SBCAG'S 60-YEAR MILESTONE: SIX DECADES OF GRIDLOCK AND GRAVY TRAINS!

It appears the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG), our benevolent overlords of concrete and congestion, are patting themselves on the back for 60 years of — well, 60 years of *something*. KEYT NewsChannel 3-12, ever the diligent scribes of official pronouncements, dutifully reported on this momentous anniversary, presumably after a lavish, taxpayer-funded luncheon where everyone agreed they're doing a fantastic job.

Sixty years. Imagine the roads we *could* have had! Instead, SBCAG, comprised of an exclusive club of elected officials who somehow become *unaccountable* once they join this particular club, has mastered the art of turning a five-minute drive into a scenic tour of endless construction cones. They've championed every 'smart growth' initiative and 'sustainable transport' boondoggle under the sun, all while the actual movement of people and goods gets slower, pricier, and more frustrating than ever before.

They'll point to bike paths nobody uses and bus routes nobody rides as 'milestones,' while conveniently ignoring the real milestone: how much government can spend and how little it can accomplish when left to its own devices. We're sure the countless consultants, 'transportation planners,' and 'visionaries' who've graced SBCAG's hallowed halls over the decades are celebrating. Meanwhile, ordinary working families are still stuck in traffic, wondering why their gas taxes keep climbing and their commutes keep lengthening. At least they've kept the bureaucrats busy for 60 years!