COUNTY SEES DOUBLE: FREE GLASSES FOR ALL, BUT AT WHAT COST?

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, in their infinite wisdom and apparent fiscal blindness, recently rubber-stamped a 'no-cost' Memorandum of Understanding with VSP for a Mobile Vision Clinic. That's right, folks, 'no-cost' – a phrase usually preceding a very costly bill for the taxpayers down the line. We here at The Whipping Post aren't entirely sure how free vision screenings and comprehensive eye exams materialize out of thin air, but perhaps the Supervisors are seeing a different set of books than the rest of us.

They've declared this whole endeavor a 'non-project' under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), claiming it's merely a 'government fiscal activity' with no significant environmental impact. Because, naturally, providing free eyeglasses has absolutely zero impact on, say, local optometrists trying to keep their doors open, or the carbon footprint of a mobile clinic traversing the county. It's truly amazing how quickly CEQA evaporates when the state wants to hand out goodies, but becomes an insurmountable mountain for anyone trying to, you know, actually build something useful.

One has to wonder who truly benefits from these 'charitable' endeavors. Is it the 'eligible community members,' or is it the non-profit organizations and their well-paid executives looking to bolster their résumés with government partnerships? While the Supervisors pat themselves on the back for their generosity with other people's money, the sharp-eyed taxpayer can't help but feel a growing sense of unease. Perhaps a vision clinic for the Board itself wouldn't be amiss, to help them clearly see the true cost of their 'no-cost' handouts.