Santa Barbara News-Press: April 11, 2023

Saint Barbara

From ‘Happy Days’ to ‘Matlock’

‘State Street is a mess’

Natural Cafe closes sooner than expected, and owner Kelly Brown talks to the News-Press about the perils of operating a business downtown

Carpinteria panel OKs 72-room hotel

By ANNIKA BAHNSEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

The city of Carpinteria has stepped closer to a change in its near future: a brand new 72-room hotel.

This hotel was proposed by applicant Kush Nathu from RAM hotels, based in Amarillo, Texas, and it recently won approval from the Carpinteria Planning Commission after a nearly decade-long effort.

The hotel, which would be on Via Real, would be a modern addition to Carpinteria, with fancy amenities such as a fitness center, business center, breakfast area, meeting room, outdoor

pool and outdoor garden patio.

Additionally, 77 parking spaces would be constructed next to the building.

This hotel has been in the works for almost 10 years. There were two conceptual reviews that first took place in 2013 and 2014, then a formal project submission in 2016. The city’s Architectural Review Board gave preliminary approval for the project back in March 2017 if the owners changed some designs. Then, in 2019, the ARB officially agreed to the hotel. Now, more progress has been solidified within the city. Nick Bobhoff, the principal planner of the Community

Please see HOTEL on A4

Santa Barbara City Council to review solid waste franchise

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Santa Barbara City Council today will hold a public hearing regarding a proposed exclusive franchise for citywide solid waste collection and disposal services to MarBorg Industries that will feature a 2025 switch to curbside cart collection.

Staff is asking the council to subsequently adopt an ordinance granting the exclusive franchise to MarBorg.

to the elimination of the Solid Waste UUT charge, which was previously 6%.

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

When Kelly Brown announced last fall that he intended to close the downtown location of The Natural Cafe, he came up with a unique, nostalgic way to celebrate the restaurant’s three decades of operating on lower State Street.

He told the News-Press he would cut the Santa Barbara eatery’s prices at the end of March, the restaurant’s final week in business, to what they were 30 years ago.

The best laid plans, however, sometimes don’t come to fruition.

Contacted to find out how the last week was going, and whether customers, both old-timers and newcomers, were flocking to The Natural Cafe to take advantage of the lower prices, Mr. Brown texted that it didn’t quite work out the way he envisioned.

“When all the press came out last fall re: closing, most assumed we already had,” he texted the News-Press. “Sales dropped 20% the week after the article and continued down from there.

“We closed quietly on Jan. 1 and have not looked back. So happy to be off State St. My other stores are thriving!”

Mr. Brown told the News-Press last fall that while his complaints about conditions on State Street drew most of the media attention, the bottom line reason he was shutting down the restaurant was that he couldn’t afford to keep it open after the lunch crowd dried up during the pandemic and people began working remotely.

He said the only reason he was able to stay open as long as he had was because he was “robbing Peter to pay Paul,” staying afloat via profits from his restaurants’ other locations on Hitchcock Way in Santa Barbara and in Goleta.

After receiving his text, the News-Press reached out to see if

he wanted to publicly reflect back on his fond memories of better days.

He responded with two voicemails that reflected instead on his bitterness at his final months downtown, his continued criticism of conditions on State Street and his disapproval of the way city leaders have dealt, or in his estimation, not dealt with the issues.

“All of the issues downtown.

It’s nothing new,” he said. “It’s all the same stuff. No one is working downtown. The fix was in with the $800,000 they spent on the company they hired to do the study (in conjunction with the State Street Master Plan).”

He conceded that a poll of people downtown showed a lot of people “actually liking what’s

going on.” Mr. Brown, however, was undeterred by the survey results.

“It’s a s - - - show,” he said.

“Nothing’s changed. My profitable restaurants were paying for State Street to stay open. Everybody is getting their asses kicked on State Street.

It’s been raining all winter. The parklets are empty.”

He said what’s happening on State Street is “stupid,” and he’s critical of the city’s handling of the downtown area. “They’re just convinced the parklets are the way to go.”

However, a visitor on State Street noted throngs of people walking recently on the promenade after the recent rains, and many others were eating at downtown parklets.

When Mr. Brown told his landlord last fall that he was leaving at the end of March, he went public with his list of complaints: aggressive homeless people who panhandled, used his restrooms to wash up, urinated in his planters and drank and used drugs in public; rats feeding off of dropped food from the outdoor dining parklets; the parklets themselves; and speeding bicyclists who posed constant risks to pedestrians walking the downtown promenade.

City officials reacted by noting they already had a program in place to catch rodents, were working on ways to separate bicyclists and pedestrians, and were providing services to the city’s homeless people on State

The council will meet in council chambers, 735 Anacapa St., starting at 2 p.m.

The city already has negotiated a proposed solid water franchise hauler agreement in preparation for the expiration of its current agreement with MarBorg on June 7.

Staff conducted an online survey of solid waste customers from June to September 2022, “which indicated that a majority of customers are satisfied or very satisfied with MarBorg’s services,” staff said.

Respondents to the survey provided feedback regarding priorities for enhanced service offerings, which were pursued during the negotiation process, in addition to new and enhanced programs and services recommended by staff.

New and enhanced programs and services resulting from negotiations include: enhancements to a variety of neighborhood collection services; compliance with new state legislative mandates; and terms and conditions reflecting current industry standards in a variety of areas.

Negotiated terms include a 15year agreement with the city’s option for a five-year extension; transitioning small residential collection service to a curbside cart collection program; and keeping MarBorg’s base compensation flat in Fiscal Year 2024 and again in 2025, except for a one-time adjustment for change in fuel costs in that year due to substantial market volatility.

“The Franchise Fee paid by MarBorg to the city will also be adjusted to align with best practices around the state and better reflect the impact of the solid waste service on municipal infrastructure,” staff said.

“However, changes to the Franchise Fee will not result in a substantive change on the ratepayer’s overall utility bill due

“It is important to note that although approval of a new agreement with these proposed terms will not result in increased compensation to MarBorg in FY24, the city’s overall solid waste rates are anticipated to increase in the coming year due to changes in the cost of post-collection processing and costs associated with landfill operations, and other activities under the city’s Waste Delivery Agreement with the county.”

Those costs will not be part of the New Agreement with MarBorg, but these costs will be passed through to solid waste customers by way of the solid waste rates.

Beginning in FY 2025, MarBorg will implement the same small residential curbside cart collection program that has already been implemented in all other MarBorg service areas.

Via this program, all small residential customers (comprising one to four residential units) will be expected to roll wheeled solid waste containers (“carts”) to the curb for weekly emptying by MarBorg.

Customers requiring accommodation because of disability or other physical limitation will be provided “onpremises” service at no additional cost, and customers voluntarily opting in to “on-premises” service will pay an additional rate on their utility bills.

Earlier today, the city council’s Finance Committee will be asked to approve a request from Transition House for loan forgiveness on property located at 434 E. Ortega St., which is operating as a family homeless shelter.

