Regarding Noozhawk’s June 8 article, “Santa Barbara Looking at Hotel, Other Sites to Move Homeless People Out of Encampments,” the arrogance and stupidity of the Santa Barbara City Council is astounding.
Mayor Cathy Murillo thinks relocating a homeless encampment to Goleta will solve the problem. This moves the problem, it does not solve the problem — and it dramatically exasperates challenges for those living in this area.
Bob Craig
Goleta
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Regarding the June 6 story, “Family Celebrates Homecoming of Goleta Grandmother Who Was Deported,” everyone — including me — feels sorry for Juana Flores and her situation. But, why after all these years living in the United States, did she never become a U.S. citizen? Her husband did.
Flores was here illegally so it should not have been a surprise when she was deported.
M. Mercado
Santa Barbara
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Randy Alcorn’s June 6 commentary, “California’s Politicians Have Gone Berserk Over Housing Mandates,” was fabulous, full of details and facts to support the position that state Senate Bills 9 and 10 ARE BAD BILLS. We must get the word out throughout California.
My question is: What is the best way to get the message out there? Sen. Monique Limón, D-Santa Barbara, and Assemblymen Steve Bennett, D-Ventura, and Jordan Cunningham, R-San Luis Obispo, will be voting on this soon.
Please keep up with the expert articles. Thanks.
Berni Bernstein
Santa Barbara
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Randy Alcorn’s commentary is absolutely right on.
And yet, even though many of us agree with his position regarding the people-packing mandates emanating from the state, Santa Barbara County and cities like Santa Barbara, the majority of voters keep electing the very “myopic, misguided, delusional or disingenuous” (Alcorn’s words) politicians who believe it is their right to dictate how we must live our lives once they are elected as our “representatives.”
Until voters start voting based on what political policies these elected bureaucrats stand for, are we not going to keep getting the same results?
Addison Thompson
Santa Barbara
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Why has the City of Santa Barbara not asked for a water reduction by its residents and visitors? I read about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s declaration of a statewide water shortage/drought emergency projected to worsen this year.
Is it the design of the city Water Resources Department to wait until we’re in a “crisis” in order to raise rates? This seems like the time to “tap” the brakes …
Loretta Redd
Santa Barbara
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Today’s Democratic Party is all about power and control. And nowhere is that more evident than in California.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has ruled the state with an iron fist. He has issued some of the most severe lockdown restrictions in the country, has been intent on closing churches, and has been very slow to open businesses and schools. As a result, many small businesses have closed permanently, children have lost possibly a year of their education, and many people have suffered from mental illnesses or are still in a state of fear.
On June 4, Newsom revealed his latest grab for continued power by going back on his word to lift the state of emergency for California on June 15. Never mind that he earlier boasted that the state has “the lowest case rate and the highest vaccination rates.”
It is time for California to wake up. Newsom does not care about average Californians, small businesses or for the education of our children. He is all about not giving up his power and control.
The time has come. We need a new governor who will look out for the best interest of California and its citizens.
Don Thorn
Carpinteria
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While waiting for Santa Barbara’s mayoral race to take shape, I’ve been watching the mayoral campaign in New York City. The candidates are addressing the universal issues of crime, policing, housing, social justice and quality of life, which will surely be among the topics debated here.
Brooklyn borough president Eric Adams frequently notes that unidentified dyslexia is an underlying factor in so many of these social ills. He advocates that one important way to address inequity in education — as well as the school-to-prison pipeline — is through universal dyslexia screening in every school.
“Prevention is the long-term thing we must do,” he stated in a recent debate, noting a high percentage of the prison population is dyslexic. “So we want to stop crime, we have to have early childhood intervention.”
Of course, the New York City schools are under the purview of the mayor, unlike those of Santa Barbara. But when a political candidate makes the informed connection between what happens early on in the classroom and what happens later in the community, there’s an opportunity for collaboration and progress to be made on both fronts.
As a longtime dyslexia advocate, I have frequently spoken about these issues with elected officials and school administrators, and even arranged for annual city proclamations for Dyslexia Awareness Month.
These gestures are welcome, but action would be better. Dyslexia is just one aspect of the larger subject of low literacy, which is a serious issue here in Santa Barbara, and across the country.
I am happy to share our resources and insights with any local candidate who would like to learn about the economic and social consequences of unaddressed dyslexia to individuals and the community. And why discussions about dyslexia — which affects 1 in 5 people — must take place beyond the classroom and in the community, all the way to City Hall.
Cheri Rae
Santa Barbara
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