Comments by bilwil
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Posted on December 6 at 1:14 p.m.
Title 18 of the US Code, Section 1001 makes it a felony for a citizen to lie to the federal government whether under oath or not. President Obama sought to make it legal for the government to lie to a citizen attempting to use the Freedom of Information Act as to whether the government has in its possession a requested document. Anyone want to deny this?.
President Obama signed legislation making it legal for the US to detain citizens indefinitely without charge or trial. Anyone want to deny this?.
The president's FBI has acted in partnership with other agencies to plant spies in organizations whose only suspicion of criminality is their religion. Anyone want to deny this?.
Bradley Manning is stripped of his clothing at night and made to stand on parade in the nude. Amnesty International has protested his prison treatment to the US government. Anyone want to deny this?
Anyone certainly has the right to support this kind of moral degradation, but the Independent's oh-so-cute implication - that only those expecting Christ-like behavior (”No, he doesn't walk on water. Get over it.”) would oppose this man's candidacy - was and is disreputable.
And, in its inimitable way, this paper deleted from my above letter references to my several attempts to have published an Op-Ed piece highly critical of the president.
William Smithers
Posted on August 9 at 3:15 p.m.
Readers who'd like to understand more fully the lives and motives of those who choose to be Roman Catholic Womenpriests can do a Google search on "Just Between Us! Santa Barbara"; then click on "Directory of TV Interviews">"Dunn, Suzanne" or "Sandall, Patricia."
Posted on July 18 at 5:02 p.m.
Ms. Dudley's warnings re elder abuse are welcome and commendable.
However, especially given her background in this field, I don't see our current District Attorney doing anything to mitigate the gross elder abuse being effected on a daily basis by local judges, e.g., Coleen Sterne, who assign helpless elders, under Conseratorship provisions, to Conservators who rake off huge excessive fees while ensuring that vulnerable Conservatees are maintained under their control.
(Don't believe me? Do a Google search on "Just Between Us! Santa Barbara," and on the "Directory of TV Interviews" page, click on "Rosen, Patricia.")
I'd be a lot more impressed with Ms. Dudley if I saw her take any action to hold accountable any corrupt member of government legal or law enforcement agencies.
William Smithers
Posted on July 13 at 5:53 p.m.
Reading your comment made me realize I'm not alone in having the same complaint.
And I regret the snotty rejoinder one reader gave you; another example of what's common practice in these venues.
I'm retired now but had a career as a professional actor and director.
In recent months, an acquaintance said to me several times to let him know if I needed any help on a show I was producing. That time came; I phoned and emailed him several times. He answered none of the left messages.
While dining at a restaurant with my wife, I saw a man sitting with his family whom I thought would be great simply reading an excerpt from a show I was preparing. It turned out he was a local university professor and, when I spoke to him, he asked if I could give a reference to any other professors at that institution. I emailed him with an "official" invitation and mentioned the names of four professors at that university who'd been guests on my show. He never replied.
It's not surprising he thought the deal was not for him. But, given the circumstances and his profession, it would have been easy to reply with a "Thanks but no thanks."
On Holla Back!
Posted on June 2 at 12:58 p.m.
What a delightful development!
Wendy McCaw, holed up alone in her castle, peons building a moat around the structure, clutching her checkbook to her breast with one gnarled hand, holding a phone with the other, dictating or suppressing news stories to servile personnel at the News-Press and shouting to the air, "You will all go down!"
Barry Cappello, thinking he had been the lavishly paid hit man, gnashing his teeth and making highly-practiced threatening gestures with his fist.
Who was it who wrote,"A plague on both your houses!?"
Posted on March 25 at 4:27 p.m.
Mr. Clausen,
The 1/2 cent increase in Santa Barbara sales tax that Mayor Schneider would like to have local citizens decide in November would not be used for "wars" or "lucrative pensions."
In fact her proposals include a ballot measure requiring - should the sales tax increase be approved - city employees to pay their share of their pension expenses.
I'm not sure whether you mean our public school system is "rife with politics" within itself or among those discussing it.
