Santa Barbara News-Press: May 06, 2023

Small business ‘crisis’

From agave to music

is state ready for this year’s wildfires? newsom says yes

By RIA ROEBUCK JOSEPH

THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) - “Amid

intensifying climate impacts, California and much of the West are experiencing longer and more destructive wildfire seasons. With our state on the frontlines of this existential threat, my Administration is taking unprecedented action to make our communities more resilient to wildfire and improve forest health.

“Over the past four years, we’ve advanced historic investments to step up forest management and other projects that decrease catastrophic wildfire risk, fund robust emergency response efforts, and purchase state-ofthe-art firefighting equipment.

Thanks in part to these efforts, California last year saw an 85% reduction in acres burned compared to the previous year, a 75% reduction in structures damaged or destroyed, and the first night-flying firefighting mission,” the Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proclamation for Fire Preparedness Week said in part.

So far the state has set aside $2.7 billion for forest management and management personnel with an additional $671.4 million in 2022-23 to add 1,265 new positions and expand to 37 fire crews, fund fire-fighting air operations and add supplemental relief for CAL FIRE.

In preparation for this year’s fire season, Gov. Newsom has

deployed across the state, 18 helicopters and 6 fixed-wing aircraft hired exclusively for fire missions and to allow for a quicker response. These aircraft are equipped with infrared for night operations enabling incident commanders to monitor forest fires at all times.

A 20-year strategy was employed in 2020 by Gov. Newsom to restore forest health and boost wildfire resilience to improve 1 million acres of wildlands and forest through 2025. Additionally, the governor promotes home hardening and creating defensible space around residences as the individual responsibility of Californians. While these measures show a

Please see WILDFIRES on A7

Foodbank partners with letter carriers to stamp out hunger

By ANNIKA BAHNSEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County will take part in the National Association of Letter Carriers annual food drive on May 13.

Postal customers can donate non-perishable food items by leaving them next to their mailboxes before mail is delivered on the day of the drive.

The Stamp Out Hunger Food

Drive accepts all shelf-stable, non-glass food items. The most needed foods for the drive are nut butters, canned protein such as tuna, chicken and salmon, whole grain cereals, pasta, canned pasta sauce, dried beans, canned beans, canned corn, healthy soups and stews, oatmeal, bouillon, olive oil and rice, according to the Foodbank.

All non-perishable food left next

Please see FOODBANK on A7

By

Agave farmer Ane Diaz is showing her talent in another field. When she isn’t operating

Rancho Del Sol in Montecito, the Santa Barbara resident is making strides in her musical career with her new album titled “Despechada.” It will be released on June 9 on all streaming

Please see MUSICIAN on A7

FYi

Santa Barbara singer Ane Diaz’s album will be released on June 9 on all streaming platforms.

To learn more, visit www.anediazmusic.com.

World Health Organization ends COVID-19 pandemic emergency

By BRETT ROWLAND

THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – The World Health Organization said Friday the COVID-19 public health emergency was over.

Friday’s announcement came after a meeting Thursday of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee. During the meeting, the committee highlighted

decreasing COVID-19 deaths, the decline in COVID-19 hospitalizations, and high levels of immunity.

“While acknowledging the remaining uncertainties posted by potential evolution of SARS-CoV-2, they advised that it is time to transition to long-term management of the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to statement from the organization.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus concurred with the committee. He determined that “COVID-19 is now an established and ongoing health issue which no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.”

The United States federal government is expected to let its COVID-19 public health emergency expire on May 11.

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS Santa Barbara County residents are being asked to leave nonperishable food by their mailbox as part of the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.

Gov. Gavin Newsom

ANNIKA BAHNSEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

Local farmer Ane Diaz to release soulful album

COURTESY ANE DIAZ

Local agave farmer Ane Diaz’s talents include singing, songwriting and playing the guitar.

Sheriff’s office welcomes new deputies during ceremony

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

A new sheriff’s deputy and seven new custody deputies have joined the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Bill Brown led them in a swearing-in ceremony Friday.

Joining the sheriff’s office are Sheriff’s Deputy Brent Farmer and Custody Deputies Javier Aguilera–Mendoza, Alexis CervantesRodriguez, Jaemi Patacsil, Stephanie Rodriguez, Vanessa Stefono, Jonny Torres and Maleik Wright.

Friday’s ceremony included the deputies’

Turbo Tax checks are in the mail for 400,000

Californians

THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) - Low- and middleincome taxpayers who were charged by Turbo Tax to file federal returns in fiscal years 2016, 2017 and 2018, can expect to receive approximately $30 in the mail. This is because Intuit, the parent company of the tax-filing service, has agreed to a $141 million settlement to resolve allegations that they steered customers away from the IRS Free File Program to their paid service.

“When huge companies like Intuit take advantage of federal programs to deceive consumers into paying for something they are entitled to get for free, they do so on the backs of hardworking Californians,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated.

A coalition of 51 attorneys general including California’s Mr. Bonta, the Los Angeles City Attorney, and the Santa Clara County Counsel, announced the multimillion dollar settlement in May 2022. Tax filers from several states will receive compensation.

Eligible consumers who paid for their federal filings during the named years will be notified through email by Rust Consulting, the settlement fund administrator and will automatically receive a check in the mail. The amount each filer gets is based on the number of years for which they qualify.

In California alone, more than 400,000 Turbo Tax customers were directed toward a paid service for their returns while they were eligible for a free tax filing program, resulting in a settlement amount of $12.2 million.

Mr. Bonta noted, “This month, hundreds of thousands of Californians will begin receiving rightful restitution for Intuit’s wrongdoings.”

In 2020 only 3% of consumers utilized Intuit’s Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Free File Program, yet 70% qualified for the service, a reflection of the success of the strategies Intuit used to steer filers toward using the paid option. Nationwide, checks will go out to 4.4 million filers from the payout settlement fund of $141 million dollars.

In 2002 the IRS Free File Program entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a consortium of tax preparation software companies. Under the MOU the IRS agreed not to compete with the software companies, in exchange the participating companies agreed to provide free online tax preparation products to low- and middleincome Americans. Eligibility for the free file program was set by the IRS and based on the consumers’ adjusted gross income.

The settlement found that the attorneys general had sufficient reason to believe that “Intuit has engaged in deceptive and unfair acts and practices in violation of the States’ Consumer Protection Acts, in the marketing, advertising, promotion, and sale of online tax preparation products.“

mothers, fathers and significant others pinning their badge on them.

The sheriff’s office noted the ceremony marks the culmination of over six months of hard work by the recruits and unwavering support from the family members who stood by them.

Shortly after the swearing-in ceremony, the new custody deputies, along with their classmates, graduated from the Allan Hancock CORE Custody Deputy Academy. The class of nine recruits completed 243 hours of instruction.

Some of the instructions included emergency planning in a custody facility,

report writing, ethics, investigation procedures, classification of inmates, contraband detection, arrest and control, physical training, and Direct Supervision training.

Custody Deputy Rodriguez earned Class Valedictorian and the Santa Maria Elks Lodge Leadership Award and, Custody Deputy Torres was presented the Ron Battles award from the Deputy Sheriff’s Association.

To learn more about careers in law enforcement, visit sbsheriff.org.

email: dmason@newspress.com

TRAFFIC, CRIME AND FIRE BLOTTER

Pedestrian dies in collision

SANTA YNEZ — A man died Thursday night after running in front of a pickup truck traveling at approximately 40 mph on State Route 246 near the Chumash Casino Resort.

Robert Miller, 69, of Solvang was walking southbound across the eastbound lane of the highway, just west of Casino Drive, around midnight. He was wearing dark clothing while he walked in darkness, according to Officer G. Rodriguez of the Buellton office of the California Highway Patrol.

At the same time, Robert Lamb, 71, of Camarillo was driving a 2011 Ford F-250 at approximately 40 mph, Officer Rodriguez said. He added Mr. Lamb was approaching Mr. Miller from the east.

Officer Rodriguez said Mr. Miller began to run southbound across the westbound lane of State Route 246, directly in front of the Ford.

Unexpected rain falls at night

Some rain Thursday night caught South Coast residents and the National Weather Service by surprise. Not that there was a lot of rain. The weather service reported 0.15 inch fell in Goleta and even less — 0.02 inch — in Santa Barbara.

Officer Rodriguez also noted Mr. Lamb saw Mr. Miller in front of his truck and applied his brakes but was unable to stop before the right front of his vehicle collided with Mr. Miller.

Mr. Miller was transported to Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital in Solvang by AMR and was pronounced dead at 12:56 a.m. Friday by a physician.

“Alcohol was not a factor in this collision,” Officer Rodriguez said, adding, “Chumash Casino provided surveillance footage capturing the incident.” CHP Sgt. Charmaine Farjardo said the collision remains under investigation. “However, at this point, it does not appear to be an intentional act by the pedestrian.”

Anyone with information on the collision is asked to call Officer Reed, the CHP investigating officer, at the Buellton office at 805-688-5551.

— Dave Mason

Rain wasn’t reported elsewhere in Santa Barbara County, according to the weather service.

The National Weather Service doesn’t expect any more rain this weekend. Today’s forecast calls for partly cloudy skies throughout the county with lows in the upper 40s to mid 50s and highs in the low to upper 60s.

— Dave Mason

New anti-hate statewide hotline for California

By RIA ROEBUCK JOSEPH THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) - A new anti-hate hotline was announced today by Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Civil Rights Department. Callers can phone in anonymously to 833-8-NO-HATE to report on a hate act as a witness or a victim with service in over 200 languages.

For those unable to make a phone call, the accompanying website CAvsHate.org will also provide an avenue for reporting and securing resources.

Civil Rights Director Kevin Kish commented, “With the launch of CA vs Hate, we’re taking action to help put a stop to hate and to provide support for victims, survivors, and their families. In the face of hate across the nation, we stand united in declaring: California is for everyone. I urge all Californians to know their rights and to take advantage of these important resources.”

The most recent report (2021) by the Criminal Justice Statistics Center discloses that hate crime events increased by 89.6% over the last decade. When it comes to hate crimes of any kind i.e. race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender or gender identity, the largest increase was anti-Asian bias incidents which rose 177.5% between 2020 and 2021. This perhaps suggests why Gov. Newsom chose the start of Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month to announce the launch of CA vs Hate.

“Here in California, we are sending an unequivocal message that hate will not be tolerated,” said Gov. Newsom.

Reporters of hate acts who are not in any immediate danger can call the hotline Monday - Friday from 9:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. or submit a

report online. Callers can leave a voice message outside those hours or dial 211 to seek support and make a report.

CA vs Hate can guide callers about their civil legal options through the Civil Rights Department or other agencies. They are separate from law enforcement and will not share your report with police without your permission, but can guide you on making reports to local prosecutors or law enforcement.

A care coordinator will follow up on all reports to ensure callers have access to resources and support systems. All reports are confidential and do not require callers to disclose their immigration status.

The idea for the hotline has been credited to Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) who voiced the idea of the hotline in 2021 to help individuals and communities targeted for hate.

“California is strong because of our diversity but hate-fueled violence remains a persistent and growing threat,” said Mr. Kish. According to the press release, the hotline is the latest in a $110 million effort to combat hate in recent years funded by the Legislature and backed by Gov. Newsom.

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VOL. 167 NO.

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Sheriff Bill Brown, center, stands with newly sworn-in deputies.

The most recent report (2021) by the Criminal Justice Statistics Center discloses that hate crime events increased by 89.6% over the last decade.

Hunter Biden meets his match in Arkansas judge

“HUNTER BIDEN & HIS LAWYERS ARE RIPPED INTO BY ARKANSAS JUDGE”

As a father and grandfather, I cannot understand, will never fathom, how Joe Biden would choose to disavow his granddaughter, his own flesh and blood.

Joe’s cold, distant stance speaks volumes about character. About doing the right thing. About caring for people. About caring for family.

And, alas, about caring for our country.

Yet here we have it, a geriatric president who gives not a crap about anything or anyone besides retaining power.

And all the while enjoying an imperial presidency. Seemingly answerable to no one; still hiding out from the media, from answering questions, just as he did during his basement campaign.

What we see instead is a video clip of Joe blustering to a supporter, “No one messes with a Biden.”

Well, someone has.

Her name?

Holly Meyer.

A courageous Arkansas judge weary of Hunter Biden’s typical hocus-pocus “make-it-go-away, daddy” nonsense.

So what’s Joe going to do?

Pardon his son from fathering an adorable little girl?

“Uh, by presidential decree, my genius, artistic son — the smartest person I know — is hereby pardoned from fatherhood. Uh, thank you, no questions, where’s the door outta here?”

Wake up, America.

No woke.

Wake.

Before it’s too late.

“FBI FILE LINKS JOE BIDEN TO ‘CRIMINAL SCHEME’ PER WHISTLEBLOWER”

Cash-for-access, pay-to-play, “money-for-policy-decisions” while vice president.

It comes down to an internal FBI FD-10 form revealed by a whistleblower and this week subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee.

Tell me it ain’t so, Joe. No? No questions allowed? No answers provided?

Joe Biden is in all likelihood the most corrupt president this country has ever known, protected by federal investigative agencies in command of the facts but unwilling to fulfill their duties.

As George Orwell wrote in “Animal Farm,” “Some animals are more equal than others.”

“DOJ NEAR DECISION ON CHARGING HUNTER BIDEN WITH TAX, GUN CRIMES”

Oh, really?

They’ve only had four years to investigate some very basic and obvious criminal acts.

And it is also four years since the FBI took possession of Hunter’s self-incriminating laptop, which even mainstream narrative media now admits was NOT Russian propaganda as 51 not very intelligent senior intelligence officials claimed it to be.

Speaking of which, two of those officials, former CIA Director James Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, have been called to account this month for their stupidity (or complicity in assisting the Biden campaign) by the House Subcommittee on Weaponization of the Federal Government.

Expect a lot of bluster from Mr. Brennan and a load of claptrap from Mr. Clapper.

“RUSSIA THREATENS NUCLEAR RETALIATION AFTER ACCUSING UKRAINE OF TRYING TO ASSASSINATE PUTIN WITH DRONE STRIKES ON KREMLIN”

Nonsense. The Ukrainians did not explode a pair of drones above Russian President Vladimir Putin’s fortress (where he was not even present).

Nor was a NATO country responsible

This act was a “false flag” operation by President Putin and his cronies to cast blame on Ukraine and attempt to “justify” the use of nuclear weapons.

The war on Ukraine is going very poorly for Mr. Putin, on top of which a Ukrainian counteroffensive is expected any day to recapture territory seized by Russia, including Crimea, which Mr. Putin illegally “annexed” (stole) in 2014.

According to reliable sources in the intelligence community, before switching over to their “assassination” propaganda operation, Mr. Putin had been planning to sabotage a nuclear facility inside Russia and blame it on the Ukrainians (and still may).

Part of the plan, because they know their defeat is in the offing, calls for the Russians to request a truce. If Ukraine does not accept one, nuclear weapons would then be acceptable (Mr. Putin rationalizes) — but only if he can make Russians believe that their lives (and his) within the Motherland are at risk. A case of Mr. Putin sipping his own piss — and expecting everyone else to drink it too. As usual.

Only two days before that drone struck, this news item appeared:

“VLADIMIR PUTIN’S ASSASSINATION ‘WILL BRING BLOODBATH BREAK-UP OF RUSSIA INTO MINI-NUCLEAR STATES’: EX-CIA ANALYST”

The analyst? Paul Goble. I know him. And he knows his stuff.

Think of this as the break-up of Yugoslavia on steroids.

As we have written here before: Most intelligence analysts view President Putin’s war on Ukraine as a prelude to the end of not only Mr. Putin but to the Russian Federation. And not because of any NATO strategy but due to Mr. Putin’s self-destructiveness.

“NORDSTROM SHUTS DOWN BOTH STORES IN CRIMERIDDEN SAN FRANCISCO”

Retailers are deserting San Francisco in droves.

Nordstrom is just the latest to wave bye-bye, on the heels of Whole Foods, Office Depot and Anthropologie.

Oh, add Crate & Barrel, Abercrombie & Fitch, Marshalls, Gap, H&M, Saks and The Disney Store.

