Comments by jgzeger
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Posted on September 24 at 9 a.m.
Congratulations to your Planning Commission for exercizing good sense. In the city where I live (Kelowna, BC, Canada) the airheads on our Planning Commission always vote in favour of so-called "green" projects no matter how hideous they are and no matter how they destroy neighbourhood character.
Posted on September 19 at 7:56 a.m.
It's shocking how many lies about the Canadian health care system (we call it public health care, not "socialized medicine") have gained wide acceptance in the U.S. like Canadians don't get to choose their own doctors. That's absolute nonsense and for a recent major procedure, I was able to choose my own hospital as well my doctor. Yes, there are waits for some procedures, but in my case the doctors wanted to get me in faster than I was able to get ready for the trip as I chose to travel to an another province for a very specialized type of treatment that wasn't available locally, and yes, my home province agreed to foot the entire bill for my services there with no hassle.
The lies that are being spread about Canadian health care are malicious and false. Please pay close attention to the source of the information as the reporting may be politically biased. I'd avoid Fox news.
John (from Canada)
Posted on September 9 at 7:33 a.m.
Why must "vibrant" mean tall buildings? I think downtown Santa Barbara is already vibrant with lots of pedestrian activity. The presence of tall buildings will only discourage tourists from coming back.
On Building Heights: The Pros and Cons of Measure B -- 09/09/09 at S.B. Museum of Natural History
Posted on July 30 at 8:03 a.m.
This shows what a hypocrite Governor
Schwartzenneger, the would-be environmentalist, really is.
1 of 1 people thought this was a good comment.
Posted on July 15 at 7:29 a.m.
O.k., the per capita increase in CO2 emissions is projected to be 15% higher than other regions, but what about the projected overall increase in CO2 emissions? I would think that is the figure that really matters and no one has mentioned that. The overall increase takes into account both per capita emissions and the increase in population. If Santa Barbara County is growing more slowly than other California counties by virtue of its policy of slow growth then the faster growing counties will probably be responsible for more CO2 emissions in the future than Santa Barbara. It's amazing how some people will distort statistics in an attempt to make any point that they want to make.
On County’s So-Called Transportation Plan Increases CO2 Pollution
Posted on July 12 at 7:13 a.m.
If Jerry Brown gets elected again as governor of California it would be the worst thing for the state. Brown seems intent on stripping local governments of all their power and centralizing it in Sacramento. This article talks about how as governor he responded to Proposition 13 by stripping local governments of their taxation authority. More recently Brown, as state Attorney General, has launched a lawsuit against the City of Pleasanton to invalidate their population cap in an attempt to take away their control over land use. I'm tempted to use the "c" word to describe Brown as I think that Californians would rue the day if was ever elected again as governor.
Posted on July 2 at 7:51 a.m.
It is all well and good that new construction be done with the least harmful environmental impact but we can't build our way to sustainability as these LEED approved buildings are still responsible for a net draw on our energy supplies and a net contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. We should therefore control development while putting our emphasis on retrofitting existing building by making them energy self-sufficient and carbon neutral.
Posted on July 2 at 7:42 a.m.
Jack Hart, former managing editor of the Portland Oregonian, who lives in a city that boast of its environmentally responsible attitude and implements it with all sorts of "green" initiatives says that the latter is just a band-aid and won't get to the root of our environmental problems which is, quite simply, that there are too many people. Read what he has to say in this recent op-ed piece: http://www.populationmedia.org/2009/05/2...
Posted on June 27 at 8 a.m.
I regularly visit SB as a tourist because it, more than any other city I know of in North America, has done an exemplary job of retaining its community character. I especially love your downtown and all the charming shops and ambience of State Street. Once that ambience is gone in the name of so-called "smart growth", I will stop coming to SB and stop telling other people about it.
I presently live in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada that was once like SB and was full of beauty and character. Now that beauty and character is disappearing because the smart-growthers with their simple-minded "grow up, not out" mantra have taken over and we have high-rises popping up all over the place. I have frequently used SB here as an example of a city that has done things correctly by putting the preservation of community character and quality of life ahead of the pecuniary interests of growth. Please continue to give me a reason to hold up SB as a model for how beautiful cities can hold on to the things they value by controlling growth.
On Why Old Lefty Tree-Huggers Are Slow to Embrace the New Sustainability
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Posted on October 15 at 8:31 a.m.
Perhaps Measure B is much ado about nothing, I'm not sure. But regardless of the outcome of this referendum, Santa Barbarans should be proud of the level of concern in the city for protecting its community character. As a visitor to the city, I know that I will be returning time and time again as long as that concern is alive and well.
On Measuring B