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advises the Federal Reserve Board. Garufis said she felt “very honored to have the opportunity to serve.” At her community bank — with assets less than $10 billion, community banks are smaller than regional (assets over $50 billion) and national banks — business is good, Garufis said, especially for homeowners and entrepreneurs, since there is a lot of money to lend. Interest rates have never been better in her more than 40 years of banking, she added.
COUNTY Citing degradation of residential neighborhoods and a rental-market vacancy rate of 0.29 percent, Carpinteria councilmembers ratcheted up their opposition to short-term vacation homes on 10/26, voting unanimously to stop permitting any new vacation rentals while city staffers craft an ordinance to regulate the exponentially growing industry. The city’s Planning Commission will get an update on the ordinance in December before its return to council early next year. Councilmembers also endorsed SB 593, a statewide effort to regulate online platforms that manage vacation rentals. The city of 14,000 has 218 permitted vacation rentals — mostly near the beach — and at least 50 operating illegally. Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson and Assemblymembers Das Williams and Adam Gray led a joint informational hearing 10/21 at UCSB’s
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UCSB student Andres “Andy” Sanchez (pictured) died in surgery October 11 at Cottage Hospital two hours after he punched through a window in his Isla Vista apartment and severely lacerated his arm. When Sheriff’s deputies found Sanchez at approximately 4:40 a.m. on the 6700 block of Abrego Road, they said he was bleeding profusely, acting combatively, and displaying signs of being under the influence of a synthetic drug, possibly LSD or K2. Sanchez, a 19-year-old pre-biology major from Poway, California, was transported to the hospital, where doctors attempted life-saving measures. He was pronounced dead at 6:51 a.m., and the official cause of death will be announced pending autopsy results. In the weeks following the incident, a group of five UCSB and SBCC students who encountered and tried to help Sanchez that night have made repeated allegations of negligence and misconduct against the first responders. They’ve stated that a 9-1-1 operator failed to take their call seriously, paramedics and firefighters took too long to arrive and displayed a lack of urgency once at the scene, and Sheriff’s deputies acted in a hostile manner toward Sanchez and themselves because of their race. The Sheriff’s Office and the county’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency, which reviews emergency medical care given by firefighters and paramedics, have strongly rejected those claims. “The notion that any of the first responders, from dispatchers to paramedics to deputies, in any way did not care about this UCSB student and did anything but try and do the right thing given the circumstances to get him the medical care he needed is absolutely not true and goes against what it means to be a first responder and the true intentions of everyone involved,” said Sheriff’s spokesperson Kelly Hoover. The EMS Agency said the 9-1-1 dispatcher acted appropriately and professionally and that the arrival times for both firefighters and paramedics fell within the county’s standards. “Every effort was made to provide the very best care and life-saving measures for this young man,” said County Fire spokesperson Captain — Tyler Hayden Dave Zaniboni.
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death in isla Vista
politics
Loma Pelona Center on oil-pipeline safety and testing. John Stoody with the Association of Oil Pipelines (AOPL) said his organization is working with the American Petroleum Institute (API) to improve inspection technologies, leak detection, and emergency responses. Stoody said oil-pipeline operators spent $2.2 billion last year inspecting and maintaining their lines. But when Jackson asked him the gross proceeds of the oil-pipelining business and whether AOPL would be willing to make public the testing data it gathers, he didn’t answer either question directly. Read more at independent.com.
EDUCATION UCSB enrolled 4,473 new freshmen this year, bringing its total undergraduate population to 20,607, according to final figures. Per a deal between UC and state legislators, 5,000 new California undergraduates should be added to nine campuses next fall in exchange for an additional $25 million of state funds. UCSB spokesperson George Foulsham said it is too soon to say how many more undergrads will be added to the campus. UCSB’s longrange development plan, meanwhile, calls for an additional 5,000 undergrads over the next decade. But Foulsham said their latest projections call for just 150 new undergrads each year, and they do not expect the university to reach 25,000 undergraduates until 2031. cont’d page 12
Mayor Helene Schneider (left) and Supervisor Salud Carbajal
endorsement wars Women Dems Back Carbajal
T
by K e l s e y B r u g g e r
he Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County endorsed Salud Carbajal earlier this month rather than his key Democratic challenger Helene Schneider, causing serious tension in the county party’s biggest club. The vote comes months after the Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee, which Schneider once led, did not have enough votes to take a position. And Emily’s List, a political action committee that backs pro-choice Democratic women, has yet to put its stamp on Schneider but said it is closely watching the race. It’s no secret that 1st District Supervisor Carbajal boasts an impressive list of endorsements and has raised more than double what Santa Barbara Mayor Schneider has. Though it is not the first time the Democratic Women endorsed a man over a woman, the decision is a significant loss for the mayor, especially since some of her key supporters sit on the board. The vote reportedly came down to one person; 11 votes were needed for an endorsement. On October 11, Carbajal, Schneider, and candidate Bill Ostrander completed a questionnaire and gave a 45-minute interview with the organization. On October 15, the elections committee reported to the board, and some members made comments before a secret ballot was taken. After the vote, a few boardmembers argued the process was haphazard and that the decision was reached without thoughtful discussion. Though the two Dems hold similar positions on national issues, boardmembers reportedly argued Carbajal already appears likely to win one of the top two spots in June. The highway-widening project, which Schneider has vocally opposed — arguing, among other reasons, that it would congest city street traffic—came up briefly. In 2013, Dem Women supported three men in the City Council race. “Our main thing is that we always try to support the best candidate there is,” said President Gail TetonLandis.“We have supported men, and we have supported women, and we have endorsed both Helene and Salud before.” In terms of women backers, Carbajal’s key endorsements include Congressmember Lois Capps, District Attorney Joyce Dudley, Attorney General Kamala Harris, and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, among others. independent.com
On Tuesday, Schneider announced Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom had endorsed her. Last month, State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, who lauded Schneider for her time with Planned Parenthood and other accomplishments, announced her support, as well. Schneider has also secured endorsements from National Women’s Political Caucus, Women’s Political Committee of California, National Organization for Women (NOW) PAC, and Barbie Deutsch, former president of Democratic Women of Santa Barbara. Schneider noted that her recent polling data showed her 8 percentage points ahead of Carbajal. At the close of the latest campaign finance reporting period last week, Carbajal had raised more than $1 million; Schneider had raised just $370,645. But Schneider stated she has enough to get her message out. “I think right now this race is very competitive,” she said. Many have expressed surprise that Emily’s List has yet to jump into the race given Schneider’s strong record on women’s rights. The group does not endorse men. Emily’s List spokesperson Rachel Thomas said they are committed to keeping the 24th Congressional District seat in the hands of a pro-choice Democratic woman. “Helene has been an outstanding champion for women and families in California,” Thomas said,“and we have no doubt she would continue that work in Congress.” Schneider has been in communication with Emily’s List, and she took exception to the idea it is unusual they haven’t supported her.“It’s not even 2016 yet,” she said. In practical terms, the Democratic Women of Santa Barbara endorsed her now—more than seven months before the primary election in June — because the state party’s preendorsement process takes place in January. About 100 people are expected to vote, and the Democratic Women of Santa Barbara will send 12 delegates. If one candidate secures 70 percent or more of the vote, he or she will likely receive the endorsement. Republicans Justin Fareed and Katcho Achadjian are also in the race for the 24th District. At the end of the October reporting period, Fareed raised $432,062 total, with $374,266 cash on hand. Achadjian has raised a total of $258,537, with $208,106 cash on hand.
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