Nick Welsh, Delaney Smith and Josh Molina join Jerry for an around-the-horn week-in-review session, breaking down all the latest as Santa Barbara city and county begin to emerge from pandemic lockdown.
The gang details the up-to-the-minute flurry of action, with City Hall sprinting and scrambling to transform a long stretch of State Street into a pedestrian mall in a bid to help struggling restaurants provide outdoor dining amid a still uncertain public health atmosphere: If they build it, will the customers come?
The panel also has the latest on millions in federal funds heading SB's way, as the board of supes and city council try to plug the big holes the virus blew in local budgets, updates on the status of eviction moratoriums and a look at the county's big RISE reopening plan -- featuring Nick's erudite explanation of the crucial economic significance of a temporary ban on genital piercings.
Plus: The reviews are in on Mayor Cathy's bid to reboot politically, via a video recorded set piece State of the City speech, choreographed behind-the-scenes by city government's most canny media whiz.
Insight, analysis, Actual Facts, cheap shots and snark - it's all here, right now on Newsmakers TV. And the podcast version is here.
Okay, I went out at 4PM to walk State street and I'm reporting back. As Nick predicted, it was the Wild West, tumbleweeds blowing up and down the street. A couple of restaurants had tables out in front, but I am guessing many of the restaurants don't have the tables available to extend outdoors A table rental company would be a great investment right about now. I overheard one restaurant owner say that he had no staff and was going to have to find a way to staff up quickly. I observed a couple of 30-ish professionals walking down the street, each holding an open can of beer. I can't imagine that the open-container laws have changed.
The biggest issue…