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Power & PoliticsLatest · Opinion
MONTECITO JOURNAL OUTRAGED DEMS CAN'T WIN WHEN THEY SPLIT THE VOTE!
Local paper suddenly discovers how elections work, laments when their preferred candidates fail to secure a majority due to their own party's disunity.
7/14/2026442
The DispatchOpinion
FINALLY, LEFTISTS ASK PARENTS FOR INPUT! (ON TABLETS, NOT TRANSITIONS)
Santa Maria-Bonita School District's tech survey proves even progressives need a reality check when it comes to kids and glowing screens.
7/14/2026513
Power & PoliticsOpinion
CARPINTERIA COUNCIL HOPEFULS: ARE YOU CONSERVATIVE ENOUGH TO WIN?
The nomination window is open for Carpinteria City Council, and local conservatives are wondering if anyone brave enough will step up to challenge the usual suspects.
7/14/2026603
Follow the MoneyOpinion
CARPINTERIA COUNCIL SHUFFLE: LESS GRIME, MORE GREEN (AS IN CASH)!
Two incumbents cling to power like last year's kale smoothie, while one brave soul flees the scene of the fiscal crime.
7/14/2026644
Campus BeatOpinion
SCHOOL DISTRICT MAGICALLY FINDS MISSING MILLIONS (AGAIN)
Santa Barbara Unified's latest budget shell game leaves taxpayers wondering if the 'deficit' was ever real or just an annual plea for more cash.
7/14/2026536
The DispatchOpinion
JAIL'S NEW 'SPA' STATUS: ARE WE PAYING FOR CONCIERGE CARE FOR CRIMINALS?
The Santa Barbara Independent tripped over itself to report the Northern Branch Jail's 'accreditation' as if it's groundbreaking news, ignoring the real cost to taxpayers funding 'correctional health
7/13/2026403
Power & PoliticsOpinion
CARPINTERIA COUNCIL RACE: WILL LEFTY LANDSLIDE CRUSH FREE THOUGHT YET AGAIN?
Those intrepid sleuths at the Santa Barbara Independent have uncovered a true shocker: elections are happening, and people can run in them.
7/13/2026675
The DispatchOpinion
DAILY NEXUS' LATEST SCOOP: 'ICE, ICE, BABY!' ON LOCAL STREETS!
UCSB Daily Nexus finally cracks the case: turns out immigration enforcement agencies sometimes operate in cities, stunning student journalists.
7/13/2026405
Power & PoliticsOpinion
COUNTY TO STUDY, PLAN, AND BUREAUCRAT FOR ANOTHER DECADE!
Your tax dollars hard at work, funding endless 'environmental impact reports' for things that could be built with a hammer and some common sense.
7/13/2026546
The DispatchOpinion
FINALLY! DEMOCRATS DISCOVER PUBLIC PROPERTY IS... PUBLIC?!
Santa Barbara City Council, fresh from inventing the wheel, proposes letting actual taxpayers use school facilities after children are safely away from their fun.
7/13/2026306
Housing DeskOpinion
FED UP: 'ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME' HOUSING BILL MEANS MORE TAXPAYER PAIN!
Noozhawk breathlessly reports on a federal housing 'windfall' that conveniently overlooks the 'once-in-a-lifetime' bill for your wallet coming due.
7/13/2026659
Health DeskOpinion
PUBLIC HEALTH LAYS OFF DOZENS, THEN ‘RESTORES’ A DOZEN, CALL IT A WIN!
Your tax dollars at work as County Supervisors perform budgeting gymnastics for the adoring Noozhawk crowd, proving that some jobs are more equal than others.
7/13/2026360
The DispatchOpinion
LOCAL 'EXPERTS' GATHER TO AGREE WITH EACH OTHER, SOLVE ALL OUR PROBLEMS (AGAIN)
Santa Barbara's self-appointed saviors are convening to 'discuss' California's woes, no doubt reaching the same brilliant conclusions they did last time, and the time before that.
7/13/2026569
Follow the MoneyOpinion
SANTA MARIA'S 'DEMOCRACY' THEATER — FEATURING NEW TAX AS HEADLINER!
The Santa Maria Times reports three council seats are up for grabs, but the real star of the show is yet another grab at your wallet disguised as a 'measure'.
7/13/2026460
The DispatchOpinion
CHURCH GETS WOKE ON KID-NAPPING: TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE, TOO OBVIOUS!