It’s simple: When there is no protection from shoplifters and mob raids on merch, time to skedaddle, leave downtown to the proles.

All this is happening right under the noses of inept California Gov. Gavin Gruesome (former San Fran mayor) and U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (her district).

Even Larry, Moe and Curly Joe could do a better job running things.

THE PRINCE WHO WENT INTO THE COLD

It is not just the weather that

will be less warm for Prince Harry today in London while spectating his dad officially crowned king (and his dreaded stepmother crowned queen), while Meghan remains in Montecito. (Harry is expected to return to our sunny clime within 24 hours of landing in Britain).

Most of Britain’s royals — the heavyweights among them — will be as frosty as the North Pole to wayward Harry (and that’s assuming they have any interaction at all with him).

Meantime…

“RIGHT-WING THINK TANK FILES LAWSUIT DEMANDING PRINCE HARRY’S IMMIGRATION RECORDS”

Who: The Heritage Foundation vs. the Department of Homeland Security.

Where: Federal Court in Washington D.C.

When: Last Monday.

What: The plaintiff wants to know if Harry lied on his immigration forms about the use of illegal drugs, which he admitted in his book “Spare.”

Why: Because if he lied on the forms about illegal drug use, Harry would be eligible for deportation. But if Harry did own up to drug use on these forms, the next question will be, why was he allowed into the U.S.A. when all other foreign-national illegal drug users are not?

For hapless Harry, a no-win situation: Damned if he did, damned if he didn’t.

“WHAT TO MAKE OF THOSE ALARMING RFK JR. POLLS”

Who is alarmed?

Democratic Party commissars.

Why?

A new poll shows that 19% of Democratic voters support Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in his bid to oust Joe Biden for their party’s nomination.

“There is no time in history,” says RFK Jr., “where the people censoring speech were the good guys.”

And even though anyone with an ounce of brain power now realizes that the COVID-19 vaccine and lockdowns were a sham in which Big Pharma cashed in on a gargantuan scale, the mainstream narrative is still trying to use Mr. Kennedy’s anti-vaccine stance against him.

Even hospitals made out like bandits from COVID.

How so?

Payments to hospitals from our government (your money) included:

• A “free” required PCR test in the emergency room or upon admission for every patient, with government-paid fee to hospital.

• Added bonus payment for each positive COVID-19 diagnosis.

• Another bonus for a COVID-19 admission to the hospital.

• A 20% “boost” bonus payment from Medicare on the entire hospital bill for use of remdesivir instead of medicines such as ivermectin.

There’s another and larger bonus payment to the hospital if a COVID-19 patient is mechanically ventilated.

• More money to the hospital if the cause of death is listed as COVID-19, even if the patient did not die directly of COVID-19.

• A COVID-19 diagnosis, which also provides extra payments to coroners.

Ultimately, COVID was all about trying to make us fearful and submissive as the big rip-off unfolded.

Senators introduce bill to prevent trafficking of migrant children

By BRETT ROWLAND

THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – A group of Republican U.S. Senators have introduced legislation that would require U.S. Department of Homeland Security to take steps to prevent human trafficking at the border between the United States and Mexico.

The Stop Human Trafficking of Unaccompanied Migrant Children Act would require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to take steps when placing an unaccompanied child with a potential sponsor inside the United States. It would further require a home visit before release.

The proposed legislation would require a fingerprint background check and vetting process that includes a public records check; a check of the National Sex Offender Registry, a Federal Bureau of Investigation National Criminal History check based on digital fingerprints, a child abuse and neglect check and a criminal history check. Those requirements would apply to the sponsor and anyone 18 and older living in the sponsor’s household.

It would require at least five unannounced inperson home visits in the first year after release.

“President Biden’s refusal to secure the border has turned the area into a hotbed of human trafficking, including trafficking of minors,” U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, said in a statement.

“Our bill will ensure that any unaccompanied children go to responsible, vetted, and legal adults.”

The measure would prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from releasing an unaccompanied child to the custody of a sponsor who is unlawfully present in the United States, unless that person is a biological parent, legal guardian or relative of the child.

The bill comes as the number of unaccompanied migrant children arriving at the nation’s southern border has increased.

“The Biden Administration’s reckless approach to immigration puts vulnerable migrant children at risk,” U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, said in a statement. “The recent reports of child labor violations are a disturbing reminder of the consequences of the president’s open border policies. The Stop Human Trafficking of Unaccompanied Migrant Children Act is an important step in preventing this from happening and ensuring that proper vetting procedures are in place to protect these vulnerable children.”

Chalk it up to the list of frauds that have been perpetrated against the American people by the powers that be.

WARNING TO ELDERLY FOREIGN RESIDENTS OF MONACO OR ELDERLY PERSONS SEEKING TO RETIRE IN MONACO

We have learned of a new scam, supported by Monaco’s government: Healthy and sagacious widows and widowers are institutionalized at a “care” center as a means of sucking their local bank deposits dry. When family members arrive in the principality to contest, they are allegedly not allowed to visit their committed/imprisoned relative. They then discover that their relative’s local bank

account has allegedly been frozen by the government to “pay” for treatment. If family members make a fuss they are allegedly threatened with arrest, a system fully backed by Monaco’s corrupt judiciary.

But let’s hear how this works directly from our correspondent in the pirate principality:

“Vulnerable people are being put under ‘tutelle’ (guardianship), and the family cannot do anything to remove it.”

Such elderly persons are reportedly picked up — off the street or in their homes — and carted off to the Centre Rainier III.

What then?

“My friend’s mother was put into enforced guardianship,” our correspondent told me. “The ‘guardian’ would not meet my friend and threatened to put the police on her if she tried to access her mother’s apartment. They extract as much money as they can [from the patient’s account] yet deliver very little in return.

The mother is poorly fed and stays in her room all day long and is drugged up.

“They drug them to justify holding onto them and to justify extracting more money. They are then told they need to stay there due to ‘cognitive problems,’ which is actually confusion caused by the

drugs they are force-fed. When family members ask what the drugs are for, the answer is always ‘anxiety and depression.’

“The ‘guardian’ refuses to meet family members and hides behind legalities and bullies. And there is no right of appeal. The family is also unable to obtain an invoice to justify the amount of money extracted from the patient’s account. This is pure and simple about robbing the elderly — legalized theft.”

Monaco-media.com supports this discovery: “Elderly people in Monaco.” It reports seniors “face illegal dispossessions after Monaco declared them with fake psychological and medical statements as too erratic or too ill to continue to live in their own properties.”

Says that website’s host: “They specifically prey on elderly people without families.” Wow — the irony.

Just when you thought you had it made in one of the world’s glamor “safe” havens you end up in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

Robert Eringer is a longtime Montecito author with vast experience in investigative journalism. He welcomes questions or comments at reringer@gmail. com.

ROBERT ERINGER NEWS REVUE

Hondurans released into U.S. with court dates for 2026

Others who’ve just come through the border have brand new U.S. passports

By BETHANY BLANKLEY

THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – The federal government is directing U.S. Border Patrol agents to release foreign nationals into the U.S. with “Notice to Appear/ Warrant to Appear” forms for immigration court in 2026.

The Center Square obtained documents provided in a packet to foreign nationals who were processed by Border Patrol agents in Brownsville, Texas, were released and later apprehended in Jackson County, 260 miles north. Highway 59 is a major human smuggling route where an Operation Lone Star Task Force is operating to interdict criminals, state officials say.

Jackson County Sheriff Kelly Janica and his deputies are key players in the task force who’ve been involved in a range of interdiction activities, from seizing stolen cars, to apprehending smugglers, to arresting other perpetrators and fugitives.

Biden administration policies have been “an unmitigated disaster,” Sheriff Janica argues, but now the “federal government is involved in legalized smuggling,” he told The Center Square.

Sheriff Janica contacted The Center Square to describe a recent incident his deputy encountered.

On May 2, one of his deputies noticed a silver Toyota Tundra heading north on Highway 59 with five people sitting in the bed of the truck. The deputy pulled over the vehicle believing the group to be

foreign nationals being smuggled north from the border. According to his report, he observed “multiple Hispanic passengers in the bed of the truck and multiple Hispanic passengers in the cab.”

The driver, a 36-year-old man from Humble, said he was the son of a 63-year-old man sitting in the passenger seat to whom the vehicle was registered.

The deputy asked if all the occupants in the vehicle were in the U.S. legally and the driver said they were family members from Honduras who they picked up in Brownsville, Texas, and were driving to North Carolina.

All 11 being transported had Honduran identification cards or passports and were between the ages of 5 and 73, including four men and four women each, two boys, and one teenage girl. Three were minors, ages 5, 9 and 16.

They all had manila envelopes including “Notice to Appear/ Warrant to Appear” papers, which are what Border Patrol agents give foreign nationals when they release them into the U.S.

The document states, “You are an arriving alien. The Department of Homeland Security alleges that you:

1. Are not a citizen or national of the United States;

2. You are a native of Honduras and citizen of Honduras;

3. On or about May 2, 2023, you applied for admission to the United States at a Brownsville, Texas, Port of Entry;

4. You are an immigrant not in possession of a valid unexpired immigrant visa,

CARR, James A

James A. Carr (4/12/1945 - 4/22/2023) was born in Oxnard, CA and moved to Santa Barbara with his family at age 6.

Jim was always a proud member of the first class to attend San Marcos High School, and he would sing their pep songs whenever he drove by the campus. After graduating high school, Jim served our country as a US Marine and then went on to Cal Poly to study business and economics. From there, Jim became a licensed CPA and joined Arthur Anderson in Los Angeles. Later in his career, Jim got involved in real estate development. Jim opened and operated two local business on Santa Barbara’s main wharf, Mother Stearns Candy and Deep Blue Sea Gifts.

James Carr is survived by his wife Barbara Jo, several of his siblings, and many nieces and nephews. For those who would like to attend, there will be an informal Memorial Celebration of Jim’s life on Saturday May 13th at 6:00 PM on Butterfly Beach. Just bring yourself and any memories you would like to share.

SEAGOE, John

April 9, 1923 - April 23, 2023

Santa Barbara - Our dear dad peacefully left us at the age of 100 plus two weeks. John was the youngest of 6 siblings born and raised in Goleta, CA to John A. and Alice (Rutherford) Seagoe. He moved with his family to Cottage Grove, Oregon in the mid 30s and remained there through high school and his first year of the University of Oregon.

Following WWII, where he served as a US Navy pilot, he met and married Ruth Kriby and resettled in Santa Barbara. He worked in the photo engraving business and was instrumental in the start of Big Brand Tire Co. After retirement, he and Ruth loved traveling the world until Ruth’s passing in 2000. He is survived by 4 children, Trudy (Lee), of Lampasas Tx, Kathleen, of Camarillo, Pete (Suzette), of Santa Barbara and Bob, of Santa Ynez. He is also survived by 7 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and 4 great-great-grandchildren. He was a faithful member of the Santa Barbara Christadelphian ecclesia. He was a generous and kind man who lived a very fulfilled life. He will be missed by all who knew him. Services will be private.

JARRARD, Elizabeth Ann

1936 - 2023 Elizabeth Ann Jarrard was born to Ferdinand and Pauline Stratton in Zionsville, Indiana where she lived with her three siblings, Frank, David and Phyllis. She graduated high school at 16 and held several jobs from babysitting to writing for the Zionsville Times while attending college classes.

At 18, after a particularly harrowing snow storm, Betty Ann and her best friend Beth drove to California. During her time in Orange County, she enjoyed hobbies including her time in a “pots and pans” band, which was featured in the local paper. Next, she worked for Centrolic School District in Buena Park, California as a mail mimeo clerk at the District Office where she met Raymond Dennis Jarrard (husband of 60 years). Later, she was promoted to school secretary where she worked until she “retired” to start her family.

After living in El Segundo, Bakersfield, and San Luis Obispo, she landed in Santa Barbara in 1978. She lovingly raised three girls, Kim, Katherine and Linda, while caring for her beloved pets (too many to name) and avidly volunteered for school and animal rescues, including BUNS. She was thrilled to become Nana and spent as much time as she could with her grandkids who adored her undivided attention.

Sweet as a saint, Betty touched so many lives and many considered her to be their “second mom,” always there to listen and support not only family, but friends. Her patience, sense of humor and gentle spirit will be remembered and celebrated every day that she’s missed. Those who knew her are grateful they got to be loved by her so unconditionally and unselfishly.

So gentle, yet unassumingly stronger than steel, Betty was a cancer survivor for more than 20 years. This wasn’t the first or even the second time she’d cheated death. In fact, by 10, she’d already survived measles, mumps, chicken pox and scarlet fever. One tough cookie, she even made it look easy to get knee surgery in her late 70s. After being diagnosed with cancer again in August, Betty continued to fight the aggressive stage 4 disease, being expertly treated at UCLA, Samarkand, and the Ridley Tree Cancer Center before finally losing her battle with cancer on April 30th. Never wanting to be the center of attention, even in death, she discreetly and gracefully slipped away during the cover of night surrounded by loved ones.

She is survived by her husband Raymond Dennis Jarrard, her children Kim Schmitt (Chris) of Washington, Katheirne Hilzer (Tom) of Santa Barbara, Linda Barger (Bob) of San Diego and her grandchildren Alanna and Elizabeth Hilzer and Kalea and Mak Barger.

If desired, donations can be made to the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Humane Society, BUNS or the local Animal Shelter.

Services will be held in Santa Barbara at Our Lady of Sorrows at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 8th.

reentry permit, border crossing card or other valid entry document required by the Immigration and Naturalization Act.

“On the basis of the forgoing it is charged that you are subject to removal from the United States pursuant to” several federal laws listed.

They were all ordered to appear before an immigration judge at a court in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Oct. 15, 2026.

The deputy contacted Border Patrol to confirm their paperwork and was told they were apprehended on April 23 and had been released pending their immigration hearing in three years.

“Border Patrol advised they would not take them and they were free to go,” the deputy said.

Sheriff Janica contacted The Center Square alarmed by what he says is the Biden administration “finding a way to get people into the country under the auspices of a court proceeding in three years, moving people across the country to North Carolina.”

“They said they were all family members,” the sheriff said, but “we don’t believe that for one minute.”

Under normal circumstances, if federal law were being enforced, Sheriff Janica said his deputy would have arrested the driver and front passenger and they would’ve been charged with human smuggling. The reason they couldn’t arrest them is because Border Patrol said they wouldn’t come and get them; a court date in 2026 was enough to release them, he said.

Lawmakers raise questions about Navy’s use of drag queen to recruit

By BRETT ROWLAND THE CENTER SQUARE

“We really don’t know where they’re going. That’s just a piece of paper the federal government gave them so they don’t have to come and get them,” he said.

Sheriff Janica said law enforcement expects to see more of this after the public health authority Title 42 expires on May 11. They’ll be coming “on a party bus,” he told The Center Square, “and at our expense,” meaning the taxpayers’.

He also said the federal government is “preventing law enforcement from doing their jobs.” In a previous stop, his deputies apprehended 22 people they believed were “illegal aliens but they each had brand new U.S. passports. They were heading to Florida. They were being driven by a Mexican national who was hired by a third party funded by the U.S. government to drive the 17passenger van,” Sheriff Janica said. His deputies called Border Patrol, who said the 22 people had been apprehended and released a few days before his deputies stopped them. Border Patrol said, “they were good to go. There was nothing we could do, we had to release them.”

“How were they American citizens if they’d just come across the border?” he asked. “How did they get brand new passports?”

“It takes my residents 6 to 10 weeks to get a passport. How did they get a passport in two days? Something’s going on down there that the American people don’t know about.”

MEEHAN, Joseph Patrick

Joe passed from this world on Friday, April 28, 2023, at his home in Solvang, CA. He was born March 18, 1946, in Altoona, PA. Joe will be remembered for his sense of humor and wit along with his willingness to help people when the opportunity presented itself. A ‘celebration of life’ mass will be held at Old Mission Santa Ines on Friday, May 12, at 10 AM, followed by a luncheon in the parish hall. Joe wanted everyone to enjoy good food and each other’s company. Private interment at Oak Hill Cemetery. If anyone desires, a donation may be made to the Old Mission Santa Ines. Loper Funeral Chapel, Directors

BLAKEY, Ken Ken Blakey, 74, who graduated from City College before going on to the University of the Pacific, died peacefully in Santa Barbara on April 18th. Ken was a charming, cocky character, whose presence was always felt. His parents once remarked that, “Rather than giving birth to another child, we gave birth to an FM radio station.”

