Comments by loneranger
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Posted on May 16 at 5:07 p.m.
As some one that ones a couple apartment buildings with smaller units in the Haley-Cota downtown area -- I can tell you that reduced parking will be a big issue.
It is a pipe dream that people living downtown work downtown and walk to work.
They work in Goleta, the work in Carpinteria, and while a few do work in Santa Barbara they mostly drive to work. Everyone has a car nearly all have 1 car per each adult. Some adults have more than 1 car.
Posted on May 12 at 11:32 a.m.
Yet another Obama tax on the "wealthy". He will not be happy until everyone is in the middle class.
Maybe Obama does not realize that his way of running a country was tried in Russia, and did not work out very well.
America no longer the land of opportunity.
Posted on May 12 at 9:43 a.m.
The voters said NO to the first bond request that would increase the tax amount. The school board 'lowered' the amount to be what the current tax was and got it approved the second time, or so we thought.
Tricked fair and square comes to mind.
Followed by...
Trick me once shame on you.. Trick me twice shame on me.
The voters said NO to higher tax and the school board decided to trick us into paying more.
A better idea would be to spend the money as it comes in with no interest paid. With the current scenario you will run out of money years before the bond is paid off and be crying for more...
NO, NO, NO..
Posted on May 9 at 9:10 p.m.
Apology is not enough ...
I will never vote for a School bond again.
Shameful.
Posted on May 3 at 8:24 p.m.
I have lived in Santa Barbara all my adult life, and have managers to live 10% below my means at all times except for the brief period I was unemployed.
I have talked to way to many people that believe it is not possible.. but it is,
I had housemates until I was 35, even after getting married at 26. I rode my bike to work until I had children that needed to be taken to daycare/school.
I find most people are not willing to do what it takes to save.
Posted on May 3 at 11:32 a.m.
You do not need to be in the top 7% to be financially secure.
Live 10% below whatever money you make, put that extra 10% in saving. Never buy a car you can not pay cash for, and never have a balance on your credit card.
When you have saved enough money to put down on a house, makes sure the mortgage payments allow you to keep saving that 10%. Consider getting a boarder if you need some extra help or maybe a duplex instead of a single family home, or maybe go in with a partner on your first purchase.
I find people that are financially secure live their lives without consumer debt and save at least 10%.
Posted on April 14 at 3:47 p.m.
This big issue is that they city's salaries and benefits have grown way faster than inflation, going from consuming 62% of the city's revenue in 2000 to 80% last year.
There needs to be a reasonable cap for salaries and benefits so there is money for roads and infrastructure.
The general fund is approx $100M a year and we have $200-400M of infrastiurecture backlog, I would think it would be reasonable to budget 30% of th general fund for roads and infrastructure, this would probably require salaries and benefit expenses to be reduced to 50% (certainly no more than 62%) which also seems reasonable.
Posted on April 11 at 8:40 p.m.
Easy solution anemonefish .. Downgrade all the other department head positions. In fact downgrade all positions by 2 levels and the county might be a bit more realistic pay wise.
Posted on April 11 at 8:35 p.m.
Infrastructure should have a firm budget as a percentage of revenue, something like 30% a year.
The city has allowed salaries and pensions to eat up all the revenue and now they want more.
Even IF the city got a tax increase approved, in short order it would end up 100% to salaries and pensions.
The salaries and pension cost are way out of line with private enterprise and in general there is way too many city employees. Go back 50 years and look at the increase in city wages and pensions compared to the average city citizen wage. Also look at the head count to population ratio. I think the results would show the real issue. City head count and cost are out of control!
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Posted on May 16 at 5:49 p.m.
Seems like a fun idea -- but I am sure regulations will get involved and close it down.
If we keep going the way we are one day we will get to the point where you have to have a business license and pay sales tax to have people over to dinner..
On Pop-up dining