Staff is recommending the committee ask the council to adopt an ordinance approving a second amendment to the covenants, conditions and restrictions imposed on Transition House to restart a new 90-year term of use as a homeless families shelter.

The committee also will be asked to recommend the council approve an increase in FY23 expenditures in the Affordable Housing Fund in the amount of $460,000 to cover the loan forgiveness.

email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com

Ensemble Theatre Company actress Linda Purl recalls working with Andy Griffith, Ron Howard and Henry Winkler - B1

Lisa Osborne selected to portray SB’s saint - A2

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Natural Cafe on lower State Street closed quietly Jan. 1, three months earlier than expected. Owner Kelly Brown said people got the wrong impression that the restaurant was already closed and stopped coming.

Natural Cafe was a longtime popular spot on State Street, but saw its business decline in recent months. Please

Lisa Osborne named 2023 Saint Barbara

By ANNIKA BAHNSEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

Lisa Osborne was recently selected as the 2023 Saint Barbara by Native Daughters of the Golden West Reina Del Mar Parlor 126 at the Santa Barbara Presidio.

Each year, Saint Barbara becomes an important part of the Old Spanish Days Fiesta, joining the Old Spanish Days El Presidente, Spirit of Fiesta and Junior Spirit.

Ms. Osborne, whose selection was announced Friday, will have the opportunity to portray Santa Barbara’s Saint Barbara at multiple events throughout the community. She is a second-generation Californian and has lived in Santa Barbara for eight years.

Additionally, Ms. Osborne is an award-winning newscaster, producer and voice over talent. She has been a news anchor on Los Angeles news-talk radio stations including KFWB and KFI. She has also been a DJ for a national music network. She is also known as a talented voiceover artist and audio producer for e-learning, phone systems and transit agencies. She is the news director at a local community radio station and is president of the Santa Barbara Chapter of the Association for Women in Communications. She and her partner Ken Pfeiffer

More than 20 arrests made during Deltopia

ISLA VISTA – The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office issued more than 150 citations and made more than 20 arrests related to the unsanctioned spring break event in Isla Vista known as Deltopia.

Both numbers are a lot higher than those from 2022.

The Deltopia weekend this year started on Friday and ended on Sunday.

During this time, the Sheriff’s Office and partner agencies issued 151 citations and made 23 arrests. In 2022, there were a total of 34 citations issued and four arrests, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The crowds were largest on Saturday and significantly higher than last year’s event, and many attendees had traveled to Isla Vista from out of the area, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The attendees were concentrated at residences along the ocean side of Del Playa.

During this same time, there was an increase in emergency medical calls, most of which were for acute alcohol intoxication. Deputies assisted fire and medics, responding to calls and clearing the roadway for their ingress and egress.

“Medical calls became so arduous that the Sheriff’s volunteer Search and Rescue team had to be activated to assist fire and medics,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

Most residents complied with the Outdoor Festival Ordinance, which went into effect at 6 p.m.

“The Sheriff’s Office wants to thank our community partners and first responders from Santa Barbara County Fire, American Medical Response, Alcoholic Beverage Control, University of California Police, the California Highway Patrol, Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, and Santa Barbara County Emergency Medical Services.”

Neil Hartstein

–

Structure fire in Solvang

SOLVANG – Santa Barbara

County firefighters responded Monday afternoon to a reported structure fire on the 500 black of Second Place.

The fire, reported at 3:23 p.m., was in a second-story apartment.

Two occupants were alerted to the fire by their smoke detector, County Fire officials said.

The fire was knocked down and confined to the apartment by SBC firefighters.

Both tenants were displaced because of fire damage.

County Fire remained on scene for mop-up.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

– Neil Hartstein

Volvo goes over side of SR 154

produce travel videos celebrating Santa Barbara and the Central Coast on their YouTube channel, Santa Barbara Scenic.

Ms. Osborne has earned many awards in her career, such as the Golden Mike Award for her on-air work at KFWB-AM. She has also been honored as a “Los Angeles County Volunteer of the Year” for her ongoing work as host/announcer of the annual Marina del Rey Holiday Boat Parade.

Ms. Osborne and the rest of the Old Spanish Days Leadership Team will be presented at the Fiesta Week, which will take place

Aug. 2-6. To learn more about Saint Barbara and the Fiesta, visit www.

sbfiesta.org. email: abahnsen@newspress.com

Route 154 on Monday afternoon, Santa Barbara County Fire officials said.

The San Marcos Pass accident occurred in the 1700 block of State Route 154, which was closed to traffic temporarily in both directions as rescue workers used a rope system to assist two women in the Volvo from the road.

Both patients sustained minor injuries, and were transported by ground ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for evaluation.

In addition to county firefighters, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol and an ambulance were on scene. Rescue workers responded around 1:38 p.m.

– Neil Hartstein

Seacliff ramps to close on Highway 101

VENTURA

— Caltrans plans daytime closures of Seacliff offand on-ramps on southbound Highway 101 near Ventura through Friday, as well as overnight closure of Seacliff off- and on-ramps and one southbound lane on Thursday. Signs will be posted. Motorists can expect delays. All work is subject to change due to weather.

Today through Friday, Seacliff off- and on-ramps will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., as well as overnight from 7 p.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday. There will also be

State Route 154 was closed temporarily in both directions while first responders rescued occupants of a Volvo sedan.

a closure of one southbound lane from 9 p.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday.

On Thursday, one southbound lane and two northbound lanes will remain open overnight. Two lanes in both directions will be open during the day. Check quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ for real-time traffic information. Motorists traveling south on Highway 101 can reach state beaches on State Route 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) by continuing

WENDY McCAW . . . . . . . . . . . . . Co-Publisher

ARTHUR VON WIESENBERGER . . . . .Co-Publisher

YOLANDA APODACA . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Operations

DAVE MASON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Managing Editor

HOW TO REACH US . . . MAIN OFFICE 715 Anacapa St. Santa Barbara, 93101..805-564-5200

MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 1359, Santa Barbara 93102

NEWSROOM ADVERTISING

HOW TO GET US . . .

CIRCULATION ISSUES 805-966-7171

refunds@newspress.com newsubscriptions@newspress.com vacationholds@newspress.com cancellations@newspress.com

News Hotline 805-564-5277

Email...dmason@newspress.com

Life 805-564-5277

Sports 805-564-5277

News Fax 805-966-6258

Corrections 805-564-5277

Classified 805-963-4391

Classified Fax 805-966-1421

Retail 805-564-5223

Retail Fax 805-564-5139

Toll Free 1-800-423-8304

Voices/editorial pages ..805-564-5277

COPYRIGHT ©2023

SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

All rights are reserved on material produced by the News-Press, including stories, photos, graphics, maps and advertising. News-Press material is the property of Ampersand Publishing LLC. Reproduction or nonpersonal usage for any purpose without written permission of the

to the Main Street off-ramp in Ventura, making a U-turn to northbound Highway101 and exiting at the State Beaches offramp. La Conchita residents traveling south can use the same route but continue north on Highway 101.

