In psychology, the definition of ‘shame’ refers to humiliation so painful and embarrassment so deep that the entire self worth of the human is called into question.
It is a powerful word that carries a damaging accusation; so much so that forms of public humiliation such as stocks and pillory were constitutionally considered cruel and unusual punishment…that is, unless you are a member of the Carpenters Local 150.
There are massive white vinyl banners with super-sized red lettering held silently popping up in front of businesses, calling on passers-by to join the public condemnation.
When you see them, do you cringe for that individual being called out in shame? Or do you make an assumption that the company must not be treating its employees fairly, unconsciously assigning blame, even though you know nothing about the issue at hand?
I was guilty of the above…until I saw the name of someone I knew and respected being called out in this act of public humiliation. So, I stopped to ask the sign holder what egregious anti-union behavior this respected business leader had performed. Turns out, the bearers of the banners are not allowed to speak to the public or answer any questions about the nature of the accusations or suggested malfeasance.
But they will hand you a neon-colored flyer with an incredibly bad drawing of a large rat chewing on what looks like an American flag inside an outline of a house, shaming the individual “For Desecration of the American Way of Life.”
Now, when I think of last years’ La Presidenta of Fiesta, her tireless service to the community, her tribute to the fire and police response to the wildfires, her leadership as a founder and President of Business First Bank, her role model and mentoring of young men and women in Santa Barbara, I have a kick in the gut reaction to anyone suggesting that Joanne Funari is responsible for the desecration of the American way of life.
She’s in pretty good company because just down the street, Robert Andrews, partner in the prestigious law firm, Mullen and Henzell, is being called out as well, for “…contributing to erosion of area standards for local carpenter craft workers.” Who would have thought that these two civic leaders were responsible for robbing the Carpinteria-based branch of the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters the joys of wielding a hammer and saw!
Truth is, they aren’t.
What they are apparently ‘guilty’ of is having had a seat on the board of Trustees of the Goleta Valley and Cottage Hospital Foundation. With that damning accusation of impropriety, I decided to inquire further as to their role in this heinous act of labor injustice that would result in the public shaming by ‘bannering.’
Here’s some of the text and claims of the flyer:
“Carpenters 150 has a labor dispute with CA Hoffman, a sub-contractor for the HBE Corporation on the Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital expansion project… CA Hoffman does not meet area labor standards, including providing or fully paying for family health care and pension for all of its carpenter craft employees…In our opinion, the community ends up paying the tab for employee health care and the low wages paid tend to lower general community standards, thereby encouraging crime and other social ills.”
Wow, if these two local benefactors are encouraging “crime and other social ills,” then the Santa Barbara police force had better whip out their nail guns and go make an arrest! C’mon, that’s a bit of bridging the truth, even for those in the construction trades. To put these claims into perspective, if the quality of the Carpenter’s Local 150 workmanship was reflected by the reality of their accusations, their framing projects would fall flat in the first Santa Barbara breeze.
But ‘truth’ isn’t what Carpenters Local 150 seems to thrive on.
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PORTOLA (por-to-lah‘) honors Gaspar de Portola, first Spanish Governor of California, the man who led Padre Junipero Serra and his first settlers (1789) to San Diego, the diplomat whom the padre wept to leave. Portola’s men were soldaldos distinguidos, distinguished soldiers, some even entitled to the prefix of “don” to their names. Notwithstanding his successful governorship, he was a homesick Spaniard (pictured right) whom the Western Hemisphere neither pleased nor satisfied. 
A popular surf and body boarding spot on the UCSB campus, beach patrons here are a mixture of students, faculty, families and surfers of all ages and abilities. At low tide, walk around the point to visit other campus beaches; at high tide walk over the point on hiking trails and partake of fine ocean views as well as vistas inland over the beautifully situated university. 
A few weeks ago 
Motivational speaker Edward DeJesus, 48, said he always has wanted to be a youth counselor since his brother was arrested on a drug charge when DeJesus was a teen. For the past 25 years as a youth counselor, he’s explained the realities of getting a job, getting along with people and staying out of trouble
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