Don’t Cry for Me, California

With less than two weeks before the November elections, pollsters, and most media pundits are telling us who will be the next governor of California. Gavin Newsom, former mayor of San Francisco and current lieutenant governor, is their anointed winner.

According to articles from some newspapers, Newsom preferred to run against John Cox, the leading Republican candidate. The idea is that betting on any Democrat running against a Republican in California is a sure thing, and the Democrat could, after the primary election in June, already select his office furnishings. 

But not so fast – could there be a surprise, even in California, similar to what happened in the 2016 presidential election? Hillary Clinton was the sure thing in that election. She was way ahead in the polls, supported by most of the media, and her opponent, a business man with no political experience, was deemed to be unfit for the office. The post-election analysis is that Hillary was over-confident, ran a poor campaign, and made too many serious gaffes, the most serious was perhaps lumping all who supported her opponent’s proposals in a “basket of deplorables.”

Gavin Newsom, much like Hillary, is the darling of the privileged classes and is relying on support of the large populations in the liberal San Francisco and Los Angeles areas. Also, like Hillary in debates, he is short on substance and many unbiased observers have been surprised by his poor performance. He agreed to debate John Cox for this very important office only once on radio at 10 am. Newsom’s inability to connect with average, working-class voters can potentially create an opening for John Cox.

Looking at Newsom’s record in San Francisco, he oversaw a housing crisis, a growth in homelessness, increasing crime and deteriorating conditions in some neighborhoods, driving that county to number 1 in poverty rate among all 58 counties in the state. San Francisco and Los Angeles areas happen to have some of the highest poverty rates and infrastructure deterioration and homelessness, and Newsom as a lieutenant governor has not only witnessed the problem expanding into the rest of the state but has not offered any plans to improve the population’s living conditions.

If there is going to be a surprise, it will likely come from voters from many of the counties where employment and living conditions have greatly improved in the last two years and the large number of disgruntled voters living in some of the liberal cities. The county voters may offset any Newsom’s advantages in liberal cities. 

The voters have a very clear choice for governor of our state: Gavin Newsom, a perennial politician, who advocates State-mandated universal medical care, which is optimistically estimated to cost around $400 billion and bankrupt the State, and he not only wants to maintain the unpopular new gas tax but also have the power to add any new taxes at any time without any voter consent. And notwithstanding the housing crisis in California, he wants to continue the open-border policies.

By contrast, John Cox, a successful businessman, does not support any of Newsom’s policies. He will not bankrupt the state with exorbitant state mandates such as universal insurance, added taxes, aggressive regulations, and he wants to repeal the unpopular gas tax. His background in business equips him with experience that will help him propose policies to improve housing supply and alleviate the homeless problem. He will have a closer connection to the current Washington administration, which should help him obtain programs to stimulate the economy in parts of the state outside the greater San Francisco area. 

Based on all of the above similarities between the 2016 presidential election and the governor’s race in California, especially Newsom’s neglect of the average voters in the working class, he may repeat the Hillary Clinton fiasco of 2016. We may just end up seeing some reporters crying on TV again this November 6.

Albert Mercado
Santa Barbara

Common Sense

I know how to deal with the current mob-rule mentality and the general lack of civility in the world of politics. Congress should modify discrimination laws to punish anyone attacking persons on the basis of their political orientation. You don’t have the right to forcefully remove another person from a restaurant or movie theater on the basis of their race or gender, and you should have no right to do so based on their Constitutional right to vote their preference. This seems self-evident, but common sense isn’t so common anymore.

Eric Kaster
Santa Barbara 

Aging and Life

For me, getting old is exciting as hell. I never know when I’m going to stumble and fall down the stairs or have a sudden heart attack. You know those dreams where you can’t run to save your life? That’s me when I’m awake.

You know you’re getting old when the lady lying on the floor in the Life Alert ad looks hot. If you’re not a cynic after 70 years of living, you haven’t been paying attention. But that doesn’t mean unhappiness. Besides all the goodness in people, pets and nature, there is much sour mirth observing the endless folly and bottomless hypocrisy of man, especially oneself.

Looking forward: 10 years is 10 years. Looking back, 10 years was yesterday. 

A long life is a slow death.

Steve King
Santa Barbara

(Editor’s note: Hmm, you seem to have much in common with the oldest woman on Earth who, when interviewed recently and asked about her longevity, opined that her long life was “a punishment from God,” as she could only recall one “happy” day in her entire life. – J.B.)

State Water Saved Us

In MJ issue #24/42, Carolee Krieger’s letter (“Say No to State Water”) was intriguing. The voters in Santa Barbara County already cast their “yes” vote in 1991, by better than a 2:1 margin. Whether or not DWR (California Department of Water Resources) quantified how much water it sends to the southern part of the State, our communities of Montecito and Summerland would have been in dire straits without the connection to the State Water Project. The Montecito Water District (MWD) had not filed a State-mandated “Urban Water Management Plan” since 2005, way before the drought started. The appointed incumbent, Dick Shaikewitz, stated that the then-District manager was “too busy” to update the plan.