He, in fact, began his career as a disc jockey playing country & western out in Mojave, living in what can only be described as a ‘Little House on the Prairie.’ He soon moved on to become a major player in outdoor advertising sales. He was always a very generous spirit, delighting in providing basketball tickets to his young nephews, who became the envy of classmates who had seen them on TV sitting court-side at San Antonio Spurs’ games. Ken also had a lively sense of fun, once being at a golf tournament in Houston, renting a Cadillac, and attaching longhorns to the grille so he could, “Feel like a real Texan.”

He loved his little West Highland Terrier, named Tahoe, who he happily spoiled, often telling others when out at a restaurant, “Don’t eat everything, I need scraps for Tahoe.”

Ken was also a huge sports fan, which included being a diehard Red Sox fan. He was also a pretty good golfer, playing many rounds at the Montecito Country Club and traveling to play historic courses in Scotland. When he first became ill, he had been set to move to Las Vegas, where he would have been right at home sitting in a casino’s sports book, making the occasional small wager and chatting with others while watching sporting events across multiple screens.

Ken is survived by four brothers and two sisters, five nephews and six nieces, and countless grandnephews and nieces. He will be missed by everyone fortunate enough to have known him.

MENDESH, Anthony N., MD

On April 8, 2023, Anthony “Tony” Nickolas Mendesh, MD, passed away peacefully at age 92 with his two daughters by his side in Louisville, Colorado.

Anthony was born to Matt and Ruza Mendesh on January 2, 1931, in Duluth, MN. He attended UMD, where he proudly played goalie for the UMD Bulldogs hockey team. He later transferred to North Dakota State University in Fargo where he received his pharmacy degree. He then continued working as a pharmacist as he pursued his medical degree at the Creighton University School of Medicine. After completing medical school, he returned to Duluth where he worked as a family practice physician for P.S. Rudie and Associates. Anthony loved being a doctor and worked very hard. He put in long hours, delivering babies and making numerous house calls, all while being a supportive husband to his wife Kathryn and a wonderful father to their three children Jeanmarie, Patricia, and Anthony Jr.

In 1981, the family relocated to Santa Barbara, CA where he continued his work in family medicine for the Santa Barbara Medical Foundation Clinic, as well as becoming board-certified in geriatrics. Anthony will always be fondly remembered as a devoted husband and loving father who always wanted the best for his family. He had the biggest heart which, among his many other wonderful traits, made him an excellent doctor. He truly cared about all of his patients. He had a great sense of humor, was very outgoing, and made friends with everyone he met.

Anthony was a man of faith, had a strong will, and always had a positive outlook on life, even until his last days.

Survivors include his daughters Jeanmarie (Robert Portmann) and Patricia, a daughter-in-law Kelly (Stout) Mendesh, granddaughter Lucy Mendesh, and sister Mildred (William Call). He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 60 years Kathryn (Thebarge) in 2019, and son Anthony Jr. in 2016.

A rosary will be said Friday at 6 PM June 16th, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Montecito. A funeral mass will be held on June 17, 2023, at 11:00 am at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Montecito, CA. Memorial donations may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

Obituary notices are published daily in the Santa Barbara News-Press and also appear on our website

To place an obituary, please

(The Center Square) –Republican lawmakers are asking questions about the Navy’s decision to enlist an active-duty sailor and drag queen to recruit people through social media platforms such as TikTok.

Fourteen U.S. Senators sent a letter to Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro seeking more information about the Navy’s Digital Ambassador Pilot Program.

“While we understand the importance of social media for modern recruiting, we are concerned about both the promotion of a banned app and behavior that many deem inappropriate in a professional workplace,” the letter said.

Fourteen Republican Senators asked for information about the program, including how much has been spent on it. They also sought data regarding the impact of the Navy’s Digital Ambassador Program and if the Navy paid influencers under the program.

The Senators further asked about the Navy’s use of TikTok, an app owned and operated by ByteDance Limited, a private company based in Beijing, China. President Joe

Biden signed the No TikTok on Government Devices Act in December 2022. The act required the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to develop standards and guidelines for agencies requiring the removal of TikTok from federal information technology, according to a White House memo.

“Does the Navy endorse drag shows? Where does the Navy draw the line on promotion of the personal activities of its influencers? Would the Navy enlist burlesque dancers or exotic dancers to reach possible recruits?,” the Senators asked in the letter. “Such activity is not appropriate for promotion in a professional workplace or the United States military.”

The letter sought a response by May 24.

U.S. Sens. Ted Budd, RNorth Carolina, Tom Cotton, RArkansas, Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Marco Rubio, R-Florida, Mike Lee, R-Utah, Steve Daines, RMontana, Rick Scott, R-Florida, Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri, John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyoming, and Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, signed the letter.

in an urban environment.

‘Crisis:’ Small businesses struggle with inflation, labor market

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – Small business week came and went this week, and small businesses took the opportunity to raise a range of concerns about the economy and their future.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce released a report on the labor market this week, saying that “every state is facing an unprecedented challenge finding

workers to fill open jobs,” calling it a “crisis.”

The National Federation of Independent Businesses released a report as well echoing that concern, reporting that out of those business owners hiring or wanting to hire workers, 92% reported that there are “few or no qualified applications for the positions they were trying to fill.”

“The labor market continues to be a big challenge for small

business owners,” NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg said. “More owners are raising compensation to compete, but labor quality remains a serious problem for owners.”

A new report from the small business network Alignable found businesses have still not bounced back from the pandemic-era shutdowns.

The agency found that 74% of those surveyed are worried about rising interest rates while 27% said these rates already have hurt their businesses.

“Only 34% of small business owners are earning as much or more than they did prior to COVID, now three years after the initial impact,” the group said.

“And that statistic has dropped four percentage points from 38%

Women’s clothing store opens in Los Olivos

By KIRA LOGAN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

A new contemporary women’s clothing store, named LOU Los Olivos, is opening today in Los Olivos.

The address is 2938 San Marcos Ave.

The new boutique is centered around delivering chic and elegant styles to women in the heart of wine country. The store is being marketed as a destination to attract the fashion savvy from fashion pinpoints like Los Angeles, New York City and San Francisco.

The store is set to carry work from many designers, including Mona Thalheimer, Migulina, So De Mel, Gemma Styles sunglasses collaboration with

Kenmark eyewear, Vivivai, Louis Verdad, Bonnie Star and Billy Belack Jewelry, among others.

Leanna Drammer, the owner of the up-and-coming boutique, has worked in fashion for 30 years and produced events with fashion designers and notable brands around the world. She holds the title of master event producer in the field, with experience in world class runways and product launches.

“I am not the only woman living in wine country that wants a chic ensemble to be my go-to daily look for mommy life, social events and dinner parties.

I am all about taking style to another level of sophistication,” Ms. Drammer said.

email: klogan@newspress.com

The new boutique is centered around delivering chic and elegant styles to women in the heart of wine country.

U.S. crude oil production approaches pre-pandemic levels

By TOM GANTERT THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) — For the first two months of 2023, production of crude oil in the U.S. neared pre-COVID levels, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The production of crude oil in the U.S. in January and February was the most since March 2020 when the pandemic hit.

The U.S. produced 12.54 million barrels of crude oil per day in January and 12.48 million barrels per day in February. That represented the highest levels since 12.80 million barrels per day in March 2020.

U.S. production of crude oil dropped to a low of 9.71 million barrels per day in May 2020 during the pandemic, when many states issued stay-at-home orders.

U.S. oil production didn’t top 12 million barrels per day again until August 2022.

Some gas analysts said gas prices could go down as the U.S.

The production of crude oil in the U.S. in January and February was the most since March 2020 when the pandemic hit.

increases its production of crude oil. Regular gas sold at $3.561 per gallon on average in the U.S. as of May 5, according to AAA. That’s down from the $4.247-a-gallon gas cost a year ago. Gas sold for $3.627a-gallon a week ago.

“Increased production has historically helped put downward pressure on prices at the pump,” Scott Lauermann, media contact for the American Petroleum Institute, said in an email to The Center Square. “Since early 2020, the U.S. oil industry has continued to grow domestic crude oil production, but remains more than 500,000 barrels per day below pre-pandemic levels, primarily because of government policies, workforce and supply

in Jan. So, 66% of U.S.-based SMB owners still aren’t making as much as they did prior to the pandemic.”

The labor market and elevated inflation have been a major problem for small businesses as they work to recover from the pandemic-era shutdowns.

“President [Joe] Biden’s tax increases will hit small to mid-size businesses,” Karen Kerrigan, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council president and CEO, said in a statement. “The sizable increases take aim at many struggling firms as they work to recover, compete, and operate during an unstable and inflationary period.”

President Biden has taken fire in particular for inflation,

which was fueled in part by a spike in federal spending and money-printing. President Biden spoke from the White House for Small Business Week Monday and touted his economic record.

As The Center Square previously reported, the White House also pointed to pandemicera assistance programs, the bipartisan infrastructure bill, and the CHIPS and Science act, which is aimed at promoting domestic manufacturing.

President Biden painted a rosier picture than small business groups did this week, pointing to programs like the COVID-era Paycheck Protection Program.

“Small businesses are the engine of our economy, the

glue, the heart and soul of communities,” President Biden said.

The NFIB pushed back on President Biden after his speech, though, pointing to the proposed tax increases in his recently proposed 2024 budget. The group recently released an ad blasting President Biden’s plan, saying the tax increases will hurt businesses that already are struggling.

“The White House is claiming they are ‘closing a loophole’ by subjecting small business income to a new 5% tax, but that claim is false and misleading,” said Kevin Kuhlman, NFIB vice president of Federal Government Relations.. “Small businesses are not a tax loophole and ask their elected officials to reject the proposed tax hikes.”

chain limitations, and a chilled investment landscape.”

Andrew Gross, spokesperson for AAA, said the country may see gas prices in more places around the country go below $3 per gallon.

“While US oil production may provide some good news, oil is a global commodity, so we need to look at production elsewhere too,” Mr. Gross said in an email to The Center Square. “Fortunately, demand for domestic gasoline is down, as is the price of oil. These factors are helping drive pump prices lower for now. We will likely see more locations nationwide selling sub $3 per gallon for regular. The next possible hurdle will be hurricane season.”

Total U.S. bankruptcies tick up, but remain below pre-pandemic levels

By BRETT ROWLAND THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – Total U.S. bankruptcy filings climbed in the last year, but remain well below prepandemic levels, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Courts.

U.S. Courts reported bankruptcies increased 2% to 403,273 new cases in the 12-month period that ended March 31, 2023. That’s compared with 395,373 cases in the previous year.

But new bankruptcy cases remain sharply lower than before the start of the pandemic.

In 2020, there were 764,282 bankruptcy filings.

And there were 772,646 filings in 2019.

“This year’s 12-month filing total for the quarter ending March 31 is slightly more than half of the total reported in March 2020, when the pandemic disrupted the U.S. economy,” according to U.S. Courts.

Business filings increased 9.9% from 13,160 in March 2022 to 14,467 in the most recent report. Nonbusiness filings increased 1.7%, from 382,213 in March 2022 to 388,806 in March 2023.

The most common types of filings for March 2023 were Chapter 7 (231,200) and Chapter 13 (166,449). Chapter 11 (5,371) and Chapter 12 (148) were less common.

U.S. Courts reported bankruptcies increased 2% to 403,273 new cases in the 12-month period that ended March 31, 2023. That’s compared with 395,373 cases in the previous year.

A new report from the small business network Alignable found businesses have still not bounced back from the pandemic-era shutdowns.

Album features covers of Venezuelan folk songs

MUSICIAN

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platforms.

Originally from the capital city of Venezuela, Caracas, the singer, songwriter and guitarist creates music that is a direct reflection of her love for her country. Her soulful voice communicates passion and love through the strength and power of her lyrics.

This album, which was produced, mixed and mastered by Jim White, Paul Fonfara, and John Keane, shares her struggles through homesickness for her family back in Venezuela. The album features covers of Venezuelan folk songs that remedy that homesickness with vocal depth that take these classical folk tunes to a new audience.

“Despechada” has already captured the hearts of Joaquin Phoenix, Michael Stipe of R.E.M. and Rufus Wainwright. The album results in a nostalgic journey through Ms. Diaz’s heritage as she honors her memories of Venezuela.

She has released other songs and EPs in the past few years, most notably “Carmela,” “Pueblos Tristes,” “Los Ejes de Mi Carreta” and “Venezuela.”

Her lyrical prowess is impressive, but her visuals throughout her album covers and music videos are also something to marvel at.

In her song “Carmela,” the music video is generated by artificial intelligence with hypnotic vocals and a loop of faces and images all representing her native country. All of her music videos are similar in nature.

The singer and songwriter’s 11-acre agave ranch in Montecito has been operating since 2019.

Ms. Diaz and partner Mark Peterson have grown several varieties of agave: salmiana, salmiana var. ferox, arroqueño, tobala, americana, guadalajarana, papalome, desmetiana, karwinskii, coyote and tequilana. email: abahnsen@newspress.com

Ane Diaz’s music reflects her love for her native country, Venezuela.

State conducts far fewer controlled burns than target

WILDFIRES

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lot of preparation and readiness for the fire season, the Sierra Club suggests that California needs more prescribed burns as an effective way to prevent out-ofcontrol wildfires.

Scott Rodd, investigative reporter at KPBS News and author of several Capradio articles on forest fires gone awry, stated in an NPR interview “... fire experts I spoke to say …the state needs to do close to a million acres of fire mitigation every year. And we’re nowhere near that right now.”

The Sierra Club reports in November of last year that former governor Jerry Brown set a plan in May 2018 to burn 500,000 acres of wildlands each year by 2023 but in March 2022 “the state lowered that target to 400,000 acres per year by 2025, possibly because the actual acres burned each year were closer to a quarter of the new goal.”

The governor’s statement released on May 3, for Wildfire Preparedness Week said “CAL

FIRE treated approximately 110,925 acres across more than 600 projects last fiscal year in preparation for wildfire season, exceeding the state’s goal of treating 100,000 acres by 2025.” This is well under the 500,000acre target set by Mr. Brown and approximately 1/10 of the recommended one million acre controlled burn.

Controlled burns as a means of preventing wildfires apparently are still not a priority in a state that has seen 7,534,403 acres burned last year.

A report on the Grizzly Flats Fire of 2021 show that despite a fire mitigation plan, the US Forest Service was unable to complete the plan, “.. a slew of hurdles stood in the way of the project’s completion: limited funding, pushback from environmentalists and fewer opportunities to complete essential prescribed burns due to staff shortages and climate change.”

The governor warned that wildfires are still a threat to California even though the state has had record breaking rainfall earlier this year.

Goal for Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is 100,000 pounds

FOODBANK

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the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.

Every summer, the Foodbank sees an increase in the number of people needing food assistance. This year, with the expiration of CalFresh Emergency Allotments, inflated grocery prices and lost wages, the need will be like no

other, the Foodbank noted in a news release.

The Foodbank’s goal for this year’s annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is 100,000 pounds. There are several national partners that are assisting the NALC, including the U.S. Postal Service, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, the National Rural Letter Carriers Association, United Way Worldwide, the AFLCIO, Valpak, Vallassis, the Kellogg Co. and CVS. For more information,visit foodbanksbc.org.

email: abahnsen@newspress.com

“Having a wet year doesn’t mean that we’re out of the woods when it comes to

wildfires. Be aware and stay prepared,” the governor advised.

COURTESY ANE DIAZ

Life theArts

‘Artful Minds’

Mental Wellness Center’s annual showcase event set for May 20

disorders, (2) stigma and how it affects our perceptions of mental illness and (3) wellness activities and practices.

“Through these activities, we encourage youth and their families to find trusted adults to talk to and reject the fear of stigma about mental illness.”

