SUPERVISORS SECRETLY SELL OFF SUMMERLAND! WHAT'S 400 SQUARE FEET AMONG 'FRIENDS'?

The ever-vigilant Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, in their infinite wisdom, have once again proven that local governance is less about the public trust and more about private perks. Buried deep in an August 18th agenda, the Board decided to 'summarily vacate' a chunk of county road – 400 square feet, to be exact – near Ortega Hill Road in Summerland. For those keeping score at home, that's roughly the size of a very generous walk-in closet, now conveniently excised from the public domain. And for whom, you ask? Well, certainly not for you, taxpaying peasant.

The official word from the Board of Supervisors is that this land grab, oops, we mean 'vacation,' is exempt from environmental review under CEQA Guidelines because there's 'no possibility of an Environmental Impact.' It's truly inspiring how quickly our progressive overlords can suddenly decide CEQA is a mere suggestion when a favored developer or property owner wants a little extra elbow room. Usually, any project involving a gopher's sneeze requires a multi-million-dollar impact report and permits thicker than a dictionary. But when it's a quiet 'administrative item' for a chosen few? Poof! Environmental concerns vanish into the ether, much like the public's access to that once-county property.

This isn't about 400 square feet; it’s about the 400-pound gorilla in the room. What connections does this particular parcel's owner have? Which campaign coffers have been conveniently filled? While the local dailies will dutifully report the 'news' of this administrative action, The Whipping Post knows better. This is the classic playbook: use arcane bureaucratic language to transfer public assets into private hands, all while the folks who pay the bills are none the wiser. It’s almost as if some people believe the county is their personal piggy bank and the law is just a suggestion when it comes to their friends. Meanwhile, our intrepid supervisors will no doubt be back to lecturing us about climate change and affordable housing next week. The irony, as always, is thicker than the county's regulatory code for anyone *not* on the inside track.