In any case, should the Mayor's proposals be accepted as part of November's ballot measures, and should the sales tax increase be approved, a part of that measure gives our voters the opportunity to decide whether the city council could devote half of the increase to our Unified School District. Surely any financial help to our local education system will have no effect on differing opinions as to how it should be used.
Finally: I consider myself progressive but not a Democrat or Republican. I admit that in 2008, for the first time in many years, I voted for a major party candidate - Obama. Regretfully, he has proved in many instances, including support of the National Defense Authorization Act, to be the most despicable right-wing Republican ever elected a Democrat..
William Smithers
Posted on December 2 at 7:29 p.m.
This is an open invitation for anyone who witnessed brutal treatment of Mr. DeNunzio by Santa Barbara police - and who has been intervewed by the District Attorney's office - to appear on the Channel 17 television program "Just Between Us!"
Mr. DeNunzio's attorney has already received this invitation.
To contact us, do a Google search on "Just Between Us! Santa Barbara"; on the website, click on "Contact Us" and leave your contact information.
We believe this incident deserves further public scrutiny.
William Smithers
Posted on December 1 at 11:33 p.m.
This is an open invitation for anyone who witnessed brutal treatment of mr. Denunzio by santa barbara police - and who has been interviewed by the district attorney's office - to appear on the channel 17 television program "JUST BETWEEN US!"
Mr. DeNunzio's attorney has already received this invitation.
To contact us, do a Google search on "Just Between Us! Santa Barbara"; on the website, click on "Contact Us" and leave your contact information.
We believe this incident deserves further public scrutiny.
William Smithers
On DA Won't File Excessive Force, Resisting Arrest Charges in Denunzio DUI Case
Posted on September 30 at 12:01 p.m.
Dear Barney,
Since you've declared yourself “listening” regarding increased density housing in our city:
How do you regard those in our city government – read Frank Hotchkiss, Dale Francisco, Michael Self and Randy Rouse – who put Santa Barbara in default for one year with regard to California law mandating a five year revision of the city's General Plan, a plan which, after many concessions from all parties, stipulated only the possibility of additional workforce housing in downtown areas of the city? How do you regard these same politicians who hastily changed their minds and permitted passage of the Plan only with elections looming?
On a separate, but perhaps equally important matter, how do you regard those in city government – read Frank Hotchkiss, Dale Francisco, Michael Self and Randy Rouse – who voted that they would like to see eliminated the key provision of the state's Open Meeting Law preventing a majority of a deliberative body operating under California law from meeting in secret? And once again, beating a retreat when a justifiable citizen furor resulted?
Are these people's hearts and minds, do you think, devoted to abiding by a law though they may not favor it and on upholding the procedures of a transparent democracy?
I hope you keep on listening.
William Smithers
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Posted on February 23 at 2:01 p.m.
Nick Welsh's reportage is flawed in one important respect.
Ms. Stokstad did not resign after she was threatened with being fired.
The Executive Director of TV Santa Barbara (as it's now called) can only be removed from his/her postion by action of the organization's Board of Directors; either by contractual notice (under limited circumstances described in the station's bylaws) or by not renewing the Executive Director's contract.
I was a member of TVSB's Board of Directors from September 2010 to September 2011. I participated in and witnessed the Board's renewal of her contract for one year. I have never had notice that the Board did not subsequently do the same.
Ms. Stokstad undertook management of TVSB at a time when the only public access television facility in Santa Barbara was threatened with extinction due to the same financial difficulties almost every other non-profit faced. (This is still the case with them all.)
To help cut the operational costs of the station, Ms. Stokstad implemented various options: reducing hours of operation, cutting the number of staff, seeking (successfully) to find a less expensive facility to house the station, etc.
Sylvia Rodriquez was not the first, or last, TVSB staff member to be let go.
I don't pretend to know what state law requires as proper grounds for dismissal of a staff member of a non-profit organization.
I do know this: I never saw or heard Ms. Stokstad speak to anyone except in a courteous, respectful way. On the other hand, on several occasions I saw and heard Ms. Rodriguez speak to,and of, people in a harsh, critical and undiplomatic manner.
William Smithers
On Angst in the Airwaves