Ms. Cameron noted that Santa Barbara isn’t particularly unique in being prone to mental health issues.

COURTESY PHOTO

“As adults, we need to educate ourselves about mental health, listen to youth and advocate for more places where young people are safe to express their needs and ultimately respond to those needs,” said Annmarie Cameron, CEO of the Mental Wellness Center.

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

In 2009, while Kimberly Quinn was a patient in the acute psychiatric care unit at Cottage Health, an occupational therapist saw her teaching origami to other patients. She had started teaching herself origami earlier that year after her first suicide attempt and psychiatric hospitalization.

“At the time, origami was something I did to keep my mind focused on anything other than the devastating symptoms I was experiencing from my mental health conditions,” said Ms. Quinn. “That occupational therapist told me about the Mental Wellness Center’s Art Festival and enthusiastically encouraged me to get involved.

For me, it was a really big deal.

“I didn’t consider myself an artist and, due to my illnesses, I really didn’t have any confidence in myself. That first fair was an incredibly positive and empowering experience. I’ve participated almost every year since.”

She will be among approximately 60 local artists living with mental illness, who will be participating in the MWC’s 27th annual “Arts Faire: Artful Minds” from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 20 on the beachfront opposite Chase Palm Park, 323 E. Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara. Included will be a variety of visual and craft mediums which include painting, drawing, jewelry and sculpture.

Ms. Quinn’s entry will be a hanging origami sculpture “based on the Kusudama model. I primarily work with recycled materials including dictionaries,

CALENDAR

Kimberly Quinn, left , goes against Cinco de Mayhem during a mixed scrimmage with Central Coast Roller Derby. “Cinco is an amazing jammer for the Brawlin’ Betties and a good friend,” Ms. Quinn said.

“Also, I love that she’s laughing while I’m trying to hit her.” Ms. Quinn will be among approximately 60 local artists living with mental illness, who will be participating in the Mental Wellness Center’s 27th annual “Arts Faire: Artful Minds.”

maps and discarded jewelry.”

The Mental Wellness Center has been at the forefront of advancing mental wellness in Santa Barbara for 75 years and has purposefully scheduled the event in May to coincide with National Mental Health Awareness Month.

Many discover their talents for the first time as participants in Mental Wellness Center’s Fellowship Club, where peer educators and an art specialist help them explore their emotions through self-expression.

“This is a poignant way to put a human face to mental illness,” said Darcy Keep, former MWC board member and administrative director of psychiatry and addiction medicine at Cottage Health. She has spearheaded this event for more than two decades, and artists who participate in the show often come through her referral sources.

“The Faire provides an outlet for those living with mental health challenges to celebrate their creativity in a safe, supportive space. It’s an opportunity that allows them to be recognized for their talents,” said Ms. Keep.

“Like no other time in the 75-year history of the Mental Wellness Center has mental health commanded the national conversation or been acknowledged as among the most important issues facing our

FYI

Mental Wellness Center’s 27th annual “Arts Faire: Artful Minds” will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 20 on the beachfront opposite Chase Palm Park, 323 E. Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara. For more information, visit mentalwellnesscenter.org.

community and our world, as it is today,” she said.

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy recently declared mental health as “the defining public health crisis of our time.”

Mental health challenges are particularly devastating among youth. Nationwide, suicide rates for young Americans ages 10 to 19 jumped by 40% from 2001 to 2019, while emergency room visits for self-harm rose by 88%.

These staggering national statistics are mirrored in Santa Barbara County, where suicide is now the third leading cause of death among local youth ages 10 to 24, according to the Cottage Center for Population Health. This same study reports that 90% of teens who complete a suicide have an untreated, underlying mental illness.

The Santa Barbara Unified School District recently reported that there were 56 “suicide incidences” in the first semester of the 2022 school year alone. “We know that 50% of all mental illnesses begin by the age of 14, and the recent years

of disruption to school, as well as increasing social pressure and economic stressors have increased the incidence of anxiety and depression amongst youth,” Annmarie Cameron, CEO of the Wellness Center, told the News-Press.

“I believe we need to put youth in the center of the conversation about how to help them. As adults, we need to educate ourselves about mental health, listen to youth and advocate for more places where young people are safe to express their needs and ultimately respond to those needs.”

Locally, MWC reaches youth about mental health issues through its Mental Health Matters curriculum, reaching more than 4,500 elementary and middle school students, through Youth Mental Health First Aid and its Wellness Connection Council, a high school leadership program that educates and empowers students to become mental health advocates.

“The goal of these programs is to educate and invite conversation as well as identify mental health challenges early, getting help before it’s too late,” said Ms. Cameron.

“The Mental Health Matters course is taught in the Buellton, Carpinteria, Cold Spring, Hope, Goleta Union and Santa Barbara Unified School Districts. It addresses three foci: (1) signs and symptoms of major mental health

“Mental illness does not discriminate — it affects people of all ages, genders and ethnicities. While people of all socio-economic and education levels are vulnerable, poverty is a particularly exacerbating factor. Santa Barbara has a false reputation for being a community of affluence, when in fact we have very high percentages of youth and families living in poverty.”

A long-time mental health advocate and employee of the Mental Wellness Center for more than 30 years, Ms. Cameron said she is greatly influenced by her role as a mother of two young adult children and a community member.

“I am deeply concerned by the hundreds of calls we get from other moms and dads looking for answers to help their child struggling with mental health issues. Often we have very little to offer them, but we engage them in learning about mental illness and how to advocate for their child or family member

“We work side by side with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) to advocate for improved resources and better treatment for all. I am not a clinical person. I have always had a deep respect for the therapists, doctors and nurses who work in the mental health field. They have very difficult jobs.

“My passion is helping people learn to live their best life while living with mental health issues. Often that means helping alleviate isolation and loneliness, helping them find safe, affordable housing and or a job that gives them purpose. Medicine and treatment are only one piece of a complex puzzle.

“The thing that gives me hope is the voice of young people talking about what they need and the slow, but growing recognition of the treatment providers that we must intervene earlier in the progression of the illness.”

Mental Wellness Center reduces barriers to receiving support by providing all services free of charge and offering them in both Spanish and English. The center also offers remote as well as in-person options.

“With a commitment to diverse programming through reenvisioned, bilingual programs and services at our state-of-theart, downtown location, we have launched full-force into shaping

COURTESY PHOTO

Happy birthday, Spirit! Return to Freedom will celebrate the horse’s 28th birthday from 3 to 6 p.m. today at RTF American Wild Horse Sanctuary, 4115 Jalama Road in Lompoc. Spirit is a stallion who lives at the sanctuary and inspired the Oscar-nominated animated movie “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron” (2002).

The calendar appears Mondays through Saturdays in the “Life & the Arts” section. Items are welcome. Please email them a full week before the event to Managing Editor Dave Mason at dmason@ newspress.com.

TODAY 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol Road, has reopened its permanent mineral exhibit of rocks and crystals that is on view in the small hall off the museum’s central courtyard.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays. The exhibit, which opened April 22, is included in museum admission. Members are always admitted free. For others, prices vary from $14 to $19. For more information, visit sbnature.org/minerals.

By appointment on weekdays: “Holly Hungett: Natural Interpretations” is on view through May 20 at the Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara’s gallery, 229 E. Victoria St., Santa Barbara. The gallery is open 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays and weekdays by appointment. For more information, call the foundation at 805965-6307 or go to www.afsb.org.

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Santa Barbara Audubon Society and Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, 1212 Mission Canyon Road, will jointly present family-fun activities at the garden throughout May, Bird Month, starting with “Family Bird Nest” on this day and during the same period on May 13 and 21. Activities include guided bird walks, bird-themed Story Time, avian crafts, bird scavenger hunt, and more. Participants will discover why native plants are important to birds and how to create a bird-friendly garden. Reservations are required. To make them, go to www.sbbotanicgarden. org/visit/hours-reservations.

Noon to 5 p.m. “Clarence Mattei: Portrait of a Community” is on view now through May at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, which is located in downtown Santa Barbara at 136 E. De la Guerra St. Admission is free. Hours are currently from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and from noon to 7 p.m. Thursdays. For more information, visit www.sbhistorical.org.

12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Toot and Puddles, two friendly dogs who are bonded sisters, will appear during an adoption event at George Pet Shop at the Montecito Country Mart, 1026 Coast Village Road, Montecito. The 2-year-old dogs currently live at Shadow’s Fund — a Lompoc sanctuary for the most vulnerable shelter dogs. For more information, email info@ shadowsfund.org or visit shadowfund. org.

3 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will present spring youth ensemble performances at La Colina Junior High School, 4025 Foothill Road, Santa Barbara. The Camerata Ensemble and Philharmonia Orchestra will perform. Admission is free. Story, A8.

3 to 6 p.m. Return to Freedom’s celebration will take place at the RTF American Wild Horse Sanctuary, 4115 Jalama Road in Lompoc. The program will celebrate the 28th birthday of Spirit, a stallion who lives at the sanctuary and inspired the Oscarnominated animated movie “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron” (2002). For more information, visit www. returntofreedom.org.

6 p.m. Bahia Magia Dance Company presents “Roots of Brazil” at the Center Stage Theater, upstairs at Paseo Nuevo in Santa Barbara. A refreshment hour is set for 5 p.m. Tickets cost $40. To purchase, go to centerstagetheater.org. 7 p.m. The Choral Society will wrap up its 75th anniversary season with a “Mozart to Modern” concert at the First Presbyterian Church of Santa Barbara, 21 E. Constance Ave. Accompanied by a full orchestra, the 70-member Santa Barbara chorus will perform Mozart’s Requiem and music varying from Palestrina to Morten Lauridsen. Tickets

Managing

SATURDAY, MAY 6, 2023

MICHAEL KINNEY PHOTOGRAPHY

Allan Schiller’s art

Lesley Grogan’s “Many Eyes”

Lesley Grogan’s art.

BY KATIE HALE AND SCOTT HOGAN / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ

How to cope when your pets get ill

My wife and I have each had our health issues over the years, but thankfully have both gotten through them all pretty gracefully.

But now our Foxy has a problem, and because she really is a member of our family — way more than “just a dog” — we’re as upset as if one of us were sick. Or, maybe we’re even more upset, because Foxy can’t really tell us what’s going on.

Foxy (yes, I’m a Jimi Hendrix fan, and she does look like a fox) will be going to our vet soon.

At least now that we’re “postpandemic,” we can go into the exam room with her. I think that makes it easier on the animals and their humans. So we will be there to comfort Foxy and each other. When you bond over an animal, a different kind of unconditional love washes over you. There never seems to be any rancor over your pet, and you completely forgive

each other, no matter what. The problem is forgiving yourself when you make a mistake concerning your pet’s health. My wife and I have wellness plans and pet insurance, so money is not our big concern at the moment. I know not everyone can afford it, but I find pet insurance to be a necessity and would rather do without something else. I also know that not everyone bonds with their animals in the same way, and no judgment is intended here.

My wife and I don’t have children together, so our dog and cat are truly our fur-babies, and we treat them as such, totally look out for them, and do our darndest to make sure they are healthy. But things happen. And when they do, everything else in our lives stops.

Six students win 2023 Water Awareness Poster Contest

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Six Santa Maria elementary school artists are the winners of this year’s Water Awareness Poster contest, and their colorful works are on display at Santa Maria City Hall and will soon be online.

Third-grade winners at Alvin School are Mariel Espinoza for Best Celebration of Water, Emily Fernandez Salgado for Most Colorful and Pilar Sierra for Most Original. Keira Paz of Tunnell School was the grand prize winner, and Vania Perez Bautista, also a Tunnell student, won for Most Water Aware; and Filiberto Mendez Garcia of Adam School won in the Most Artistic category.

Santa Maria Mayor Alice Patino proclaimed May 2023 as Water Awareness Month, urging all Santa Marians to do their part to conserve and preserve.

To commemorate and celebrate Water Awareness Month, 8- and 9-year-olds across the community participated in the Utilities Department’s 12th annual Water Awareness Poster Contest.

The winners were recognized by the Santa Maria City Council at its regular meeting on Tuesday.

The third-grade students’ colorful and thoughtful posters artistically speak to conservation tips and a general celebration of and respect for water as a precious resource.

Winners in each category received trophies, prizes and certificates from the Utilities Department, along with other prizes donated by sponsors.

A collage of the winning posters is featured at Santa Maria City Hall for the remainder of Water Awareness Month.

email: mmcmahon@newspress. com

Well, almost everything. Now that I’ve taken a few moments to get this down on paper, it’s time to take care of my wife and puppy. I will help them cope for the next few hours. Then we will go to the vet and see what our little one needs. Supporting one another at times like these is what a relationship is about at its deepest level. It is what family is all about. It is what love is all about, and most people don’t have enough, or they pollute it with selfishness and greed.

If our dog is really ill, she will get the best treatment available. I have nursed several other animal children before her, and I shiver at the thought of going through this again — it is so sad and triggering. But if Foxy needs me, all I can do is be there for her and for my wife, who adores this little creature

in ways that make everyone who meets them smile. I know we will get through this, and I know it’s normal to be scared. That knowledge helps me stay balanced, so I can make the best decisions and keep the ones I love comfortable.

Fast-forward two days: After an extensive exam of Foxy, including skull X-rays, we don’t have an answer. She will be eating soft food and getting lots of love until we do. Will keep you posted.

Barton Goldsmith, Ph.D., is an award-winning psychotherapist and humanitarian. He is also a columnist, the author of eight books and a blogger for PsychologyToday. com with more than 28 million readers. He is available for video consults worldwide. Reach him at barton@bartongoldsmith.com or 818-879-9996. He has lived and practiced in Westlake Village for more than two decades. His column appears Saturdays and Mondays in the News-Press.

Freedom 4 Youth to work with Good Samaritan, Santa Barbara City College

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Freedom 4 Youth has entered into a contract with Good Samaritan to provide food services through F4Y’s culinary arts social enterprise.

F4Y’s culinary program provides training and employment opportunities for people who have

been impacted by the criminal legal system, in addition to offering catering services for public and private events.

In agreement with Good Samaritan, F4Y will provide 85 meals per day, five days per week to residents of Dignity Moves and Hedges Houses of Hope housing shelters. The F4Y culinary team is led

by Culinary Director Jean Paul LuVanVi, and chefs Jordan Warren and Daniel Palma. Mr. Warren and Mr. Palma are both part of F4Y’s Lived Experience Executive Division.

LEED is a governing body of the organization that is engaged in strategic planning, mentorship, advocacy and all culinary aspects of the organization. All LEED members are individuals who are formerly incarcerated and were involved in F4Y’s services at some point in their journey through the criminal legal system.

In addition, Freedom 4 Youth has partnered with Santa Barbara City College’s School of Extended Learning to revamp its culinary arts classes and provide fresh meals for students, faculty and staff on the Schott campus.

As part of this partnership, F4Y will have access to the Schott Campus’ commercial teaching kitchen to run its culinary arts programming. Access to the commercial kitchen will enable F4Y to run culinary arts workshops and programs, operate catering and meal delivery services and provide job training and placements for people who are impacted by the criminal legal system.

CALENDAR

Continued from Page B1

cost $25 for adults and $10 for children. To purchase, go to sbchoral.org.

MAY 7

2 p.m. Bahia Magia Dance Company presents “Roots of Brazil” at the Center Stage Theater, upstairs at Paseo Nuevo in Santa Barbara. A refreshment hour is set for 5 p.m. Tickets cost $30. To purchase, go to centerstagetheater.org.

3 p.m. The Choral Society will wrap up its 75th anniversary season with a “Mozart to Modern” concert at the First Presbyterian Church of Santa Barbara, 21 E. Constance Ave. Tickets cost $25 for adults and $10 for children. To purchase, go to sbchoral.org.

