SANTA MARIA'S 'PUBLIC SERVICE' JUST GOT 20% RICHER!

Noozhawk reports the Santa Maria City Council, in a stunning display of economic wizardry, has voted to bless themselves with a tidy 20% pay raise. Never mind that nagging 'budget deficit' minor detail; apparently, fiscal prudence is for the little people. We always knew 'public service' was a calling, but who knew it came with such a generous self-awarded stipend, especially when the city coffers are reportedly tighter than a drum?

One has to wonder if this particular 'brief debate' involved asking how many more lattes could be purchased with an extra $340 a month. It's a classic move from the progressive playbook: preach austerity for the masses, then quietly ensure your own 'public servants' are living comfortably. Perhaps their next brilliant fiscal maneuver will be to declare the deficit 'solved' by simply redefining what a 'deficit' actually means. We wouldn't put it past them.

This isn't just about a few hundred bucks; it's about priorities. While taxpayers are tightening belts, the council is loosening theirs, all under the guise of attracting 'the best and brightest.' One might argue the best and brightest wouldn't need to raid the public piggy bank when the piggy bank is, by their own admission, looking a bit lean. But then, that would require logic, and we're talking about local government here, so let's not get carried away.