Sep 09 2019

Welcome to the DCSMV Website

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TO VOTE

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OR PAY DUES WITH SECURE ACTBLUE

We hope you will find our multilingual website informational and interesting.  Everything can be read in languages other than English. JUST CLICK ON THE “Select Language”  BUTTON.   We strive to provide educational tools to help voters make good, informed decisions, and to become active  Democrats.  

To view the Home Page Image slider posts, which scroll automatically sideways, or for faster viewing,  click on the right arrow to view the next post.  Click on the image to view the full post.  When finished reading a post, scroll up to the Tab “Home” and click on it.  You will be back to the same place and can continue scrolling the posts, or, click on any of the Tabs across the top of the site (or the Menu bars)  and you will be directed to other areas of interest, such as voting information, or our area’s elected representative’s contact information.  You can also search for specific topics by entering keywords in the Search Bar at the top right corner of the Home Page.  There are also items of interest along the right side of the Home page (available if using a tablet or desktop computer. If using a cell phone, scroll down at the end of this post).

Voters can register and change information on this link  A Registration and Voting Guide   also found on the Home page tab,  and join or donate to our club using secure ActBlue with your credit card.  The calendar of all of our monthly club meetings are also listed along with our contact information.  Join us and meet our members.  The public is always welcome to hear what our informative guest speakers have to say,  and enjoy other planned programs.   Visit our Facebook by clicking on the icon at the top of our Home page.  Please let us know if we can improve our website.  Thank you!

 Direct links to Register to Vote:
CA State Multi Language Register to Vote link

              or

 Bilingual – SANTA BARBARA COUNTY/
CONDADO DE SANTABARBARA  VOTER REGISTRATION/ELECTOR DE REGISTRO:
Santa Barbara County site  Register to vote here

(Note:  The Santa Maria Elections Office at 511 E. Lakeside Parkway has limited hours during off election years.  Call 1-800-722-8683 for details or to speak to an election’s office  assistant.  The County Recorder’s Office in the same building can accept registration forms and answer some election questions.)

Also, visit our tab  A Registration and Voter Guide:   Click here for Voting Information and Vote By Mail

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MONTHLY CLUB MEETINGS AND ACTIVITIES:
DCSMV meets the third Thursday of every month.
IHOP Restaurant, 202 S. Nicholson Ave. Santa Maria, 93454 
(Freeway 101 and East Main Street)
   PUBLIC IS WELCOME.
     6:00 p.m. Social time and dinner (IHOP menu)
     7:00 – 7:35 p.m. scheduled speakers or program.
   DEMOCRATS: 
     7:40 p.m. General business meeting.
Call for office hours 1-805- 349-2708.
Email:    dcsmv@dcsmv.net.
Headquarters office:  327 E. Plaza Drive, #2, Santa Maria, CA 93454. 
 Visit our page for Past and Present Events for our Club:

Click here for club meetings, events, fundraisers

Click here for our club membership application

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Join DCSMV and/or pay Club Dues on secure site

 

Click here to JOIN:  Join/pay dues on secure ActBlue link to pay with credit card or Paypal

OR

 Click here to DONATE:  donate Secure ActBlue link

If you would prefer to fill out a membership form and mail or drop off a check,

click here to print:  Membership Form

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Know what Santa Maria District you live in? Click link:

CLICK HERE for Districts by address in Santa Maria

 

City of Santa Maria Voting Districts

Permanent link to this article: https://santamariademocrats.info/2019/09/09/welcome-to-the-dcsmv-website/

Visit our Facebook Page and share your ideas with others.

https://www.facebook.com/DemocraticClubOfSantaMariaValley/

Permanent link to this article: https://santamariademocrats.info/2017/09/04/3653/

Democratic Club of Santa Maria Valley

 

CALL TO ACTION websites:  https://santamariademocrats.info/resist-call-to-action/

WRITE LETTERS to our local  newspaper Editors:  https://santamariademocrats.info/letters-to-media/

KNOW OUR  ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES:  https://santamariademocrats.info/your-reps-and-maps/

INDIVISBLE:   https://www.indivisible.org

LISTS OF CAMPAIGN DONORS:   https://www.opensecrets.org

FACEBOOK:  Get Local Events and Political News at our Democratic Club of Santa Maria Valley Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/DemocraticClubOfSantaMariaValley/

Permanent link to this article: https://santamariademocrats.info/2017/09/03/3720/

Mar 16 2020

Temporarily closed. Still available by phone, website, our Facebook page, and online monthly meetings. .

