County 8-14
An estimated 200 people attended the grand opening of the new headquarters for Santa Barbara Democrats: a 6,000-square-foot office at 430 Chapala St. that chairman Daraka Larimore-Hall deemed the “bitchin’-est headquarters in the history of Santa Barbara.” Present at the bash were Hannah-Beth Jackson, Doreen Farr, Lois Capps, and Pedro Nava, each of whom is running for office in the upcoming November election. (/somanydems)
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An 8/11 meeting of the Metropolitan Transit District (MTD) continued talks of raising bus fares to offset fuel costs. While a final decision is scheduled for 9/8, the MTD seemed to be leaning in the direction of increasing regular cash fares, as well as the prices of 10-ride and 30-day passes. At the meeting, advocates for low-income bus riders said price spikes would make the bus system unusable for people who perhaps need it most. (/busfares814)
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Despite a press release from Marc McGinnes, a critic of Caltrans’s plan to install a suicide safety barrier on Cold Spring Bridge, suggesting that $1 million in funding for the project had been removed, a Caltrans spokesperson maintains that the project is fully funded. McGinnes cited two letters from the California Transportation Commission that suggest Caltrans pursue “alternative sources of funding” which McGinnes said implied the funding was gone. (/bridge814)
