Contrary to what you may have read, Santa Barbara does not need another hostel—in fact, the existing hostel turns away customers fewer than 10 nights a year. We do, however, need help fighting the escalating violence within our community. Fess Parker has offered to fill this pressing need, rather than fulfill an outdated requirement.

Owned by locals, the Santa Barbara Tourist Hostel has always welcomed backpackers, international tourists, and student travelers. There was no hostel here when the Coastal Commission created the requirement for Fess Parker, but now there is.

If Fess Parker's nonprofit youth hostel opens, the five million dollars in subsidies it must receive from him will make it impossible for other entry-level mom-and-pop hotels to compete. This is not fair competition, it is the Coastal Commission demanding that a nonprofit business be created and be given five million dollars in order to compete with existing local businesses.

Mr. Parker said last week that his nonprofit, subsidized, hostel would put the existing hostel out of business, which in the end would leave Santa Barbara with no more low-cost beds than it has today—nobody benefits.

By supporting Fess Parker's proposal to re-allocate his five million dollars, from a youth hostel for which there is little demand to much-needed violence prevention, you are not helping him—because he must pay five million dollars either way—you are actually supporting locally owned business and making your community safer.—John Celmins, Co-owner, Santa Barbara Tourist Hostel

Comments

Discussion Guidelines

Local Weather

Currently:
Broken Clouds
Temperature:
69.1°
Wind:
6 W

Surf Report