Our Santa Maria Democratic Headquarters will be temporarily closed in accordance with suggested efforts to minimize the spread of COVID-19.  Our third Thursday of every month meetings will be conducted online beginning May 21, 2020.  Please leave a message and return phone number at  805-349-2708 for more information.  Stay well and safe.  Thank you.   Mail:  DCSMV, 327 E. Plaza Dr, #2, Santa Maria, CA 93454.  Headquarters: 1-805-349-2708.  

Permanent link to this article: https://santamariademocrats.info/2020/03/16/our-santa-maria-democratic-headquarters-will-be-temporarily-closed-in-accordance-with-suggested-efforts-to-minimize-the-spread-of-covid-19/

Mar 09

2020 California Election Calendar and election results

Primary Election Results ongoing preliminary updates website:  

https://countyofsb.org/care/elections/results/2020march03/results-updt-2.htm

FINAL Santa Barbara County results will be available after all Provisional ballots have been counted by April 3, 2020.

Final statewide results will be available April 3rd after all 58 counties report to the state.  Check here for ongoing CA State results:  https://electionresults.sos.ca.gov

If you want to watch our democracy at work, visit the Santa Barbara Elections Office during the ballot counting process.  Anyone can take a tour of the various rooms and observe the actual processes that ensure our ballots are handled with the utmost care.  

The elections office is open during the counting period Monday – Saturday, 9 am – 4 pm (closed 1/2 hour for lunch around noon) until the final ballots have been counted and reported to the state.  This year the deadline to report to the state is the first week of April, and the FINAL RESULTS will be available to the public on Friday, April 3, 2020. 

There isn’t a requirement to call ahead of time to take the tour, but it is advisable.  The number is 1-800-722-8683 ext 7, or 805-568-2200.   

The address is 4440-A Calle Real, Santa Barbara, CA 93110.

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Register for the November 3,   2020 General Election.

2020 GENERAL ELECTION, Tuesday, November 3, 2020:

–  First Day Vote-By-Mail Ballots will be mailed

      Monday, October 5, 2020

–  Close of Registration *

    Monday, October 19, 2020

ELECTION DAY…..VOTE NOVEMBER 3, 2020

        

 A Registration and Voting Guide:  CLICK HERE

* You can “Conditionally” register and vote at the county elections office after the deadline.  Call the Elections Office at 1-800-722-8683, Ext 7 to speak to a person, or visit the website:

 

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MARCH 3, 2020 ELECTION

YOU CAN STILL REGISTER AND VOTE  AFTER THE FEBRUARY 18 DEADLINE!! “Provisional ballots” for eligible voters to register or re-register after the deadline, up to and including March 3rd, call the Elections Office at 1-800-722-8683, Ext 7 to speak to a person, M – F,  8 am – 5 pm (closed noon- 1 pm) or click here for information:  https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/provisional-voting/

California Information on “How to Vote for President”  https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-info/how-vote-president/?    

VOTE MARCH 3, 2020

2020 PRIMARY ELECTION, Tuesday, March 3, 2020: 

( “Voter  Information Guides”  mailed on Jan 23 – Feb 11, 2020)

–  First Day Vote-By-Mail Ballots will be mailed 

       Monday, February 3, 2020

–  Close of Registration *

       NOTE:  Due to the holiday 

       Monday,  February 17, 2020 deadline HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO FEBRUARY 18, 2020.

      After the February 18 deadline,  eligible voters can still  vote with a “ Provisional” ballot which may be obtained at the Elections Office or on March 3 at the Polls.  Call the Elections Office at 1-800-722-8683, Ext 7 to speak to a person.      

ELECTION DAY…..VOTE MARCH 3, 2020

 

2020 GENERAL ELECTION, Tuesday, November 3, 2020:

–  First Day Vote-By-Mail Ballots will be mailed

      Monday, October 5, 2020

–  Close of Registration *

    Monday, October 19, 2020

ELECTION DAY…..VOTE NOVEMBER 3, 2020

        

 A Registration and Voting Guide:  CLICK HERE

* You can “Conditionally” register and vote at the county elections office after the deadline.  Call the Elections Office at 1-800-722-8683, Ext 7 to speak to a person, or visit the website:

https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/provisional-voting/

For additional voting information:

2020 Election Information

  For more detailed candidate information and ballot names released by the Election Board of  Santa Barbara County, click here:  https://santamariademocrats.info/2020-election-news/local-ballot-seats-up-for-re-election-in-2020/

Democratic and (D) Endorsed candidates who will be on the 2020 March Primary ballot:

