INDEPENDENT ENDORSES 'FRIED MAN' FOR MAYOR: IS HE WELL-DONE OR OVERCOOKED?

It seems the Santa Barbara Independent has finally pulled itself away from lamenting the state of local kombucha taps long enough to endorse Eric Friedman for mayor. Their big pull? He has the 'strength to lead' – which, in Independent-speak, usually means 'strength to attend endless meetings about bike lanes while avoiding any actual progress.' We're told Mr. Friedman will heroically 'weigh' housing, downtown vitality, access, neighborhood character, and the ever-present cost of city plans. One might imagine him on a perpetual seesaw, carefully balancing each platitude without ever letting one side actually touch the ground.

Of course, 'weighing' things is what bureaucrats do best – it’s how you justify more studies, more committees, and more consultants, all paid for by the taxpayers foolish enough to believe in 'good governance.' We suspect Mr. Friedman's 'strength' will primarily manifest in his ability to endure these marathon sessions of public input and progressive posturing, emerging only to announce that more 'stakeholder engagement' is needed before any decisive action can possibly be taken.

Meanwhile, while the establishment media fawns over candidates who promise to *think* about solutions, actual Santa Barbarans are still battling absurd permit delays and skyrocketing taxes thanks to the very policies these same 'weighing' experts have implemented over the years. Perhaps if Friedman spends less time 'weighing' and more time *leading* — as in, cutting red tape and getting out of the way of private enterprise — our city might actually see some 'vitality' that doesn't involve another downtown mural project. But alas, that would require actual backbone, not just the ability to balance buzzwords.