Newsom backs new gun control bills
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Two bills would allow residents to sue the gun industry - A6
‘Women Winemaker Celebration’ coming to Roblar Farm - B1
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S AT U R DAY, F E BRUA RY 19, 2 02 2
One gem of a show People see jewelry and more from around the world at Santa Barbara fair
State legislators resurrect effort to tax ‘extreme wealth’ By MADISON HIRNEISEN THE CENTER SQUARE
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS
These customers are among the more than 1,000 people who came Friday to Gem Faire at the Earl Warren Showground.
BY KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
More than a thousand people Friday visited Gem Faire, known as America’s premier jewelry and bead show, at the Earl Warren Showgrounds. The event continues from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the showgrounds at 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. This weekend’s fair is a tradition that has taken place every February, May, August and December for the past 30 years. There is a $7 admission fee that is valid for the entire weekend. Besides finished jewelry and millions of bead strands, the
fair features everything from gemstones to crystals, fossils, fashion accessories, supplies and tools. “Crystals and minerals have been some of our best sellers the last two years,” manager Allen Van Volkinburgh told the NewsPress. “This is a great place for gifts as well as a great place to find trinkets and antiques from around the world including Africa, South America, Tibet, Nepal and China,” Mr. Van Volkinburgh said. “You can take a really nice trip around the world at the fair and see things from the world, and really get a feel for where these things come Please see FAIRE on A6
Countless bead strands grace Gem Faire.
(The Center Square) – A group of California lawmakers have reintroduced a proposal to tax extremely wealthy residents, a measure they say could bring the state billions in revenue by increasing taxes on households with a net worth of more than $50 million. The proposal, reintroduced by Assemblymember Alex Lee, D-San Jose, would affect the top 0.07% of Californians, which equates to about 15,000 households. It would apply a 1% annual tax on worldwide net worth over $50 million and an annual tax of 1.5% for a resident whose worldwide net worth exceeds $1 billion. “While some say California is driving away higher income residents, the opposite is true – we’ve actually been losing lower and middle-income residents that are being priced out while continuing to gain higher-income residents,” Assemblymember Lee said in a statement when the bill was introduced Wednesday. “With a tax on the ultra-wealthy who pay a lower effective tax rate than the bottom 99%, we can invest in our schools, tackle homelessness, expand needed services, and much more.” The tax for wealthy residents would be implemented in January 2025, while the billionaire-specific tax would be applied in 2023. If the bill is enacted, Assemblymember Lee estimated that the law would raise revenues by an estimated
$22.3 billion per year. According to Assemblymember Lee’s office, there are no specific earmarks for how the funds would be used at this time, but a portion of the revenue would fund a Wealth Tax Advisory Council, according to the bill’s text. The council would be responsible for making suggestions to the Legislature regarding modifications to the wealth tax and would review the expenditure of revenues generated by the tax. If passed by the state Legislature, the bill would require the approval of voters because it would amend the state’s constitution, which currently has a wealth tax rate limit of 0.4%. Supporters of the bill say the tax is needed to ensure the wealthiest Californians do not continue to take advantage of the state’s tax codes. “The ultra-rich have taken advantage of a tax system that allows them to profit from working-class Californians, a gross inequity that was exacerbated by the pandemic,” Assemblywoman Luz Rivas, DSan Fernando Valley, a co-author of the bill, said in a statement. Rivas pointed to a U.S. Department of the Treasury report that says the wealthiest Americans avoid paying $163 billion in income taxes per year. He added that it’s time that “top-earning millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share in taxes to keep our government Please see WEALTH on A2
New SB city administrator has affinity for public service Rebecca Bjork worked her way up to top position By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Rebecca Bjork started out on the “front lines” of public service, deftly working her way through various positions in Santa Barbara for more than three decades. And after serving as the interim city administrator since September 2021, Ms. Bjork was picked by the Santa Barbara City Council to remain in the role in a permanent capacity. The council’s favorable vote earlier this week was unanimous. Ms. Bjork has always had an affinity for public service, knowing early on she wanted her work to be “important and good.” She studied environmental studies in college and developed and implemented a program at a plant that controls toxic wastewater from businesses. Please see ADMIN on A2
A large variety of goods from around the world are at Gem Faire.
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“I am looking forward to working with my executive team, which is relatively new, to put in place a strong culture and (a focus on) service,” said Rebecca Bjork, the new Santa Barbara city administrator.
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Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 1-8-36-38-40 Mega: 10
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