Westmont College seniors to gather for commencement
More than 100 specimens of minerals
Popular professor Chandra Mallampalli to give address - A2
Exhibit to reopen at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History - B1
Our 167th Year
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W E D N E S DAY, M AY 3 , 2 0 2 3
Strikes appear unlikely
Police chief discusses recruitment efforts
Pilots for Southwest, American willing to stay on the ground, but they’re limited by 1926 law
Chief Kelly Gordon talks to Santa Barbara City Council By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Santa Barbara Police Chief Kelly Gordon reassured the city council Tuesday she and her department are trying a variety of innovative methods to recruit more officers and non-sworn personnel and to retain the ones already here. But she could not forecast when their efforts would pay off, especially given “the Santa Barbara Factor,” which she translated as the high cost of housing in the city. “I wish I had a crystal ball to tell us when we will be out of this challenge,” she told the Santa Barbara City Council. “Our recruitment staff is working very hard and diligently. We’re doing everything we can. But it’s going to take time.” The department, she said, already is thinking outside of the box when it comes to recruitment, including “helping those who are interested in getting their documents together
COURTESY PHOTO
Police Chief Kelly Gordon
to help them be successful.” Other efforts include setting up recruitment tables at various events, holding women’s recruitment events and creating a new recruitment video. Policing, she said, is a “noble profession” whose officers “have a heart for service. We just have Please see COUNCIL on A4
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS
A Southwest Airline passenger jet rolls into Santa Barbara Airport. Pilots for the airlines have begun the process of tallying votes to authorize a strike. PHOTOS COURTESY VNA HEALTH
By COLE LAUTERBACH THE CENTER SQUARE MANAGING EDITOR
(The Center Square) — Pilots for two major airlines are threatening to walk off the job just as the summer travel season approaches, though an actual stoppage would have to occur with President Joe Biden and Congress opting to stay on the sidelines. The airlines are American and Southwest, and they both have flights out of Santa Barbara Airport. The Allied Pilots Association,
a union representing 15,000 American Airlines pilots, announced Monday that its membership voted in favor of authorizing a strike. “The summer travel season is almost here, and we’re all wondering whether this will be another summer of uncertainty for American Airlines,” said Capt. Ed Sicher, APA president. “Fortunately, there is an alternative. By embracing the win-win scheduling and work rule improvements APA has presented at the bargaining table, management can take
steps to improve the airline’s operational reliability and efficiency.” The union’s strike authorization vote lasted the month of April. Meanwhile, pilots flying for Southwest Airlines announced Monday they had begun the process of tallying votes to authorize a strike of their own. “We have been attempting to negotiate with Southwest in earnest for years, but they have shown no willingness to address some of the issues that impact not only our pilots but our customers
as well, such as scheduling work rules and technology improvements,” said Southwest Airlines Pilots Association President Casey Murray. “The lack of discussion or commitment by our leadership team to rectify these issues for our passengers and our pilots are driving us to carry forward on this path afforded to us by the Railway Labor Act.” The union notes that the strike threat comes months after the airline’s “December
Rona Barrett
Luncheon to honor Olivia Newton-John, Rona Barrett
Proceeds to benefit VNA Health Community Programs and Charity Care By DAVE MASON
Please see PILOTS on A4
NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
Report: California ranks 49th in nation for individual income tax rates By TOM JOYCE
THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR
(The Center Square) — A new report released Tuesday ranks all 50 states by individual income tax rates. Among them, California ranks 49th in the nation. The worst state, according to the report, is New York.
The Tax Foundation released its 2023 State Business Tax Climate Index Tuesday, which included a state-bystate breakdown of individual income tax rates, taking into account a range of factors such as deductions and business tax structures for sole proprietors. Alaska, Florida, South Dakota and Wyoming received perfect
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scores from the group since they have no individual income tax and no payroll taxes aside from the standard unemployment insurance payment. Nevada, New Hampshire Tennessee, Texas and Washington were close behind. “The individual income tax is important to businesses because states tax sole proprietorships, partnerships and, in most cases,
limited liability companies (LLCs) and S corporations under the individual income tax code,” Tax Foundation Policy Analyst Janelle Fritts said in a statement with the report’s release. “However, even traditional C corporations are indirectly impacted by the individual income tax, as this tax Please see TAXES on A4
Olivia Newton-John
“Grease” star Olivia NewtonJohn and journalist and advocate Rona Barrett will be saluted during VNA Health’s 22nd Annual Mother’s Day luncheon. Both have local ties. Ms. Newton-John, a singer and movie star known for her support of local causes such as the Unity Shoppe, lived in Santa Ynez up to her death on Aug. 8. And Ms. Barrett is known for the Rona Barrett Foundation, which created the Golden Inn & Village, an affordable housing complex for low-income seniors in the
Santa Ynez Valley. The 90-minute luncheon in their honor is set for 11 a.m. May 12 at Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to VNA Health Community Programs and subsidized Charity Care. Dame Olivia NewtonJohn will be saluted as the Remembered Mother. Ms. Barrett — whose entertainment journalism career included interviews with stars such as John Wayne, Cher and Lucille Ball — will be the honored mother. Andrew Firestone will be Please see LUNCHEON on A3
INSIDE
L O T T E RY RESULTS
Classified................. B4 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A4
Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 6-16-27-46-47 Meganumber: 9
Tuesday’s DAILY 4: 9-2-9-1
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: N/A Meganumber: N/A
Tuesday’s FANTASY 5: 10-16-22-31-37
Tuesday’s DAILY DERBY: 01-03-05 Time: 1:41.58
Monday’s POWERBALL: 16-53-54-57-65 Meganumber: 8
Sudoku................... B3 Weather................. A4
Tuesday’s DAILY 3: 7-3-1 / Wednesday’s Midday 4-3-9