All Saints-by-the-Sea hosts a 'public forum' on child sex trafficking, proving once again that left-leaning institutions only notice problems after they've become front-page news.
7/12/2026392
The DispatchOpinion
FINALLY, SOMEONE NOTICES! CALDWELL PULLS BACK CURTAIN ON CENSORSHIP CABAL!
Andy Caldwell, bless his heart, uses the Santa Barbara Current to bravely point out what conservative taxpayers have known for years: our progressive overlords are gaslighting us faster than a downtow
7/12/2026407
Green DeskOpinion
ONE YEAR LATER: PROTESTERS STILL CRYING OVER CANNABIS RAID!
A year after federal agents crashed Carpinteria's 'legit' weed party, activists are still milking the drama, perhaps hoping for another free smoke show.
7/12/2026512
Power & PoliticsOpinion
TRAPEZE TENSIONS: CITY HALL'S LATEST HIGH-WIRE ACT OF EMPTY PRIORITIES
While the streets crumble and businesses flee, Santa Barbara’s ruling class debates the vital importance of grown adults playing circus in public parks.
7/12/2026613
Follow the MoneyOpinion
COUNTY TO TAXPAYERS: HILE HIKE WHILE WE HIKE YOUR TAXES!
Santa Barbara County wants you to 'review' a plan for new parks and trails, which is bureaucratese for 'prepare for bigger tax bills and more government overreach.'
7/12/2026630
Opinion
LOCAL 'DEMOCRACY' SHAM: DOZENS OF SEATS, ZERO CHOICES!
The Lompoc Record gushes over local election filings, forgetting to mention most 'races' are uncontested shoo-ins for the usual suspects.
7/12/2026598
Power & PoliticsOpinion
SBCAN CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF 'ACTION,' COUNTY STILL MANGLED
Left-leaning 'activists' toast themselves for a quarter-century of 'empowerment,' as locals wonder just what, exactly, they've accomplished besides blocking housing and job growth.
7/11/2026311
The CoastOpinion
INDEPENDENT'S 'MORE OIL' HEADLINE SHOCKS GREEN ELITE: ARE THEY FINALLY WAKING UP?
Local paper stumbles into an obvious truth, leaving eco-crusaders sputtering their organic kombucha.
7/11/2026328
The DispatchOpinion
LEFTIST 'SCIENCE GROUP' SEEKS FEEDBACK: JUST IMAGINE THE ANSWERS!
A local 'science policy' outfit wants input on 'scientific topics' voters care about, which surely means more climate hysterics and gender studies nonsense, because that's their 'science.'
7/11/2026445
Health DeskOpinion
JAIL'S HEALTH CARE GETS A GOLD STAR: WHAT ABOUT OUR OWN?!
While Lompoc Record gushes over inmate care, taxpayers wonder why their primary care feels like a prison sentence.
7/11/2026648
The DispatchOpinion
JAIL MEDICARE FOR ALL! NORTHERN BRANCH NOW 'SPA-CILITY' FOR FELONS!
Santa Barbara County’s Northern Branch Jail achieves 'accreditation' for inmate healthcare, proving the 'justice' system is more concerned with coddling criminals than coddling taxpayers.
7/11/2026611
Housing DeskOpinion
RENT CONTROL SCHEME: LIBRULS TRY TO IMPOVERISH LANDLORDS!
Your 'constitutional property rights' mean nothing when the 'Santa Barbara Independent' crowd wants free housing on someone else's dime.
7/11/2026428
Power & PoliticsOpinion
FORE! MORE TAXPAYER HOUSING HANDOUTS FROM COUNCIL LINKS!
Santa Barbara's 'Independent' finally surfaces a plan so absurd even they felt it warranted a second glance, or perhaps just a good, long sniff.
7/11/2026480
Follow the MoneyOpinion
FOLLOW THE GRANTS! YOUR TAX DOLLARS NOW FUND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION!
Leftist legislators secure $15 million in unneeded funding for 'unaccompanied children' while actual American families struggle, because priorities.
7/11/2026348
The DispatchOpinion
CHIRP, CHIRP! STATE THROWS $15M AT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT KIDS' LAWYERS
Sacramento, ever the prudent steward of taxpayer dollars, has decided that throwing another $15 million at 'holistic' legal aid for 'unaccompanied' minors is exactly what California needs right now.
