The Whipping Post · Events Desk
Events
What's happening across Santa Barbara County — festivals, fairs and the moments worth showing up for.
Power & PoliticsLatest · Events
COUNTY REGISTRAR BEGS FOLKS TO VOTE; IS IT DESPERATION OR JUST MORE BUREAUCRACY?
Santa Barbara's Registrar of Voters, presumably after counting how many paper clips are left, reminds the public to register for the next election, clearly hoping for a better turnout than their last
10/12/2026336
Follow the MoneyEvents
HARTMANN DEMANDS VOTE FOR MORE TAXES, CALLS IT A 'BET' — ON YOUR WALLET
Supervisor Joan Hartmann, a fixture of the progressive establishment, wants you to dig deeper for Allan Hancock College, promising a ‘next chapter’ that probably involves more administrative bloat and
10/12/2026386
Follow the MoneyEvents
CANDIDATES DEBATE ART-FICIAL INTELLIGENCE: WHO CAN WHINE BEST FOR MORE TAX DOLLARS?
Noozhawk reports on city council hopefuls vowing more taxpayer handouts for 'art,' proving their commitment to fiscal responsibility is a true masterpiece of fiction.
10/12/2026485
Follow the MoneyEvents
GOLETA'S 'COFFEE & COMMUNITY' FLUSHES TAX DOLLARS DOWN THE DRAIN
Local bureaucrats bravely sip lattes while residents wonder if their tax dollars could buy actual solutions instead of performative public relations stunts.
10/11/2026335
Power & PoliticsEvents
COUNTY LEADERS ASK FOR YOUR 'INPUT' AFTER DECIDING EVERYTHING ALREADY
Santa Barbara's perpetually surprised overlords are 'seeking public input' on their 2027 legislative platform, a full year in advance, which sounds suspiciously like they're just looking for someone t
10/11/2026375
The DispatchEvents
GOLETA SCORES $2.5M FOR 'IMPROVEMENTS' — OR, YOU KNOW, THE USUAL PORK
Your tax dollars, meticulously extracted and laundered through Sacramento, are finally returning to Goleta, albeit with the usual progressive strings attached and a hefty 'administrative fee' for the
10/11/2026496
Campus BeatEvents
UCSB NEWSROOM DEI: JOURNALISM OR JUST ANOTHER INDOCTRINATION LAB?
The Daily Nexus bravely reports on its own valiant efforts to filter truth through the progressive sieve, ensuring no wrongthink escapes its woke journalistic dragnet.
10/11/2026623
The DispatchEvents
GREEN GOLIATHS GATHER TO TOAST TRIUMPH, TAXPAYERS LEFT TO FOOT THE 'NAPLES' BILL
Eco-warriors pat themselves on the back for 'saving' private land, while the rest of us just saved up for their next champagne toast.
10/11/2026375
Power & PoliticsEvents
SEA OF STUPIDITY: COUNTY SAILS INTO MORE TAXPAYER-FUNDED FAILURES
Santa Barbara’s bureaucratic barnacles finally notice the armada of abandoned boats, proving again that local government moves at the speed of a capsized dinghy.
10/11/2026699
The DispatchEvents
INDEPENDENT DISCOVERS 'VOICES' – SHOCKER! – THEN BLAMES YOU FOR DIVISION
The Independent, after years of dutifully amplifying only approved narratives, is now flummoxed by 'division' and suggests it's *our* fault for not being inclusive enough of... well, themselves.
10/11/2026492
Power & PoliticsEvents
SB CITY COUNCIL: VACATION RENTAL 'CRACKDOWN' IS REALLY JUST CRACKED NONSENSE
Your progressive betters on the Santa Barbara City Council are at it again, proving once more that they can't manage a lemonade stand, let alone a housing market.
10/10/2026463
Housing DeskEvents
SNEDDON'S 'HOUSING FIX' IS A PURE MARXIST MASTERPIECE!
Mayor Pro Tempore Kristen Sneddon's latest rent control brainstorm proves some progressive politicians prefer housing shortages over free markets, and the Independent just *loves* it.