1   –  U. S. House of Representatives, 24th District

                Incumbent (D) Salud Carbajal

2   – CA State Senate, 19th District,

                (D)  Monique Limon  (Monique Limon Announcement State Senate )

                 (Note: Incumbent (D) Hannah-Beth Jackson – Term limit – cannot run)

3   – CA State Assembly, 35th District

               (D) Dawn Addis  ( Dawn Addis Announces run for State Assembly) 

4   – Santa Barbara County Supervisors (2 out of 5 Supervisor seats in 2020):

              4a   Incumbent Joan Hartmann, Santa Barbara County, Supervisor, 3rd District

             

              4b   Open seat,  Santa Barbara County Supervisor, 4th District  (No Democrat on the ballot)

Not on the ballot until November 2020 election:

5   –  City Council of Santa Maria (* 2 out of 4 Council member seats, and 1 Mayor up for election in Nov.  2020):

    5a    Residents living in District 1 (northwest) will elect 1 City Council member (

             (Osvaldo Sotelo announced his candidacy January 14, 2020)

    5b   Residents living in District 2 (northeast) will elect 1 City Council member (To be announced)

   5c    All voters citywide (all 4 districts) will decide the Mayor’s position. (To be announced)

* SM City Council held currently with terms ending in 2020:   Mayor, Alice Patino,  Council members Michael Moats and  Mike Corder (None D Endorsed)

Find your Santa Maria City District:  CLICK HERE

 

Permanent link to this article: https://santamariademocrats.info/2020/03/09/2020-california-election-calendar/

Jan 20

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 20, 2020

“I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

– “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”, April 3, 1968,  Martin Luther King, Jr.

https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/inspiring-quotes/31-powerful-quotes-by-dr-martin-luther-king-jr.html

https://www.naacp.org/dr-martin-luther-king-jr-mw/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/01/15/story-how-michael-king-jr-became-martin-luther-king-jr/

Permanent link to this article: https://santamariademocrats.info/2020/01/20/martin-luther-king-jr-day-january-20-2020/

Jan 15 2020

Women’s March SMV, Saturday, January 18, 2020, 10 am – 2 pm. Kids welcome!

https://www.womensmarchsmv.com

THE DCSMV WILL HAVE A TABLE with registration forms, brochures for our ballot’s March 3, 2020 Primary election, and visits from some of the candidates!!!  Be sure to attend, tell your friends 

Mark your calendars for the Women’s March SMV 2020 on Saturday, January 18, 2020.  The event will be held at the Minami Park on W. Enos Dr., SM, 93458.  Speeches at 10 a.m., march 11 a.m.-2 p.m. around the blocks from W. Enos to S. Broadway to W. Stowell to S. Depot and back to W. Enos.    Speakers, food, and the Santa Maria High School Band will make this important event enjoyable and interesting for all participants wanting to be part of this annual Santa Maria community shared action of fellowship and solidarity.

Permanent link to this article: https://santamariademocrats.info/2020/01/15/womens-march-smv-saturday-january-18-2020-10-am-2-pm-kids-welcome/

Jan 13

Democratic Presidential candidate debate Tuesday, January 14, 2020.

Six Democratic Presidential candidates will take the stage January 14, 2020 at 6 pm PT in Des Moines, Iowa

CLICK HERE for information and to watch the January 14, 2020 Democratic Presidential debates

Permanent link to this article: https://santamariademocrats.info/2020/01/13/democratic-presidential-candidate-debate-tuesday-january-14-2020/

Dec 31 2019

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM DCSMV!

 2020 is an election year.  Remember to register to vote and/or

update registration information:

 https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/cavoter/

 

For a guide to register to vote, visit our website:

https://santamariademocrats.info/page-search-menu/voting/

Permanent link to this article: https://santamariademocrats.info/2019/12/31/happy-new-year-from-dcsmv/

Dec 21 2019

House Impeached President Trump, December 18, 2019

The record will be available for future generations to understand why impeachment was necessary as the only remedy possible to hold a corrupt president accountable under our Constitution, and one step towards preserving our democracy for them.

“Whether Donald Trump leaves in one month, one year or five years, this impeachment is permanent,” Rep Ted Lieu, D-Calif said. “It will follow him around for the rest of his life and history books will record it. People will know why we impeached.”