Residents and businesses located near the freeway may experience noise, vibrations and dust associated with construction activities.

Mail delivery of the News-Press is available in most of Santa Barbara County. If you do not receive your paper Monday through Saturday, please call our Circulation Department. The Circulation Department is open Monday - Saturday 8 a.m. to noon.

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Mail delivery in Santa Barbara County: $5.08 per week includes sales tax, daily, and the Weekend edition. Holidays only, $3.85 per week includes sales tax. Single-copy price of 75 cents daily and $2 Weekend edition includes sales tax at vending racks. Tax may be added to copies puchased elsewhere.

VOL. 167 NO.

www.newspress.com Newspress.com is a local virtual community network providing information about Santa Barbara, in addition to the online edition of the News-Press.

FRITZ OLENBERGER PHOTO / COURTESY OLD SPANISH DAYS

Fiesta El Presidente David Bolton stands with the 2023 Saint Barbara, Lisa Osborne.

Each year, Saint Barbara becomes an important part of the Old Spanish Days Fiesta, joining the Old Spanish Days El Presidente, Spirit of Fiesta and Junior Spirit.

– Neil Hartstein

ARTHUR VON WIESENBERGER / NEWS-PRESS

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT PHOTO

Firefighters rescue occupants of a Volvo sedan that went over the side of State Route 154 along the San Marcos Pass.

UCSB’s Ager named Big West Pitcher of the Week

By ERIC BOOSE UCSB SPORTS WRITER

Following a stellar outing against Cal State Fullerton on Thursday, UCSB’s Matt Ager has been named Big West Pitcher of the Week, the conference announced on Monday. It is Ager’s second time receiving the award this season.

After moving to the top of the Gauchos’ rotation, the sophomore righty pitched like an ace on Thursday, working his sixth quality start in eight outings this season. Ager went 7 2/3 scoreless innings, scattering two hits and one walk, while striking out nine Titans. With Elliot Gallegos finishing off the shutout on Thursday, Ager has now started two of UCSB’s three clean sheets this season, pitching seven or more innings in both.

In his first year as a starter, Ager has pitched more innings than anyone in The Big West (51).

Carpinteria baseball defeated by Nordhoff

The Warriors baseball team took on Nordhoff in the second game of their series against the Rangers. Although the Warriors

He ranks second in the conference with 59 strikeouts in those 51 innings to just 14 walks. The Pleasanton, California native has caught more batters looking than any Big West pitcher, with 22 backwards Ks on the season, and is one of seven qualified pitchers in the conference with an ERA under three. Ager is set to pitch again sometime this weekend, as the Gauchos will host UC Irvine for a threegame series, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Before that, they will welcome San Jose State to Caesar Uyesaka Stadium today in a non-conference game. Game times and more information can be found at ucsbgauchos.com.

Eric Boose is assistant director of athletic communications at UCSB. email: sports@newspress.com

put up a tough fight, Carpinteria lost 4-2 during Friday’s game. Beto Martinez scored both of the Warrior runs with a single and a double hit. Judah Torres was on base twice as he hit a single and also walked. Even with the loss, the Warriors out-hit the Rangers seven to five. Pitcher Joaquin Ramirez had five strikeouts.

Governors Newsom,

“This was a good baseball game that hinged on just a few plays. They got two timely hits on offense where we had some bad luck during our chances,” said head coach Patrick Cooney.

The Warriors will play Hueneme on Wednesday.

— Annika Bahnsen

Grisham slam chemical abortion restriction ruling

By TOM JOYCE

THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) - Three governors in the western part of the United States are unhappy with a federal judge’s decision to halt federal approval of a drug used in chemical abortions last week.

Democrats Gavin Newsom of California, Tina Kotek of Oregon, and Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico issued statements condemning the ruling.

Gov. Newsom responded to the ruling by calling the judge “an extremist.”

“Today’s ruling, by an extremist judge pursuing a radical political agenda, ignores facts, science, and the law – putting the health of millions of women and girls at risk,” Gov. Newsom said in a press release. “Abortion is still legal and accessible here in California, and we won’t stand by as fundamental freedoms are stripped away.”

Gov. Kotek also slammed the ruling but reiterated that it has no impact on the legality of abortion in any state.

“This is a shameful, dangerous ruling that will prevent patients across the country from accessing safe, effective medication,” Gov. Kotek said in a press release issued by her office. “As we sort out the impact of this ruling, hear me loud and clear: abortion is still accessible and legal in Oregon. As your Governor, I believe in the right to reproductive freedom and will continue to be a fierce advocate for

Big pharma signs letter opposing judge pausing sale of abortion pill

By TOM GANTERT THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) - More than 300 biotech and pharmaceutical CEOs and executives have signed an open letter Monday calling for the reversal of a Texas judge’s ruling that issued a national injunction on the abortion pill mifepristone.

The letter, signed by Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla and Biogen President Alisha Alaimo, called the ruling “judicial activism.”

“Judicial activism will not stop here,” the letter read. “If courts can overturn drug approvals without regard for science or evidence, or for the complexity required to fully vet the safety and efficacy of new drugs, any medicine is at risk for the same outcome as mifepristone. ... This decision ignores decades of scientific evidence and legal precedent.”

U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk released his ruling on April 7 that suspended the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug and stopped sales while a court case is heard in a Texas courtroom.

Planned Parenthood stated that the FDA approved the drug nearly 20 years ago. Planned Parenthood said the drug has a safety record of over 99%.

The National Right to Life said that the Kacsmaryk ruling would save lives.

The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine sued the FDA in 2002, two years after the FDA approved chemical abortion.

National Right to Life pointed to the judge’s ruling that the case against the drug had been purposely dragged out by the FDA.

The judge’s ruling claims the U.S. Food & Drug Administration stonewalled judicial review for more than 16 years.

“Why did it take two decades for judicial review in federal court?” the judge’s ruling asked. “Simply put, FDA stonewalled judicial reviewuntil now.”

The judge’s ruling stated that the FDA waited 4,971 days to act on the plaintiff’s first petition and then 994 days to act on the second petition.

“Had FDA responded to Plaintiff’s petitions with the 360 total days allotted, this case would have been in federal court decades earlier,” the ruling stated. “Instead, FDA postponed and procrastinated for nearly 6,000 days.”

Kotek, Lujan

that right. My administration will be working with the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Department of Justice, and the Biden Administration to evaluate the ruling and fight for patients across Oregon and the United States.”

And Gov. Lujan Grisham voiced her support for mifepristone while touting her support for legal abortion during her tenure as governor.

“First and foremost: medication abortion remains legal and available in New Mexico. I also want to state unequivocally that medication abortion is an effective, safe option, and the Texas decision is an affront to the FDA approval process and the extensive scientific and medical evidence upon which it is based.