10/10/2026351
The DispatchEvents
SBCAG: WE'D LOVE YOUR INPUT, BUT DON'T GET ANY BIG IDEAS
Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, fresh off years of ignoring you, now wants to know if you prefer to be ignored via email or carrier pigeon.
10/10/2026596
The DispatchEvents
PROGRESSIVES PROVE THEY'VE NEVER READ THE CONSTITUTION, OR A LEDGER
Santa Barbara’s latest rent control folly proves once again that leftists believe 'property rights' are just something rich people made up to avoid sharing their Peloton subscriptions.
10/10/2026566
Power & PoliticsEvents
GOLETA COUNCIL RACE: 'SAFER CITY' OR JUST SAFER FOR TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO DISAPPEAR?
Two candidates are vying for a Goleta City Council seat, promising 'safer' communities, but locals are left wondering if that means safer from crime or just safer for the status quo of left-leaning bo
10/10/2026675
The BallotEvents
LOMPOC'S LATEST SOAP OPERA: CANDIDATES DEBATE THE STAKES, VOTERS DEBATE THEIR SANITY
Another Lompoc forum, another parade of platitudes and promises, as if the city’s problems could be solved by more talking, rather than less government meddling.
10/10/2026407
Housing DeskEvents
COMMIE-FORNIA HOUSING CZARS WHINE ABOUT RENT CONTROL AFTER CREATING HOUSING CRISIS
Santa Barbara’s Housing Authority, having perfected bureaucratic bloat, now seeks special dispensation from the very rent controls its progressive allies championed, proving once again that government
10/10/2026646
Follow the MoneyEvents
GUADALUPE MAYORAL HOPEFULS: MORE TAXES, MORE TALK, SAME OLD BROKEN ROADS
KSBY reports Guadalupe's mayoral candidates are 'discussing' financial woes, which sounds an awful lot like rehearsing how to spend more of *your* money on bureaucratic bloat, not actual solutions.
10/10/2026572
The DispatchEvents
VANDENBERG ROCKET SCARE: LOCAL PROGRESSIVES LOSE THEIR MINDS OVER NATIONAL DEFENSE
While our brave military tests vital national defense systems, the local eco-left is undoubtedly fuming about carbon footprints and the existential threat of, *gasp*, American might.
10/9/2026654
The DispatchEvents
STATE STREET: INDY SAYS CARS ARE COMING BACK! (EVENTUALLY, MAYBE, SORT OF)
The Santa Barbara Independent has bravely discovered that the city's 'Master Plan' for State Street might, just might, include cars in some vague, distant, bureaucrat-approved future.
10/9/2026549
Crime BlotterEvents
SHERIFF'S OFFICE GETS AWARD FOR 'PREVENTING GUN VIOLENCE' AS CRIMINALS STILL HAVE GUNS
Santa Barbara's finest receive a shiny bauble from the Gavin Newsom Fan Club for 'efforts' to stop bad guys with guns, proving participation trophies aren't just for toddlers anymore.
10/9/2026626
Power & PoliticsEvents
COUNTY TO CITIZENS: TELL US WHAT TO IGNORE IN 2027!
Santa Barbara's benevolent overlords at County Hall are graciously 'soliciting feedback' on their 2027 legislative wish list, proving once again that 'public input' is just a fancy word for 'pre-appro
10/9/2026628
The DispatchEvents
PROGRESSIVE NIGHTMARE: UPSTANDING CITIZEN CAUGHT... OWNING FIREARMS?!
Santa Maria bureaucracy in shock as local resident dares to exercise constitutional rights, triggering a full-scale panic and an 'investigation' into freedom itself.
10/9/2026492
Power & PoliticsEvents
INDEPENDENT DISCOVERS POLITICIAN, DECLARES HIM MAYOR-WORTHY
Local paper of record, having apparently just Googled 'Santa Barbara mayor candidates,' now blesses the plebs with its sage endorsement, as if anyone asked.
10/9/2026481
Power & PoliticsEvents
LOMPOC SCHOOL BOARD: 'CENTRIST' CANDIDATES VOW MORE OF THE SAME, LESS SCHOOL
KEYT NewsChannel 3-12 breathlessly reports on Lompoc's 'nonpartisan' school board squabbles, conveniently overlooking the actual partisan rot consuming local education.
