Californians facing single-source electric dependency

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is pushing for a ban on the sale of gasoline and hybrid vehicles effective in 2035, as well as a ban on new purchases of natural gas-powered water heaters and space heaters effective in 2030. 

However, David Henderson argues in an article that CARB's push towards electricity is gradually reducing diversity in energy usage, making Californians more vulnerable to power outages. 

Henderson shares his own experiences with power outages, which occurred 6 times between December 10 and the present day, and a friend's experience of being trapped in his apartment due to the lack of power. 

He argues that the state government's plan will lead to "electricity hell" for millions of Californians. Source: Econlib

New District Attorney gets $500,000 to study charges against people of color

Santa Barbara County's new District Attorney, John Savrnoch, has been granted $500,000 to hire a data analytics consultant to determine whether county prosecutors were filing stiffer charges and securing tougher sentences against people of color. 

The money was approved by county supervisors, who praised Savrnoch's "refreshingly open and collaborative approach." Public Defender Tracy Macuga, who had previously led the fight against the funding, expressed misgivings about the chosen consultant, George D'Angelo of Sicuro Data Analytics. 

REPORT: Randy Rowse defends response to tourist murder, says he'll run again for mayor

Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse has defended the city's response to the murder of a tourist in an alleged gang shoot-out at the Wharf, stating that the police investigation leading to arrests was "careful, precise, and sensitive to the victim's family". 

Responding to criticism that he and the police department were not transparent enough after the fatal shooting of Rob Gutierrez, Rowse shrugged off the suggestion that he should have taken a high-profile public stance in the case. Rowse also praised the city and the police department for doing a "good job of being vigilant and staying on top of" gang activity, although some have criticized the department's statement that "we do not have a gang problem" in Santa Barbara. 

Rowse also addressed key issues facing the city, including the interim plan for State Street, the redevelopment of Paseo Nuevo, housing at La Cumbre Plaza, homelessness, and the future of De La Guerra Plaza, while confirming that he intends to run for re-election as mayor.

Additional: 

• He offered a hint of a possible breakthrough in the stalled process of revamping Paseo Nuevo.
• Rowse also chided Supervisor Das Williams for allegedly blocking the city from obtaining a $1.2 million grant to design and adopt a comprehensive plan for housing at La Cumbre Plaza.

Source: Edhat Santa Barbara

Rep. Adam Schiff makes Senate campaign stop in Santa Barbara

Congressmember Adam Schiff, campaigning for the US Senate in Santa Barbara, discussed his three focal issues, which included “dangers to our democracy,” the US economy, and the environment. 

He also addressed the January 6 Capitol riot, Trump’s presidency, and his time on the January 6 committee. Schiff criticized Fox News for being a big propagator of the Big Lie and spoke of his conversation with someone who served on a board with Rupert Murdoch about Tucker Carlson’s support of Russia, and said that attacking Fox required boycotting them. 

Schiff also criticized House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s decision to authorize Tucker Carlson’s staff to view the January 6 Capitol surveillance footage, expressing concern about Capitol Police and member safety.

Additional points: 

• County Supervisor Das Williams urged Schiff to fight climate change, and called out other regional representatives in attendance at the event.

Source: Santa Barbara Independent

Santa Barbara rents rose 9% in 2022

Rents in Santa Barbara, California increased by 9% in 2022, according to the annual report by Hayes Commercial Group, as apartment vacancies fell to 1.7%. 

Tenant rights activists addressed the Santa Barbara City Council to protest "renovictions," whereby landlords evict tenants to make property improvements. These "mass evictions" frequently occur under the guise of renovations, de-regulate rent and resell, said Stanley Tzankov, co-founder of the Santa Barbara Tenants Union. 

He argued that "renovictions" are the only legal method to evict tenants in large multifamily apartments. Furthermore, apartment sales in the South Coast area are flourishing, with $141m spent in 2022, the largest total since 2015.

Navy veteran appointed general services director in Santa Barbara County

Kirk Lagerquist, a retired US Navy Civil Engineer Corps veteran, has been appointed as the new general services director for Santa Barbara County, replacing Janette Pell. 

Lagerquist has 27 years of experience in executive leadership, public project, and program management. During his career, he served as the military equivalent of a public works director at large and small Navy installations, including Naval Station Pearl Harbor, where he led 41 military personnel and 575 civilians in the execution of facilities maintenance, repair, and construction. 

Native Americans tell Biden to halt offshore wind

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) has adopted a resolution calling on the Biden Administration to halt all permitting and scoping for offshore wind projects until a comprehensive procedure is in place to protect tribal interests. 

The resolution demands that Tribal Nations be included in the management, permitting, and development of power purchase agreements and consulted in determining the terms and conditions of the agreements. The NCAI also demands that fair compensation is negotiated for the use of their lands and resources and that the development does not harm their environment or cultural heritage. 

The Biden Administration has set a goal for the US to reach 100 percent carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035, with offshore wind being one of the key pillars of this plan. 

However, this call by Native Americans may impact the progress of offshore wind development until a comprehensive procedure to protect tribal interests is established.