rapid decline in oil supply is that many of the OPEC oil producing countries year after year continue to re-state their actual reserves by repeating the same reserve value. So there is an inaccurate reserve basis to start with.
Posted on June 13 at 8:35 a.m.
Dog, I too dream of the day when more of us wake up and start riding bicycles. This area is as you say in a "ridiculously" great weather bubble. But then I enjoy riding in the rain. Besides the adjustment to "helmut hair" as a fashion statement and even considering the waffle hair as "sexy" is the adjustment to a healthier and more positive attitude.
Posted on June 10 at 10:15 p.m.
Dear VoiceofSB,
Your "Voice" comes through with a quite bit of presumption. Unfortunately nearly all government budgets have been in deficit spending modes for some time. I am aware of that. Regardless, government agencies such as police and sheriff are enforcers of law rather than charities. I do not want a benefactor to provide for and endear or own a police agency. I certainly do not want the law enforcement agencies funded with dollars from well meaning citizens, grants, foundations or non-profits. Please recall the Sheriff's Council and their operations and the potential for corruption. Again there are many needy places for a substation and again my point was that taxes are what substations should be spent on.
Also, I think pardallchewinggumspot comment is true and yet somewhat debatable. I do believe that police and fire department personnel could retire with 30 years service, with full benefits but the continuing of pay at working rates is unreasonable. If properly planned one could retire that early with medical benefits but I see no reason why the taxpayer should subsidize the a mortgage, motor home, SUVs, seadoos, and motorcycles expenses for the rest of the retirees average 30 + additional year life span.
On Goleta Gets Police, Party, and Potentially Problematic Planning
Posted on June 9 at 10:21 p.m.
Yeah there is something strikingly cozy and odd about a law enforcement agency setting up shop on private property where a private police force should be. The "donation" is actually creepy but the masses don't seem to get that this is what is wrong with business being too cozy with government. I think it is called a "conflict of interest." Most police agencies these days seem to be babysitters of bars and restaurants rather than enforcers of municipal code and traffic enforcement. The crossroads is a sanguine location where I guess the agency can keep in touch with Costco Shoppers. Old Towne Goleta would be a much better place and yes the community should pay for it.
On Goleta Gets Police, Party, and Potentially Problematic Planning
Posted on June 2 at 10:33 p.m.
Dear Yikes;
My point escape you. I have compassion for everyone. You seem to have compassion, I guess for one victim among so many. I also have compassion for the developer for having to buy the neighborhoods love with a payment in the form of this new signal. You see there has been a problem for a very long time not only at this intersection but others as well. It is my belief that a "community" should fix the problem rather than a developer. Perhaps it is your "Thank God" connection that blinds you. Perhaps you need to get your head out of the punitive book Leviticus.
Now, be sure and ask yourself at least 1 out of the 10 questions.
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=zDHJ4ztnld...
On Pedestrian Struck by Car at Foothill and Cieneguitas Roads
Posted on June 2 at 6:51 a.m.
I understand this "lane and a train" concept. I accept it and yet understand that it is reactionary rather than ideal. This solution is derived from a flawed Chamber of Commerce driven business plan and economic model. We lemmings accept the plan and model so we spend hours, really a lifetime commuting by plane, train, bus, automobile, etc. Is it worth the time? Shouldn't we be developing our communities more along the lines of islands that we visit occasionally rather than using one community to make money in and another to live in? I do not blame the author or the government officials trying to address the problems. It appears this is the best they can do at this moment.
Posted on June 1 at 7:18 a.m.
Problem sort of solved! See this edhat link;
http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfmid=1...
It states the signal will be in very soon, compliments of a developer. So everyone who has an interest in this little problem can all go home and forget about all the other bad problems on Foothill. The developer has voluntarily paid for a solution for a problem that engineers said didn't exist. The Cienguitas "Ranchers" will slowly drive down their private Ranchette Rd to Foothill (HWY192) and once they get their green light they'll haul rear just like everyone else does. At a nearby intersection one of us will be the new news story of being a victim on Foothill Rd.
On Pedestrian Struck by Car at Foothill and Cieneguitas Roads
Page 1 of 4 | Next
Previous Month
Posted on July 10 at 8:03 a.m.
We can use this fire threat to promote our points of view on development from many different angles. I think of Bishop Ranch and it's relatively easy defensible grasslands, really a firebreak. Still the promoters of development on this parcel can tweak it's proposal to still get substantial development approved. I'd like to see the community buy this parcel and keep it as open space.
We have a much serious threat in the presumed safer and already developed urban areas. The threat is highly flameable Eucalyptus. Many urban tracts are tinder boxes. We act emotionally when these fires occur but cannot seem to act pro-actively. Other than to have a suburban Mission Canyon evacuation plan, urbanites are probably at a much greater risk. Since the 1990 Paint fire that roared down from the foothills we have much more urban fuel including larger stands of Eucalyptus.
It was the cessation of offshore winds and the return of onshore winds that stopped the 1990 fire's advance rather firefighting efforts. Had the naturally occurring onshore winds not halted the fire the rural and urban Modoc Road adjacent Hidden Valley, Campnil Hill, Bel Air Knolls, Westside and finally the Mesa were next in the 1990 fire's path.
We need to do much more to create large urban fire breaks. We can probably do this by strategically removing large stands of Eucalyptus and by carefully maintaining our surviving stands of native urban Oaks and Sycamores. My observations from this GAP fire is that while firefighting efforts were beneficial, it was the lack of offshore winds that kept us from becoming yet another one of many infernos that frequent this larger south coast.
On Don’t Pet the Burning Dog