10/9/2026539
The DispatchEvents
MAYORAL MELODRAMA: 'COMPROMISE' OR COWARDICE FROM CAMP COUNTERPRODUCTIVE?
Facing a mayoral campaign as flat as a pre-woke-era tire, our esteemed leader staged a 'pivot' that was less a compromise and more a desperate re-enactment of 'Footloose'.
10/9/2026527
Water & CoastEvents
INDEPENDENT'S SHOCKING REVELATION: PUBLIC MONEY SHOULD BE PLANNED! NEXT UP: WATER IS WET!
Local paper bravely declares that spending taxpayer cash requires 'good intentions,' a stunning insight sure to revolutionize how our civic leaders mismanage funds.
10/9/2026514
The BallotEvents
‘VOTER REGISTRATION’ BLOCK PARTY: ANOTHER COLLEGE PLOY TO HARVEST YOUTH VOTES?
Santa Barbara City College hosts a supposedly 'non-partisan' shindig, but astute observers know better than to trust the progressive puppeteers pulling the strings behind these 'civic engagement' char
10/9/2026615
Crime BlotterEvents
SHERIFF GETS TROPHY FOR 'GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION' – IS IT OPPOSITE DAY?
Local law enforcement honored by the state for... well, it’s not exactly clear what, while actual crime runs rampant and Sacramento plays make-believe.
10/9/2026621
The DispatchEvents
DEMOCRATS HYSTERICAL OVER 'REVOLVING DOOR' — UNLESS IT'S THEIR OWN
Schiff, Padilla, and Carbajal clutch pearls over a former official joining an energy company, apparently unaware of how the real world (and D.C. itself) actually functions.
10/9/2026332
Follow the MoneyEvents
LEFTIST 'BLOCK PARTY' PROMISES VOTES, DELIVERS… MORE FUNDING ROUNDTABLES?
Santa Barbara’s usual suspects banded together for a 'voter engagement' shindig, no doubt to discuss how best to secure more grants for their 'community-building' efforts.
10/9/2026472
Power & PoliticsEvents
COUNTY LEADERS SOLVE THE IMPORTANT STUFF: VENDORS NOW 'SAFE' TO SELL YOU MYSTERY MEAT!
Santa Barbara County Supervisors pat themselves on the back for a 'pilot program' ensuring street food is now 100% bureaucrat-approved, while roads crumble and taxes soar.
10/9/2026618
The BallotEvents
NOOZHEN-HAWK! LOCAL RACES: MONEY TALKS, VOTERS YAWN
Another election, another parade of 'endorsed' candidates and 'big money' that somehow always funnels back to the same tired special interests in this town.
10/9/2026659
Power & PoliticsEvents
LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS: MORE ‘STUDY’ HALL, LESS ‘STUPID’ HALL, PLEASE!
A recent candidate forum, dutifully reported by Noozhawk, proved that even in education, some folks need to learn to read the room – and the budget.
10/9/2026680
Power & PoliticsEvents
COUNTY LEADERS PROUDLY ANNOUNCE: VENDORS NO LONGER CAUSING PLAGUE!
Santa Barbara County Supervisors pat themselves on the back after a 'pilot program' claims to stop the imminent collapse of public health, conveniently ignoring the actual issues.
10/9/2026403
Power & PoliticsEvents
COUNTY FINALLY DISCOVERS 'GOOD NEIGHBOR' POLICY… FOR WILDFIRE, NOT HOMEOWNERS!
After decades of ignoring basic land stewardship and letting progressives hamstring common sense, Santa Barbara County finally inked a deal with the feds to clear brush, proving that bureaucracy moves
10/8/2026477
The DispatchEvents
ORCUTT FORUM: LOCAL CANDIDATES INVITE YOU TO EXPLAIN YOUR VOTES
The Lompoc Record breathlessly reports on an 'Oasis' event where residents can finally meet the political class they're funding, assuming they can afford the gas to get there.
