Apparently East Coast residents felt the need to give Solvang some direction, going so far as to call in to the City Council meeting with their two cents on exactly what the city should do about Doubletree Carriage’s application for a horse-drawn conveyance license.
That horse-drawn carriage drama! It extends beyond those quaint Danish-inspired streets!
Tourists (I guess?) really want to make sure Solvang isn’t in the animal abuse business. Chicago Alliance for Animals members phoned in to the Aug. 24 meeting to pressure City Council members to make the “right” decision. See, they said, if Chicago can ban horse-drawn carriages, you can too.
Those East Coasters also sent emails! Solvang Mayor Pro Tem Robert Clarke said the city received about 52 anti-trolley emails from out-of-staters.
I, for one, was just dumbfounded at why they think their opinion matters for public policy that’s being created 2,140 miles away from where they live. And Clarke, agrees. Solvang’s City Council serves the citizens of Solvang. But then, he went a little bit further.
Because apparently Chicagoans should be concerned about what a Solvangian thinks about their public policy issues!
“They got the City Council to ban horse carriages, and you’ve got kids being slaughtered in the streets,” he said during the Aug. 24 meeting.
Whew! That’s got some cringe factor to it.
So I guess, it’s one or the other, according to Clarke. You can’t be concerned about animal welfare and gun violence. They are mutually exclusive! Although people who are concerned about animal rights to the point that they’re calling into a City Council meeting across the damn country also probably want to take away everyone’s guns, too. Got any commentary on that, Clarke?
How’d they find out about the Solvang vote anyway? Phone a friend?
You know who needs to phone a friend right now? These people who call Santa Barbara County to complain about that stranger across the street who isn’t wearing a mask. I get it. People should absolutely be wearing masks for their own protection and the protection of those around them.
What are we in, kindergarten? These tattletales have been so annoying that the county Board of Supervisors considered passing an ordinance on Aug. 25 that would have allowed law enforcement and certain county staff to fine individuals who aren’t in compliance with state and local health orders.
Really? Can we control behavior by fining?
These people who are freaking out about having to wear masks are no better. God. They are so dramatic!
One public speaker who didn’t want the county to pass the ordinance compared it to the French Reign of Terror! Wowee, people. You’re comparing mask mandate enforcement to a series of massacres and public executions. I think you’re over exaggerating just a scoche.
If you don’t like it when people don’t wear masks in public, maybe you shouldn’t go out in public. Don’t think large gatherings should be held? Great! You don’t have to go to them.
If you don’t like it when governments pass emergency laws to protect public health during a pandemic that has killed 88 Santa Barbara County residents since March, maybe you should move somewhere where the government doesn’t care about the people. I hear Venezuela is nice this time of year.
The canary is sick of the drama. Send comments to canary@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Aug 27 – Sep 3, 2020.