“I will continue to do all that I can to ensure that New Mexico remains a safe place for women to obtain necessary health care, and I was proud to sign legislation in recent weeks to protect the rights of abortion patients and providers.”

The comments come following a ruling by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryke last Friday that stayed the United States Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone. Its primary use is for chemical abortions, now the most common form of abortion in the United States.

His decision last Friday gave the U.S. Department of Justice seven days to appeal his decision, which it will.

Five dead in Louisville shooting, including friend of Beshear

By STEVE BITTENBENDER THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – Five people are dead and nine people, including two law enforcement officers, suffered injuries after a shooting in a downtown Louisville building Monday morning. One officer was injured critically, as was another person, Louisville Metro Police Department Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey told reporters. The shooter, a 23-year-old bank employee, was among the dead after being killed by police.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg were both visibly shaken as they spoke to reporters. Greenberg survived a shooting attempt at his campaign office a little more than a year ago as he was running for election.

The incident occurred shortly after 8:30 a.m. Eastern time at the Old National Bank branch within the Preston Pointe building on East Main Street. Chief Humphrey said at least two officers encountered the shooter and exchanged shots. He described the officers’ actions as heroic.

“It is clear from the officers’ response that they absolutely saved people’s lives,” he said.

The incident is the latest mass shooting in the country and happened two weeks after seven were killed in a shooting at a Christian school in Nashville, Tenn.

At 8:53 am, the Louisville Metro Police Department tweeted an alert urging people to stay away from the area, and officials confirmed there were multiple casualties 34 minutes later. Moments before, an individual located a block away from the shooting posted two short videos from the scene on the social media site. Gunshots could be heard in both, and one also showed what appeared to be a police officer running toward cars on East Main Street, a busy downtown corridor, telling people to get out of their vehicles because of an active shooter.

Metro Police Interim Chief Jacquelyn GwinnVillaroel identified the victims as Tommy Elliott, 63; Jim Tutt, 64; Josh Barrett, 40; and Juliana Farmer, 57. Police said they were shot by Conner Sturgeon, 23, who was employed by the bank.

Mr. Sturgeon was shot and killed by police, Chief Gwinn-Villaroel told reporters Monday afternoon.

Mr. Elliott had served as the chairman of Kentucky Retirement Systems under Gov. Beshear, the father of the current governor. When Andy Beshear won the 2019 election, Mr. Elliott served as the chairman for his inauguration committee. The officer critically injured was Nicholas Wilt, 26, who was shot in the head. Mr. Gwinn-Villaroel said he graduated from the LMPD Academy less than two weeks ago.

Church would be demolished to make way for new hotel

HOTEL

Continued from Page A1

Development Department, said the project could appear before the city’s Planning Commission more frequently in the coming months in order to keep the community updated.

The proposal of this project was initially submitted back in October, but on April 3, a public hearing took place before the Carpinteria Planning Commission in order to analyze the proposal and address concerns with the public.

A church is currently in place of the spot where Mr. Nathu hopes the hotel to be placed, and with the new approval of the project, it will be demolished.

There are also environmental impacts that the council is concerned about, which is why everyone in the Carpinteria government is adamant about community involvement.

At its April 3 hearing, the planning commission thoroughly addressed the advantages and

Brown: ‘I don’t think there is any hope’

Continued from Page A1

Street to get them into housing, and help those struggling with mental illness and addiction.

And the city is now enforcing requirements to ensure the parklets adhere to new design standards.

As Mayor Randy Rowse put it last fall, some things have gotten better on State Street while some things have not

“Yeah, there are a lot of problems, but we’ve got programs in line: street cleaning, lighting, patrols,” he said. “Obviously things are not perfect, but things are also not horrific. It’s not Calcutta.”

Mr. Brown, however, remains unimpressed by the city’s efforts to date, doubling down on his criticism of conditions on State Street.

He was asked if he was glad to leave after 30 years downtown.

“Hell, yes,” he said. “State Street is a mess. I was there for 30 years. It was always a battle. Homeless using my bathrooms, eating food off of people’s plates who have gone to bathrooms. Just dealing with all of it. A total mess.

“I don’t think there is any hope given the current leadership at the city to fix things,” he said. “They’re convinced this parklet thing is a win. It’s not.

“The history of parklets across the United States is not good. Most of these parklets are not good. Let’s say the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, 12th Street in Boulder. These are not main thoroughfares. They’re side streets, three to four blocks long. They’ve been somewhat successful, but even those are going through new problems.

“The parklet thing is a problem looking for a solution. It’s not going to work.”

Mr. Brown was asked if he has any fond memories at all of his time downtown.

“Yes,” he said. “State Street in the early ’90s when it was all fresh and new, it was awesome. There were beautiful storefronts and great businesses. People were downtown. It was a place to be proud of. That’s so far in the past it’s hard to believe.”

He was asked how he felt when he closed the restaurant’s doors for the last time.

“Fantastic,” he said. “What a relief. I’m so done with it. So over it. It’s just hard to believe how bad it’s become.”

Still, he does have one regret: not being able

to leave the way he wanted to, reducing his prices for diners during the restaurant’s final week.

“Certainly it would have been nice to have gone out the way we planned, but guess what, bro? Life very seldom goes the way we plan. So we did what we did.

“Sure, it would have been lovely to not be losing $15,000 a month, (but) all those articles went out, and everyone thought we were closed and our sales dropped 20% overnight.”

He was asked one final question. Does he have any regrets about going public last fall with his State Street complaints?

“Hell, no,” he said. “I don’t have any regrets about voicing those opinions. My only regret was that it killed sales, and we had to close early.

“I attacked the direction the city is going in. They’ve got their heads in the sand. They do not want to recognize the issues, and if you can’t recognize what the problems are, you can’t fix the problems.

“I would not have done one thing differently. I told the truth. I said what people weren’t willing to say.”

email: nhartsteinnewspress@gmail.com

Proposed hotel in Funk Zone

disadvantages to the hotel, but commission members said they’re encouraged by the feedback of the community and the changes the owners have made in order to comply with Carpinteria standards. Some items discussed in the hearing were the sustainability efforts the hotel can make, the low-cost rooms that would be made available for disadvantaged community members, and specific water and sewage line details. After a few hours of their meeting, the commission members approved adding the Via Real hotel to the Carpinteria community.

After the commission’s approval, Mr. Nathu, who was in attendance at the hearing, said he was “beyond excited and it has been a long journey.” He ended his portion of the meeting by thanking the city staff and community. He added that he is excited to join the Carpinteria community. email: abahnsen@newspress.com

Lake Cachuma’s maximum level at the point at which water starts spilling over the dam holds 188,030 acre-feet. An acre-foot is 325,851 gallons, equivalent to the amount of water consumed annually by 10 people in an urban

Story poles rise to represent the silhouette of a proposed three-story 250-room hotel at 101 Garden St. in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone. The Garden Street Hotel is a 174,812-square-foot hotel and subterranean parking garage that is being proposed

CAFE

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS

A sign on the door alerts customers that Natural Cafe has closed after 30 years on State Street. The restaurant continues to operate its locations on Hitchcock Way in Santa Barbara and Camino Real Marketplace in Goleta.

