Why Not Move All the Dates?

It’s distressing that in 2021, five years after Prop 64, that we have individuals pushing the same fear mongering about cannabis we all learned growing up with Reefer Madness.

Today it’s Jana Zimmer and the writers of the Montecito Journal, along with a small number of neighbors in Carpinteria allege that the County of Santa Barbara is preventing them from speaking during a preliminary development review board, because it was scheduled on Yom Kippur.

Never mind that the applicants for a cannabis permit in Carpinteria are longtime residents, business owners, and advocates for youth, who have owned that property for decades. They also received hundreds of signatures (nearly 450 of them) in support of their proposed dispensary in Carpinteria. Now, Ms. Zimmer and the small number of business owners there want to see this list of names and use it for what purposes?

In response, the county has chosen to move this hearing to September 15, an act which will prejudice the applicant considering there are still two dispensary applicants with a hearing on September 16, 2021, which is still on Yom Kippur. When you realize that John Price is the owner of one of those dispensaries, you see why the County chose not to move his hearing. Why does John Price receive preferential treatment?

The political contributions and sway John Price wields in Santa Barbara County is well-documented. In fact, his application for a cannabis permit includes letters of support from City Council members, Board of Supervisors, and law enforcement, all of whom have received assistance from John Price and his companies. The county will tell you they can’t consider those letters because it was not part of the review process, but their scores were far below the competing applicant in Goleta.

The county should treat the applicants the same. The county needs to move John Price’s application for a dispensary to the same meeting in which they have moved the Carpinteria dispensary. Show the people that fairness dictates behavior, that fear mongering and politics have no place in this debate.

Eric Young

Giving a Free Pass?

In the age of Trump and wild conspiracy theories, it’s hard to imagine a worse example of editorial journalism than the sad work by your board when printing Ms. Zimmer’s article of September 3.

Ms. Zimmer’s article, apparently with the full backing of the Montecito Journal and Nick Masuda, misrepresents and alleges that Jewish people can’t have their voices heard during a meeting of the Subdivision Development Review Committee because it’s scheduled on a Yom Kippur. Does that mean the other dispensaries on the SDRC Agenda for the 16th have a special exemption? Or do you not want to offend the well-connected John Price and his political allies in Santa Barbara County?

There is discrimination to be found for sure. The Carpinteria dispensary finds itself the target of prejudicial and unjustified treatment, while John Price’s Goleta dispensary is quietly given a pass.

Jesse Franco

OK, Gentlemen

Now’s the time to just start keeping it in your pants and treating young women like human beings, rather than as some temporary receptacle for your you know what.

It’s really easy to just take care of that later, when you’re by yourself.

Or maybe we can start legislating and mandating reversible vasectomy. 

There I said it.

So glad I finally hit menopause.

LeeAnn Morgan

Some Comments About Bob Hazard’s First Article in MJ’s “On Water” Series:

1. Regarding Mr. Hazard’s identification of California’s “serious water shortage problem” and major droughts since 1900, there is another way of looking at the problem, at least for Santa Barbara County:

According to a recent communication to me from Shawn Johnson, Senior Hydrologist at the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department, Water Resources Division: Flood Control District, Water-Year 2021 was much drier than normal, at 48% of normal (countywide). It’s been a predominantly dry 10-year period, with only two of the past 10 years reporting above normal rainfall. To put the most recent decade in perspective… the “10-Year Moving Average Rainfall” is at or near the lowest levels on record (since 1900).

Focusing just on drought years does not capture the most recent decade in true perspective for Santa Barbara County. Perhaps the county’s most recent “10-Year Moving Average Rainfall” is the most important data to be considered as opposed to drought years, especially in light of recent climate change. Time will tell if the moving average does not improve or continues to fall.

2. With regard to Mr. Hazard’s comments about the Montecito Water District’s (MWD) last year allotment of State Water Project water reduced to 5% and next year’s allotment anticipated to be zero, perhaps it would be better to identify all of the water that will be received by MWD in both years through the State Water Project, as a result of previous year water exchanges fortuitously arranged by MWD.

3. With regard to Mr. Hazard’s discussion of reduced deliveries by the Colorado River Project, it should be noted that no amount of water was ever “promised.” Mother Nature decides whether or not water is available. Both the State Water Project and the Colorado River Project were designed to deliver a certain capacity of water, if available.

4. With regard to “moving forward” with “technological solutions,” MWD by partnering with the city of Santa Barbara has tapped into a major technological solution, namely desalinated water. In conjunction with available groundwater, available water captured by dams on the Santa Ynez River, available State Water Project water both delivered and stored for future exchange and use, and eventually purified wastewater above and beyond reclaimed non-potable water are all likely to be integral parts of the water portfolio of the city of Santa Barbara and MWD for many years to come.

Charles Bullwinkle Hamilton

(Editor’s note: The above letter ran in the September 16 edition of the Montecito Journal with the wrong attribution. We apologize for the error.)

No More Separation

Congratulations, Santa Barbara, on your new and fair Arts and Crafts Show along Cabrillo Boulevard at the beach.

As of January 2022, Santa Barbara will no longer separate their arts and crafts into two sections. When you get right down to it, I think you would all agree that the craftspeople are artists as well, creating their own, original work.

Our community appreciates the tireless work by people like Marilyn Dannehower, Deborah Healy, Marilyn Loperfido, and others, as well as Roger Perry and the Parks and Recreation Department, also the city council, including our mayor, Cathy Murillo, for doing the right thing. Jason Bryan did an outstanding job holding everything together, especially through a pandemic.

Now, with Santa Barbara having a whole new look, what with the pre-COVID remodeling of the bridge and sidewalks and the recent integration of arts and crafts, you absolutely must see the entire show, or you might just miss something special.

The Santa Barbara Arts and Crafts Show has always been a great addition to Santa Barbara’s tourism, for over 50 years. So, come and see for yourself. Get out of the house and bring your family and “out of town” guests.

If you haven’t been, now is the time to experience one of Santa Barbara’s greatest jewels, with great art, photos, and unique crafts, from jewelry to pottery, to leather belts and clothing.

Jim Koorey