7/10/2026379
The DispatchOpinion
JAIL MEDICINE GETS THE GOLD! TAXPAYERS ON THE HOOK FOR PRISONER 'SPA' SERVICES
Our county jail is so committed to coddling crooks, it's now nationally accredited for giving them better healthcare than most law-abiding citizens can afford. What could possibly go wrong?
7/10/2026427
The DispatchOpinion
SACRAMENTO'S LATEST BRIBE: THROWING MONEY AT UBER DRIVERS FOR CARS THAT DON'T WORK!
Your tax dollars, fresh from the Golden State's bottomless wallet, are now enticing gig workers into unreliable electric vehicles they probably can't afford to charge.
7/10/2026504
The DispatchOpinion
PENSION PANDEMONIUM! UNIONS' GOLDEN HANDSHAKES RETURN TO PICK TAXPAYERS' POCKETS!
California's eternally 'compassionate' progressive legislators are eyeing a return to pre-pension reform glory days, promising union bosses the moon while leaving taxpayers stranded with the bill.
7/10/2026360
The DispatchOpinion
CARBAJAL'S BUMBLING BILL BACKFIRE: WHERE'S THE MONEY HONEY?
Congressman Carbajal's latest legislative 'masterpiece' is less a bill and more a receipt for California taxpayers, proving once again that some politicians just can't count.
7/10/2026639
Power & PoliticsOpinion
COUNTY BOURBONS BLESS PRIMARIES – SHOCKER, DEMS WON!
Santa Barbara County Supervisors rubber-stamp election results, proving once again that true democracy means 'we get to pick who wins, then you certify it.'
7/10/2026428
The DispatchOpinion
HART 'CHIRPS' $15M TO LAWYERS, NOT KIDS
Assemblyman Hart proudly diverts your tax dollars to fund legal eagles for border crossers, ensuring maximum administrative bloat and minimum actual border security.
7/10/2026672
Power & PoliticsOpinion
SUPERVISORS RUBBER-STAMP MORE BUREAUCRACY WHILE YOU SUFFER
Your Board of Supervisors, hard at work re-upping obscure appointees, demonstrates once again their uncanny ability to find the least impactful ways to spend their Tuesday mornings.
7/10/2026684
Follow the MoneyOpinion
CANNABIS CASH COW STILL DRY FOR TAXPAYERS AS SUPERVISORS FEIGN FISCAL FITNESS
Another quarter, another bureaucratic snooze-fest from our esteemed Supervisors, pretending their cannabis cash cow isn't just a perpetually thirsty calf swigging 'administrative activity' milk.
7/10/2026506
Power & PoliticsOpinion
BOOM! POLICE 'NOT ALARMED'?! CITY HALL'S DELUSION INDEX HITS NEW HIGH!
While the Independent gasps at the shocking non-reaction, residents wonder if our 'Guardians of the Public Purse' are merely waiting for crime to fill empty storefronts.
7/9/2026381
Power & PoliticsOpinion
SUPERVISORS THROW ANOTHER $750K AT 'HOMELESS' PROBLEM, SHOCKER!
Your esteemed Board of Supervisors, fresh from their last taxpayer-funded brainstorm, signs off on a cool three-quarters of a million dollars for 'homeless outreach' – because what's a budget deficit
7/9/2026663
The DispatchOpinion
SABLE’S DOMAIN GAME: TRUMP TEAM ASKED TO RESCUE CA FROM ITSELF!
A bold move to use federal power to untangle California’s green-tangled mess, proving some entities still value energy independence more than endangered salamanders.
7/9/2026660
Power & PoliticsOpinion
SUPERVISORS HAIL 'PROBATION WEEK' WHILE CRIME PAYS IN SANTA BARBARA!
Your tax dollars hard at work, celebrating the system that ensures repeat offenders have a revolving door to freedom, courtesy of our enlightened county leadership.
7/9/2026594
The DispatchOpinion
FINALLY! SHEILA LODGE GETS A RETIREMENT PARTY (WE'LL BRING THE CAKE)
The Santa Barbara Independent spills ink on a 'civic leader' whose legacy includes ensuring our town's quaint charm feels less like Carmel and more like a Soviet-era housing block.
7/9/2026353
Follow the MoneyOpinion
ACCELA-RATE TO NOWHERE! BUREAUCRATS SPEND ANOTHER HALF-HOUR ON COMPUTER SNAFU
Your tax dollars at work: Santa Barbara County Supervisors dedicated precious time to discussing an underperforming software platform, proving once again that government efficiency is an oxymoron.
