News
State Finds No Fraud in 2008 County Supervisor Election
by Chris Meagher, Santa Barbara Independent
Secretary of State’s Office Says Farr Beat Pappas Fair and Square
The California Secretary of State’s office found no evidence of fraud during the 2008 county election for 3rd District Supervisor despite many claims to the contrary made by Santa Ynez Valley Journal owner and rancher Nancy Crawford-Hall and losing candidate Steve Pappas.
County elections chief Joe Holland said there was no election fraud. Judge William McLafferty, who heard Pappas’s contest of the election in civil court, threw the case out after just a few days. An appellate court upheld McLafferty’s decision, and then Judge Colleen Sterne, in awarding Farr roughly $700,000 in attorney’s fees, also agreed, saying “important rights were vindicated.” Now, both the state’s fraud division and the District Attorney have joined in. “I certainly hope Mr. Pappas will finally accept how they decided,” Farr said in response to the DA’s announcement. “To do otherwise is misleading the public.”
Doreen Farr voted against social host ordinance
Cheyenne Johnson, The Bottom Line
The ordinance was voted into effect by the Board of Supervisors with a 4 to 1 vote last year and implements new civil penalties for party hosts found serving alcohol to anyone under 21. The fines range from $500 to $2,000 with the first offense including a mandatory education class.
The ordinance passed despite the protest of the Isla Vista and UCSB community and has led to an assumption among many students that community groups were dismissive of student concerns. Similar ordinances, such as the one passed in Ventura County are usually directed towards curbing the drinking habits of high school students, not college students.
Many people in the IV community have already expressed concern over the ordinance.
Doreen Farr, a member of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors and the only member to vote against the Social Host Ordinance, holds office hours the second Tuesday of every month from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. outside of Coffee Collaborative as a way for people to discuss community issues. She has noticed that the ordinance has recently become a repeated topic in her discussions.
“People are afraid they’ll be in charge of underage roommates that they have no control over,” Farr said.
County Drops Protest of Casino Liquor Expansion
by Chris Meagher, The Santa Barbara Independent
Santa Barbara County is officially withdrawing its protest of the Chumash Casino Resort’s potentially expanded license with the California Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control (ABC), an expansion that would allow the Chumash to serve alcohol in the hotel, a showroom, and the casino buffet.
Opponents cite increased crime rates and aggravated law enforcement issues in the area since the four-story casino opened in 2004. In 2008, the Sheriff’s Department made a total of 149 arrest or offense reports generated by deputies at the casino. The numbers do not include total calls for service nor statistics from other law enforcement agencies. In 2009, the number went up to 154, and in 2010 the total number of arrest or offense reports at the casino was 155. Drug- and alcohol-related crimes were most common: during the three-year span, there were a total of 97 alcohol-related incidents and 198 drug-related crimes. “There’s no other business that could have a liquor license with this kind of activity,” said casino opponent Doug Herthel.
Doreen Farr, 3rd District supervisor, and 2nd District Supervisor Janet Wolf voted to keep the protest in place, but the two were outnumbered. Farr said that the board must look at what is in the best interest of the community at large, calling the impacts of the casino “enormous.”
“We’ve lost the balance on this issue,” said Farr, the only one of the five supervisors who hasn’t been given campaign money by the Chumash over the years. Since 1999, according to the Secretary of State, the Chumash have donated to the other four’s election campaigns —
County adopts ‘bare bones’ budget
by Marga K. Cooley, Lompoc Record
But there were many casualties in the $844 million “bare bones” spending plan — among them the Sheriff’s gang team, Community Work Service program, shift staffing at the Santa Barbara booking station, library funding and the fire season fuels crew.
Additionally, the budget closes the county’s $72 million shortfall by eliminating 205 full-time-equivalent positions, reducing services, and with structural changes such as consolidating departments.
Including the gang team, the Sheriff’s Department will eliminate or un-fund 50 positions, four narcotics detectives, a high tech crimes detective, rural crimes deputy, and a patrol car dedicated to the Santa Ynez Valley.
The board fully funded the Human Services Commission at $1.2 million, and the Children’s Health Initiative to a tune of $150,000. The program provides health insurance to uninsured children in the county, and was supported by 1st District Supervisor Salud Carbajal, 2nd District Supervisor Janet Wolf and 3rd District Supervisor Doreen Farr.
The board also put $60,000 toward the Adult and Aging Network in the Social Services Department, but couldn’t get the votes for a map checker or veterans’ services
County Supervisor Farr takes Venoco Oil Extraction Technique Public
by Ethan Steward, Santa Barbara Independent
Asking for a full presentation on the subject to the board from staff early next month, Farr said simply, “I’ve learned that the activity they call fracking is actually taking place in our county right now. … This issue has been in the news a lot lately, and I think a simple information presentation would be beneficial to both the board and the public.”
Specifically, the fear is that the liquid pumped into wells during fracking the ingredients of which are often industry-guarded secrets and, depending on whom you ask, can include a wild blend of chemicals, many of which are considered toxic can seep into water tables or slowly creep back up to the surface and pollute. There is also concern about how to properly dispose of fracking fuel once the work is done. All this being said, it is also important to note that, though a more conclusive federal investigation is currently underway, the Environmental Protection Agency ruled in 2004 that the process was essentially safe.
According to Anthony, it was only after a public outcry in Monterey County about a Venoco-proposed fracking operation in the Hames Valley that he learned such an activity was already underway here in Santa Barbara. After doing a bit of research, Anthony found that Venoco is using fracking at two separate leases, on private land, just off Highway 135 near Vandenberg Air Force Base. “They are doing it pretty deep,” he put it, “like 11,000 to 12,000 feet [beneath the surface].” Anthony added, “In this case, [Venoco] did it without telling us. … And they have been resisting [providing more information].”