10/8/2026404
Housing DeskEvents
CAPP-ITOL PUNISHMENT: PROP 1 A HOUSING HANDOUT FOR SACRAMENTO’S FRIENDS
Noozhawk parades Laura Capps’ latest ode to Sacramento’s bottomless spending, as she insists throwing more taxpayer cash at California’s housing crisis will finally, *finally* fix everything, pinky sw
10/8/2026522
Events
DARE TO BE DUMB: DAILY NEXUS SHOCKER! COLLEGE NEWSPAPER DISCOVERS 'FAIRNESS' IS HARD
UCSB student scribblers grapple with the profound concept of 'fairness,' concluding it's a real head-scratcher when you're busy pursuing ideological purity over actual journalism.
10/8/2026332
The BallotEvents
LOCAL PROGRESSIVES DISCOVER ‘FACTS,’ BEG VOTERS TO CONSIDER THEM
After years of governing by feelings and solar panel subsidies, Santa Barbara’s self-proclaimed intellectual elite are shocked to find certain… *data points* exist, and might even be useful.
10/8/2026352
The DispatchEvents
INDIVISIBLE SANTA BARBARA RALLY: DEMOCRACY ON LIFE SUPPORT... AGAIN
Local 'activists' gather to bravely 'protect' an election system they claim is under siege, because apparently the sky is always falling when you're perpetually outraged.
10/8/2026374
The CourtsEvents
JUSTICE FOR WHOM? INDY ASKS YOU TO RETAIN BENCHWARMERS WHO'D LET SQUATTERS JUDGE THEM!
The Santa Barbara Independent, bastion of progressive groupthink, dutifully carries water for California’s judicial establishment, begging you to rubber-stamp every single appellate justice on the bal
10/8/2026353
The DispatchEvents
INDEPENDENT'S 'ENDORSEMENTS': MORE LIKE 'PRE-WRITTEN ORDERS FROM THE PARTY'
Local 'paper of record' drops its 'endorsements' for 2026, which somehow perfectly align with every establishment Democrat talking point and a few well-placed donor interests.
10/8/2026353
Power & PoliticsEvents
FINALLY! CITY COUNCIL FIXES PROBLEM NO ONE HAD UNTIL THEY 'FIXED' IT
After years of bureaucratic hand-wringing and 'debate,' Santa Barbara's self-appointed guardians of 'affordable housing' have unleashed new regulations on short-term rentals, proving once again that g
10/8/2026551
Power & PoliticsEvents
‘VOTE!’ SCREECHES INDY, BLAMING YOU FOR THEIR OWN LEFT-WING FISCAL FOLLIES
The Santa Barbara Independent, after cheerleading every tax hike and progressive boondoggle, now begs readers to 'Please Vote!' as if *that* will magically fix the budget abyss they helped dig. We're
10/7/2026673
Power & PoliticsEvents
SUPERVISORS 'DISCUSS' DIRTY BOATS; TAXPAYERS TOLD TO BAIL THEM OUT
Our local 'leaders' at the Board of Supervisors have officially discovered that abandoned boats exist, pondering solutions that will inevitably involve your hard-earned cash and zero accountability.
10/7/2026499
The BallotEvents
SCHOOL BOARD DEBATE: LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS HOSTS ORTHODOXIES-ON-PARADE
Santa Maria voters are invited to witness the annual pageant of progressive platitudes and bureaucratic blather, courtesy of the ever-unbiased League of Women Voters.
10/7/2026669
Power & PoliticsEvents
CITY COUNCIL RACE: A GRAB BAG OF BUREAUCRATIC HOPEFULS VOW TO KEEP SB 'SPECIAL'
Noozhawk breathlessly reports on the thrilling competition for a single City Council seat, promising more of the same tired 'solutions' for Santa Barbara.
10/7/2026655
The DispatchEvents
OASIS CENTER HOSTS 'FORUM,' LOCALS PREPARE FOR BOREDOM
Santa Maria Times breathlessly reports on another 'political forum' where unelected bureaucrats and career-politicians-in-waiting will drone on about 'community engagement' and 'sustainable growth.'
10/7/2026528