4 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will present the Youth Symphony at the Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara. The Youth Symphony concert will feature Concerto Competition winners Samuel Peacock, violin, and Noelle Hadsall, piano, as well as a guest appearance by the Westmont College

“Freedom 4 Youth has allowed me to reach my goals of being a chef who gives back to the community that needs it with love, hope and compassion. They really inspire me to be who I am and influence my culinary creativity, and have given me the opportunity to work in a nurturing & positive environment,” said Chef Warren regarding the opportunity with F4Y: Chef Palma reflected on his experience with F4Y, saying: “F4Y has helped me make drastic changes in my life and career choices. With these opportunities for growth, I have been able to become a part of the culinary side of the program as well as the LEED opportunity.”

“I’m thankful to always have an opportunity to continue to work and teach in the profession that I have so much passion and compassion for and the work that we do to help one another teach one another guide, one another, and to support our community,” commented Culinary Director LuVanVi.

For more information about Freedom 4 Youth and its catering services, visit www.freedom4youth.org/ catering.

email: mmcmahon@newspress.com

Choir. Story, A8.

MAY 13 7 p.m. Vocalist Julie Christensen will perform with guitarist Joe Woodard and bassist Steve Nelson at the Ojai Underground Exchange, 616 Pearl St. in Ojai. Ms. Christensen’s album, “The Price We Pay for Love,” was recently released. Tickets are $35. To purchase, go to ojaiundergroundexchangetickets.square. site. For more information, call 805-3407893.

7:30 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform its “Platinum Sounds” concert at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. The orchestra’s 70th anniversary program will feature Grammy-nominated American violinist Philippe Quint on Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor, Opus 64. And the symphony will showcase its own players performing Jonathan Leshnoff’s Concerto Grosso, previously commissioned for the symphony’s 60th anniversary. The orchestra will also perform Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Opus 68. Tickets cost $35 to $175. To purchase, go to granadasb.org

— Dave Mason

Students stand in front of Santa Maria City Hall with their winning entries in the Water Awareness Poster contest.

SUDOKU

Thought for Today

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” — Bill

Gates

HOROSCOPE

Horoscope.com

Saturday, April 6, 2023

ARIES — Are you having problems with your phone, Aries?

Is traffic out of control? Perhaps it might be best to stay home today and put conversations with your friends on hold for a while. You might miss a call from someone far away, but the person will try to reach you later. Relax, make yourself some tea, and enjoy the silence. A little quiet time now and then is good for you.

TAURUS — A treasured possession might be missing somewhere in the house today, Taurus. No matter where you look, you won’t be able to find it. This could stimulate your determination, and you might end up searching for hours. The object is in the house, but it’s probably under something, perhaps in a place you would never dream of looking. Check the biggest rooms in the house.

GEMINI — A romantic partner might suggest a trip together, Gemini, perhaps to a place you’ve been anxious to see. This is a possibility, but now your friend is merely kicking the idea around. If you like the idea, don’t respond too enthusiastically right now or your friend might feel threatened and back off. In fact, don’t talk much at all. Listen and nod agreeably!

CANCER — Uncomfortable intuitive impressions from someone close might be troubling, Cancer. Is your friend ill or bothered by events out of his or her control? Your friend probably won’t want to talk much about it, so you will just have to let them tell you what’s going on when the time is right. This could be frustrating for you, but be patient. That’s all you can do now.

LEO — A goal you’ve been pursuing may be unworkable now, Leo. You may have to put it on hold for a while. This could be disappointing, but think about it carefully. What other dreams do you have? Figure out which ones are most important to you and then decide which are most promising right now. Sometimes little setbacks like this prove to be blessings in disguise.

VIRGO — Confusion may reign today as you try to glean some information that seems to be totally elusive, Virgo. Are you researching a project? Are some of the facts obscure? For now, it might be better to work on something else and go back to your research in a few days. To keep at it now might involve you in

CODEWORD PUZZLE

a lot of work for negligible results.

LIBRA — A sibling or neighbor might be compelled to move away, Libra. This might be emotionally wrenching, and you could have a difficult conversation with this person. It isn’t always easy to let go of someone you care about, but this could be a valuable lesson in detachment. It will probably take you a while get used to the idea, though you still won’t like it. Hang in there!

SCORPIO — Money matters might seem disastrous today, Scorpio. You may have had a temporary setback, but you’re probably being especially pessimistic and not seeing the whole picture. Sit down and try to juggle a few figures. You will probably find that you’re better off than it seemed at first. Whatever expenses come up, you will be able to handle them. Focus on what needs to be done and do it!

SAGITTARIUS — A temporary separation from a romantic partner might have you despairing today, Sagittarius. Your imagination may conjure up all sorts of dreadful scenarios, like your beloved finding someone else. Don’t do this to yourself. Your friend probably misses you, too. Keep busy so the days pass quickly until your friend comes back and you’re together again. Be patient!

CAPRICORN — Have you been walking or exercising too much lately, Capricorn? If so, you might experience aching feet and legs today. Wear comfortable shoes and stay off your feet as much as you can in order to allow the pains to heal. You might want to relax in a hot tub at some point, preferably with a romantic partner! This is one way to turn a misfortune into a great time.

AQUARIUS — A close friend or romantic partner might be in a negative mood today, Aquarius. You may want to try to lift this person out of that mood. Take your friend to a sporting event, party, or funny movie. If you’re refused at first, don’t take no for an answer! It will do your friend good to get out of that funk, and it will do you good as well!

PISCES — You might have trouble with your plumbing today, Pisces, particularly if you have a big kitchen. This is too complex a problem to handle yourself. Pay the money to have a professional take care of the problem. It will save you work and frustration. In the meantime, have a pizza delivered while you’re waiting to get your kitchen back!

DAILY BRIDGE

By FRANK STEWART Tribune Content Agency

Saturday, May 6, 2023

“Simple Saturday” columns focus on basic technique and logical thinking.

Effective defense is impossible without counting. Besides counting declarer’s distribution, highcard points and potential winners, defenders must count their own tricks.

To beat a major-suit game takes four tricks. In today’s deal, West leads a spade against four hearts, and East takes the ace. Before returning partner’s lead, East should think about where the defenders’ four tricks will come from.

TRUMP TRICK?

West is unlikely to have a trump trick, and though he may have a diamond trick, he can’t have the A-K, not having led a diamond. So the defense will surely need one club. If South has the king of spades, they will need two.

At Trick Two, East must shift to the eight of clubs. If West has the king of spades, he will probably get it no matter what. This defense is not a sure thing: If South holds Q J 10, K 10 9 6 5, A 6, A K Q, East must return a spade instead. But that is a specific, unlikely hand for South.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: J 9

Q 7 3. Your partner opens one heart, you bid one spade

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill in the grid so every row, every column and every 3-by-3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9. that means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.

Sudoku puzzles appear on the Diversions page Monday-Saturday and on the crossword solutions page in Sunday’s Life section.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Answers to previous CODEWORD

How to play Codeword

Codeword is a fun game with simple rules, and a great way to test your knowledge of the English language. Every number in the codeword grid is ‘code’ for a letter of the alphabet. Thus, the number 2 may correspond to the letter L, for instance. All puzzles come with a few letters to start. Your first move should be to enter these letters in the puzzle grid. If the letter S is in the box at the bottom of the page underneath the number 2, your first move should be to find all cells numbered 2 in the grid and enter the letter S. Cross the letter S off the list at the bottom of the grid. Remember that at the end you should have a different letter of the alphabet in each of the numbered boxes 1- 26, and a word in English in each of the horizontal and vertical runs on the codeword grid.

PUZZLE

and he rebids two hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your partner promises long hearts — at least a six-card suit — and minimum opening strength.

If your hand were a bit stronger — make your spades Q-10-6-3-2 — you could justify trying for game with a bid of 2NT. With your actual hand, with no heart support, game is too unlikely to pursue. Pass.

South dealer

Both sides vulnerable

Vessel represents history of apothecary and homeopathic treatments

P.O. sends me a photo of a Portuguese majolica covered earthenware glazed pot, large at 20 inches tall, with the word “rincine” on the cover in Latin. The colors are yellow and green on a ground of white colored glazes. I would put it in the early 19th century. Indeed, this is an apothecary’s vessel, and in the Iberian peninsula, many of these were of a type of earthenware called faience, which means a hard baked terracotta with a dense glaze. The result is often called majolica, regionally in Spain and Portugal.

It was so perfect for apothecary usage because once the glaze was set (heat was the agent of the glaze), the vessel was impervious to moisture and to staining.

I am always surprised that these vessels are as large as they are, because they contain lethal drugs in many cases. The theory of homeopathy is that a small dose of something lethal often triggers the body to react favorably, and this theory was of significance in the old apothecary shops. But so was the opposite, meaning that high doses of poisons were necessary as well. In the 16th and 17th centuries, at the “chemist,” one would see these vessels lining the shelves, and containing any manner of plant-based materials.

This vessel is probably the most interesting one of its type that I have seen in years. It seems to date from the early 19th century and is majolica, suggesting it hails from Spain or Portugal, but the design is more modern, so it could be a reproduction vessel from the early 20th century. In any event, it has the look of a 16th-century vessel.

The plant-based material that it once contained was Ricin, a lectin, a potent toxin produced in the seeds of the castor oil plant, called by its Latin name Ricinus

Communis. How lethal? The power of this toxic, if inhaled, injected or ingested, is deadly. It inhibits the body’s protein synthesis. Meaning the little powder once housed in this vessel could have caused a fatal hemorrhage in the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal system. Sometimes we don’t understand just how much people knew about plant medicine well before us. They also knew about what poisons could do. So, this vessel from the early 19th century reminds us just how much our

ancient understanding of toxins influenced early medicine, because this vessel with its Lain nomenclature, harkens back to the 15th and 16th centuries.

During the two world wars, the biological properties of Ricin were examined closely as a weapon. And if you are a fan of the AMC show “Breaking Bad,” you could have seen the Ricin toxin discussed as a real weapon — and a real problem.

The vessel itself is remarkable for its shape and glaze, which is, as stated, in the style called faience. That means it is earthenware,

sealed by a heavy and pigmented glaze. This style was used for any and all vessels for the table and for the chemist’s shop, when one needed a vessel that was watertight.

Porcelain was not available in Europe until the 19th century and was at that time prohibitively expensive because it was not known to Europe before the 18th century.

The kilns used to make porcelain, once discovered in Europe, were expensive. Porcelain is fired to 2,000 degrees, and faience is fired at a far lower temperature — and is just as watertight with a cheap salt base or lead based glaze. (Porcelain does not need a glaze to be watertight.) So faience, or majolica, was the answer to tableware and any other vessel that needed to be non-porous for hundreds of years. I find it interesting that P.O., who sent me this picture, is a collector of objects known to the ancient apothecary shops. I had the honor of closing a great Santa Barbara chemist’s shop, and helping to sell the antiques collected there.

We donated many objects to The Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum in Alexandria, Va. You will find that this museum boasts a vast collection of herbal botanicals, hand-blown glass and medical equipment. It also has a spectacular collection of archival materials, including journals, prescription and formula books, ledgers, orders and invoices. The museum is a National Historic Landmark.

If the museum staff knew about P.O.’s Ricin vessel, they would drool. I have no real idea of the value as I don’t know apothecary material, but can suggest $1,000 and above.

Dr. Elizabeth Stewart’s “Ask the Gold Digger” column appears Saturdays in the News-Press. Written after her father’s COVID-19 diagnosis, Dr. Stewart’s book “My Darlin’ Quarantine: Intimate Connections Created in Chaos” is a humorous collection of five “what-if” short stories that end in personal triumphs over presentday constrictions. It’s available at Chaucer’s in Santa Barbara.

MINDS

Continued from Page B1 an imminent future where all community members can easily seek out and participate in the mental health support they need,” said Ms. Cameron.

For Kimberly Quinn, the MWC Art Faire was a “powerful first step in my long recovery journey. The confidence I hatched through the art festival kept growing. A few years later, I became a liveexperience speaker with NAMI Ventura County and started using my story to help others.”

The Maine native revealed that her first hospitalization at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital was the result of a serious suicide attempt.

“Initially, I spent some time in a medically induced coma in the ICU. I am one of the lucky ones. Far too many people don’t get the chance to start over and find their way. I’m immensely grateful I landed in a psychiatric unit where the staff saw qualities in me that I couldn’t see for myself

at the time — humor, intelligence, talent. My illnesses made me blind to seeing positive things about myself. Those professionals really focused on helping me find my way forward.

She admitted the path hasn’t been easy.

“There have been a lot of setbacks, including eight more hospitalizations. But today, I can tell you I’m genuinely proud of who I am. I share my mental health story because I want people, especially people who are still in dark places, to know there is hope.”

As the Community Education and Communications Specialist at NAMI in Ventura County, Ms. Quinn runs programs for high schools and creates workshops “that help (all) people start hard, but necessary, conversations and break down stigma.”

A graduate of the University of Maine with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, she earned her master’s degree in photography from the Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara. She lives in Santa Barbara with her husband, Vince,

and son, Eli, 17, a junior at San Marcos High School. Additionally, she is the president for Mission City Roller Derby.

“I’ve been skating derby for five years now, and it’s a huge part of my recovery. Why? The biggest is that it is an amazing community. From the moment I joined Mission City Roller Derby, I didn’t feel the need to hide my mental health challenges.

“Living with chronic, serious mental health conditions can be incredibly isolating. Having a community where I am supported on both good days and rough days is empowering. The Brawlin’ Betties are my team, but they’ve also become my family, my cheerleaders, and a constant safe place for me to thrive.

“In fact, they have done multiple fundraisers to help me handle the very, very expensive fallout from side effects of my psych medications. None of it would have been possible without that first step.”

email: mmcmahon@newspress.com

Robert Keller’s art David Soliz’s art COURTESY IMAGES

COURTESY PHOTO

This Ricin vessel seems to date from the early 19th century and is majolica, suggesting it hails from Spain or Portugal,

Biden nds a new way to redistribute wealth and misery

“The poor of the world cannot be made rich by the redistribution of wealth.”

— P. J. O’Rourke

The mortgage interest deduction is one of the oldest and largest tax expenditures in the federal government.

It is the largest federal subsidy for owner-occupied housing.

Homeowners are also able to deduct residential property taxes and exclusion of tax on the first $250,000 ($500,000 for joint returns) of capital gains on housing. That is why politicians sink money into housing markets when the economy is struggling. And that is also why every American has a desire to buy a home.

After his victory in the 1984 presidential election, President Ronald Reagan made simplification of the tax code his goal during his second term. Working with Democratic House Speaker Tip O’Neill, President Reagan was able to sell his proposal to the Democratic Congress, which didn’t want such a radical reworking of the federal tax code. President Reagan’s objective was to simplify the tax code, which would remove six million lower-income middle class Americans from the federal tax base completely. The act lowered federal income tax rates and reduced the top tax rate from 50% to 28%. The act expanded the earned income credit, the standard deduction and the personal exemption. The tax act eliminated a number of write-offs but lowered tax rates with a higher personal exemption.

It eliminated most consumer interest write offs, but it retained the home mortgage interest deduction.

Although people whimpered and moaned about losing their credit card interest and car loan write-offs, President Reagan leveled the playing field for those who take the short form just as President Donald Trump did with his tax cuts. With over half of the people taking the short form, they benefited most.

“I am the only president who ever raised his own tax rate so other people could pay less.”

— Donald Trump

For years, politicians from both parties, for the most part, respected homeowners and their ability to write off mortgage interest. Some even went too far such as Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. President Carter claimed, “Homeownership was an American right, not a privilege

earned through hard work.” And President Clinton helped create a chaotic mess of creative financing that collapsed the industry in 2007.

During the darkest days of the Great Recession, the Fed went overboard with quantitative easing and lowered the prime rate to “zero” to pump up the housing market. Fed Chair Janet Yellen floated President Barack Obama’s recovery with zero interest rates for eight years. Since the Fed was giving money away, home sales and prices took off like a cat running from a rocking chair.

“We invested a huge sum of money into housing to help end the recession and it didn’t cost Americans a dime.”

— President Barack Obama

The Fed did not start raising interest rates until Donald Trump took office. Before the pandemic, his economy was booming. Black and Hispanic employment was the highest in history, and the rate of unemployment was the lowest in decades. Even though the Fed started raising the prime interest

rate, home sales and prices continued to soar. This lasted until the pandemic shut the nation down.

