Painting the Carrillo intersection does not paint a pretty picture.
I am certain everyone involved had much pleasure in this endeavor but it falls extremely short on solving any of downtown’s problems. My last venture to the “closed” blocks of State Street proved a dangerous crossing of an e-bike racetrack.
Painting the windows of the empty storefronts doesn’t solve that problem either.
Perhaps some testicular regrowth of the mayor and council to penalize empty storefront owners for not renting at an affordable price would work better. Other cities are not experiencing the same malady to the comparable extent as Santa Barbara. “Hold out till you get the price you want,” they say.
Hogwash. Make ’em pay for what they have done to our beautiful downtown.
I wholeheartedly wish that I had reasons to go downtown, but any that I did have are dwindling by the hour.