Life theArts

From ‘Happy Days’ to ‘Matlock’

Ensemble Theatre Company actress Linda Purl recalls working with Andy Griffith, Ron Howard and Henry Winkler

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

Linda Purl loved playing Charlene, attorney Ben Matlock’s daughter, on the first season of NBC’s “Matlock.”

The character was a smart lawyer in her own right in the 1986-95 series, and Ms. Purl got to act with none other than Andy Griffith.

“Andy was a very fascinating person,” Ms. Purl told the NewsPress. “He was charming. He had a magnetism about him. He was a big, big magnet with charisma that he could turn on or off at will.”

Ms. Purl, who’s now acting in Ensemble Theatre Company’s production of “The Children” at the New Vic, also acted with Mr. Griffith’s former co-star, Ron Howard, on “Happy Days.”

Her first job in Hollywood was playing the girlfriend of Richie Cunningham, Mr. Howard’s character on the series set in the 1950s.

the son of a touring actress,” Ms. Purl said. “My grandfather had been a vaudevillian.”

She said her maternal grandmother was a founding member of Equity, the union for stage actors and actresses.

“My mother had been a ballerina,” Ms. Purl said. “My dad had a career as an engineer. His first love was the theater.”

Ms. Purl inherited that love and is known for her Ensemble Theatre Company roles such as the title role of “Tenderly, the Rosemary Clooney Musical.”

Ms. Clooney (1928-2002) starred in movies such as “A White Christmas” (1954).

The Ensemble Theatre Company is performing “The Children” through April 23 at The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $40 to $84. To purchase, go to etcsb.org or call 805-965-5400.

Performances are 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, with an additional performance at 7:30 p.m. today and 4 p.m. April 15.

ETC is partnering with the nonprofit One Tree Planted to plant one tree in California for every ticket sold for this play. You can catch one of the play’s stars, Linda Purl, in “Matlock” reruns streaming on Pluto.

“That was fun,” said Ms. Purl, who grew up in the 1960s in Japan in a family devoted to entertainment.

“We were not a church-going family. We did do theater,” Ms. Purl said. “My parents would turn the house inside out for summer stock.

“We had a big house, a ton of room,” she said, noting that they would host guests such as Oscar-winning composer Henry Mancini. “We had sculptors, painters and dancers. Everyone was welcome.

“My dad was raised on the road,

“It was fun,” Ms. Purl said. “I knew Rosemary. She was a remarkable woman, talent, mother and a friend to so many people. I wouldn’t say we were close, but I knew her over a number of years. I’m close to a couple of her children.”

Ms. Purl said “Happy Days” was her first TV acting job when she moved to Los Angeles, first playing Richie Cunningham’s girlfriend. When Mr. Howard left the show to focus on his movie directing career in 1980, Mr. Winkler’s Fonzie became the show’s main focus, and Ms. Purl said the producers were looking for what they called a “Linda Purl-type” actress to play Fonzie’s girlfriend. Ms. Purl asked if she could audition for it. Garry Marshall, the show’s creator and executive producer, let her come back as a different character who was Fonzie’s girlfriend.

Please

Sõ Percussion with Caroline Shaw to perform at UCSB Campbell Hall

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Sõ Percussion with Caroline Shaw at 8 p.m. April 21 at Campbell Hall. Pulitzer Prizewinner Caroline Shaw joins Sõ Percussion as vocalist for 10 songs she co-composed with the quartet members.

“Let the Soil Play Its Simple Part” explores soil cultivation as a metaphor for creativity and collaboration. Ms. Shaw’s acclaimed ear for melody and harmony and Sõ’s playful sense of rhythmic invention come together in this original music.

Taking inspiration from James Joyce, ABBA, American roots music, plainchant, Christian hymns and stories from the Old Testament, Sõ Percussion and Ms. Shaw dissolve the boundaries between classical and pop.

In the first half of the program, Sõ Percussion will perform works in its repertoire from a trio of young composers including ensemble members Eric ChaBeach, Angélica Negrón and Nathalie Joachim.

For 20 years and counting, Sõ Percussion has redefined chamber music for the 21st century.

Recent highlights have included performances at the Elbphilharmonie, Big Ears 2022, where the ensemble performed “Amid the Noise,” premiered a new work by Angélica Negrón with the Kronos Quartet, and performed its album with Caroline Shaw, “Let the Soil

CALENDAR

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. “Storytelling: Native People Through the Lens of Edward S. Curtis” is on display through April 30 at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays. For more information, visit sbnature.org.

10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. “SURREAL

WOMEN: Surrealist Art by American Women” is on display through April 24 at Sullivan Goss: An American Gallery, 11 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. For more information, www.sullivangoss.com. 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 805-965-6307 or go to www.afsb.org.

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. to etcsb.org or call 805-9655400.

APRIL 12

8 p.m. Elton Dan & The Rocket Band will perform at the Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara. The band plays tribute to Elton John. Tickets cost $34 and $52 for general admission and $92 for VIP seats. To purchase, go to lobero.org.

APRIL 13

7:30 p.m. John Oates, one-half of the duo of Hall & Oates, will perform at the Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara. The concert will also feature singersongwriter and guitarist Steve Postell. Tickets cost $45 and $55 for general admission and $106 for VIP seats, which include pre-concert reception.

APRIL 15

Edward T. Cone performers-inresidence at Princeton University.

Ms. Shaw is a musician who moves among roles, genres and mediums, trying to imagine a world of sound that has never been heard before but has always existed. She works often in collaboration with others, as producer, composer, violinist and vocalist.

She is the recipient of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in music, several Grammy awards, an honorary doctorate from Yale and a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship. This year’s projects include the score to “Fleishman is in Trouble” (FX/ Hulu), vocal work with Rosalía (MOTOMAMI), the score to Josephine Decker’s “The Sky Is Everywhere” (A24/Apple), music for the National Theatre’s production of “The Crucible” (dir. Lyndsey Turner), Justin Peck’s “Partita” with New York City Ballet and a new stage work “LIFE” (Gandini Juggling/Merce Cunningham Trust).