Since President Biden took office, he has been spending money like a Vegas high roller.

But the difference between the “high roller” and President Biden is, when the gambler runs out of money, he knows it is time to quit gambling. On the other hand, Joe Biden has an endless bankroll: the Fed and the taxpayers.

Besides record high inflation and energy prices, he has increased entitlement spending by 41%. According to recent figures from the CBO, President Biden has added nearly $10 trillion in new debt to our nation’s deficit.

Jason Smith, head of the House Budget Committee, said, “Washington Democrats have embarked on a massive, reckless spending spree that has driven consumer prices up 13.7% since Joe Biden took office and is leading Americans into an economic recession. After 19 months of this administration, it’s clear that President Biden is all talk and no action on deficit

reduction.”

Although liberal media has downplayed President Biden’s spending, with the Fed cutting the money supply, Mr. Biden is looking under every rock for spare change to keep spending.

President Biden gave the IRS the OK to hire 87,000 new IRS agents to squeeze every extra dime he can out of the American taxpayer.

“Too many fat cats have not been paying their fair share of taxes for too long a time.”

— Joe Biden

President Biden has just revealed a scheme to help finance his spending and redistribute the wealth and misery for American taxpayers. For the first time in the history of this nation, President Biden plans to make home buyers with high credit scores and those buying better homes pay a penalty for having good credit and too much money. He wants to redistribute their wealth so he can make them miserable.

NewsNation reported President Biden’s spread-the-wealth rule

went into effect Monday, at the start of the spring buying season. Buyers with a credit score of 680 or higher will pay $40 a month more for a $400,000 loan than people with worse scores. This group will also see a huge spike in the cost of mortgages. The biggest increase will be for those who put down 15% to 20% when they buy a home.

According to HUD, the higher fees imposed on borrowers with high credit scores is the best way to subsidize those with low credit scores. Their goal is to increase homeownership across the country with these penalties.

But the Federal Housing Authority, which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, fears this scheme will backfire and repeat what happened in 2007, and make matters worse.

“Why mess with something that works and screw it up? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” — Bert Lance

A loan officer at Bay Equity

Please see HAUPT on C4

Remembering the details of the Hunter Biden a air

The Family Court proceedings taking place in Arkansas are just another example of the utter venality of what seems to be the entire Biden family.

Not only did presidential son Hunter Biden refuse to acknowledge his daughter, Navy, now 4 years old, until a DNA analysis proved he is indeed her father, but even after that proof of parenthood, Hunter’s dad — President Joe Biden — continues to deny his granddaughter’s existence.

Hunter is attempting to reduce his child support payments. At the same time, his family is opposing Lunden Roberts’ (Navy’s mom) request to officially change her daughter’s last name to Biden.

Hunter and Lunden (stage name: Dallas) met at the Mpire Gentlemen’s Club in Washington, D.C., where she worked as a dancer. They had an affair that led to a pregnancy.

When you compare the dysfunctional and acquisitive

nature of this first family to our previous first family’s accomplished poise, the contrast is stark.

What? You don’t remember the name Hunter Biden? President Joseph Biden’s wayward son, whose debauchery was self-recorded in intimate and graphic detail on an infamous laptop computer?

The same laptop that also unmasked the family enterprise Hunter headed up that had every earmark of the Bidens having sold out the United States of America for personal gain?

If you are a mainstream news recipient, then you probably have never seen or read any of the scurrilous e-mails or videos from that computer. You’ve never read Miranda Devine’s explosive “Laptop from Hell,” containing a trove of dirty secrets behind the machinations of the Biden family. No, you were “protected” from those revelations by a consortium

of “intelligence” operatives, including former CIA chief John Brennan, former CIA Director and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, former National Intelligence Director James Clapper — all of whom knew better — along with 48 other names who claimed that laptop “had all the earmarks” of Russian disinformation.

They also knew better.

They were all aware that what they were publicly signing was a lie that would help the likely casualty of the exposed activity gain occupancy of the White House. You never read about it, other than understanding that it was “proven” Russian disinformation, therefore not something you should have taken seriously, if at all. You never read about it because virtually the entire press establishment in the U.S. aggressively ignored its contents.

Unfortunately, other than Ms. Devine, there were and are no

more Bob Woodwards or Carl Bernsteins in the national press corps. There weren’t and aren’t any curious journalists on major news outlets in the U.S. except for Fox News Channel (which did cover the story extensively, and daily).

So, for those (such as I) who continue to believe the 2020 presidential election was stolen from President Trump, the suppression of the contents of Hunter’s laptop is the smoking gun, the tell-tale tip-off, proof positive of the nationwide conspiracy that brought down President Trump. Hunter Biden’s dissolution was hiding in plain sight, as was the collusion between father and son, between Joe (the Big Guy, sometimes referred to as “Pops”) and Hunter.

In her book, Ms. Devine reports on the e-mails, all of which have been authenticated, the payments, the spending at strip clubs by Hunter, the drugs he purchased, the prostitutes he hired, and the high-paying “jobs” attained by his

DID YOU KNOW?

Bonnie Donovan

loseTaxpayers money over parklets

Did you know the Santa Barbara City Council has put taxpayers in the restaurant rental business — to lose money?

And no, you won’t get a discount on your meal when sitting on your State Street right-of-way.

A public records request revealed how much has been spent on the State Street promenade to date. The answer is over $3 million.

The restaurants with parklets on State Street are the only benefactors. We were all behind helping the restaurants throughout the city survive during the shutdown. But they are fully operational now and have been for a while.

There are 92 restaurant parklets in the city, according to Megan Salas, parking programs supervisor, as reported April 5 in the NewsPress.

In the State Street area where most of the parklets are placed, the rents for restaurants range from $4.50 per square feet to $9 per sq. feet. Triple net.

The city staff were directed by the city council to craft a parklet rental scheme that took into consideration certain factors, specified by the council.

After months of work, city staff completed and presented a detailed proposal responding fully to the assignment given by the council members. After several reviews by the council, it was agreed that the proposal would be placed on the “consent agenda” for formal, council approval.

It is important to note here that the staff proposal included a series of rent-persquare-foot options based on the different circumstances pertaining to different types of parklets the restaurants could choose from. The option with the lowest rental rate was $3 per square foot. The lowest available rent for interior restaurant space on State Street is $4.50 per square feet, and rents on State Street can be as high as $9 per square feet.

At the April 18, city council meeting, Councilmember Alejandra Gutierrez raised her Fickle Finger of Fate to torpedo both the instructions given to the staff and the hard work by the staff in responding with a solution.

father for him. Her breakout story in the New York Post just weeks before the 2020 election, however, was successfully crushed.

In a way, it’s impressive. That a man who served as U.S. senator from a small state for nearly 40 years could wield the kind of power and influence he brought to bear to the entire political establishment, is a significant achievement.

In corruption.

The laptop that crack-cocaineaddled Hunter Biden dropped off on April 12, 2019, at John Paul Mac Isaac’s computer repair shop in Wilmington, Delaware containing thousands of damning e-mails, videos, confessionals, and photos, was effectively smothered.

Ms. Devine describes how quickly her story was shut down:

“BIDEN SECRET E-MAILS

Revealed: Ukrainian exec thanked Hunter Biden for ‘opportunity to meet’ Veep dad,’ read the front page.

At the April 25 council meeting, it was proposed that all the parklets should be charged by the city a flat rate of $2 per square foot for parklet occupancy of the public right of way.

There was no rationale, except that they had received a lot of emails from restaurant owners, and they were responding to public pressure.

Well, given that there are 92 parklets, 400 letters amount to an average of 4.4 letters from each of the parklet owners and their employees. They have enjoyed rent-free outdoor space for parklets over two years. Of course, they are going to write to minimize the rent.

The rapidity with which the council coup de gras was accomplished is a little suspicious. Immediately, four other council members jumped in and voted to approve the motion. Was there an agreement to reject the staff proposal, in advance of the meeting?

Mayor Randy Rowse,

William Haupt III

The author is a Center Square contributor

PURELY POLITICAL

“For the fi rst time in the history of this nation, President (Joe) Biden plans to make home buyers with high credit scores and those buying better homes pay a penalty for having good credit and too much money,” columnist William Haupt III writes. “He wants to redistribute their wealth so he can make them miserable.”

Wendy McCaw Arthur von Wiesenberger Co-Publisher Co-Publisher

GUEST OPINION

Bring back Prop. 13 protections

T he thought of a death tax is horrifying.

If death were not penalty enough, your heirs should not be penalized via taxation on inherited property.

Just about everyone agrees on this. Since 1978, families have been protected against taxes being imposed on inherited property via the hugely popular Proposition 13, also known as the Jarvis Amendment. Prop. 13 specified that when a home or farm is inherited, there would not be additional taxes.

This ensured that the recipient of an inheritance would not be put in the position of being forced to sell a property to pay the increased taxes levied when the property was reassessed at inheritance.

However, on Nov. 3, 2020, voters narrowly (51%) approved Prop. 19, which imposed a death tax on inherited property.

Prop. 19 eliminated many of the protections afforded by the Jarvis Amendment, and now a family can be forced to sell a property or farm to pay the taxes imposed by reassessment at inheritance.

SCA 4 will re-establish the protections afforded by Prop. 13, thereby ensuring that families will not be forced to sell homes or farms due to taxes imposed upon the death of a loved one.

of the proposition was: Changes certain property tax rules. Legislative constitutional amendment. The description on the ballot only mentions that it “changes taxation of familyproperty transfers.”

While there are some tax savings to seniors or disaster victims, the net effect of the bill is to increase tax revenue by hundreds of million to the state. This is an example of special interests and big money facilitating the passage of a bill that is unpopular with most voters.

In spite of the great imbalance of funding in support vs in opposition to the bill and the deceptive packaging, the bill squeaked by with a 51% margin. This can be rectified by getting SCA 4 on the ballot. Call or write your representative and insist that she support SCA 4.

Jeff Barton Santa Barbara

Supervisors choose red ink over red wine!

Irecently wrote about the Santa Barbara County budget hearing wherein the board discussed soaring labor costs (over $700 million in salaries, benefits and pensions), failing infrastructure (over $500 million worth), while proposing new taxes so that they can grow government even more. (They already have a $1.5 billion budget and 4,628 employees.)

This pervasive growth of government comes at the expense of the private sector, which is paying the bills for all the above. Overbearing regulations, including the torturously slow and uncertain permitting process, along with high taxes and fees, hinder economic development and job creation.

For example, did you know that our No. 1 tourist attraction is the wine industry, which draws over 50% of the tourists coming to the Central Coast? Yet this industry has an uphill battle drawing and serving these tourists in a manner that is standard in the industry in places like our neighbor to the north, San Luis Obispo County! How so?

Because there are so many competing wine labels in stores and restaurants, it is vital for vintners to draw people to their wineries for a first-hand impression.

Wineries elsewhere do this by offering food, entertainment and events such as weddings to wine lovers. However, in Santa Barbara County, offering any of these valueadded accouterments has always been a battle.

Moreover, over 50% of the grapes grown in Santa Barbara County must be shipped out of the county for processing because county supervisors will not permit facilities that are large enough to process our grapes locally. Why? Because they want to keep the county as “rural” as possible even at the expense of our farmers obviously.

Lost on our supervisors is the fact that bottling and selling wine here has a 3x or more multiplier effect for our local economy. That is, $3,000 worth of raw fruit becomes $10,000 worth of wine and jobs.

Well, we thought we had seen it all until the county planning commission required some local grape

growers to pay for a very costly environmental impact report to build frost ponds for their vineyard. Frost ponds must be used to store water that is sprayed on the vines to prevent the fruit from being damaged by freezing temperatures.

Nobody, I mean nobody, has ever had to do anything more than get an over-thecounter permit to build a frost pond until now. The ag community is aghast as evidenced by a letter from the county Farm Bureau to the planning commission.

One of the excuses the county planning commission gave for what amounted to this overwrought 5-year delay is that the project is located some 10 miles outside of the town of Cuyama, which is in serious overdraft. However, the planning commissioners have ignored the fact that via the implementation of the State Groundwater Management Act, which is now the prevailing authority on water use by both urbanites and farmers throughout the state, no restrictions have been placed on this vineyard’s use of water. That is because this vineyard does not draw from the same aquifer as does the area in overdraft. Hello?

Moreover, to add more insult to injury, the local vintners who created and manage this vineyard are some of the most respected people in the industry. Their families go back several generations in this county. Furthermore, the wines coming off this vineyard are rated among the top 100 in the world!

Instead of celebrating this incredible accomplishment, the county’s obscene abuse and overreach on this project are risking the yields to be destroyed by frost while creating dangerous precedent for other vintners.

Hence, Santa Barbara County hinders the growing, the bottling and the most effective method of marketing grapes, while pretending to support farmers. Talk about the wrath for grapes. We could and should be awash in red (and white.) wine rather than red ink.

The Senate Governance and Finance Committee will hold a special hearing on SCA 4 on May 10. Please call or write your representatives and encourage support and co-authorship of SCA 4.

By supporting SCA 4 ,your representative is supporting the interests of the voters who put them in office.

The story of how Prop. 19 got passed is a tale of special interests, big money and deceit which exemplifies the worst our political system has to offer. Prop. 19 was sponsored and financed by the California Association of Realtors. Financial support for passage of Prop. 19 totaled 47 million, 96% of which came from the California Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors. Opponents to Prop. 19 raised $45,000.

Funding in support of Prop 19 was 1,000 times greater than the funding for the opposition. As a result, advertisements and direct mailings in support of Prop. 19 swamped any outreach in opposition to it.

Prop.19 results in increased volume of home sales, which is what the association of Realtors is concerned with.

Prop. 19 was packaged in a way that hid the impact it would have on inheritance transfers. The official title of the bill was: The home protection for seniors, severely disabled, families and victims of wildfire or natural disasters act. No mention of increased taxes on inherited property.

On the ballot the description

Ethics code important for Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has a serious ethics problem, and the latest revelations about Clarence Thomas should be alarming to every American.

For 20 years, Justice Thomas has accepted highend, luxury, all-expense-paid vacations around the world from Republican mega-donor Harlan Crow. What’s more, he also sold three properties to the billionaire and never reported it on his financial disclosures.

And now, it’s come to light that Mr. Crow paid the private school tuition for Justice Thomas’s grandnephew. And he never disclosed any of it to the public. Supreme Court decisions impact every facet of American life. Because of this, justices must be held to the highest ethical standards. When Americans see news like this about Clarence Thomas — or anything other justice — the court demonstrates that it cannot hold itself accountable

and it doesn’t take its responsibilities seriously.

A court with no legitimacy only hurts the American people. It’s time for Congress to pass a Supreme Court code of ethics to bring legitimacy back to the court.

Marian Viramontes Santa Barbara

The dangers of equity

T oday everything is about equity. Everyone needs to feel worthy, so they need to end up at the same place.

In school, forget about being able to write a proper sentence or analyze and answer a math problem. But those who do work and study and want to achieve good grades are held back so the underachievers can feel good about themselves. Does it go back to when everyone on a kids ball team got a trophy just for showing up?

In government, equity is a dangerous game. When important decisions must be made, it doesn’t help if the assigned person was chosen because of sex or race. Knowledge and experience are necessary if you want to see our country operating well.

Throughout our administration we see people unfit to perform the duties expected of them. We see coverups and double talk and lying everyday while our country is betrayed on every front.

Efforts to fill race and gender quotas always lead to disaster because quality is never considered. It can’t be blamed on the Peter Principle, that old idea that people rise to the top of their competence and then just level out there. No, because they have been promoted not because of any relevant competency, just picked out of a basket of true deplorables and elevated to a position for which they are unfit.

It’s like a teeter totter balanced on a fulcrum of equality, on one side is quality and on the other is equity. Either one or the other will rise up. If you seek quality, there will not be equity, but if you want equity there will not be quality. As far as quality goes, race and gender are irrelevant.

Sports teams are the perfect example of why equity is not a good idea. Does any fan want his team chosen by gender or race instead of ability to hit the ball or get the basketball into the hoop? Equity and quality are mutually exclusive.

