SUPERVISORS SPEND QUARTER-MECHANIC ON 'ALL-HAZARDS' BLAH-BLAH

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, in their infinite wisdom and apparent fiscal incontinence, decided this week to bless 'Bodewell Group, LLC (Formerly Southwest Strategies, LLC)' with another plump contract. For a cool $257,000, these mandarins of messaging are tasked with concocting 'all-hazards community education and outreach materials.' Because, clearly, what our county really needs is more glossy brochures and PowerPoint presentations explaining how not to panic when the inevitable happens – whether it's a 'hazard' flood, fire, or the annual property tax bill.

One can only marvel at the bureaucratic genius that deems spending over a quarter-million dollars on 'educational' pamphlets for disasters that may or may not occur a priority. Especially when real hazards, like unfunded pension liabilities and cratering public infrastructure, continue to be ignored. But hey, at least we'll have pretty graphics to look at while the financial ship sinks. And the best part? Our esteemed Supervisors declared this glorious waste of taxpayer cash is 'not a “project” subject to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review.' Because, naturally, printing a quarter-million dollars worth of paper doesn't count as an 'indirect physical change in the environment' – only building a new house does.

This isn't just about 'outreach'; it's about out-of-touch. The 'Whipping Post Take' asks: who actually benefits from these endless consultancy contracts? Follow the money, folks. These firms are often political operatives by another name, cashing in on government largesse while delivering little tangible value. It’s a recurring theme in Santa Barbara County – the same names, reshuffled and repurposed, always at the public trough. Perhaps the 'all-hazards' they're really preparing for is an educated electorate discovering where all their hard-earned money is truly going.

As for the rebranded Bodewell Group, formerly Southwest Strategies, one has to wonder what their *next* name will be once this gravy train runs out, only to be replaced by another. It’s the ultimate shell game, played with your wallet. Maybe for their next contract, they can develop 'all-hazards' materials explaining why the county budget is perpetually in the red, despite all the pretty pictures.