Ms. Shaw has written more than 100 works in the last decade. The program is presented in association with UCSB Department of Music.

email: mmcmahon@newspress.com

7:30 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform “Beethoven Dreams” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. The allBeethoven program will include a collaboration with the Ensemble Theatre Company’s artistic director, Jonathan Fox. Mr. Fox will direct the West Coast premiere of Ella MilchSheriff’s staged monodrama, “The Eternal Stranger,” based on one of Beethoven’s dreams. The concert will also feature the symphony playing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and Symphony No. 4. The concert’s piano soloist is Inna Faliks. Tickets cost $35 to $175. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

APRIL 16

3 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform “Beethoven Dreams” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. The allBeethoven program will include a collaboration with the Ensemble Theatre Company’s artistic director, Jonathan Fox. Mr. Fox will direct the West Coast premiere of Ella MilchSheriff’s staged monodrama, “The Eternal Stranger,” based on one of Beethoven’s dreams. The concert will also feature the symphony playing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and Symphony No. 4. The concert’s piano soloist is Inna Faliks. Tickets cost $35 to $175. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

APRIL 25

Play Its Simple Part “ and a return to Carnegie Hall, where, Sõ Percussion performed new collaborations with Nathalie Joachim and Dominic Shodekeh Talifero.

Sõ Percussion’s recording, “Narrow Sea,” with Ms. Shaw, Dawn Upshaw and Gilbert Kalish, won the 2022 Grammy

for Best Composition. Other albums include “A Record Of..” on Brassland Music with Buke and Gase, and an acclaimed version of Julius Eastman’s “Stay On It” on new imprint S� Percussion Editions. This adds to a catalog of more than 25 albums featuring landmark recordings of works by

David Lang, Steve Reich, Steve Mackey, and many more.

In the summer of 2022, Sõ performed at the Music Academy of the West Festival, Newport Classical, at Time Spans in New York and offered four concerts at Our Festival in Helsinki.

In fall 2022, Sõ Percussion began its ninth year as the

7:30 p.m. The American Theatre Guild will present “Anastasia” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. The new Broadway musical follows a brave young woman on a journey to discover the mystery of the past. This production transports the audiences from the twilight of the Russian empire to Paris in the 1920s. Tickets cost $54 to $129. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

— Dave Mason

Managing Editor Dave Mason dmason@newspress.com

TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 2023

PHOTO COURTESY ENSEMBLE THEATRE COMPANY

From left, Michael Butler, Nancy Travis and Linda Purl star as retired nuclear physicists in “The Children,” which the Ensemble Theatre Company is performing through April 23 at The New Vic in Santa Barbara. Ms. Purl talked to the News-Press about her TV acting career, which included the lawyer series “Matlock.”

PHOTO ©2020 SHERVIN LAINEZ

Caroline Shaw will sing with S Percussion during a UCSB concert.

Movie actor Timothy Bottoms to sign his first book

SANTA BARBARA — Hollywood actor and Santa Barbara native Timothy Bottoms will be visiting Chaucer’s Books in Santa Barbara for an in-store book talk and signing April 19.

The event will start at 6 p.m. at the store, 3321 State St.

Mr. Bottoms’ book, “The Pier,” is a coming-of-age story that is loosely based on Mr. Bottoms’ childhood memories. Taking place in Santa Barbara, the story describes the delicate scene of the pier and carries the reader along on the journey of a little boy. Mr. Bottoms describes the book as “the best Sunday read I have found in a very long time.”

The author is wellknown in Hollywood for his movies such as “The Last Picture Show.” “The Paper Chase,” “Rollercoaster” and “Elephant.” “The Pier” is his first book, although Mr. Bottoms has been telling stories a majority of his life.

-— Kira Logan

Elton Dan to perform at Lobero Theatre

SANTA BARBARA — Elton Dan and the Rocket Band are coming to Santa Barbara this Wednesday to pay homage to Elton John’s greatest hits.

The concert begins at 8 p.m at the Lobero Theatre, 33 E Canon Perdido St. Elton Dan, otherwise known as Dan Gasser, has been performing as an Elton John tribute artist for nearly 10 years. Mr. Gasser is based in Kansas City and has performed on tour across the world with Elton’s oldest and greatest hits from the 1970s.

Wearing costumes from that era, Elton Dan and the Rocket Band play songs from seven of Elton John’s albums, including hit songs “I’m Still Standing,” “Bennie and the Jets” and “Tiny Dancer.”

Tickets in advance are $52 and $34 for general admission and $92 for the VIP experience. Prices go up $3 per ticket on the day of the show. To purchase, go to lobero.org/ events/elton-dan-the-rocketband-2023.

— Kira Logan

Nic & Joe at Roy Restaurant

SANTA BARBARA — Nic & Joe

— the musical duo of Nicole Lvoff and Joe Woodard — will perform 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday at Roy Restaurant.

They will perform classic hits from their personal songbook of the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, jazz standards and more.

Together, they also have their own band, named Lucinda Lane. They both have their own personal musical careers as well. Ms. Lvoff focuses on jazz, and Mr. Woodard’s bands includes Headless Household.

Roy Restaurant is located at 7 W. Carrillo Street in Santa Barbara.

— Kira Logan

PURL

Continued from Page B1

“I had stayed friends with Henry (Winkler) and Marian (Ross, who played Mrs. Cunningham) through the years,” Ms. Purl said. “It felt to me like a homecoming.

“I miss Garry Marshall,” Ms. Purl said about the popular producer and actor, who died in 2016 at age 81. “He was a remarkable human being. He

was so influential in so many people’s lives, changing the trajectory for the better.”

Ms. Purl said she felt she had come full circle when she got the role of Charlene on “Matlock.”

After all, Mr. Griffith and Mr. Howard, then a young boy, acted together on the popular sitcom set in fictional Mayberry, “The Andy Griffith Show” (1960-68 on CBS).

Ms. Purl said she discovered Mr. Griffith was an intellectual who was fascinated with the

human condition.

“Like many comics, he could call on very dark tones as well,” Ms. Purl said. “What we got to see of his work was wonderful, but we were cheated. I knew he had a great King Lear in him.”

Besides the iconic Shakespearean role, Ms. Purl said Mr. Griffith, who died in 2012 at age 86, could have played “Willy” Loman from “Death of A Salesman.”

“I’m really sorry we collectively did not get to see

him choose to take on those roles,” Ms. Purl said. But Mr. Griffith, an actor, singer and guitarist, did become known for his iconic roles such as Sheriff Andy Taylor on “The Andy Griffith Show: and attorney Ben Matlock, who had an uncanny way of figuring out the real killer in each week’s murder mystery. Ben’s clients were always innocent, of course.)

email: dmason@newspress.com

Barbara.

COURTESY PHOTO

Elton Dan has been performing as an Elton John tribune artist for nearly 10 years.

COURTESY PHOTO Nicole Lvoff and Joe Woodard perform music by the Beatles and Joni Mitchell, as well as jazz standards.

Thought for Today

“Cherish all your happy moments; they make a fine cushion for old age.”

Booth Tarkington

SUDOKU

HOROSCOPE

Horoscope.com

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

ARIES — There could be a meeting in your community regarding some extensive changes in the not too distant future, Aries. The meeting could bring facts to your attention that you should be aware of. The changes are likely to be positive in the end, but now they could be disruptive for all.

