It is well known I am not a fan of the Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association with their self-serving and wasteful ways. I publicly questioned their close association and sponsorship by Amazon — in my opinion (and their mission statement), the DSBIA’s sole job is to help local businesses and should not give power to Amazon andactively promote them on their website and all public promotional flyers and posters. How insanely backward is that?
I also questioned their ratio of salary to actual work getting done. It is completely lopsided with folks getting paid and not downtown businesses being helped.
So they have it in for me, as unprofessional as that is.
This week was the third time the DSBIA have power washed the entire block, except in front of my store. It is literally the only thing they ever did for us besides some simple event listings.
That is petty, unprofessional and unwarranted.
I called and spoke to them. They said my sidewalk was not dirty, when in fact, it is always one of the dirtiest, due to the giant tree in front dropping litter. And all the other store around me got washed.
Pressing the man on the phone on the issue, he told me, and I quote, “Stop crying about it.”
Yikes.
I sent an email to the executive director, who in her response didn’t even have the knowledge or courtesy to call my business by its correct name.
Regardless of my support, or lack of, to the DSBIA, all downtown businesses must be treated equally and fairly. The DSBIA needs to treat all its members with the respect and professionalism it is missing now, or put in place leadership that will.
Us little guys must stand up for ourselves or we will continue to be run over, ignored, and taken for granted.
