Did You Know? By Bonnie Donovan
n a 2012 interview, Dr. Thomas Howard, a retired English professor from Gordon College and St. John’s Seminary, commented on the state of the Western World.
According to Dr. Howard, “….This state of affairs took an exponential leap forward, in the 1960s, when the hubris, venality, lechery, vanity and predatoriness native to our fallen humanity exploded out across society, and became, eventually, sovereign in the public realm.
“Reliable standards of politeness, self-control, reticence, modesty, and integrity were overthrown. ‘Let it all hang out!’ became the ensign under which we were told to march.”
So between that and stretch pants, gangsta culture, peace-love-joy faculty, acting as students instead of learned professors, and an “I’m OK, You’re OK” credo, we began our careen down the slippery slope that have kept many in the ghetto and brought the ghetto to the mainstream, even during halftime of the Super Bowl.
It is all about tolerance for some, but not for all. Tolerance for gender identity, minorities, tattoos, piercings, dress code, but for an opposing idea or way of life, no tolerance. It is mind boggling.
You are made to shut up if you do not agree.
No tolerance for the “girl next door.” Amy Coney Barrett — she is smart as a whip, and no dirt could be heaped upon her.
But the Democratic vice president candidate, Kamala Harris, can laugh her way through most of the questions posed to her, and this is acceptable behavior. Her interviews are more like a made-for-TV “B” movie with a heroine who is so vapid, the commercials carry more message than she does.
What are we coming to and where are we headed? This is our country. Let us preserve what we have because the stakes are so high.
“Evil preaches tolerance until it is dominant, then it seeks to silence good.” — Archbishop Charles Chaput.
Speaking of the threats that are being made if President Don Trump wins re-election, the Beverly Hills Police Department, as a precaution, is shutting down and boarding up Rodeo Drive and hiring extra officers for security Monday through Wednesday.
Santa Monica and New York City, as well as many of our nation’s cities, are taking similar precautions. Not only are preparations being made to prevent mass looting and vandalism, but the residents are also hiring private security to protect themselves.
Did You Know? also wants to know: Are we on our own in Santa Barbara? Is our city taking such precautions to prevent the possibility of any damage to our downtown area? Why not send an inquiring email to both our mayor and chief of police?
Also, regarding local elections, remember much of the current Santa Barbara City Council is up for election in November 2021: three council seats and the mayor’s position.
Some things to remember about the mayor: During the Oct. 22 bi-annual joint meeting of the City Council and the Planning Commission, Mayor Cathy Murrillo stated she would not require first-floor commercial use because, according to Ms. Murrillo, “Retail is never going to come back. … Office space will become more available as well.”
She also said that “the People” said we need a little extra height to get more affordable housing. “I get it,” she said.
Oh, she gets it, she gets what? That the developers want a little extra height?
So we wonder how a” little” extra height for a little more affordable housing goes from 45 feet to 48 feet and now it “can’t be done” for less than 60 feet. And when did Mayor Murrillo get a crystal ball to know what retail is doing? Ask the retailers downtown what they think of Cathy Murillo’s assertion that retail is dead.
Is this the mayor that they want representing the economic interest of this city? It looks like she is well-representing the developers and the interest of the arbiters of low-income housing.
Because, let’s face it, these developers are throwing bones to this cause with 10 to 20% max of their occupancy thus designated, and in return we stomach 60-foot high buildings that will change the face of our city. Do you realize how much of the mountain views this obliterates? Do you realize the density this adds to our city streets?
And there’s the very idea that Mayor Murrillo advocates that people would be happy to live in micro-units of 220-square-foot apartments. Is that what we want for Santa Barbara? Is this a ruse for future vacation rentals or more hotel space?
At the same meeting, Councilman Mike Jordan said, “… I am interested in working to provide … increased housing development in the downtown area while protecting the look and feel of Santa Barbara, but acknowledging that that look and feel will begin to transition to a new look and feel.”
What is this, doublespeak? You cannot have it both ways.
How do you preserve the look and feel while transitioning it to A NEW LOOK AND FEEL?
And he goes on to say, “… if you’re unwilling to support what we are doing, I think that is a contradiction with what we are trying to do and the policy we are trying to work on. …”
In other words, if you do not support his ideas of the future of Santa Barbara, you are not a team player.
Stay tuned next week for reporting more rent control blunders the City Council presents and votes on Nov. 10..
The tide of overdevelopment of Santa Barbara has been stemmed for over a hundred years. There is nothing new in the dialogue or techniques of these developers.
The needs of this city have not changed. The only difference now is who is in control and a Santa Barbara who may be asleep at the wheel. That is what the developers are counting on right now.
When the beauty of this city is gone, it is over.
“Growth for the sake of growth, the ideology of the cancer cell.”
— Edward Abbey