Many people do not realize that during the height of the recent drought, 85 percent of the water delivered to Montecito and Summerland came from the MWD’s connection to the State’s Coastal Branch Aqueduct. Without this connection, our communities would have barely had enough water for sanitary purposes and cooking. The District had no plan to deal with such a drought as this one; now in its eighth year.

The Water Security Team has the answers for the needs of Montecito and Summerland, and they will indeed deliver on their promises. And by the way, the idea that the Water Security Team wants to privatize the water and sanitary districts is a scare tactic that the good people of Montecito and Summerland have seen through. Sorry to hear that you’re not supporting the Water Security Team. It is my privilege to fully endorse the team for their efforts and determination to do what’s right for our communities. 

To the voters of Montecito and Summerland: please vote for the following team members:

For Montecito Water District: Ken Coates, Cori Hayman, Brian Goebel; for Montecito Sanitary District: Woody Barrett, Dana Newquist.

Floyd Wicks
Tobe Plough
Montecito

(Mr. Wicks and Mr. Plough were both elected to the MWD Board in November 2016; after their election, an updated Urban Water Management Plan was filed in mid-2017.)

A Correction

After I submitted my letter to the editor recently (“Say No to State Water,” MJ #24/42), I learned from the elections office that write-ins must fill out the paperwork to be legitimate and we have not done that. So, if you agree with my conclusions, please leave the water district vote blank in protest.

Carolee Krieger
Montecito

Board Tactic Unacceptable

I am writing to express my dismay at the circumstances surrounding director (Warner B.) Owens’s resignation, effective as of October 15, and the board’s decision to appoint his replacement on or before November 5, one day prior to the election. The actions of the board seem carefully calculated to thwart the democratic process. This is unacceptable. I urge the board to reverse its decision and appoint the replacement director after the winners of the Tuesday, November 6, election are sworn into office in December. If the board cannot agree on this course of action, then it should call for a special election to fill the open seat. 

As you well know, we have an election in less than three weeks that is going to provide clear public input on the desired direction of the Montecito Sanitary District (MSD). Voters will have the opportunity to return two incumbents to the board (signaling clear approval of current board actions) or elect two new directors (signaling a clear desire for change).

It is far from clear as to why Director Owens’s seat is not being contested in this election as well. He appears to have sold his home in the District in March of this year. Where has he been living for the past six months? Was he even eligible to remain on the board during this time? Why did he not announce his resignation over the summer, so that his seat could be contested in an open election? I and many other members of the community would like answers to these questions. In the absence of additional information, the timing of his resignation appears clearly designed to allow the current board to appoint his successor.

Under these circumstances, it is irresponsible and undemocratic for the current board to appoint a new director before the winners of the November election are sworn in. If the incumbents win, then the board has a clear mandate for its current policies and can appoint a new director consistent with that mandate. If the Water Security candidates win, then this is a clear signal the community wants change, and these new directors should be part of the process to appoint the replacement director.

If the MSD presses forward with an appointment before the winning directors are sworn in, the only reasonable inference is that the current board is trying to prevent change in the event the incumbents are replaced. This would be a gross abuse of the appointment process and would likely ensure that every incumbent on the current board would face well-funded opposition in the next election, if not some type of organized recall campaign before then.

In light of these considerations, I urge the board to reconsider its decision and defer appointment of Director Owens’s replacement until after the winners of the upcoming election are sworn-in. The democratic process and the best interests of our community demand nothing less.

Tim Werner
Montecito

Stop the Invasion

There is a national emergency in America today. Our country is being invaded via the southern border. Our sovereignty is at risk.

Currently, there is an army of over 7,000-plus aliens marching toward the border. It is estimated that 70 percent of them are military age males. (DHS) They are coming from Central America, the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. Included: criminals, felon aliens who have been deported, possible jihadists, MS-13 gang members, and a minority of families.

 Why is this happening now? Because we are approaching mid-term elections. It will cause chaos, disrupt the elections, and the Left will blame President Trump. Sadly also, for years our country has rewarded illegal immigration with a permissive asylum system, lax interior enforcement, hundreds of “sanctuary” cities and counties, and welfare benefits for most. In total, the federal and state governments are giving aliens more than $134 billion in taxpayer provided benefits per year. And the Left wants more. This is insane.

Who is responsible for this invasion and who financed it? Did radical Central American open-border activists start it? Did Soros and U.N. NGOs finance it? Were leftist Democrats involved? 

Where is Congress? Why haven’t they done more to protect us, especially Democrats? It is the duty of our leaders to provide safety and security for American citizens, and to control the borders.