 

https://www.npr.org/2019/12/18/789020525/president-trump-impeached-by-the-house-in-historic-rebuke?fbclid=IwAR2IdPQpdvhfhXfMKbo4zhmJFgNv33oZRrq74EdtEhuVBtwj-91t9W3f-Xk

Permanent link to this article: https://santamariademocrats.info/2019/12/21/house-impeached-president-trump-december-18-2019/

Dec 21

Watch the full video of the December 19, 2019 Democratic Presidential debate.

Full Video: Watch The PBS NewsHour Politico Democratic Debate

The next debate will be on Jan. 14, 2020 – CNN/Des Moines Register Democratic Debate (7th Debate)

 

Permanent link to this article: https://santamariademocrats.info/2019/12/21/watch-the-full-video-of-the-december-19-2019-democratic-presidential-debate/

Nov 03 2019

The chamber voted on October 31, 2019, to approve procedures related to the impeachment inquiry into President Trump

“What is at stake in all of this? It’s nothing less than our democracy,” Nancy Pelosi. 

News of a whistleblower complaint alleging that Trump had pressured Ukraine’s president to investigate the Biden family, and military aid was being withheld from Ukraine unless the president of Ukraine cooperated, broke in September 2019, that led Pelosi to end the ambiguity about whether to proceed with impeachment steps. The speaker announced on September 24 that “the House of Representatives is moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry.” Since September, over a dozen witnesses have corroborated the whistleblower’s account of events.  

Activists and voters in the party have been demanding Trump’s impeachment for some time now for a variety of reasons: from bigotry to financial corruption to his general conduct in office.

This vote can be read as a sign that Democrats are ready to move to a new phase of the inquiry: They’re winding down the closed-door depositions they’ve held in recent weeks and moving instead to hearings that will take place in public.

The resolution also makes clear who will take the lead in this phase: Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the chair of the House Intelligence Committee and an ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Read the full Resolution:   Resolution by the House

Speech by Nancy Pelosi October 31, 2019

What House Democrats’ impeachment procedures resolution actually does

Democrats’ resolution is not a resolution to start an impeachment inquiry; the party’s position is that they’ve been conducting one for some time already. Instead, the resolution is framed as one “directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations” as part of an “existing House of Representative inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist” for the impeachment of President Trump. That is: The inquiry already existed and will continue.

The resolution does, however, lay out some specifics about how things will work going forward.

   FIRST, it says that open hearings will be held and, interestingly, the committee that will hold those hearings is the House Intelligence Committee, chaired by Schiff. That makes sense, because the whistleblower complaint made its way to Schiff in the first place (his committee oversees the intelligence community). And it’s Schiff’s committee that has been holding closed-door depositions of Trump administration officials for the past month (though members of two other committees, Foreign Relations and Oversight, have also been invited to take part).

  SECOND, the resolution gives some details on how those hearings will be conducted. The interesting part here is that Schiff (and the intelligence committee’s ranking member Devin Nunes) will each get to question witnesses at the beginning for longer than the traditional five minutes — up to 90 minutes in total. They can also designate staff members to do this questioning. This is not typically how congressional hearings are conducted but it would allow witnesses to be questioned for lengthier periods by skilled attorneys (rather than bloviating politicians).

  THIRD, the resolution says that Nunes can ask for his own witnesses to be invited or subpoenaed to testify, but there’s a catch. Nunes must give “a detailed written justification of the relevance” of each witness’s testimony and either Schiff or a majority vote on the committee would have to approve it. This is an effort to prevent Republicans from playing political games by demanding that irrelevant witnesses appear.

 FINALLY, the resolution makes clear how this phase of the impeachment inquiry will end: After Schiff has held public hearings, he will write a report laying out his findings and recommendations. That’s when the handoff to Nadler’s Judiciary Committee will occur. The Judiciary Committee will review the report and draft impeachment articles if they deem that necessary (which they almost surely will).

What happens next

Summing up, now that this resolution has been approved by the House, this is how the impeachment inquiry will proceed going forward:

  • Schiff’s Intelligence Committee will hold public hearings and eventually write a report.
  • Nadler’s Judiciary Committee will then review that report and likely draft and vote on articles of impeachment for Trump.
  • Any articles of impeachment improved by the Judiciary Committee would then go before the full House for the actual vote on whether Trump would be impeached.
  • If Trump is impeached by the House then the Senate would hold a trial to determine whether to remove him from office.

It isn’t clear how long each of these phases will last. Democrats had at one point hoped to hold their final votes on whether to impeach Trump before Thanksgiving, but that timeline has slipped. For now, they still appear to be aiming to wrap things up in the House before the end of the year.