TAURUS — Career matters might prove frustrating today, Taurus. You’re aiming for a specific goal of some kind that you’re anxious to reach, but it seems to hit one setback after another. Hang in there! Persevere and keep pushing. Whatever it is you’re trying to attain, you will get there.

GEMINI — A new field of interest may require much of your concentration for the next several days, Gemini. You could be studying a new spiritual discipline or perhaps an intellectual problem, such as the workings of the universe, or both. Your mind is especially sharp right now, so this is a good time to begin a new course of study.

CANCER — Are you interested in psychology? If so, you might discover some information that clues you in to your mental and emotional history. Such disciplines as pastlife regression or rebirthing could be especially appealing. What you learn today could enable you to understand yourself better and release remnants of past traumas.

LEO — Your circle of friends is probably changing, Leo, perhaps too rapidly for your tastes. Some friends may be moving away, or different interests have caused you to form new friendships. Your life seems to be going well right now, but you may miss your old friends and go through temporary fits of nostalgia. Focus on the future and move ahead!

VIRGO — Although things may be going well for you at work, Virgo, it’s probably taking a physical and emotional toll on you. You may suffer from mild stress-related conditions like headaches. It might be time for a vacation. Even if you’re unable to get away in the near

future, just thinking about and planning a trip can help.

LIBRA — Are you working on something that requires indepth research, Libra? If so, this is the day to dig in. Your mind and eyes are especially sharp right now, and you’re likely to catch details that you might miss under normal circumstances. Whatever you’re doing, you will probably find it fascinating, like putting together pieces of a puzzle.

SCORPIO — Today, Scorpio, you might feel caught between the determination to reach a certain goal, probably financial, and a desire to stay home and work on your own projects, take care of your family, or both. You’re clever and resourceful enough to have it both ways. Friends who know the ins and outs might be able to help you along these lines.

SAGITTARIUS — A social event could put you in contact with people who love to gossip, Sagittarius. They might have some juicy tidbits to report, and you could be torn between curiosity and compassion for the person being discussed. If what you hear is good, relax and enjoy it. If it’s vicious, don’t be afraid to speak up.

CAPRICORN — Over the past few months you may have thrown yourself into your work, accomplishing feats that ordinary people would never even try. Today you should give your brain a day off! Don’t worry. Your successes haven’t gone unnoticed by higher-ups, and you can expect to reap the rewards that come with hard work.

AQUARIUS — For the past few days your mind has been primarily on the loftier side of romance - emotional support, a spiritual bond, the highest kind of love. Today your mind is likely to be on nothing more exalted than physical passion. You can expect to be obsessed with sex all day. Schedule some quality time alone with a lover.

PISCES — A discussion could take place in your home between you, friends, and household members, Pisces. A love partner may also be present. The conversation will concern controversial issues that the people feel very strongly about, so expect to hear intense debate between opposing views.

DAILY BRIDGE

By FRANK STEWART

Tribune Content Agency

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

“When trouble arrives, treat her pleasantly. She may be a pain, like the tax collector, but if you treat her amiably, she may go away.”

Declarers must not yield to adversity. Today’s South might have had an easy time at five diamonds if West had led a spade. But East had opened the bidding and had high-card strength, and West had club and heart honors. So West led the ace and a low trump.

LOW HEARTS

South could no longer ruff all of his low hearts in dummy; he had to attack the clubs. He took the ace and ruffed a club, but when East played the king, South lacked the dummy entries to set up the long clubs if West still had Q-8.

South found a solution: At Trick

Five he led the king of spades. If East won and returned a spade, South would win in dummy, ruff a club, ruff a heart, ruff a club and return with a heart ruff for the good clubs.

So East let the king of spades win, but then South got home by ruffing a heart and leading the jack of clubs, pitching his last spade.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: A J 10

2 K 5. Your partner opens one club, you bid one spade, he rebids two clubs and you try two

CODEWORD PUZZLE

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 through Saturday.

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

hearts. Partner then bids 2NT. What do you say?

ANSWER: A rebid of three hearts would suggest five cards in both majors, but partner might treat it as a sign-off. Bid three clubs to show support and diamond shortness. He should take that bid as encouraging and forcing. You can still get to hearts, spades or, if partner insists, notrump.

Feds borrowing $6 billion per day, budget group says

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Congressional Budget Office said Monday the federal government has borrowed more than a trillion dollars in debt only six months into the fiscal year.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget released a report pointing out that those figures amount to an average of $6 billion per day so far in fiscal year 2023.

“Our fiscal challenges will only become more difficult the longer we wait to do anything,” said Maya MacGuineas, president of the CRFB. “In just five years, the national debt will surpass its record as a share of the economy – set just after World War II, when we had no choice but to borrow to win the war. However, we’re in no such emergency now. It’s long past time that policymakers figure out a way to sustainably finance their priorities, not just add the costs to the national credit card.”

The data figures come as Republicans and Democrats approach a deadline to raise the debt ceiling or face defaulting on the national debt, an unprecedented event that would have huge ramifications for the U.S. and global economy.

Republicans have pointed to those figures as proof of the need for spending cuts.

President Joe Biden, though, has shown no interest in negotiating. Democrats argue the fiscal deadline is too risky to play with in negotiations.

The CRFB said if nothing changes, the annual deficit will hit $3 trillion by the end of this decade.

“That amount of borrowing outside of a national emergency is plainly unacceptable,” mS. MacGuineas said. “Budgeting requires tradeoffs – often painful ones that politicians don’t want to grapple with. However, that is what they were elected to do, and they should consider the needs of both current and future Americans in upcoming fiscal negotiations. We simply cannot afford to ignore our unsustainable borrowing any longer.”

Lawmakers concerned about IRS heading into tax day

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – Tax day is around the corner, but lawmakers are raising the alarm that the IRS may not be ready to process the litany of new rules and regulations implemented by the Biden administration.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman David Schweikert, R-Ariz., sent a letter to the Comptroller General of the U.S. Government Accountability Office raising concerns about the extra burdens recent legislation pushed by the Biden administration could put on the struggling agency.

“In Fiscal Year 2021, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) received over 4.7 billion information returns – reports

provided to the IRS to track business or trade payments and transactions – filed by third parties, most of which were filed electronically,” the letter said.

The Biden administration successfully pushed for $80 billion for the IRS to beef up auditing but has also put more expectations such as auditing and tracking more transactions.

“In addition, recent legislation drastically lowered the threshold to $600 for reporting certain types of payments, such as those made using a third-party platform like PayPal or Venmo,” the letter said. “New regulations related to information reporting for transactions occurring across these digital assets could lead to the filing of billions more information returns.”

The IRS previously delayed the implementation of the PayPal and Venmo related rule. The lawmakers called the IRS’ decision a “tacit admission” that it is not

ready for the new administrative burden.

