Dear UCSB,

At the Oct. 21 board of supervisors meeting, we heard the pleas of 16 social workers who were being laid off because of budget shortfalls. This could result not only in their personal loss of employment, but also the disruption of vital services that the department provides to those people very much in need of help. In this climate, it becomes increasingly difficult to justify the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent in attempts to make the Isla Vista Halloween-party safe. 

In order to contain the many dangers inherent with alcohol and out-of-town crowds, the resources of our sheriff’s department and other emergency crews are drawn from all over the county, reducing services in many other communities, accompanied by a considerable cost to the taxpayers. My fellow supervisors continually field complaints from their communities who realize that the county is enabling an irresponsible situation at the expense of everyone else.

My days as 3rd district supervisor are numbered, as I will be retiring this year, and I will cherish my association with UCSB. Aside from our many successful cooperative endeavors, there still remains the unsolved problem of the Isla Vista Halloween event.

My request, therefore, is for UCSB to consider this situation and know that it is not helping the reputation of the college, nor the students who bear the blame for what is essentially a “partygoers’ invasion.” Those who admire and respect the reputation of UCSB should be concerned about Halloween.

My recommendation for students who ponder this event would be to boycott the Isla Vista streets this Halloween as a way of protesting those who would mistreat our community.