Permanent link to this article: https://santamariademocrats.info/2019/11/03/the-chamber-voted-on-october-31-2019-to-approve-procedures-related-to-the-impeachment-inquiry-into-president-trump/

Sep 22

SAVE OUR PLANET! Santa Maria Valley Global Climate demonstration, 110 E. Cook St, 93454.

Santa Maria students and supportive adults rallied and marched down S. Broadway on Friday, September 27th along with millions of other demonstrators around the world last week to demand action, not resistance, by lawmakers to address the dangerous levels of greenhouse gases that are contributing to climate change.  With bilingual interpretation, speakers included several members of the community, students, renowned scientist James Lawrence Powell,  Santa Barbara County Supervisor Joan Hartmann, and staff member Wendy Motta from Congressman Salud Carbajal’s office.  Local concerns about drilling in Cat Canyon over Santa Maria’s water aquifers, and the lack of renewable energy were among the issues discussed.  Students vowed to continue the pressure on lawmakers to act or face electoral consequences in 2020.  

Sign the Food and Water Watch petitions:

https://secure.foodandwateraction.org/act/petition-ban-fracking-now?fbclid=IwAR2lOf9YCFXXwFR48KUXqekPHPB_KmUJDXU-4KFgEqrD5aM76F1MZ5koVxw

 

 

Speakers and then a march.  Concerned residents of Santa Maria Valley are asking elected representatives to stop fossil fuel development, especially in Cat Canyon where drilling could affect the water supply for over 200,000 residents, and to incentivize industry to develop renewable energy.

 Over 800 U. S. cities, including several cities in Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County, and 3500 cities internationally, are participating in demonstrations to demand that laws be enacted to immediately prioritize and address global warming.

Climate change is the biggest threat to the safety of our food, water, and communities. We deserve climate legislation that puts an end to fossil fuel destruction. It’s time for our lawmakers to give us a Real Green New Deal. Climate legislation needs to include an immediate fossil fuel phase-out, a halt to leading of federal lands for fossil fuel production, and an end to the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure.Speakers

Please join the Food and Water Watch grassroots demonstration in Santa Maria on Friday, September 27th, 6 pm-7:30 pm, in front of the Santa Maria City Hall at 110 E. Cook St, 93454. 

Bring your ideas and join the movement to SAVE OUR PLANET!!

Speakers 6 pm – 6:30pm, then a  march along S. Broadway to Main Street.

Speakers: James Lawrence Powell, renowned scientist and author

                           http://jamespowell.org/Bio/bio.html

                    Joan Hartmann, Santa Barbara County Supervisor, 3rd District

                         (https://www.countyofsb.org/bos/hartmann.sbc)

                    Wendy Motta, staff member office of Salud Carbajal, U.S.

                   Congressman, 24th District

                        (https://carbajal.house.gov)

TAKE ACTION! EMAIL, PHONE, OR WRITE YOUR REPRESENTATIVES:   https://santamariademocrats.info/your-reps-and-maps/

What is the NEW GREEN DEAL?  https://santamariademocrats.info/what-is-the-green-new-deal/

 

Permanent link to this article: https://santamariademocrats.info/2019/09/22/save-our-planet-friday-september-27-2019-6-pm-730-pm-110-e-cook-st-93454-global-strike-demonstration/

Sep 14

Santa Barbara County moves towards Solar, Wind power

The primary power generation source envisioned by the plan would be solar, but the potential for utility-scale wind energy projects would also be enhanced through the revision of ordinances, specifically in the Coastal Zone.  4-1 vote in favor (Peter Adam, 4th District,  dissenting)  by Santa Barbara County Supervisors in September 2019.

https://santamariatimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/energy-plan-may-bring-more-solar-wind-power-to-santa/article_1cffdc6a-1e93-541f-8472-0c015d55e24b.html#utm_source=santamariatimes.com&utm_campaign=%2Femail-updates%2Fbreaking&utm_medium=PostUp&utm_content=299982f7dd0fe15462113df5cce9f3ea6f50118a

 

Permanent link to this article: https://santamariademocrats.info/2019/09/14/santa-barbara-county-moves-towards-solar-wind-power/

Aug 20 2019

ERG Oil sold to TerraCore. Hearings postponed until a revised plan prepared for S.B. County.

Oil spills and leakages happen.  To report a suspected oil spill, immediately call the State Warning Center 1-800-424-8802, then notify Channelkeeper at 805-563-3377.  In an emergency, call 911.  

A Denver, Colorado company has purchased ERG in August 2019.  ERG is the company that has had enormous and continued resistance by local residents in their quest to get approval from Santa Barbara County to  drill dozens of new oil wells in Cat Canyon over the Santa Maria water basin.

