Elected o cials are failing community

What makes Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara? It isn’t our university (UCSB), our community college (SBCC), our beautiful beaches, our mountain and island views. It isn’t State Street, Lotusland nor the Santa Barbara Mission, the iconic Santa Barbara County Courthouse, Fiesta nor the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, the marina or Stearns Wharf. Nor is it Harry’s Cafe, Joe’s Cafe, nor the Palace. It isn’t El Encanto or the theaters such as the Lobero, the Arlington, the Granada. Nor is it Earl Warren Showgrounds. Nor is it De la Guerra Plaza.

Santa Barbara is the sum total of each one of these venues and more!

And it’s time we all stand up and protect her, because “they” never stop trying to demolish our city .... piece by piece. Soon she will be history! The history others have worked so hard to preserve and “mindfully” create, which is why Santa Barbara is known worldwide as a beautiful and special town.

We ask who are “these” people, and how does this happen? Who is at fault in all of this really?

Many players are in the mix with more in line to take over. Emphasis on “to take over.”

Why will our elected officials not represent us, and they themselves be held accountable?

Instead, their emphasis appears to be on their next election cycle. Why are so many in the position to lord over and tell the populace that they “know better?” The audacity and the foolishness that they should decide and think for the masses. Because we have let them — out of fear, complacency, a lack of commitment and caring about our own selves and our own country. “They are the experts” … but they are not! For instance, a teacher‘s love for their student is unmatched by the love the parent holds for their child.

Yet the Santa Barbara Unified School District board dictates that it knows what is better for children than the parents. However, the love the teachers have for their protective unions it appears is unsurpassed.

It’s obvious the emphasis on control executed by increased government to prevent social discourse, demands the eradication of freedom of speech. The best outcomes are found when people are free to speak. If we have a crisis/emergency, eradicate what is causing the crisis until a solution is attained. Now anything the government wants to control or take more advantage of, they call the situation a crisis and even label anything a health crisis. The result is more rules, regulations and government entities to clamp down on society’s freedoms. In the words of Winston Churchill and used by Rahm Emmanuel, in more recent times, the “Never let a good crisis go to waste” credo has reached enormous proportions.

If the topic is not labeled a crisis, it is an “insecurity,” as in food insecurity, housing insecurity or job insecurity. And government officials have decided that it is their job to fix all these things for the people “they” govern. They forget the people elected them. Pushback is needed — not bowing down to these script readers we put in charge.

Speaking of the housing crisis, over a year ago UCSB

Wendy McCaw Arthur von Wiesenberger Co-Publisher Co-Publisher