Watch: At Long Last, a State Street Plan - But Paid for How? Sheriff, Registrar Under Fire; Mission Blockbuster Loses in Court

After six years and countless public hearings, Santa Barbara’s City Council finally approved an overall plan for revamping State Street.

Unfortunately, it’s so hideously expensive, at $6-8 million a block, that no one has a realistic notion of how to pay for it.

That’s Topic A on this week’s episode of Newsmakers TV, as Ryan P. Cruz, Josh Molina and Nick Welsh join the genial host to break down the politics and policies underlying the council’s 6-to-1 vote in support of two hours worth of pretty-picture presentation slides the State St. master plan, purporting to show the future of Santa Barbara’s once-great, now-shabby main downtown corridor.

The gang also critiques Sheriff Bill Brown’s faint-hearted performance amid ongoing provocations by federal immigration agents who scorn the county’s effort to rein in ICE brutality, and election czar Joe Holland’s contempt for the Board of Supervisors, as he collects a huge salary and a pension check, all while working at home and occasionally checking in with the staff by text.

Plus: Why a local judge tossed a lawsuit from those freaky developers seeking to erect a highrise behind the Mission; Nick deciphers new U.S. Postal Service protocols while urging early mail-in voting; Josh delivers a rousing endorsement of Chelsea Lancaster; Ryan’s still rocking a Dodgers hat despite their recent lackluster play, and the host unveils a new Zoom background, courtesy of Mayor Sheila Lodge.

All this and more, right here, right now on Newsmakers TV.

Check out Episode 565 via YouTube below or by clicking through this link. Our podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, or on SoundCloud here. TVSB, Channel 17, airs the show every weeknight at 5 p.m. and at 9 a.m. on weekends. KCSB, 91.9 FM, broadcasts the program at 5:30 p.m. on weekends.