Scheduled hearings will be rescheduled after TerraCore has prepared their plans to use more solar to extract oil, but no plans revealed to abandon the project altogether to drill over the aquifer.

Santa Maria Times:

“A memo from the Planning & Development Department said a new notice of the project hearing will be announced once a date is established.

The memo also said a report addressing any proposed modifications to the project and revisions to the environmental impact report, as well as responses to commissioners’ requests for information, will be provided and available to the public before the date of the continued hearing.

ERG — now TerraCore — is  proposing to add 187 new steam-injected oil and gas wells and two new steam generators on about 75 acres of the company’s 8,054-acre property in West Cat Canyon south of Santa Maria.”

Full article:  https://santamariatimes.com/news/local/erg-sold-new-owner-terracore-may-add-solar-power-to/article_ca2faff1-2a1d-5d73-8c16-b0617cbb20c3.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=user-share&fbclid=IwAR13IO2Hpr3RMrGoJAWi9g9RbSfcEa2ZaFN0qHYD5xyBG1616puH1aDhWNU

HISTORY OF ERG vs. SANTA BARBARA COUNTY prior to TerraCore purchasing ERG:

This project would double the county’s current onshore oil production and is starkly at odds with our county’s Climate Action Plan goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the county by 50% by 2030.  

  • It would drill through the Santa Maria Valley groundwater basin, which provides clean drinking water for residents and agriculture. Well castings can and do fail, and surface spills are inevitable, thus risking our county’s largest clean water source. ERG has already spilled more than any other onshore oil company since 2010. 
  • The crude oil in Cat Canyon is so thick that ERG needs to truck in a lighter crude from Kern County to mix with it, and then truck the combined crude back out again to a pump station – requiring 156 one-way truck trips every day of light and blended crude oil. 
  • Trucks are the least safe way to transport oil, and accidents can shut down roads for extended periods of time. The project creates roadway hazards by adding oil tanker trucks to the 101, a critical transportation corridor for our region.
  • This project represents an industrial expansion in a high fire hazard area. ERG has had 34 fire department violations over the past four years and there have been recent fires on their site. This is an unacceptable risk given ever-increasing wildfire risk due to climate change.
  • ERG’s natural gas pipeline, with a capacity greater than all residential natural gas usage in the county, poses an explosion risk along the 101 where a gas leak and roadway spark could trigger a vapor cloud fire. 
  • The project presents a financial risk to the county. When a spill, fire or other disaster occurs, companies often leave taxpayers and counties on the hook. ERG is in bankruptcy, making the chances of them paying for damages highly unlikely.  They have even failed to pay property taxes. In County Council’s 2017-19 budget request, they reported that ERG owed the county $14 million in back taxes.

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WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Sign up to receive newsletters and emails from the legal organization EDC:

https://www.environmentaldefensecenter.org

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Visit Food & Water Watch, sign petitions:  Protect California Central Coast

 Receive emails, donate to Food & Water Watch:

https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/insight/fact-sheet-aera-energys-plan-drill-santa-barbara-tar-sands

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Archived videos of prior S.B. County hearings:

https://www.youtube.com/user/CSBTV20

Live S.B. County Hearings videos:                           http://sbcounty.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=35

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Contact Santa Barbara Planning Commissioners!!

**** Phone or Email comments on ERG’s 233 new steam injection wells to:

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION:
Deputy Director: John Zorovich/Energy, Minerals & Compliance
Supervising Planner: Errin Briggs 805-568—2047
Staff Contact: Nancy Minick 805-884-8050
Staff Emails: dvillalo@co.santa-barbara.ca.us

 Also, contact our elected SB County Board of Supervisors:

Link:  https://santamariademocrats.info/your-reps-and-maps/north-santa-barbara-county-supervisors/

NO drilling! Reject proposals by oil companies AERA, ERG (currently in bankruptcy) and PetroRock.  These projects would drill through the Santa Maria Valley Groundwater Basin, which provides clean drinking water to 12 cities and over 200,000 people. We need to make sure our county votes against these proposals! 

Steam Injection to extract oil is what is happening at Orcutt Hill and several other Orcutt sites on the east side of 101 Freeway mixed in with agriculture land. And now big oil company ERG wants to develop even further in Cat Canyon, OVER THE SANTA MARIA WATER AQUIFER. Let the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission know we expect them to do their jobs for the community and deny ERG’s request and prevent them from steam injecting through our water table!!

