Regarding the July 11 article, “Carpinteria Residents, Officials Share Reactions to ICE Raid at Packed Council Meeting,” the five members of the Carpinteria City Council proceeded with their plan to fund nonprofit organizations to assist undocumented residents in the name of “the community.”
Isn’t it first appropriate and essential to take a poll of “the community”? Every South Coast city council, plus Santa Barbara County Supervisors Laura Capps and Roy Lee need to authorize and fund a poll of local residents, with subsets of responses from property owners — those taxpayers who fund public K-14 schools and other services to all residents of “the community” — and underpaid local citizens seeking an affordable life here.
If locals support local governments — which already are deficit spending — to fund NGOs for the specific benefit of assisting undocumented residents, so be it.
Denice Spangler Adams
Montecito
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The July 10 article, “Federal Agents Raid Carpinteria Cannabis Farm, Deploy Smoke Grenades Near Crowd,” described a preventable disaster enabled by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department’s inexplicable absence.
The Sheriff’s Department confirmed it was notified in advance of the federal immigration raid for “deconfliction purposes,” a term meant to ensure agencies coordinate to avoid chaos or conflict.
Yet, when ICE agents arrived on the cannabis farm and hundreds of protesters — including families, elected officials and local leaders — gathered in opposition, no sheriff’s deputies were present to manage the escalating tension. No barriers were set. No officers mediated.
The result was chaos: federal agents deployed tear gas, flash-bang grenades and smoke grenades to protect themselves into a crowd that included children and Carpinteria City Councilwoman Mónica Solórzano, who was injured when pushed to the ground.
How can the Sheriff’s Department justify being forewarned yet failing to act? Deconfliction demands preparation to maintain order, not burying your head in the sand as tensions predictably boil over.
Local authorities abandoned their duty to protect the community — protesters and the federal agents.
Peter Sadowski
Santa Barbara
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Judy Foreman captured the African experience perfectly in her July 6 column, “Magic of African Safari Experience Makes Arduous Journey Disappear.”
As I read along, I revisited my bucket list experience of September 2024. From the packing struggles to the haunting sounds of the wilds, Africa is forever in my heart.
Judy Just
Lompoc
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Loved Judy Foreman’s column, but her photographs — especially the roaring hippopotamus — were just wonderful.
Mary Jane Mitchell
Santa Barbara
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Regarding the July 9 article, “Check It Out: Goleta Opens Its Doors to Temporary Library,” I suppose it is cause for celebration that a temporary express library is opening in Goleta while the regular library is closed for TWO YEARS for Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades and improved restrooms.
BTW, it took ONE YEAR to build the Empire State Building.
Jarrell Jackman
Santa Barbara
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Regarding the coverage of Santa Barbara’s Fourth of July fireworks show, maybe 1,000 people congregated at Shoreline Park to watch the fireworks.
A City of Santa Barbara worker came by 30 minutes before the show and locked all the restrooms. Why?
Fred Sanford
Santa Barbara
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I would like to see more information included in the reader-contributed Photo of the Day feature, such as location, time of day, type of camera used, and whether it was enhanced or not. Thank you.
Teri Taylor
Carpinteria
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Peter Sadowski’s July 4 letter to the editor criticizing Wayne Mellinger’s commentary, “Santa Barbara County Homelessness Crisis Reveals Who We’re Willing to Leave Behind,” relies on flawed morality.
The economic reality Sadowski talks about is one of wealth inequality and gentrification. House the wealthy and get rid of the middle class and the poor.
Wealth inequality has been increasing. Homelessness in the United States has reached record highs.
In 2024, there were almost 750,000 people recorded as homeless on a single night, the highest since national survey records began. This represents an increase of more than 18% compared to 2023.
Is housing a want or a human right? Sadowski is fond of pontificating about “true rights” but that seems to mean it’s about who has money. It seems that his economic reality of true rights is a technicality attempting to substitute for morality.
When the next earthquake comes, the first responders who have to drive from Santa Maria or Ventura won’t get here fast enough to extinguish the raging fires that will engulf Santa Barbara.
It’s too bad they had to make “rational choices based on affordability.”
Brian Epstein
Santa Barbara
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