ANOTHER 'PLANNING' COMMISSIONER WANTS TO 'PLAN' YOUR LIFE? SHOCKER!

Well, bless their hearts. Just when you thought Santa Barbara couldn't possibly get more 'planned' into oblivion, The Santa Barbara Independent breathlessly reports that City Planning Commissioner Devon Wardlow is throwing her hat into the City Council ring. This isn't just news; it's a genre of local political theater that plays out every election cycle: folks from commissions, who've already spent years telling you what you can't build, how high your fence can be, and the precise shade of beige your stucco must be, now want to directly rule your life from the Council dais. It’s like graduating from the minor leagues of micromanagement to the big show.

One almost wonders if there's a secret handshake at these Planning Commission meetings – a blood oath to ensure every single square inch of this town is properly 'regulated' and made prohibitively expensive for anyone who isn't independently wealthy or on the public payroll. Now, Wardlow is vying for the seat currently warmed by termed-out Councilmember Kristen Sneddon. One can only assume the platform will be a thrilling continuation of current policies: more restrictions, more 'affordable' housing that nobody can afford, and an unwavering commitment to making sure you can't, under any circumstances, pave your own driveway without a five-year environmental impact study.

What The Independent likely missed, behind the glossy headshot and boilerplate campaign rhetoric, is the real story: another voice promising to tackle the housing crisis with the very same playbook that created it. Expect more pronouncements about 'smart growth' that somehow never includes actual growth that helps middle-class families. Our bet? Like clockwork, expect the usual suspects to rally 'round, promising to 'solve' problems they've been exacerbating for decades. Just send more money, and they'll get right on it, right after adding another layer of bureaucratic approval to your kid's lemonade stand.