INJECTION:
Pressurized steam is injected into the oil-bearing zone over several days, creating fissures for the hot steam to reach the thick crude oil and soften it.
EXTRACTION;
Steaming ends and as the heated oil becomes more mobile, it is drawn up through the same well system. As more and more oil is taken out of the ground, support for the surface substrate weakens, causing land around the well to sink.

______________________________________________________________

Prior Events and posts History:

LETTER #1 to BLM

The ORCUTT oil field was identified as a high priority study area for the RMP (Regional Monitoring Program) because relatively large volumes of fluid have been injected into the ground for enhanced oil recovery water disposal.  
Write your comments to the BLM, Bureau of Land Management, in Bakersfield:
(Deadline to respond by email was was June 10, 2019.)
 Write a letter:
3801 Pegasus Dr, Bakersfield, CA 93308
Phone:  (661)391-6000

Copy and paste Letter:

Hello, I am a resident of Santa Maria Valley, in Santa Barbara County, and I am deeply concerned about fracking and oil exploration near my community because of the disturbance of nature and contamination.   Oil companies are using chemicals and groundwater to extract fossils that can contaminate the earth’s natural resources. This process would misuse fresh water and  jeopardize aquifers.  Also, fuel adds to the carbon emissions in our atmosphere at a time when we should be focusing on decreasing emissions.
Additionally, the draft EIS is inadequate because it fails to adequately evaluate the impact of fracking on climate change.
At the conclusion of the analysis, I hope you will amend your management plan to exclude, or place restrictions on, parcels offered for oil leasing and fracking, reflective of the risks and impacts they pose to public health and the environment. In addition, I hope that you will close lands to leasing and fracking that are on or adjacent to schools, national forests, monuments, and refuges to better protect children and the resources that make these places so treasured by the public.
Thank you for taking my concerns into consideration.
(Name and address)
—————————————————————————————————–

Letter #2 to CA Dept of Conservation

NO CALIFORNIA EXEMPTIONS FOR DRILLING OVER SANTA MARIA VALLEY AQUIFER
(Deadline to comment June 20, 2019)  Write or email anyway.
Below is an example comment, COPY AND PASTE  on the email to  Sacramento, California Department of Conservation (DOGGR):

Mailto:comments@conservation.ca.gov

OR write to the Orcutt Office, or make an appointment:  

5075 S Bradley Rd # 221, Santa Maria, CA 93455  Phone (805) 937-7246.

Copy and paste Letter:
NO EXEMPTIONS FOR OIL COMPANIES.  Santa Maria Valley communities depend heavily on groundwater–more so than other cities with bigger budgets.  Much of the area’s drinkable and usable water comes from an underground water basin (aquifer), where just a single spill or leak could potentially contaminate drinking water for over 100,000 residents in the Santa Maria Valley–affecting already disadvantaged community members disproportionately.
Federal laws are meant to protect our aquifer because of its potential as a drinking water source.  But, big oil and gas companies are requesting an exemption from the law and have asked California to consider a proposal to allow the injection of waste associated with hundreds of new oil and gas wells DIRECTLY INTO THE SANTA MARIA AQUIFER.
NO EXEMPTIONS!!

(Name and address)

—————-

RALLY and public forum was held June 5, 2019, 3 pm, Veterans Memorial Community Center, 313 W. Tunnell Street, SM 93458.  Public comments 4-7 pm.

_______________

Keep CALLING, keep EMAILING, keep WRITING.

Another SB County Planning Commission public hearing was held May 29, 2019.

Prior Hearings:

On Wednesday, March 13 at 9:00AM, the Santa Barbara Planning Commission held a public hearing on ERG’s Project.  Although the Planning Commission shamefully chose to hold the hearing during working hours, 100 residents attended the hearing and expressed, once again, all of the multiple reasons why this project SHOULD NOT BE APPROVED.  WE MUST KEEP TELLING THEM.  Oil Companies have 100 year plans, and will never stop pushing their destructive agenda… AND WE MUST NOT STOP EITHER!  Tell the Planning Commission to deny the Project and protect our climate, air quality, water resources, and public health.  ERG is proposing to drill dozens of new thermally enhanced, steam injection oil wells, producing thousands of barrels of oil per day.  

This project is only 1900 feet from an elementary school and residences. It would increase air pollution, damage residents’ health, degrade water quality and ecosystems, generate traffic and 24/7 light and noise pollution, and lock in dirty fossil fuel production for decades to come – at a time when climate reports warn we need to accelerate a transition to cleaner sources of energy. 