It is time to take a stand. Our borders are being overrun, our culture nullified, and our economic resources stretched to the limit. It is time to secure our borders, cut off welfare for illegals, tighten our immigration laws, and get the U.N. out of our immigration system. Only then will our sovereignty and our laws be respected.

On Tuesday, November 6, vote for leaders who will stop this invasion.

Diana Thorn
Carpinteria

New Board Needed

The campaign for seats on the Montecito Water and Sanitary Districts has unfortunately begun to take on a negative tenor as incumbents try to deflect their record of inaction with charges against the challengers. Therefore, we are reaching out to each of you to ask for your support for the Water Security Team: Woody Barrett and Dana Newquist for the Montecito Sanitary Board, and Ken Coates, Cori Hayman and Brian Goebel for the Montecito Water Board.

We have heard the candidates speak at public seminars and respond to detailed questions about our water issues. Each has impressive credentials and a real desire to serve our community. Plus, they are truly good people. Ken Coates and his wife, Betsy, are our good friends and neighbors. We know that many of you know them too.

The Water Security Team is offering specific solutions for dealing with a water crisis that is not going to go away, as it did temporarily when seasonal rains relieved incumbents of both boards from taking much-needed action. We are now facing our eighth year of drought, and no one knows when it will end. 

We have been living with harsh penalties on our water bills, and our common water basin is overstressed. And while there are those who dismiss the idea of treating wastewater instead of dumping it into the ocean, we until recently have been residents of a beachfront community in Florida very similar to Montecito that transitioned to using treated wastewater for landscaping a number of years ago. The naysayers at the time are now thrilled with their lower water bills, and the entire community has now embraced the idea of using that water on their lawns instead of discharging it off their beautiful beaches.

Please help us elect this team. And do share this message with your friends, because we suspect they too will appreciate input on the real message in this campaign. Our community cannot afford more of the same inaction by incumbents who have consistently refused to act to provide a reliable local water supply. Only by working together on a cooperative plan between agencies can we provide Montecito with affordable water now and into the future.

Kaye and David Willette
Montecito

Fair Consideration

We wish to acknowledge the efforts of Dick Shaikewitz for fair consideration in regard to shared water and sustainable livelihoods in the district. It is extremely important to stop any proposals that implicitly or explicitly support water gouging. Among other implications, we must be mindful of those that impact labor-management relations, as well as costs to the average citizen. 

Juliet Rohde-Brown
James Paul Brown
Montecito

Special Volunteers

As president of the Coast Village Association (CVA), I have a wonderful view of the many acts of generosity that mark our incredible village community. I want to acknowledge how much time and energy some special volunteers are giving to make this an even better slice of paradise. Specifically, the Events & Marketing Committee of the CVA has been laboring hard for months to create attractive events for the street, bringing more shoppers, visitors, and noshers here to Coast Village. Their singular objective is to encourage patronage of the dozens of retail, restaurant, and service businesses who need our continuous support. Under the guidance and leadership of Kelly Mahan Herrick, Kevin Frank, and Rachel Rock, this group of about 12 young volunteers inspires me with their creativity, commitment, and unselfish donation of time. 

By the time you read this, the annual Ghost Village Road trick-or-treating will have already stormed the street. Families from around the area descend onto Coast Village Road and receive a sugary welcome from Coast Village Road businesses. Frankly, this long-standing annual event happens without any organizational support of the CVA, other than to remind businesses to be prepared with ample candy and great attitudes. It is always a joyful tsunami, and the treat is just to watch it come ashore.

You will soon see promotion for a street-long trunk show on Saturday, November 10, called the “Couture Collective.” Following soon after will be our holiday “shop local” tree lighting on December 8, featuring musical presentations from our local elementary schools, welcoming the Holiday Season. Storefronts and businesses are being encouraged again to decorate their windows to add to the festivities, and the street will be wonderfully lighted and decorated, thanks to generous donations from sponsors and patrons of the CVA. 

I cannot adequately express how encouraging it is to our association board that there are folk willing to help us financially make a difference in the cheer and the support of our area, especially after the disastrous loss of business in December 2017. Our board has taken on the challenge of raising $25,000 to make this happen, and we are well on the way to meeting that goal. If any of you feel like donating to this effort, or to join the association and its agenda of encouragement, please visit our website at www.coastvillageroad.com. We welcome your participation as friends and neighbors who share our love for this community of life at Coast Village.

Bob Ludwick, president
Coast Village Association

(Editor’s note: Just for the record, it was the Coast Village Business Association, in conjunction with the Montecito Journal, that came up with the very first “Ghost Village Road” (dubbed by Montecito Journal as such, taking a long-disused slur for Coast Village Road when there was hardly any traffic on it, retail or otherwise) in 1997. Cindy Brokaw was the CVBA’s very active president and she and her crew, at Cygnet, her hair salon at the time, along with the Montecito Journal staff, organized and decorated the first Haunted House, held at the old Montecito Journal office, now Sotheby’s. – J.B.)