Comments by marcmcginnes
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Posted on June 5 at 8:37 p.m.
Fact:
These civic groups oppose the barriers boondoggle:
Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association
Santa Barbara County Action Network
Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation
Los Padres Chapter of the Sierra Club
Womens Environmental Watch
Citizens Planning Association South County Land Use Committee
Santa Ynez Valley Alliance
Pearl Chase Society
Los Padres ForestWatch
Friends of the Bridge
Fantasy:
That these folks look like they overuse controlled substances (see comment above).
And so it goes.
Posted on June 4 at 12:55 p.m.
The opposition to the Caltrans bridge barriers boondoggle is widespread and increasing as the public finds out what elected officials such as Pedro Nava, Brooks Firestone, Salud Carbajal, and Janet Wolf are trying like mad to conceal.
My fight? Hardly. I am merely a spokesperson for Friends of the Bridge.
This story should have reported the fact that the following community organizations also oppose the barriers boondoggle:
Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association
Santa Barbara County Action Network
Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, Los Padres Chapter of the Sierra Club
Womens Environmental Watch
Citizens Planning Association South County Land Use Committee
Santa Ynez Valley Alliance
Pearl Chase Society
Los Padres ForestWatch
In the weeks and months to come several other civic groups can be expected to join the fight against this blatantly flawed and wasteful proposal. This issue will not be decided finally until well past the November election when Caltrans hopes to see Measure A approved so that it and its elected lobby will have hundreds upon hundreds of millions of taxpayers dollars to do with what they please in years to come.
It seems that Caltrans, Nava, Firestone, Carbajal, and Wolfe take their constituents for fools. Friends of the Bridge does not, and so we and other civic organizations will not give up this fight.
It is truly a shame that Caltrans, Nava, Firestone, Carbajal and Wolfe will not even allow a fair public hearing to consider the merits of the far less costly and more effective suicide prevention plan that was presented to Caltrans months ago. Unlike the barriers boondoggle, the alternative no-barriers plan was designed by a qualified expert in the field of suicide prevention on bridges.
For facts about the alternative plan and about all other aspects of this issue please go to www.cscbfriends.com
And then make the fight against the barriers boondoggle your fight too.
Posted on May 22 at 10:21 a.m.
What the headline portrays as "some opposition" is, in fact, very widespread and rapidly increasing public opposition. The barriers project is opposed by numerous community organizations representing thousands of local citizens and taxpayers, including the Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association, Santa Barbara County Action Network, Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, Los Padres Chapter of the Sierra Club, Womens Environmental Watch, Citizens Planning Association South County Land Use Committee, Santa Ynez Valley Alliance, Pearl Chase Society, Los Padres ForestWatch, and Friends of the Bridge.
While there continues to be “some support” for the proposal, the momentum of public opinion is clearly moving to opposition in light of evidence that is coming to light about its deeply flawed justification, excessive cost, and failure to adequately consider a superior no-barriers alternative plan based on the recommendations of a leading expert on addressing suicidal behavior on bridges. So the story is far, far from over, and the tide is turning against barriers proposal.
Three important public meetings are on the immediate horizon and provide citizens with excellent opportunities to become better informed and to express their views about the barriers proposal and the more effective, less costly and less damaging “human connections” alternative to it:
Monday, June 2:
Free public program Monday June 2 6:30-8:30pm at the Faulkner Gallery of the Santa Barbara Public Library, 40 E. Anapamu. Invited speakers Dr. Lisa Firestone of the Glendon Association and Dr. Garrett Glasgow of UCSB will address the question "Do Suicide Barriers on Bridges Save Lives? Considering the Evidence in Evaluating the Cold Spring Bridge Barriers Proposal." Co-sponsored by Friends of the Bridge and Pacifica Graduate Institute.
Monday, June 9 and Tuesday June 10:
Public hearings in both Santa Barbara and Solvang addressing the questions about the purpose of the proposal and the adequacy of the analysis of its impacts in the community:
Santa Barbara (June 9, 5:30-8:30 at the Faulkner Gallery of
the Santa Barbara Public Library, 40 E. Anapamu) and
Solvang (June 10, 5:30-8:30 at the Veterans Memorial Bldg, 1745 Mission Dr.)
For further information please contact bridgefriends@hotmail.com
On Despite Some Opposition, Cold Spring Bridge Plan Advances
Posted on May 16 at 9:29 a.m.
Good going, Indy! You are most deserving of this honor. May you keep on getting better and better.
Posted on April 29 at 12:30 p.m.
This is a richly deserved honor.
Good going, Indy!
Posted on February 22 at 7:42 a.m.
Do grandparents have to follow playground rules?
Who says?
Posted on December 7 at 6:11 a.m.
Sorry, Starshine, I refuse to sign, and you can't make me.
Grandma said I didn't have to.
-- Papou (gramps to you)
Posted on October 25 at 1:48 p.m.
Suggestion for name of the firm:
Greed, Gobble and Grease.
Posted on October 25 at 1:46 p.m.
Suggestion for name of new firm:
Greed, Gobble and Grease.
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Posted on June 11 at 5:25 p.m.
Dear Sev' (commenter above at 2:57pm)--
Thank you for making it perfectly plain that you are merely (and madly) attempting to obfuscate the facts of this matter rather than to come to grips honestly with them.
On Caltrans Gives Public Glimpse of Cold Spring Suicide Barrier