SIGN THE PETITION:

https://secure.foodandwaterwatch.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2949

CONTACT YOUR SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SUPERVISOR:

https://santamariademocrats.info/your-reps-and-maps/north-santa-barbara-county-supervisors/

OTHER ARTICLES OF INTEREST:

https://www.environmentaldefensecenter.org/programs_post_type/climate-energy/three-new-thermally-enhanced-onshore-oil-projects/

Oklahoma Has Had More Earthquakes Than California in 2014, Partly Because of Fracking

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/earthquakes-triggered-by-fracking/

 

Permanent link to this article: https://santamariademocrats.info/2019/08/20/stop-750-new-oil-wells-save-our-water/

Aug 07 2019

Santa Maria Town Hall meeting Thursday, August 8, 2019 with Congressman Carbajal

If you missed it, there are media coverage links at the bottom of this post.

The town hall ran from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Center, 313 W. Tunnell St. It is open to the public and free to attend. Noelle Rosellini, press secretary for the congressman, said the majority of the meeting would be devoted to questions from the public.

In response to mass shootings in Gilroy, El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, that killed 34 people and injured dozens more, Carbajal called for the passage of a federal assault weapons banand a “extreme risk” protection order bill that he introduced in February. 

The Extreme Risk Protection Order Act of 2019 would provide incentives for states to pass laws that allow concerned friends, family members or law enforcement to petition courts to temporarily remove guns from someone’s possession if they are determined to be at risk of harming themselves or others. 

On Friday, the Central Coast’s congressman became the latest House representative to call for an impeachment inquiry into the president.

According to CNN, 118 Democratic representatives as of Friday have called for starting impeachment proceedings.

In a statement issued by his office last week, Carbajal said Trump needed to be held accountable for the conduct that was laid out in the report prepared by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. 

In the 448-page report summarizing the Special Counsel’s investigation, Mueller stated there was no criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russian government to interfere in the 2016 election. 

Additionally, Mueller detailed 10 instances of possible obstruction of justice by the president but did not determine whether those acts were criminal. 

  –  To visit Congressman Carbajal’s website, click here:  https://carbajal.house.gov/

  –  Read media coverage about the Town Hall Meeting on August 8, 2019 in Santa Maria:

https://www.noozhawk.com/article/carbajal_town_hall_turns_lively_santa_maria

https://www.keyt.com/news/congressman-carbajal-holds-heated-town-hall-meetingin-santa-maria/1107439556

https://www.ksby.com/news/local-news/rep-salud-carbajal-host-town-hall-in-santa-maria

https://santamariatimes.com/news/local/too-important-to-ignore-carbajal-calls-for-gun-safety-legislation/article_72ec4e39-ccba-53d8-8d5b-df965deed4d5.html#utm_source=santamariatimes.com&utm_campaign=%2Femail-updates%2Fdaily-headlines&utm_medium=PostUp&utm_content=299982f7dd0fe15462113df5cce9f3ea6f50118a

Permanent link to this article: https://santamariademocrats.info/2019/08/07/santa-maria-town-hall-meeting-thursday-august-8-2019-with-congressman-carbajal/

Jul 19 2019

The facts about Trump’s policy of separating families at the border.

Obama’s guidelines prioritized the deportation of gang members, those who posed a national security risk and those who had committed felonies.

Trump’s January 2017 executive order does not include a priority list for deportations and refers only to “criminal offenses,” which is broad enough to encompass serious felonies as well as misdemeanors.

Because of Trump’s executive order, DHS can deport people for misdemeanors more easily, because the government no longer prioritizes the removal of dangerous criminals, gang members or national-security threats. (A DHS fact sheet says, “Any individual processed for removal, including those who are criminally prosecuted for illegal entry, may seek asylum or other protection available under law.”)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2018/06/19/the-facts-about-trumps-policy-of-separating-families-at-the-border/?utm_term=.00610c418f4a&wpisrc=nl_fact&wpmm=1

Where are the children coming from?

  1. This rural town, is among the poorest in a nation.

2) Guatemala’s capital is plagued with gang violence.

3) Rival gangs are responsible for most of the murders in El Salvador’s capital.

More than three-quarters of the children minors are from mostly poor and violent towns in three countries: El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Children from Mexico, once the largest group, now make up less than a quarter of the total. A small number come from 43 other countries.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/07/15/us/questions-about-the-border-kids.html

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://santamariademocrats.info/2019/07/19/the-facts-about-trumps-policy-of-separating-families-at-the-border/

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