Comments by VoiceofSB
Page 1 of 2 | Next
Posted on June 11 at 8:27 a.m.
Oh, Please...The students idea of contributing is providing a meal or helping at the soup kitchen? They don't care about "the community of IV", they are just fulfilling their community service obligations or trying to make themselves feel good.
There are several types of homeless in IV; Mentally ill, substance abusers and "just don't want to work"ers. The issues surrounding homeless are so vast and complex, that a committee is not going to solve the problem. A committee doesn't need to set ground rules. The law already does that, and the homeless don't care about the laws.
Mentally ill need intensive counseling and medication monitoring as well as a roof over their head, substance abusers need drug and alcohol treetment and need to be AWAY from the excessive drinking and temptation of Isla Vista. The others need a social conscience and sense of self worth.
So what does IV do about all of that? We have two churches that cater to them, one provides breakfast, one provides lunch. We have an abundance of recylcing materials that provide enough money to support their alcohol habit. Students provide them with booze, burritos and a warm welcome to their homes, parks and streets. One of the churches even provides a homeless camp behind the building where the homeless can curl up for the night. There is an effort to provide counseling by some of the churches, but they fall short. In essence, IV is the Shangri-La for homeless.
Why is there such an acceptance of the homeless by the IV community? Why is it OK for the students to wake up with someone sleeping outside their window? Why should they have to push a sleeping bag out of the way in their laundry rooms? Why should the kids have to remove the 40oz. King Cobra from the bottom of the slide before playing on the playground? Why does the community embrace those that trash the park with their passed out bodies, church provided lunch boxes, clothing and various sundries that accompany the homeless?
All you have to do is look at the rest of the community, it's a trash pit and it's OK with those that "care about their community".
Posted on April 28 at 11:53 p.m.
Oh Nicki, I love how you portray the UCSB constituancy. If you perceive being wronged, violated, mistreated or left-out, you claim you are a strong and powerful community that should not be overlooked and the wrath of your actions will right the wrong. As soon as you show your true colors, as irresponsible wet behind the ears children, you slink down in your chair and put on your puppy dog face and say, "We're just kids, and we'll learn from our mistakes".
Posted on January 28 at 11:27 p.m.
And Again, Thank you Hank! I have attended similar meetings and have heard similar rants from the transient student population of IV. But here is another side of things...If this town of Isla Vista is truely policed by radical, oppresive, overbearing, heavyhanded, civil rights violating cops, then where are all of the complaints? Where are all of the internal investigations into policy and civil rights violations, where are all of the pro-bono attorneys making names for themselves by righting the wrong and stringing up rogue cops for all to see?
They do not exist! The complaints don't exist because the majority of the "stories" of oppressive cops that come out of IV are from those who violated a law they felt, "wasn't right", and they were "disrespected" when they tried to play sidewalk lawyer, and they found themselves in jail or with a ticket in their hand.
I wonder if Firemen get criticized for the way the spray water on fires?
0 of 1 people thought this was a good comment.
Posted on January 27 at 8:07 p.m.
Thank god for hank! It is ridiculous that the kids in IV feel that they should do anything but respect the authority of Law Enforcement! Those of you who feel that you should challenge authority, or question the Police or form a "watchdog" group are just nuts!
Do you honestly think that IV Cops are out ther violating people's civil rights? These guys get more "f you's", urine, feces and beer thrown at them, kids puking on their boots and 20 year old 'a' holes wanting to fight them in one night than any of you could tolerate in your lifetime. The thanks they get for keeping your daughters from being raped or your marijuana and Natural Ice baked sons from jumping off the balcony into the shallow end of the pool is a complaint on Monday morning that, "the cops didn't allow me to stand and argue why I shouldn't have to answer questions when they thought I just vandalized this house."
Get a grip IV. A protest on campus to "stop police brutality" because of the obviously errant bullet of a BART officer in the bay area? Come on...do you really think that exemplifies the "ongoing abuse of authority by law enforcement". How about an isolated mistake carried out by one officer, I'm sure the "police state" didn't conspire to shoot the next guy who got out of line!
So get real citizens! Realize if you met the police with more, "Yes Sir's" and "I'm happy to answer your questions", that you might be met with more "thank you for your cooperation and have a nice night's".
1 of 5 people thought this was a good comment.
Posted on November 20 at 2:19 p.m.
Get a grip Ray. The "information void" as you put it probably exhisted for a good reason. Perhaps the investigation was not complete. Prematurely releasing information tending to identify the bad guys could have scared them off. Information such as this is typically held for weeks or even months. Bravo to Sheriff Brown and his department for finding those responsible so quickly. Bravo to Sheriff Brown and his department for putting the peoples minds at ease. Knowing those responsible have been found and a lunatic firebug is not on the loose in Southern California is a comfort.
Posted on July 17 at 7:54 a.m.
Once again Nick, you've hit the nail on the head with this one. I've long looked at the OpEd pages of the News Supress for my comical releif, having given up the funny pages years ago...
Posted on July 9 at 8:17 a.m.
What a great exchange of thoughts! The gang problem has been in existance in Santa Barbara since before I can remember. It has only surfaced as a major "problem" recently because of the brazeness of these recent incidence. It used to be an after school fight, a back alley after midnight attack, or other covert gang action. Now it seems that you get extra gang member points for doing a daylight, middle of an event, or otherwise crowded gang deed.
Let's be real folks. The gang problems and crime in general will not be solved with one solution alone. We need to embrace ALL of these ideas and put them to work. We need to stand firm on enforcement. Give our Law Enforcement the power and the directive to go out and seek gang members and trouble makers wherever they are and SHAKE THEM DOWN. Give them jay walking tickets, cerfew violations, speeding tickets, get the zoning departments and housing authorities to come down on their places of residence with whatever violations they can find. Basically, make life so uncomfortable for them, they don't want to stay. But, we also need to identifiy those "victims of circumstance" who's family members are gangsters and who's parents are absent, and give them the education and alternatives to stay out of the lifestyle. And for those already in the lifestyle, who show some glimmer of hope of getting out, give them the opportunity to rehabilitate (those are few and far between, by the way).
As for city hall...don't get me started. I see more worries from the mayor about letting Santa Barbara get labbeled as having a gang problem, then I do about fixing the problem. Blum needs to do a ride along with the police departments gang unit on a Friday night, and get a grip of what's happening in her city's underworld.
Ta for now!
Posted on June 12 at 8:26 a.m.
Why is it that Sheriff Bill Brown is able to outline cuts and cost saving measures, but no other county department is willing to do the same?
Posted on June 11 at 8:45 a.m.
Thanks winegal...could you point out again in the definition where transient means, "a derogatory and inflammatory term used to carefully and systematically dehumanize those human beings who fall outside society's preferred socioeconomic strata." I missed that part. Holly must be looking in a different dictionary.
I love it when people find a need to grandstand to bash others, instead of focusing their energy on more productive things.
Let's look at the real issue of homelessness; substance abuse, mental health and even a desire to beholden to no one.
Page 1 of 2 | Next
Previous Month
Posted on July 1 at 5:07 p.m.
Not to worry, I have it on good authority that it's not going to happen!
On Official Michael Jackson Party Announced