Regarding the April 8 article, “Santa Barbara Council Votes on Limits for Rent Increases in Ordinance Talks,” I have lived in Santa Barbara all my life and I’ve owned rentals here.
I have always prided myself on providing safe and well-maintained units so I’m anxious to point out that the city, in restricting rent increases, has put a burden on good landlords in not taking into consideration the rise in the cost of insurance, maintenance and utilities.
It will make it very difficult to provide the care we take in keeping our properties in top condition. Please rethink!
Charles Foss
Santa Barbara
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Regarding the April 9 article, “Santa Barbara County Reports Big Increase in Late Ballots for 2025 Election,” reporting a 14-fold jump in late, uncounted ballots for the 2025 election, 2,600 total, the best way to ensure that we can trust in the election process is to reinstate the traditional ballot box.
You know, we go to our local precinct, are greeted by poll workers and drop our ballots by hand into a sealed box witnessed by two fellow citizens.
I have been a poll worker. The important thing to remember: When citizens hand deliver their ballots, there is no “middle man.”
Inside the sealed box, the cast votes are protected and never out of sight of two or more workers throughout election night, including sealing and delivery to the Santa Barbara County Elections Office; there the ballots are counted, again in public view.
When you place your ballot into a mailbox or county collection box, it’s not secure. When you hand deliver the ballot inside a post office, it’s not secure.
Honest elections are the foundation of our form of governance. Voting should never be about making it easy for the voter, nor efficient and less costly for government. My Hope neighborhood polling place was eliminated several years ago.
Retain mail-in ballots for the infirm and elderly, and for those in military service or overseas. But please, demand that precinct voting be restored.
Celeste Barber
Santa Barbara
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Thank you for the April 9 article, “Santa Barbara County Begins Revoking Cannabis Business Licenses Over Odor Rules.”
Your article was very informative and it let citizens in the Carpinteria area know what is going on concerning the issue.
It is important to control the smell. I pass one greenhouse after another on my way to Carpinteria so I am concerned.
Diana Thorn
Carpinteria
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Gas prices are up and well more than $5 a gallon for the lowest grade at the pump.
Like many others, I don’t like paying more for gas in California than almost any other state, but that’s what we get from the policies of oil-hating elected officials.
But, while complaining about the cost-per-gallon, I need to reflect on my past experiences when I served a tour of duty in Athens, Greece, in 1974.
Many people aren’t aware that when serving overseas gasoline is rationed and military members must purchase gas stamps on base and then use them when it’s time to fill up.
The U.S. government had what’s known as a Status of Forces Agreement with the Greek government; part of this agreement stipulated that U.S. military members would pay the same price for gas as the local population did.
The price the locals paid was a little over $5 a gallon.
So, when I reflect on the price we pay 50 years later in Santa Barbara County it reminds me of my time in Greece and that it could be much worse.
Ron Fink
Lompoc
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Regarding the March 27 article, “It’s a Four-Way Race for Santa Barbara County Congressional Seat,” I’m trying to figure out where this U.S. Department of Peace that Helena Pasquarella is the director of is located.
It is obviously a misrepresentation of an association to the federal government, but only those who are incredibly naive or easily led would buy that. Our federal government has no office by this name, as far as I can tell.
And she states that she works for it from Ojai. I’ve never heard of a federal department located in Ojai.
It must be run by the late Jiddu Krishnamurti. I realize he had mystical episodes but this race is not the place for one.
Brian Massey
Sonoita, Arizona, and formerly Santa Barbara
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I always find Kirk Greene’s financial columns interesting and constructive. Why is it included for only one day when other columnists are featured several days?
Joanne Schoenfeld
Santa Barbara
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Mail Calls
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