A Note to Roy Lee as He Begins His Journey
By Jeff Giordano   |   December 10, 2024

At noon on January 6, Roy Lee begins his term as Supervisor and while a variety of controversial District 1 issues were recently decided, we still face many challenges. Hoping for something fresh – a real change – is exciting. I, for one, am eager to see how Roy attacks his new role because, as […]

An Activist CPC Grabs the Reins: Miramar & Cannabis
By Jeff Giordano   |   November 26, 2024

As we await our new D1 Supervisor Roy Lee, the County Planning Commission (CPC) has taken what some might argue is an activist approach to certain significant issues facing our County, including the Miramar Project and our Cannabis Ordinance. Allow me to explain: The Montecito Planning Commission lost their oversight of the Miramar based on […]

Miramar Madness: More Lame Duck Gamesmanship
By Jeff Giordano   |   October 1, 2024

On the eve of Supervisor Elect Roy Lee’s term, it’s positively mind-blowing to see how fast our County apparatus and its various apparatchiks can push various and controversial First District projects forward. Allow me to explain: Rules and process matter because without them Special Interests can – with the help of favoring Supes and the […]

Santa Barbara: When You Control the “Conversation,” You Control the County
By Jeff Giordano   |   September 24, 2024

Very recently, we learned that at a Regular Planning Commission meeting set for September 25, the Commission will review suggested changes to our community-disastrous Cannabis Ordinance. This got me to wondering: Who controls the agenda and timing related to important County issues, i.e., who controls the “conversation”?  The Planning Commission is an advice-driven part of […]

Do Our Five Monarchs (not including Meghan & Harry) Earn Too Little?
By Jeff Giordano   |   July 2, 2024

I often rage about the fact that our County spending continues to increase (this year by 7.3%), while our population slowly decreases. So, yes, it’s difficult for a devout fiscal hawk to write about salaries that might be depressed, yet in a county that employs 4,763 people there may actually be five individuals – just […]

Why Transparency and Ethics Matter in SB Politics!
By Jeff Giordano   |   June 11, 2024

On June 18, the Supervisors will decide whether our revenue-starved County will approve a ballot referendum that would increase our cannabis tax rates. Frankly, I’m not nearly as concerned about the tax itself, as I am about the fact that Supervisors Steve Lavagnino and Das Willams continue to dominate the cannabis conversation. Allow me to […]

SB County: Attacking Homelessness with Data & Innovation
By Jeff Giordano   |   May 14, 2024

As the City of SB laments its not insignificant deficit and the County faces its own budget shortfall, our new Community Services Department Director Jesús Armas seems to be bringing a bit of light to the problem of our time – homelessness. Allow me to explain: For the third straight year, permanent housing placement increased […]

Cannabis Tax Debacle: Our $1.6B County Minimally Deserves Competence
By Jeff Giordano   |   April 16, 2024

After nearly a year of working on cannabis tax alternatives, our Deputy CEO finally presented her findings to the Board of Supervisors who are considering a November election Cannabis tax ballot Referendum. More disappointing than the presentation’s lack of depth, analysis or erudition was its shockingly obvious cannabis-bias. Allow me to explain: There are only […]

The Dark Underbelly of County Politics: Nets & the Tale of Two Floods
By Jeff Giordano   |   December 19, 2023

This has been an illuminating few months as it relates to the dark underbelly of County politics and disaster-related funding. Allow me to explain: In November, our six ring nets were ripped from the canyons by the Project for Resilient Communities who privately funded their $6M installation. Now, I don’t pretend to know what behind-the-scenes […]

The Nets: Fiscal irresponsibility and why it’s now the County’s turn!
By Jeff Giordano   |   September 5, 2023

Pat McElroy is the executive director of The Project for Resilient Communities(TPRC), and his recent MJ article was both moving and telling. It spoke to what intellectual curiosity, determination, and private citizens can do when they engage. Now, I don’t know Pat, but I do know co-founder Brett Matthews from another, more eastern-centric life, which […]

Santa Barbara: The Tragic and Unfortunate Death of “KC”
By Jeff Giordano   |   August 15, 2023

This is a story about the death of a troubled 34-year-old woman, “KC.” A death that led to a Grand Jury investigation and a scathing Grand Jury report. A difficult story that you will not read nearly enough about. Allow me to explain: Last week’s Montecito Journal did a great job digging into the recent […]

Santa Barbara: Where Ethics Is Again Front and Center
By Jeff Giordano   |   August 1, 2023

As most know, our County’s complete lack of ethical standards is something I have raged against. While other counties have a Code of Ethics (something that our Grand Jury recommended in 2020), our County blissfully dances in the darkness without pesky little rules relating to the timing of campaign contributions, acceptance of gifts, hiring of […]

Santa Barbara: Tilting Toward Tyranny
By Jeff Giordano   |   November 22, 2022

At a time when, nationally, we’re discussing (i.e. screaming at one another) democracy, I thought it appropriate to bring the issue a bit closer to home. You see, part of any great democracy is the idea of Checks and Balances – it’s what separates us from authoritarianism. Unfortunately, in Santa Barbara we tend toward tyranny […]

Santa Barbara County: Where Dartboards Are Used to Budget!
By Jeff Giordano   |   June 21, 2022

Most insiders know that our $1.4B County is relatively inept when it comes to financial forecasting. One need only look at our $118M North Branch Jail-Mahal with an estimated cost of $67M (what’s $51M between friends) to know our ability to budget is broken. Well, it’s happening yet again with our newest revenue savior — […]

Lone Elects Political Competition is Dead in SB
By Jeff Giordano   |   April 5, 2022

Public trust in government is at a 50-year low. According to an ambitious Harvard Business School study, the problem in our contentious duopoly is the lack of competition and resulting lack of accountability. Santa Barbara is the poster child for what this study raged against — a system that no longer focuses on the public […]

Santa Barbara: Where the Arts Have Not Mattered for 44 Years!
By Jeff Giordano   |   March 15, 2022

Recently, I had some L.A. friends move to town (don’t be alarmed, they really are “nice”). Mistakenly, they thought that I knew a bit about our County and asked: “So where does ‘our’ money go?” Mind you, these are philanthropic folks who care about culture so I had to be honest: “I can tell you […]

Sunshine: The Best Disinfectant
By Jeff Giordano   |   March 1, 2022

March is swiftly approaching and for most California counties that means a bit of spring cleaning. As Santa Barbara County insiders know, however, we are not “most” counties – especially as it relates to transparency and possible corruption. Allow me to explain: Once upon a time, our nation had a rich fourth estate and deep […]

Cannabis Revenue: Why Did We Do This?
By Jeff Giordano   |   December 28, 2021

So, the numbers are in for the most recent Quarterly Cannabis Tax Revenue and — like before — they are completely underwhelming and leave us with more questions than answers. Allow me to explain. First a bit of history: Santa Barbara County is the only county that relies solely on self-reported grower revenue to calculate […]

Endorsements: It’s All About the Money
By Jeff Giordano   |   November 16, 2021

Bravery takes on many forms, some literal and some a bit more theoretical. But nuance aside, there is bravery in challenging the status quo, the “machine.” And believe you me, our local Democratic Central Committee (DCC) is a machine. Allow me to explain: Local party endorsements spring from the DCC, yet, because Santa Barbara is […]

County Enforcement or County Stunt?
By Jeff Giordano   |   June 10, 2021

I’m loving what I’m seeing on Coast Village Road as most of us pull ourselves from our cocoons — an inside table at Lucky’s, things really are getting “normal.” It’s a spring like no other and I can’t wait to become fully engaged in our community because, frankly, it needs as much help as we […]