FINALLY! YOUTH COALITION TO SOLVE 'PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE'

The Santa Barbara Independent, ever vigilant for new committees that promise much but deliver little more than good intentions and grant applications, has announced the formation of the 'People Helping People Youth Coalition.' One has to wonder if this is an admission that the 'People Helping People Adult Coalition' has been a catastrophic failure, or perhaps never existed in the first place. Are we really outsourcing our societal problems to kids who probably can't even vote yet, let alone balance a budget or navigate the labyrinthine county permitting process?

This 'youth-led, substance use prevention, and leadership program' reportedly unites 'key community sectors like schools, parents, and business leaders.' It's a miracle! All this time, we thought grown-ups handled those things. Next, they'll be forming a toddler-led committee to address climate change and a golden retriever alliance to fix the Pothole Problem on State Street. The real angle here is obvious: this is likely another well-meaning but ultimately toothless initiative, designed to look progressive and proactive while shifting the burden of real problem-solving away from the well-compensated bureaucrats who are paid to do it.

Let’s be honest, the only 'substance use prevention' most young people need is a dose of economic reality and a solid job prospect. Instead, we get another layer of administrative overhead and a fresh crop of 'leaders' who will graduate to demand more taxes for 'solutions' that, ironically, they themselves were tasked to solve as high schoolers. Here at The Whipping Post, we appreciate the initiative, but perhaps we should tackle the issues that lead to 'substance use' — like the soul-crushing cost of living, rampant homelessness under progressive leadership, and the general lack of opportunity for young people who aren't trust-fund babies — instead of forming committees about committees about committees.