7/9/2026401
Power & PoliticsOpinion
SUPERVISORS TO REAPPOINT 'FIRST 5' BUREAUCRATS – SHOCKER!
Your esteemed County Supervisors, ever vigilant, are set to rubber-stamp the same old faces to the First 5 Commission, proving that some things, like bureaucracy, are eternal.
7/9/2026366
Campus BeatOpinion
SBUSD DISCOVERS BOOKS! LEFTISTS TOUT 'SUCCESS CARDS' FOR STUDENTS
In a stunning display of administrative innovation, Santa Barbara's Unified School District unveils a revolutionary program granting kids access to... libraries. You can't make this up.
7/9/2026314
Housing DeskOpinion
RENT CONTROL: BECAUSE NOTHING SAYS 'AFFORDABLE HOUSING' LIKE NO HOUSING!
The brain trust at the Santa Barbara Independent just discovered basic economics, proving again that even a stopped clock is right once a decade, or in this case, when it bumps into a rent control ord
7/9/2026552
Power & PoliticsOpinion
COUNTY COUNCILS DECLARE WAR ON SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES AGAIN!
Your humble Santa Barbara Independent once more bravely tackles the 'housing crisis' — conveniently forgetting who created it.
7/9/2026498
Housing DeskOpinion
RENT CONTROL: ANOTHER LEFTIST 'SOLUTION' GUARANTEED TO SOLVE NOTHING!
The 'Independent' frets over rent control's predictable fallout, proving yet again that progressives refuse to learn from history, or basic economics.
7/9/2026584
Power & PoliticsOpinion
CARPINTERIA CITY HALL: THE GRANT SHAKEDOWN CONTINUES!
Another year, another 'competitive' handout scheme from City Hall masquerading as civic largesse, while taxpayers foot the bill for services they didn't ask for.
7/9/2026556
Power & PoliticsOpinion
COUNTY SUPERVISORS GIVE THEMSELVES A PARTICIPATION TROPHY, CALL IT 'RECOGNIZING CITIZEN'
Your Santa Barbara County Supervisors, fresh off another hard day of not solving actual problems, took time to pat themselves on the back for 'recognizing' someone.
7/9/2026462
Power & PoliticsOpinion
CARPINTERIA CITY HALL: OUR DISASTROUS EMERGENCY PLAN NEEDS AN EMERGENCY WEBSITE!
Carpinteria’s city bureaucrats, after years of planning for every calamity but competence, have finally launched a webpage to tell you they’re updating their “Emergency Operations Plan.”
7/9/2026381
The CourtsOpinion
SALT MARSH STALL! JUDGE KICKS ECO-HYSTERIA CAN DOWN THE ROAD!
Another day, another environmental lawsuit against property owners hits a snag, proving once again that 'justice delayed' is the progressive's favorite pastime.
7/9/2026603
The DispatchOpinion
CARPINTERIA'S OPEN BORDERS BAZAAR STILL CASHING IN!
Local 'activists' celebrate a full year of enabling illegal immigration, proving that some 'crises' are too lucrative to ever resolve.
7/9/2026360
The DispatchOpinion
WHO'S RUNNING? MORE LIKE, WHO'S PAYING?
Noozhawk breathlessly reports on the usual suspects vying for Santa Barbara's cozy political club, completely missing the real story bubbling beneath the surface.
7/9/2026383
Power & PoliticsOpinion
CARPINTERIA PAVEMENT CRISIS! CITY HALL ROLLS OUT THE RED CARPET FOR POTHOLES!
Carpinteria’s bright minds gathered to discuss crumbling streets, arriving at the shocking conclusion that roads need fixing and money is, surprisingly, not free.
7/9/2026486
Power & PoliticsOpinion
SUPERVISORS TO VACATION RENTAL OWNERS: WE'LL SOAK YOU LATER!
Your 'elected' officials, fresh from denying a Montecito resident's appeal, punted on Lompoc's TOT tax, proving the only thing consistent in Santa Barbara County is bad government and high taxes.
7/9/2026432
Follow the MoneyOpinion
LOCAL 'SHOCKER': PRICE CONTROLS DON'T WORK! LEFTIES PERPLEXED!