What has made our country great was our moral foundation and an educated, well-informed populace. Under these conditions, anyone could rise from humble beginnings with dedication and hard work to well deserved status. In the past, we have seen this happen in real time in our greatest companies and leaders. Our goal: out of many, one great nation.

Gretchen Kieding Solvang

Escape from New York — or is it?

Editor’s note: This concludes columnist Brent E. Zepke’s series “Escape from New York.”

Mark Walker, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, specified the roles judges play in trials.

Judges:

• Preside over the proceedings and see that order is maintained.

• Determine whether any of the evidence that the parties want to use is illegal or improper.

• Give the jury the law that applies to the case and the standards that they must use to decide the case. Judges do this before the jury begins its deliberations about the facts of the case.

In addition, in a bench trial, the judge must also determine the facts and decide the case.

And in all cases, the judge is to sentence convicted criminal defendants.

Sadly, however, sometimes these roles are abused.

For example, federal Judge Lewis Kaplan, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, ruled in the case of the writer E. Jean Carroll suing former President Donald

Finally, the tide is turning on tackling crime

The irony is like staring at the sun. You don’t feel anything, but if you do it long enough, you’ll go blind. Such is the case with the wonderment of the democrats. They have been staring at their ideological sun for so long they can no longer see their own stupidity. While the cities of America were being burned down, they aided and encouraged violent crime and carnage. They supported the criminals who were never held accountable because it was their right to hold rallies and go shopping without paying. The deafening mantra of “defund the police” made my tinnitus even worse.

For those of us who still had a modicum of common sense, we knew no good was going to come of it. Crime has always shined in cities run by liberals. But when those Democrat-controlled strongholds gave the green light that nothing was going to happen to you if you broke the law … well, how’s that working out now?

To enact no bail, no punishment for dealing and doing drugs, setup camp wherever you feel like, take guns away from the innocents but leave the criminals armed, change the laws to appease skin color, do away with enhancements, loot stores and destroy businesses, something in the force is going to shift. And shift it has.

I had written a few weeks ago about the increase in Americans applying for concealed carry weapons and the number of guns being purchased. Yet brain-dead politicians still think to make their incompetence appear powerful they enact frivolous gun restrictions pretending that will make things better.

A recent glaring example is the Texas shooter. Where was the red flag on that guy? An illegal alien arrived under President Joe Biden’s red carpet open-door policy and was shooting a rifle in a neighborhood.

This illegal alien had been deported four times, and he had weapons. Just how did he get those? Why did he have them? Why was he even here in the first place?

Sadly, his victims were seeking the American dream. They were part of President Biden’s “asylum seekers” from Honduras when their dream turned into a nightmare.

Trump for allegedly raping her in a dressing room in the Bergdorf Goodman store even though much like Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Judge Kavanaugh of a similar act, Ms. Carroll does not remember the day, month or year, or why she did not tell the store or the police. How can any defendant prove that they were not even there for an unknown day 30 years ago?

Ms. Carroll testified that she went into the dressing room with Mr. Trump to watch him, yes him, try on the lingerie he was considering for Marla Maples. Really? Is she aware of their size differences? Judge Kaplan’s permitting other women to testify about unsubstantiated other acts is “improper” for the same reason that introducing at a rape trial that the victim was a prostitute: the trial is about one alleged act and not about allegations of a person’s entire history.

The judge also barred the defense from introducing that Ms. Carroll’s deposition testimony was that no one was financing her litigation, but later she said Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn, was financing it. This evidence was clearly admissible as proof of her

lack of credibility.

This is a civil case, meaning the remedy sought is “money,” Or is it? Ms. Carroll exchanged emails in 2019 with a friend where they discussed a “scheme” to keep President Trump from being reelected.

In another New York case, Judge Meechan is permitting District Attorney Alvin Bragg to continue to pursue an allegation of election fraud despite the former commissioner of the Federal Elections Commission, Hans von Spakovsky, saying “No local state prosecutor has the authority to enforce federal campaign crimes” and “But the prosecutor is counting on that he’s in Manhattan, one of the most liberal jurisdictions in the country.” Is it only in New York, where politics triumphs over the law?

Not really. For example, there’s the recent case of Dominion v. Fox in the Delaware Superior Court of New Castle County (where I used to live), which is not to be confused with the Delaware Chancery Court that has earned a good reputation for its handling of corporate matters.

For Dominion to win its filed a defamation case against the Fox New Channel and its contributors for their stories about the 2020

Couple the massive influx of the six million whose President Biden’s cartel invited into the U.S. in the last two years, with millions more on the way, and allow them to shove their faces at millions of Americans barely surviving, and you’re brewing up a pot of hell.

We’re all aware how our media has selective reporting and gets their orders from someone else. The bad news they don’t want the public to hear that goes against their own ideological thinking, usually never surfaces. People are being shot, killed, raped and humantrafficked every single day, but those are not the headlines.

Donald Trump accused of rape, major headline. Hunter Biden cashing checks from China and sharing the wealth with his family and claiming he’s broke and refusing to pay child support — that’s not a headline.

Yet it appears a glimmer of sanity is forming for those with less gray matter.

First and foremost is our unmemorable and four-moreyears candidate, President Joe Biden, who says he needs another term to finish the job. The problem is, he didn’t finish

Andy Caldwell is the COLAB executive director and host of “The Andy Caldwell Show,” airing

the

Press radio station.

Andy Caldwell

Brent E. Zepke

The author lives in Santa Barbara.

COURTESY PHOTO

COURTESY PHOTO Clarence Thomas

Joe Biden and history lessons for 2024

President Joe Biden has made his bid for a second term official, and the first big news following the announcement is his latest approval rating released by Gallup. It shows Biden’s approval reaching a new low in his presidency: 37%.

But let’s take a quick look at history before Republicans start celebrating.

Gallup shows President Biden’s approval rating average for the latest quarter of his presidency, his ninth, at 39.7%. Gallup also shows where each president post-World War II stood in approval at the same time in their presidency.

The highest was President George H.W. Bush, whose ninth quarter average stood at 82.7%. The lowest was President Ronald Reagan, whose ninth quarter average stood at 38.8%.

But despite President George H.W. Bush soaring in the polls in his ninth quarter, a year and half later, he was defeated in his re-election bid by challenger Bill Clinton. And President Ronald Reagan, despite tanking in approval ratings in his ninth quarter, went on a year and half later to recapture the presidency, defeating challenger Walter Mondale, in a massive landslide victory in which President Reagan captured 49 of 50 states.

What lessons might be learned?

One, of course, is that political life is highly volatile, and predicting what will be from one moment to the next is almost impossible. So the lesson

regarding predicting what will be in 2024 is that it is far too early to know — regardless of what polls say.

A second lesson might be the importance that candidates are honest and true to their stated convictions. Don’t tell voters what you think they want to hear. Tell them what you believe is true. George Bush pledged in 1988 at the Republican nominating convention “no new taxes.”

Then, early into his presidency, he agreed to a budget deal with Democrats that included tax increases. Many believe his failure to get re-elected stemmed

from his betrayal of this pledge to his party.

President Reagan, on the other hand, never budged an inch off his plans, promises and principles.

He was elected in 1980 during terrible economic conditions of socalled stagflation — high inflation and low economic growth.

President Reagan knew tough medicine had to be delivered to turn things around. His Federal Reserve chairman, Paul Volcker, clamped down on money to get inflation under control, despite this plunging the economy into recession.

Meanwhile, President Reagan

shepherded through major legislation to cut spending and taxes.

The recession resulting from the bitter monetary medicine clobbered President Reagan in the polls. But he weathered the storm, refusing to budge on principles. And it paid off. The medicine worked, the economy bounced back in a major way, and President Reagan won a landslide re-election victory.

The Republican field of candidates for 2024 is growing.

The difference between Democrats and Republicans today is that among Democrats, there

is unity. There are, of course, legitimate concerns among Democrats about President Biden’s age. But there is no question regarding support for what he stands for. Even socialist Bernie Sanders, who opposed him in the 2020 primaries, has endorsed him.

Democrats don’t care about fiscal and moral profligacy. They like it and are not afraid to say it. This is who they are.

But Republicans continue to be all over the place despite the very deep, clear and, yes, dangerous problems confronting the nation.

We are drowning in government spending and debt with sluggish economic growth. Our big entitlement programs – Social Security and Medicare — are broken. Making them bigger with more government is not the answer. Real reform is.

Our public education system is broken. We need parental choice.

And our families are broken. We need real love, personal responsibility, traditional values and reverence for the sanctity of life.

The biggest favor that can be done for American voters is to offer them a clear choice between liberal and conservative visions in 2024. Democrats are doing their part. It’s time for Republicans to step up.

Star Parker is president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education and host of the weekly television show “Cure America with Star Parker.” To find out more about Star Parker and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators.com.

Copyright 2023 by Creators.com.

President’s Washington visit underscores South Korea importance

President Yoon Suk-yeol of South Korea has just completed a six-day visit to Washington, D.C.

The relatively lengthy visit by the head of government underscores both the international influence of his nation and the high priority of the alliance with the United States.

The visit marks the 70th anniversary of the vital alliance between South Korea and the United States.

This is the second summit, and fifth meeting in total, between President Joe Biden and President Yoon in less than a year. The packed itinerary included an address to a joint session of Congress, a visit to the Goddard Space Center of NASA, an important stop at the Pentagon, an assembly of South Korean and U.S. business representatives hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and a state dinner at the White House.

The long-term increase in

Moochers and looters

There’s a socialist wave in Latin America. Mexico, Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil recently elected leftists. These politicians at least distance themselves from thugs like Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro, but all propose socialism-lite policies giving the government more control over more people.

Why don’t people in Latin America learn from the mistakes of the past? Gloria Alvarez, a social media star from Guatemala, is running for president of her country to try to educate people about the damage socialism does.

People do need educating.

“It’s like Stockholm syndrome,” says Ms. Alvarez in my new video. “When you ask people, ‘Who should take care of health, education, football, arts, whatever?,’ they always answer, ‘government.’ How are you going to not have corruption if you leave everything in the hands of the government?”

Ms. Alvarez’s campaign is based on social media. Her TikTok announcing her campaign garnered 1.5 million views.

I’d like to think I taught her how to do that. Ms. Alvarez was once a Stossel TV Fellow. I’m hiring another now.

tensions with the surviving communist regime in North Korea, which includes Pyongyang’s expanding nuclear weapons program, adds significance to the visit and the relationship.

As recently as the early 1960s, South Korea was one of the poorest economies in the world.

Still a peasant society, the entire Korean peninsula was terribly devastated by the Korean War of 1950-53.

Yet today, South Korea ranks among the top 20 economies in the world, holding leadership roles in the automobile, advanced electronics, shipbuilding and other industries.

Rapid industrialization and economic modernization have been complemented by the striking transition from dictatorship to democracy.

President and General Park Chung-hee stifled incipient

democracy and imposed extremely harsh military authoritarianism for nearly two decades. He was assassinated in 1979 by the head of the KCIA, the national intelligence agency. In Korean memory, he remains a respected symbol of strength and effectiveness for many, though with progress and the passage of time that fades. General Park was succeeded as chief executive by two more generals, Chun Doo Hwan and Roe Tae Woo, but growing pressure for true democratic representation proved insurmountable.

The capstone of transition to democracy was the election of Kim Dae-jung as president in 1998. He completed his five-year term without interruption, and in 2000 received the Nobel Peace Prize.

A public symbol of opposition to Park’s dictatorship, he was

imprisoned for several years. On another occasion, KCIA agents kidnapped him and planned to kill him. Only the intervention of senior U.S. CIA official Don Gregg saved his life.

South Korea’s remarkable domestic accomplishments have unfolded while the country becomes increasingly influential in global arenas. In 2012, the Obama administration shrewdly nominated President Jim Yong Kim of Dartmouth College, who was born in Seoul, South Korea, as president of the World Bank. The original vision of the United Nations combined competing goals of favoring the most powerful nations and inclusive global representation.

Mr. Kim and former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Kimoon personify South Korea’s significant expanding role as a bridge between developed and developing nations. Market economies and reasonably representative

governments now characterize a steadily increasing share of the world’s developing nations. In short, South Korea is positioned to lead developing nations toward prosperity.

The United Nations today is strong. UN and U.S. decisions in 1950 to defend South Korea were vital to this success.

President Yoon has the opportunity to develop a starring global leadership role, with noisy North Korea shunted off to stage left. At the state dinner, President Yoon sang lines from Don McLean’s 1971 song “American Pie.”

Arthur I. Cyr is author of “After the Cold War - American Foreign Policy, Europe and Asia” (NYU Press and Palgrave/Macmillan). He is also the director of the Clausen Center at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisc., and a Clausen Distinguished Professor. He welcomes questions and comments at acyr@carthage.edu.

What’s needed is not false ‘compassion’ but real courage

An obsession with a distorted sense of “compassion” is strangling our national debate on the most important issues of our time and contributing to the ongoing deterioration of the country.

Leftist activists and politicians love to appeal to people’s “compassion” in support of policies with demonstrably destructive results, and we must stop being taken in by this deceit if we are to have any hope of repairing our damaged nation.

Blue city/blue state policies on mental illness, drug use and homelessness are perfect examples. An NPR article from 2017 described “deinstitutionalization” — the nationwide effort to close mental hospitals and other long-term psychiatric facilities in the 1950s and 1960s – as being an outgrowth of the civil rights movement. But the hopedfor move to “community-based” care was a chimera. In fact, thousands — perhaps tens of thousands — of the most seriously mentally ill have ended up homeless. There they have stayed, and their numbers have grown —particularly in places where policies permit it.

California is perhaps the best (worst) example. Los Angeles County alone has nearly 70,000 homeless.

The San Francisco Chronicle projected that the city’s homeless population to be around 20,000 last year. Sacramento has seen a 70% increase in homelessness just since 2019.

The official narrative at present is that homelessness is primarily a function of lack of affordable housing, but this is a sleight of hand. According to author Michael Shellenberger, fully two-thirds of Los Angeles’ homeless population deal with addiction or mental illness, and half of the homeless in San Francisco are dealing with both. Affordable housing will solve neither

problem.

Progressives attack Mr. Shellenberger because he has the audacity to attack California’s so-called progressive policies as contributing to the crisis. But homelessness and mental illness are national phenomena, so comparing statistics from different states shores up Mr. Shellenberger’s arguments.

California’s population is around 40 million, and it has nearly 170,000 homeless people. Florida has a population of 22 million, and its weather is just as pleasant as that of the Golden State, but its homeless population is around 27,000 — not quite 16% of California’s.

And consider the state of Washington, which has almost as many homeless as Florida (22,000) but a total population only

one-third the size (7.7 million).

Mr. Shellenberger is right. It isn’t a matter of population or climate. It’s policy. Where homelessness and mental illness are permitted to fester, crime follows. Los Angeles saw an 11% increase in crime last year. San Francisco has seen a 17% increase in homicides and a 20% increase in property crimes since 2020. And yet despite the evidence (and public outcry), Democrats in the Oregon legislature have introduced a bill decriminalizing homeless encampments and permitting the homeless to sue for “harassment.”

These lawmakers are ignoring the pleas of citizens, the departure of residents and closure of businesses, all of whom are fleeing Portland because of crime and filth.

Seattle is facing a similar situation, as is San Francisco; 17 major retailers have left the downtown, with more threatening to leave.

The same analysis can be applied to other equally destructive policies espoused by the Left. It isn’t “compassionate” to let young people whose brains are not even fully developed — many of whom are suffering from other mental or emotional illnesses — engage in medical experimentation, chemically altering or surgically mutilating their bodies, leaving them sterile, and in many cases sexually un- or underdeveloped for the rest of their adult lives.

It isn’t “compassionate” to lower academic standards for minority or poor children.

In Chicago, 55 of the city’s 649 public schools had no children who could perform at grade level in either reading or math during the 2021-2022 academic year. Ninety percent of Chicago public school children are minorities, and the city spends almost $30,000 annually per student.

This trend is not limited to Chicago, nor is it merely a function of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress — referred to as “the Nation’s Report Card” — reading scores across the country declined in 2019 compared to 2017 levels. This decline was present in every racial/ethnic group, except Asians/Pacific Islanders. The problem isn’t racism or lack of money. It’s policy.

