CLUE Santa Barbara

05/12/2026

Yesterday, our board gathered for our annual retreat to reflect, reimagine, and look ahead. Together, we had meaningful conversations about where CLUE is headed and the impact we hope to grow in the future!

05/08/2026

Sharing this message from our allies at SEIU Local 620:

"SEIU Local 620 will be holding a rally next Tuesday, May 12th, at the Board of Supervisors meeting to oppose the remaining proposed cuts to represented employees and the service reductions that will directly harm our community, especially our most vulnerable immigrant residents.

Last fall, we stood together to stop the County’s premature attempt to comply with the Trump administration’s directive to transition individuals with “unsatisfactory immigration status” out of County clinics. We succeeded because we acted collectively and quickly. Unfortunately, we are now facing a new set of cuts that will have the same devastating impact if we do not intervene.

The County is proposing to eliminate the Santa Barbara and Santa Maria pharmacies and laboratories, leaving only Lompoc to serve the entire region. Regardless of what the Department may claim, our community members cannot simply “go across the street” to a private pharmacy. County Health is the only option for many uninsured patients who cannot pay market rates or travel long distances for basic care.

At the same time, Social Services is facing deep administrative cuts, even though workload is expected to increase due to new verification requirements under H.R. 1. Delays in processing benefits will hit immigrant families, low‑income households, and seniors the hardest.
And in the Sheriff’s Department, the proposed layoffs target civilian staff, not sworn personnel, even though civilian workers are not the source of the department’s chronic overtime and budget overruns. Once again, the lowest‑paid workers and the public they serve are being asked to absorb the consequences of poor fiscal management.
We need your support.

Next Tuesday, May 12th at 8:15 a.m., we will rally at the Board of Supervisors meeting to demand:
No layoffs and no service cuts
Protection for the most vulnerable members of our community
Immediate funds used for immediate needs, not long‑term capital projects such as the North County jail expansion
Investment in housing and health, not incarceration

This is the final May Board meeting before the June budget adoption. This is our last chance to influence the outcome before decisions are locked in.

Rally Details
Date: Tuesday, May 12
Time: 8:15 a.m. – approximately 11:00 a.m.
Locations:
• In‑person rally: 511 East Lakeside Parkway, Suite 141, Santa Maria
• Remote participation: 105 E Anapamu Street, Fourth Floor, Santa Barbara
Agenda Item: General public comment

If you have a purple shirt, please wear it. We will bring as many SEIU shirts as possible for supporters.
Your presence, whether in person, remotely, or through written public comment, will make a real difference. Our coalition has proven that when we stand together, we can protect our community. We need that same unity now.
In Solidarity,
Laura Robinson
SEIU Local 620
Executive Director"

05/02/2026

I read this at our board retreat as a closing prayer as Emiliano Campobello played his beautiful flute:

Let This Darkness Be a Bell Tower

Written by Rainer Maria Rilke
Translated by Joanna Macy and Anita Barrows

Quiet friend who has come so far,
feel how your breathing makes more space around you.�Let this darkness be a bell tower�and you the bell. As you ring,
what batters you becomes your strength.�Move back and forth into the change.�What is it like, such intensity of pain?�If the drink is bitter, turn yourself to wine.
In this uncontainable night,�be the mystery at the crossroads of your senses,�the meaning discovered there.
And if the world has ceased to hear you,�say to the silent earth: I flow.�To the rushing water, speak: I am.
Sonnets to Orpheus II, 29

03/26/2026

Remembering our friend Gene Michaels, a former CLUE SB Board member and comrade in Faith-based Activism, especially with programs to combat homelessness.
Thank you Gene for all your wisdom & enthusiasm.
We will cherish your memory always.
Rest in Peace amigo.
Amen 🙏



Born on Jan. 19, 1942, in Menominee, Michigan, Eugene Michael Smiltneck (aka Gene Michaels) was the son and first child of Arnold Joseph Smiltneck and

03/23/2026

In times like these, coming together matters more than ever. Join our community for a night of lament, solidarity, and peace. 🌿✨

03/19/2026

Happening TODAY 🌊 6:30 PM — show up for our coast.

02/13/2026

We share this enlightening article on the life and passing of our Barbareño Chumash elder, Ernestine Ygnacio-De Soto, written thoughtfully by our CLUE SB board member Wayne Martin Mellinger.

Ernestine Ygnacio-De Soto (a nurse) was a devoted activist for environmental rights and was key to saving the San Marcos Foothills.
We mourn her and cherish the memories and lessons that she left us. May she Rest in Peace, may she Rest in Power. 🙏🙏🙏

Some people remember a culture. Others carry it. Ernestine Ygnacio-De Soto belongs unmistakably to the latter category. To encounter her—even briefly — is

02/01/2026

We’re calling on Santa Barbara County to limit funding to just one housing unit at the North Branch Jail — and we need your voice.
Sign the petition now: 👉 https://cluesb.org/action-alert-limit-funding-to-just-one-housing-unit-at-santa-barbara-countys-north-branch-jail/

Every signature helps show our community stands for justice, accountability, and smart spending. 💪✍️
Please sign and share!

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors is considering a costly expansion of the North Branch Jail that would divert funding from critical community services without improving public safety.