In a stunning display of basic economic literacy, even the Santa Barbara Independent admits the obvious: government meddling in markets has consequences.
7/8/2026512
Power & PoliticsOpinion
CULTURE CRUMB TRAIL: CITY HALL'S LATEST ART ATTACK ON TAXPAYERS!
Santa Barbara opens its annual 'Cultural Arts Grants' — because nothing says 'starving artist' like a city-issued check for your interpretive dance collective.
7/8/2026566
Power & PoliticsOpinion
FORE! GREEN GRASS OR GREENER GRAFT? COUNTY SWINGS AND MISSES ON HOUSING!
The Santa Barbara Independent wonders why our municipal golf course isn't 'more in play' for affordable housing, blissfully ignoring how the county's own rules drive up costs faster than a duffer's sl
7/8/2026427
Water & CoastOpinion
GREEN GANGSTERS SHAKE DOWN SMALL BIZ! 'CLEAN WATER' RACKET ROLLS ON
Eco-activists extract 'settlements' from local companies, proving once again that 'environmental protection' is just a fancy term for legal extortion.
7/8/2026320
Campus BeatOpinion
UCSB 'ADVISORS' TO HELP STUDENTS BECOME PROFESSIONAL VICTIMS?
UCSB's Associated Students, clearly flush with taxpayer cash, has cooked up another make-work 'advisory' role, because self-reliance is, like, so last century.
7/8/2026685
The DispatchOpinion
ADIEU, BOOMER QUEEN: INDY MOURNS SHEILA, FORGETS HER LEGACY OF... STUFF
The Santa Barbara Independent waxes poetic about a former mayor, conveniently omitting the less-than-charming details of her reign over the city by the sea.
7/8/2026329
The DispatchOpinion
FINALLY, SANTA MARIA LOCALS SAY 'NO' TO LEFTIST NAMING MANIA!
A rare outbreak of common sense sees residents reject yet another virtue-signaling street name change, proving bureaucrats should really just leave well enough alone.
7/8/2026446
The DispatchOpinion
MUNI GOLF COURSE: MARXIST MOONSHOT OR MONUMENT TO MEDIOCRITY?
The Independent asks if a golf course can stop the ocean, proving once again that some questions are best left unasked, especially by those who write them.
7/8/2026409
The DispatchOpinion
INDEPENDENT'S CARLINO-METER EXPLODES TRYING TO EXPLAIN TRUMP!
Local paper dusts off old George Carlin bits to explain why voters keep choosing competence over their preferred 'enlightened' overlords.
7/8/2026435
The CoastOpinion
GOLETA'S NEW COASTAL 'PLAN': MORE BEACH, LESS... EVERYTHING ELSE!
Bureaucrats unveil 2,000 pages of 'guidance' promising to protect coastal access while simultaneously making it illegal to actually access anything without a permit and a carbon offset.
7/8/2026501
The CoastOpinion
LEFTY BEACH BUMMERS: MORE 'GOOD TROUBLE' FOR DEMOCRATS!
Santa Barbara's perpetually aggrieved progressive contingent took to the sands again Saturday, ostensibly to 'defend the vote' — presumably from themselves.
7/8/2026402
The CoastOpinion
GOLETA'S NEW COASTAL PLAN: MORE RULES, FEWER BEACHES, SAME OLD TAXPAYER TAB
Our betters in Goleta unveil their latest tome of coastal regulations, proving once again that 'public input' means 'we talked, you listened, now pay up.'
7/8/2026586
Follow the MoneyOpinion
SB UNIFIED 'FIXES' BUDGET! (AFTER CAUSING IT)
Santa Barbara Unified's crack team of number-crunchers announces they halved a deficit they previously engineered, proving once again that the easiest way to look competent is to clean up your own mes
7/8/2026601
The DispatchOpinion
STATE STREET FIASCO: BIKE MAFIA DEMANDS DICTATORSHIP OVER PEDESTRIANS!
The Independent, ever the vanguard of 'progress,' dares to ask if State Street should be 'bicycle free,' proving they're still catching up to what real people want while cycling zealots plot total tak
7/8/2026671
The DispatchOpinion
CHUMASH CLAIM MORRO BAY: MORE 'PROTECTED' LAND, LESS TAXABLE PROPERTY!
Local greens and officials trip over themselves to cede Morro Bay fishing grounds, proving yet again that 'conservation' is just code for 'control' when tribal leaders come calling.
7/8/2026618