Watch: Silly Season Surfaces at City Hall; NIMBY-YIMBY Mind Meld; Why Was State St. Stabber Not in Jail?

Ryan P. Cruz, Callie Fausey, and Josh Molina join the genial host to break down the latest on immigration, housing and SB budget in a new edition of Newsmakers TV

At Santa Barbara City Hall, the City Council’s run-of-the-mill shambolic babel has descended in recent weeks into a full-blown omnishambles.

Perhaps that’s what naturally occurs when two of seven members already are poised and preparing to run for mayor next year — or is it 43 percent? — and craven electeds cave to the mob, while one rookie member freezes like a deer in the headlights.

But these shifting alliances, strange bedfellows and political jitsu have made for some bemusing, if entertaining, spectacles — from build-baby-build housing jihadists Kristen Sneddon and Oscar Gutierrez suddenly channeling Pearl Chase neighborhood preservationists, and Mayor Randy Rowse desperately seeking to time travel** to when ‘90s when fiscal conservatism was A Thing, to Eric Friedman stroking his chin about what office he’ll seek next, and Meagan Harmon performing a whirling dervish fiscal sleight of hand, suddenly snatching money she’d days earlier seized at behest of special interest pressure groups to shovel to a second set of progressive pleaders.

This as newcomer Wendy Santamaria desperately tries to keep up by speed texting allies to find out what she thinks.

All of which made Mike Jordan look like the last sane man standing. Despite the chickens.

In the wake of the council maelstrom, Josh Molina and Ryan P. Cruz joined the genial host on this week’s edition of Newsmakers TV to reprise their coverage of the chaos, confusion and misdirection, sort through the policy and political implications and provide some clear-eyed analysis of who’s on first and what’s on second.

Callie Fausey joined the gang to break down her in-depth and detailed reporting of the scandalous circumstances that put murder suspect and registered gang member Juan Fernando Rios free on the streets in the early morning hours of August 1, when he now stands of accused of having stabbed to death the father of three young children — despite his involvement in two previous felony stabbings and a spate of other crimes.

“The issue is: I can’t react to that which I don’t know exists,” District Attorney John Savrnoch told Callie, pointing the finger at a misguided Superior Court bail schedule.

Um, okay.

Check out Episode 515 via YouTube below or by clicking through this link. The SB Newsmakers podcast is available on Apple, Spotify or on Soundcloud here. TVSB, Channel 17, airs Newsmakers TV 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 Monday.

** Separated at Birth? SB Mayor Randy Rowse (L); Dr. Emmett Brown (R).