It isn’t “compassionate” to leave our borders wide open, to allow millions of unvetted individuals to pour into the country, and to expect Americans to foot the bill for their education, their services and their health care. It isn’t “compassionate”

see HOLLIS on C4

We helped Ms. Alvarez make a video about socialism that got a remarkable 15 million views. But she knew about socialism well before that. She went to a libertarian university, Francisco Marroquin. “One thing that they do is teach socialism and communism. They make you read Marx and Engels ... This is lacking in most national universities. People push for socialism because they don’t study it.” One survey found that most millennials support socialism. But “when they were asked to define or describe socialism, none of them could!” says Ms. Alvarez. “They don’t know socialism’s massive failures.” How can they not? The collapse of the Soviet Union and misery in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba aren’t visible enough? Apparently not. Socialists still win elections.

“We’re all part of that same mentality that the government has this magical power to control the economy, tell you

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John Stossel

Star Parker

The author is with the Center for Urban Renewal and Education

COURTESY PHOTO President Joe Biden

Arthur I, Cyr

COURTESY IMAGE

Taxpayers were assured that all this was a temporary measure

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the only council member experienced in the restaurant business world, voted against the motion to abandon the staff proposal.

Mayor Rowse — the former owner of Paradise Cafe (now La Paloma Cafe) on Anacapa Street — was astounded at the very rapid rejection of the proposal that had already been approved for inclusion in the consent agenda.

Councilmember Erik Fredman abstained from the vote, noting they have now made the costs of this a budgetary item and that other departments throughout the city will have to come up with the yearly amount not covering the cost of the promenade with cuts. Staff showed this cost in their presentation. The city of Santa Barbara will be in the red every year to maintain the promenade, and the city will never recoup the amount taxpayers have paid to date.

Taxpayers now face a revenue of $2 per square feet that does not cover fully, the costs of cleaning and maintaining state street, nor the costs of regulating and inspecting the parklet structures, nor does it compensate for the loss of the public right of way.

Let us ask: Do you ever get your sidewalks power washed in your neighborhood? No, but State Street has always. The cost of power washing is roughly $389,280.00 per year.

Meanwhile, city tenants at the waterfront pay 11% on their gross receipts, which is really high, but it’s been in place for years. In addition, they pay a “possessory tax,” which is the equivalent of property tax, utilities, insurance, etc., all of which constitute the cost of occupancy.

Shouldn’t they be very upset if the city, after three years of zero rent, allowed State Street

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how to live your life and definitely not let you be free because you’re too dumb or too poor to be responsible for your own life,” says Ms. Alverez.

“We have two different Latin Americas, the ‘moochers and looters’ that Ayn Rand defined in ‘Atlas Shrugged,’” and then the “60 million Latin Americans who voted with their feet and live in the United States. They work and send money back home. In some countries, like Guatemala, these remittances are the No. 1 source of income. This proves that we don’t need governments to take care of our poor. If there is freedom, private property, rule of law, then

‘The

government is not a charity’

the city faces are deferred maintenance, inflation, labor costs and difficulties in hiring employees. Also, there’s the challenge of affording wage increases.

We ask again. Why is the Santa Barbara City Council getting us into a loss-making rental scheme?

On Monday, local businessmen expressed their strong opinions on the future of State Street retail businesses. They are David Weinert, a local retail developer, and Kevin Boss, a local business owner and downtown property owner. They sent their statement via email to all the members of the city council.

Here is a summary of their opening statement. There is much more!

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Home Loans in San Francisco said, “The changes do not make sense. Penalizing borrowers with larger down payments and credit scores will not go over well. It will over-complicate things for consumers during a process that is already overwhelming with the amount of paperwork, jargon, etc. Confusing the borrower is not a good idea no matter what you are selling.”

and Clinton, who blew up the housing market in 2007. Soon banks will be forced by government quotas to make risky, creative loans to get more identity groups into homes at the expense of taxpayers.

restaurant expansion with customer seating on the public right-of-way for $2 net? While they pay much more in rent without such a concession from the city.

Where is the “inclusion and equity” in this?

In addition, because of the nature of the beginning of this situation, no building standards, permits, architectural renderings etc., were required to construct parklets. We’d like to talk about fairness and equity, so how does that apply here?

Taxpayers were assured that all this was a temporary measure during the pandemic. Now the parklets are becoming permanent. Why?

Under the staff-presented and council-approved schedule, everyone had the opportunity to participate in the lowest $3-per-

square-foot tier, and there were many options leading up to what it would cost to cover someone else’s storefront, have a roof, etc.

We are at a loss regarding the council’s action at its April 25 meeting.

This decision also flies in the face of the recent forecast of city income deficiencies over the next two years: $1.1 million in 2024 and $4.8 million in 2025.

City departments have been instructed to reduce their budgets by 2% in 2024 and 4% in 2025. In addition, the city is facing a serious, long-term deficit in funding retirement pensions and benefits, amounting to $344.5 million in 2021. Inflation and higher wages will make this number higher in 2023.

Keith Martini, the city’s finance director, is quoted as saying that other challenges

People keep failing to learn

Latin Americans thrive!”

But people keep failing to learn.

Chile once prospered by embracing capitalism. Their leader, Augusto Pinochet, met with Milton Friedman and other free market economists. They persuaded him to cut tariffs and taxes and to privatize state industries and Social Security.

When Pinochet took over, Chile was poorer than the rest of Latin America. Adopting free markets soon made Chile the richest country.

Recently Chile elected a leftist president, Gabriel Boric. He wants to abolish the private pension funds that helped make Chile richer! He wants free public transport, universal health care, higher taxes on the rich and to end student debt. A national vote to adopt a progressive constitution was defeated, but he’ll return with similar plans.

“The closure of State Street has been a disaster for downtown retail and the longterm closure of State Street will destroy its appeal as a retail center. We are seeing well-known and established businesses leave State Street to move to Montecito, or elsewhere. We know from talking to these businesses why they are leaving State Street.

“Their sales are dropping. Major issues are unchecked vagrancy downtown; inability to receive deliveries on State Street; lack of access for customer pick-ups or drop-offs.

“Some businesses are leaving, or want to leave, because the degraded appearance and feel of downtown no longer matches their brands. Others are tired of being crowded out by seating from nearby restaurants & bars into the streets. Many long-time customers tell them they avoid downtown as much as possible.”

Bonnie Donovan writes the “Did You Know?” column in conjunction with a bipartisan group of local citizens. It appears Saturdays in the Voices section.

really just an education campaign, since at 38, she is two years too young to legally become president in Guatemala. But I’m glad she’s spreading the word.

Former Obama housing consultant David Stevens said, “I am all for the first-time buyer having a chance to get into the market. But it’s clear these decisions aren’t being made by folks that do not understand the mortgage process. This confusing approach won’t work! Additionally it came at the worst time for an industry whose buyers are struggling with record high inflation and regulation!”

James Madison told us, “The government is not a charity.”

President Biden’s scheme is déjà vu of Presidents Carter

Democrats never learned that loaning money to those who can’t pay it back is a recipe for failure. This is just another liberal scheme to redistribute wealth; nothing more. Like last time the housing market blew up the economy, liberal media blamed the evil banks who were forced to loan money to people who could not pay it back. Will they blame Joe Biden for it this time? Don’t count on it. “Reaching into one’s own pockets to help a fellow man in need is praiseworthy and laudable. But reaching into someone else’s pocket is despicable and worthy of condemnation.”

Williams

— Walter

This commentary was provided to the News-Press by The Center Square, a nonprofit dedicated to journalism.

Judge violates rule 3 by determining facts

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election, the law indicates they have to prove:

• The defendant made a statement that is considered defamatory.

• The statement was published, meaning communicated to others.

• The statement was false. and that it caused financial injury.

Dominion could prove that Fox made, and communicated, statements that could be considered defamatory. But could they prove that these statements were false?

it would have been very hard for the company to prove any damages. The judgment to make a deal was not based on cost-benefit financial analysis. Something else had to have been involved. (emphasis added).

For some prosecutors and judges, Is that “something else” Donald J. Trump?

For example, Judge Beryl Howell — appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama to the federal court in D.C., which is in charge of the Jan. 6, 2021, prosecutions — ordered Mr. Trump’s attorney, Evan Corcoran, to give his Trump “attorney-client” files to her for her to review “incamera,” meaning for her eyes only. The judge then turned them over to the special prosecutor Jack Smith for his use as he seeks to establish charges against Mr. Trump for mishandling of files. What happened to the “attorneyclient” privilege?

“Freedom implies ... that nobody else makes decisions for you,” says Ms. Alvarez. “People don’t like freedom. They like their populist messiah promising them (nonsense).”

However, Judge Eric M. Davis, appointed by Democratic Gov. Jack Markell, apparently became worried that former President Trump’s claim of election fraud might have been true. Judge Davis also may have recognized Fox’s claim that the network only repeated what others said, as did other networks.

“If you don’t keep educating new generations in the philosophical aspect of why individual freedoms are sacred,” says Ms. Alvarez, “eventually you will have a generation with material wealth that forgets the importance of these values, and then they go out and say, ‘Let’s have socialism!’”

Unfortunately, Pinochet was also a vicious dictator who murdered opponents. His cruelty has allowed leftists to smear economic freedom ever since.

“You cannot enforce free markets through a dictatorship,” says Ms. Alvarez.

That’s why she keeps making videos.

Her presidential campaign is

Is human trafficking going to be permitted to continue?

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Suddenly, after two years and thousands upon thousands of Americans dying from the flood of drugs delivered by his friends in China to the Mexican cartels, Ole Joe authorizes a military presence on the southern border to fight drug trafficking! A little late — well, a lot late because the parents who have lost children couldn’t care less about this sudden turn of events.

The problem is the men and women going are bringing lawn chairs and their air pods so they can watch the illegals march by as they get a head count. This sudden concern about the border is just another prank and only because the election season is under way.

A couple questions. Homeland Security jokester Alejandro Mayorkas — to this day, with a

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“The online exclusive was posted at 5 a.m. and was trending all morning on social media platforms.

“Six hours later, Facebook pulled the plug.”

She recounts how Andy Stone, a former Democratic Party operative now working

straight face — still claims the border is secure.

If that’s the case, then what’s the problem? Why do we need to reinforce it if it’s locked up? The homeland security secretary has been staring at the sun for so long that not only can’t he see, his brain is fried as well.

If they’re going after drug trafficking, is human trafficking going to be permitted to continue? Is the military presence going to be able to sift out the drugs and wave the humans through?

Gov. Gavin Newsom, another politician transitioning from narcissist to utter lack of selfawareness, believes with California dead last in everything of any worth but No. 1 in highest taxes and gas prices, he can win the presidency. He too has suddenly come to see the light of crime. Engaging his superpowers, he called on the California Highway Patrol and the National Guard to fight lawbreaking in San Francisco.

This is crime that Gov. Newsom, the San Francisco County Board

for Facebook, sent the story to be fact-checked and in the meantime, “reduced” its distribution on their platform. Twitter did the same and didn’t allow anyone to share it on its platform. When former President Trump brought the subject up during the October 22, 2020, televised debate, Joe Biden was able to quickly dismiss it by referencing the intelligence officers’ open

of Supervisors, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and the mayor’s predecessors are directly responsible for creating.

Gov. Newsom said, “Those who traffic drugs, guns, and human beings are not welcome in our communities.” This from the guy who formed a sanctuary state and sanctuary locations in the city where you can get a clean needle and do drugs to your heart’s content. How come he’s even worried about guns? California has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation so what’s the issue?

What an idiot. And people voted for him.

New York Mayor Eric Adams vowed to fight crime. He had to follow the failed act of former Mayor Bill de Blasio who really made a mess of things. So far Mayor Adams hasn’t accomplished anything, but he too recognizes the natives are getting restless.

Liberal policies are biting Eric Adams in the rear. He promised $5 billion in city resources, and he’s unexpectedly reinstating a controversial program that former

letter.

“There are,” Mr. Biden claimed, “50 former national intelligence folks who said that what he’s accusing me of is a Russian plant. They have said this is, has all the — four, five former heads of the CIA, both parties, say what he’s saying is a bunch of garbage.” And that was the end of that and shortly thereafter, the end of Trump’s presidency. Joe Biden

Mayor Rudy Giuliani had great success with: a task force seizing illegal guns. Under Mayor Adams’ progressive watch, crime jumped over 23%, and he knows he must do something.

Every Tuesday at JohnStossel.com, Mr. Stossel posts a new video about the battle between government and freedom. He is the author of “Give Me a Break: How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media.” Copyright 2022 BY JFS Productions Inc. his sentence. He needed to add four more years so his people can really finish screwing up the country.

The irony is a black man who supported Black Lives Matter and defund law enforcement is having his reality check. Side note: I love how Mayor Adams also had an epiphany that it’s President Biden’s fault that New York is being flooded with immigrants. Duh!

It’s happening all over the country. The tide is turning as they say. You can only make criminals the victims for so long before the victims want your scalp.

Now if we can just get everyone to follow through and do their jobs maybe we can slow down the anarchy on our streets. That. of course, requires leadership, not placating to a minority who want a revolution.

Henry Schulte welcomes questions or comments at hschulteopinions@ gmail.com.

had just bamboozled his way into the White House. And we have been paying for this skullduggery ever since.

James Buckley is a longtime Montecito resident. He welcomes questions or comments at jimb@ substack.com. Readers are invited to visit jimb.substack.com, where Jim’s Journals are on file. He also invites people to subscribe to Jim’s Journal.

The judge violated rule 3 on the list by taking the factual decision away from the jury by ruling pre-trial that there was no election fraud. This meant the judge could prevent Fox from raising the defense that their statements were not “false.”

Alan Dershowitz, a retired Harvard law professor and a Democrat, said “The judge made error, after error, after error. For example, he made a ‘finding,’ a finding that the election was fair. 40 million Americans disagree with him. That should have been left up to the jury not to him. The judge basically said he believes CNN over Fox and that’s not a job of the judge.”

Dr. Dershowitz continued “‘It was the settlement that should never have happened.” Dominion wasn’t hurt. And

Maybe “Escape from New York” Is not really about that geographic space, but about escaping from the political ideology that, to some members of a particular political party, appears to be more important than our Constitution, laws and legal rules.

In the words of Ms. Carroll, is there a “scheme” to keep Donald J. Trump from being re-elected? Brent E. Zepke is an attorney, arbitrator and author who lives in Santa Barbara. His website is OneheartTwoLivescom. wordpress.com. Formerly, he taught law and business at six universities and numerous professional conferences. He is the author of six books: “One Heart-Two Lives,” “Legal Guide to Human Resources,” “Business Statistics,” “Labor Law,” “Products and the Consumer” and “Law for Non-Lawyers.”

Admittedly, it takes courage to speak up

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to permit drug cartels to exploit those open borders so that fentanyl can kill tens of thousands of Americans a year.

The problem isn’t poverty and anti-immigrant hysteria. It’s policy.

Those who promote these disastrous policies never want to answer difficult questions, preferring to hide behind false “compassion.” It isn’t really compassion, either, if it forbids nuance, ignores multiple perspectives or dismisses complicated and conflicting interests. People capable of real compassion can admit, for example, that they have concern for children struggling with gender dysphoria and for girls who do not want biological males undressing in their locker rooms or taking away their athletic opportunities.

Admittedly, it takes courage to speak up. The word “compassion” is thrown around now as a thinly veiled threat: Agree with

us and support our policies, or we’ll call you a racist, a bigot, a homophobe, a transphobe; someone who wants children, the poor and the mentally ill to die.

But real compassion requires real courage. Those who have real courage are willing to buck the crowd, not swim with it. They risk their jobs, their careers, their status — even their relationships with friends and family — to take unpopular stances in pursuit of the truth.

People with real courage and real compassion are willing to engage, to discuss facts, competing scientific theories and actual results. They do not use political power to shut down opposition or prevent the public from finding out the truth. We have let those promoting destructive policies hide behind false compassion. NO MORE.

To find out more about Laura Hollis and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators. com. Copyright 2023 by Creators.com.