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For the past 30 years, I have spent almost every miserable Tuesday sitting in the chambers of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. I am convinced that we need to rename the courtroom “the echo chamber”.
The definition of an echo chamber is an environment in which people only encounter beliefs or opinions that coincide with their own, so that their existing views are reinforced and alternative ideas are not taken into account. account. The bottom line? The debate and the meaningful exchange of ideas has been abandoned.
Last Tuesday our supervisors engaged in a perfect echo chamber exercise as they wondered why our county didn’t have enough affordable housing.
I can cite the reasons for my sleep: the California Environmental Quality Act, the California Coastal Commission, the County Planning Commission, and the County Planning Department, along with hundreds of fees and dozens of machinations, regulations and zoning restrictions.
And let’s not forget the many vibrant organizations such as the Environmental Defense Center, Santa Barbara County Action Network and CAUSE, all of which make up the choir that performs regularly in the Echo Chamber.
It’s no mystery why accommodation is so expensive here. The same goes for cars, fuel, electricity, water and food, not to mention the taxes, permits and fees charged for various services! None of this happens by accident.
California has been ruled exclusively by the Democratic Party for decades. They own this situation. It is their creation.
And, as much as they try to blame it, the point is that California, which was the richest state in the country, is now the poorest by a number of metrics, including people living in poverty. , as well as our debt and our deficits.
Decades ago, the area’s most prolific apartment developer walked into the Echo Chamber to meticulously explain why he couldn’t build more so-called affordable units here. He described the cost of the limitations – having to do with the requirements for setbacks, open spaces, and height limitations, to name a few.
He went on to explain that getting involved in a development project in this county is seen as a risky proposition as planners and neighbors, not to mention activists in a hurry, can and certainly will create delays, design changes and, well. sure, calls for downsizing the project. . Ultimately, the potential for ROI did not justify the risks of the same.
The supervisors paid no attention to it. Instead, they imposed millions in fees on developers through a Ponzi scheme, whereby they charge each developer a fee by taxing market rate units in development. Every home sold in this region has these hidden fees and taxes built into the purchase price which is used to pay for things our government should provide and to facilitate low cost housing for others.
Insult to insult? Tax money that was once used for community improvements is now being diverted to help pay the exorbitant wages, benefits and pensions of county employees!
Sadly, the stupidity of the Democratic Party echo chamber is not limited or wasted in California alone.
In a competition of idiots and idiots, consider President Joe Biden’s statement: “My rebuilding program is costing zero dollars.” Instead of wasting money on tax breaks, loopholes, and tax evasion for big business and the wealthy, we can make a one-time investment in Active America. And that adds zero dollars to the national debt.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki added, “In the past, companies have passed these costs on to consumers… We think this is absurd and unfair, and the American people will not stand it!
Translation? We’re going to tax bejesus out of America, and it won’t cost a dime!
Can you hear the echo?
Andy Caldwell is the executive director of COLAB and host of “The Andy Caldwell Show,” which airs 3pm to 5pm weekdays on KZSB AM 1290, the News-Press radio station.
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