“While information reporting can help the IRS ensure accurate tax reporting and incentivize voluntary compliance with tax laws, those goals must be balanced against the burden that this reporting places on taxpayers, third party providers, and the IRS,” the letter said. “Many Americans who will likely be subject to these new requirements – particularly given the low reporting threshold of $600 – are also likely to struggle to afford the level of accounting and tax preparation services that might be needed.”

The agency is still recovering from the burden of administering the COVID-era stimulus checks, which helped cause a tax filing backlog that the agency is still handling. The IRS has also taken fire after reports emerged that a Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration report from 2021 showed the agency destroyed about

Florida lawmakers file legislation to reject central bank digital currencies

By ANDREW POWELL THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – Florida could become one of the first states to reject via legislation plans by the Federal Reserve to implement a central bank digital currency.

House Bill 7049 and related bill Senate Bill 7054 both define the terms of central bank digital currency and money for the purpose of the U.S Uniform Commercial Code, which is a uniformly adopted state law for the transaction of interstate commerce. Both bills would prohibit the use of both federal and foreign-owned CBDC as money while still allowing virtual currencies like Bitcoin.

The push via the House and Senate bills to reject a central bank digital currency is a key plank in Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ legislative priorities this session.

While much of the financial transactions in the U.S. and globally are digital, a CBDC would be digital only and not available in a tangible form.

In the bills, a central bank digital currency is defined as a digital currency, a digital medium of exchange, or a digital monetary unit of account issued by the United States Federal Reserve System, a federal agency, a foreign government, a foreign central bank or a foreign reserve system that is made directly available to a consumer and processed or validated directly by such entities.

Money is defined as a medium of exchange that is currently authorized or adopted by a domestic or foreign government and is further defined as a monetary unit of account which is established by an intergovernmental organization or by agreement between two or more countries, but explicitly excludes the use of a CBDC.

According to the SB 7054 analysis, 11 countries have now fully implemented a CBDC and 18 others are currently operating pilot programs for CBDC, including China, Russia, Iran and Australia. The

U.S CBDC is currently in the developmental phase.

Brian Popelka, CEO of Bitt, a digital currency development company, told The Center Square that concerns over privacy and control of assets are not unfounded.

“The fervor over digital currencies lies in a reasonable concern over the control of assets. At Bitt, we believe privacy and sovereignty of personal

assets should be carefully considered when designing a digital currency. Compliance and other standards should be firmly established before we judge prematurely via legislation,” Mr. Popelka said. The UCC has had amendments drafted by the Uniform Law Commission and the American Law Institute to provide updated rules for commercial transactions involving virtual currencies and have made amendments to the definition of money.

In the U.S UCC model amendments, a digital currency that is recorded and transferable before it was authorized by the federal government has been excluded for use as money. Bitcoin, for example, was transferrable before it was recognized as a currency by the federal government. These amendments will only allow the use of a federally controlled CBDC if one is ever fully implemented.

Gov. DeSantis said on March 23 that legislation is needed to prevent the financial sector from being weaponized for political agendas and further stated that President Joe Biden’s push towards a digital currency was to use it as a tool to surveil and control Americans.

Excluding the use of a CBDC has been part of a larger push to expel environmental, social and corporate governance agendas from the Sunshine State and to separate from President Biden’s progressive policies, according to Gov. DeSantis.

In late March, the Florida House passed a bill that bans ESG policies and removing ESG considerations in state and local pension funds, bonding decisions, lending decisions and state contracting.

Federal legislation that would restrict the imposition of a CBDC is already in the U.S. House.

30 million taxpayer documents, files that Americans could need in the future if they are audited.

In February, lawmakers raised many of these kinds of concerns at the confirmation hearings for Daniel Werfel, Biden’s nominee to lead the IRS who was eventually confirmed.

“Massive backlogs have left desperate families and small businesses waiting on much needed returns as they fight skyrocketing inflation,” U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said during the hearing. “Restoring the credibility of the agency is going to be a steep mountain to climb. When we visited I said this would be critical as part of your job. The policies enacted by President Biden’s reckless tax and spending bill are really not going to be helpful in trying to regain the credibility of the American people for the agency.” Tax day this year is April 18.

‘Imported’ gun control bill passes Washington Senate

By TJ MARTINELL THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) - The Washington Senate has passed a gun control bill that would label many types of semiautomatic rifles, pistols, and shotguns as “assault weapons” and prohibit their sale, purchase, or importation. The 27-21 vote on HB 1240 came after what Lt. Gov. Denny Heck described as an “emotional charged policy debate” on almost two dozen amendments, most of them rejected.

Much of the April 8 floor discussions reiterated previously discussed aspects of the bill regarding the definition of “assault weapon.” Under HB 1240, various semi-automatic rifles specifically listed would be illegal to buy, sell, or import. It also bans semi-automatic rifles shorter than 30 inches, in addition to various shotguns or pistols with one or more of certain features or accessories that HB 1240 proponents say make it easier to conceal or fire more rapidly.

“Banning assault weapons saves lives,” Sen. Patty Kuderer, DBellevue, told colleagues during the floor debate. “Gun violence is an emergency.” The bill allows those who legally own a firearm affected by HB 1240 to sell it to a Federal Firearms License, or FFL, dealer or to law enforcement. A related provision allows someone to inherit an “assault weapon” upon the death of the owner, provided they “can establish such provenance.” However, that person would not be able to sell or transfer the firearm to anyone other than an FFL dealer or law enforcement.

One amendment rejected by legislators sought to remove HB 1240’s emergency clause and delay implementation until an ongoing federal lawsuit

challenging a similar law in California is decided, as the bill is all but expected to trigger a lawsuit on constitutional grounds. While Senate Law and Justice Committee Vice Chair Yasmin Trudeau, D-Tacoma, told colleagues that the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms “is not absolute,” Sen. Shelly Short, R-Addy, referenced the Washington Constitution, which states “the right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired.”

Sen. Lynda Wilson, RVancouver, argued that immediately implementing the bill would force firearm businesses to decide whether to comply until a court decision is made or close shop. “I might just pack up and leave the state, which I think is a goal [of the bill],” she said.

Aside from the bill’s provisions, opponents also took issue with HB 1240’s intent section and unsuccessfully sought to edit it or remove it entirely via bill amendments. One part of the intent section claims that the gun industry markets certain firearms as “hypermasculine” to appeal to “troubled young men intent on becoming the next mass shooter,” a statement that drew protest from Sen. Mike Padden, RSpokane Valley, for its “misandrist accusations.”

Another aspect of the intent section is its reference to “weapons of war” when referring to semi-automatic weapons. A retired Marine, Sen. Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro-Woolley, told colleagues he had “handled lots of weapons of war and I know the difference. An AR-15 while it may look like an M16, but it has absolutely nothing in common.”

HB 1240 will now go back to the House for concurrence.

The push via the House and Senate bills to reject a central bank digital currency is a key plank in Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ legislative priorities this session.