Andy Caldwell sure likes to make a big stink about things! His e-blast before the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors’ April 21 meeting was dramatic.
“HUGE attack on Sheriff Brown and Law and Order at Tomorrow’s BOS MEETING,” the subject line screamed.
“Unfortunately, Chair [4th District Supervisor Bob] Nelson put an item … on the admin calendar to support Assemblyman [Gregg] Hart’s bill to TAKE OVER JAIL operations from the sheriff,” the radio show host and lobbyist wrote. “These politicians want to consolidate power from other electeds, and they also want to empty our jails as part of the national decarceration movement.”
Did the item pass? Yes, along pretty typical North/South County lines (3-2, with Nelson voting against it, by the way).
I’m pretty sure Nelson wants to put more people in jail—not “decarcerate.” I know for a fact that fellow North County 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino wants more people in jail—and he pushed the Sheriff’s Office to do just that by encouraging the pursuit of more residents who have outstanding warrants.
So, is the county kicking Sheriff Bill Brown out of office? Unfortunately not! That guy has cost the county so much money. His department’s overtime bill is larger than some county departments’ full budgets. And Brown’s overtime issues were also on the supervisors’ agenda at that meeting, which Caldwell was also pissed about!
How dare supervisors try to do their job and keep track of how taxpayer dollars are spent.
When the supervisors bring up the fact that Brown needs to rein in his spending and keep better track of his deputies’ overtime hours, all he does is say that doesn’t prioritize public safety, and his part of the conversation is over. The board is working on solutions designed to tighten up that reckless spending—including appointing an inspector general to audit the overtime.
But I digress! The vote was a resolution to support Hart’s bill that would give counties a choice on how the county jail is run—either by an elected sheriff or an independent commission. I don’t think the Legislature is going to look at Santa Barbara County’s support and immediately pass the bill.
All you keyboard warriors who received Caldwell’s screed and just pecked away and hit send to your local elected officials didn’t do your due diligence or research—a big problem with democracy today. You just bit, hook, line, sinker. You dove deep into the pool of anger that drives so much of our politics today. It’s a cesspool.
There are bigger issues to get upset about: There’s the budget deficit for starters. People who are going to be unemployed at the start of the next fiscal year. Residents losing access to health care and social services. Economic troubles ahead. The list is endless.
But, yes, let’s make a big stink about a resolution to support a legislative bill that may or may not pass.
Meanwhile, Public Health and Social Services are hemorrhaging staff to tighten their budget belts, and Santa Barbara County residents are losing their jobs. The trickle down is going to be rough.
Maybe we need to rework our priorities, check our righteous anger, and remember how to listen to others again.
The canary is ready for us to all be friends again. Send angry rants to canary@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in April 23 – April 30, 2026.