EDITORIAL (Continued from page 5)
We like Salud and if he beats Justin, we’ll wish him luck (though not too much luck; we really don’t want to see Nancy Pelosi anywhere near the Speaker of the House position).
“Who Cares?” for U.S. Senate
One is as bad as the other, take your pick – or better yet, skip this entirely. We say this because the two candidates are both members of the same party (guess which one) and it really doesn’t matter which of them wins. They’ll vote in lockstep with their leadership, and in nearly all cases it will not be in a direction we could support.
Down Ballot Races
Just pick the Republican, if there is one (they are a vanishing species in California). For example: Colin Patrick Walch for State Senator, 19th District.
Bonds and Propositions
We vote “NO” on everything but Prop 62, upon which we will vote “YES” and will acknowledge, finally, that California hasn’t been serious about a death penalty for a very long time. Doing away with the death penalty may even save taxpayers some money, though we doubt it. Until government unions begin the long-delayed restructuring of California’s pension system, no one should ever approve any bond for anything. Getting money in this way allows local governments to continue paying outlandish and unsupportable salaries, “bonuses,” perks, and pensions to government employees. We’re also voting in favor of Prop 64, which will legalize the possession, cultivation, and use of marijuana for other than medicinal purposes for those over 21.
Montecito Water Board
We’re voting for Floyd Wicks, an engineer by trade (with a graduate degree in water resource engineering and a civil engineering background), and his running mate Tobe Plough, who has been a management consultant to oil and gas companies. Tobe is a familiar name and face in Santa Barbara and Montecito, and has served on the boards of Santa Barbara County Taxpayer Association, COLAB, and the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation. As we’ve written, our election choices are no reflection upon the efforts and/ or integrity of either Charles Newman or Tom Mosby, both of whom are certainly qualified to fill a seat. We simply feel some new blood is required on the Montecito Water Board of Directors and that Wicks and Plough represent that fresh start. •MJ
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LETTERS (Continued from page 8)
that over 88% of the funds go to charitable works. When searching the Internet, I found that most of the websites had the wrong information, as did your letters in Letters to the Editor. Virtually all these websites had a right-leaning political stance, so I am not certain if the erroneous reporting was done knowingly or was simply due to a lack of education. The charity watchdog group Charity Navigator gave the foundation its highest possible rating: four out of four stars, and a score of 94.74%, after its customary review of the foundation’s financial records and tax statements. Charity Navigator stopped rating the Clinton Foundation entirely in 2014 because it said changes in the foundation’s business structure were incompatible with the way Charity Navigator calculates its ratings. Charity Navigator then asked the foundation to consolidate its tax forms in a way the watchdog could evaluate it and was able to approve a rating. A different charity monitor, Charity Watch, says that 88% of the foundation’s money goes toward its charitable mission and gave the foundation an “A” rating for 2016. I hope this clears up a misunderstanding for some people. Susan Cruz Santa Barbara (Editor’s note: In April 2015, The Clinton Foundation joined Al Sharpton’s National Action Network on Charity Navigator’s “watch list.” According to The Federalist, barely 15% of the nearly $500 million raised between 2008 and 2012 went toward grants. Instead, some $110 million went out in salaries and benefits, and $25 million was designated as “travel expenses.” In 2013, the Clinton Foundation took in $140 million and gave out $9 million in “charity.” – J.B.)
Water Power
Has anybody noticed the water truck that parks at Butterfly and Channel Drive, right next to the steps to one of the most pristine stretches of birds and trees, dogs, and humans on Earth? That stolen-looking, diesel-belching sack of scrap metal that poisons everything for hours at a time – at highest idle – until it runs out of liquids? Someone should tell whoever is paying for it, that they should “cough up” for a new electric truck. Anonymous Montecito (Editor’s note: None of us have noticed the truck, but we will keep our eyes open for it; thanks for the heads-up. – J.B.)
Support Measures I and J
This election season has me stressed-out, and I don’t think I’m
• The Voice of the Village •
alone. The campaign rhetoric is divisive, mean-spirited, and disrespectful. I’m embarrassed to be part of a generation that is allowing this low level of discourse. Most importantly, I’m worried about the effects this will have on my/our children. As I look around for ideas and issues on which we could feel good about, I find Measures I and J. One of the things our community can feel good about is the quality of public education offered by the Santa Barbara School District. Whether or not we have kids who attend these schools, there is no question that one of the key elements of our vibrant community is the value we place on educating the next generation. Not to mention, great schools are a cornerstone of healthy property values. Every single teacher in this district comes to work every day and tries to do their best for the children in their classroom. But we have to do our part to make sure those classrooms reflect and allow for the level of teaching and learning we demand of our educators and our students. Our school district has over two million square feet of buildings to take care of. Some of them are 80 and 90 years old – 50 and 60 years old being the norm. In some cases, these facilities are in dire need of repairs. They need new roofs, pipes, electrical, lighting, safe windows with tempered glass, modernization of bathrooms, etc. If we don’t raise the money to maintain and upgrade our beautiful old buildings, we could easily be one disaster away from necessary repairs that could cost the district in the tens of millions of dollars. An architect we worked with at Montecito Union School once said in warning us against the use of temporary classrooms, “there is nothing more permanent than temporary.” For the Santa Barbara School District, that turns out to be all too true. There are approximately 154 portable bungalows currently being used as classrooms, in some cases for 40 years. These buildings are not only unattractive, but they are dilapidated and unfit for the high level of education we expect from our schools. If we take educating our children seriously, they must be replaced with permanent 21st-century classrooms. The other important reason we should support Measures I and J is that right now the district has a unique chance to buy the Santa Barbara Armory strategically located between the Santa Barbara High and Junior High property. This beautiful historic building, if acquired by the District, could be used for curricular and extra-curricular activities and would greatly help alleviate the
LETTERS Page 254 3 – 10 November 2016