WHO CARES? SUPERIOR COURT JUDGES ELECT ANOTHER BUREAUCRAT TO DO NOTHING

Breaking news, if you define 'news' as 'things that happen that nobody asked for': The Santa Barbara Superior Court judges have reportedly elevated Stephen Dunkle to the coveted position of Assistant to the Presiding Judge. Our local paper of record, The Santa Barbara Independent, breathlessly reported this momentous development, presumably after exhausting all other possible stories, like which flavor of kale smoothie is trending in Montecito.

While the Independent gushes about this being a 'unanimous' vote, one has to wonder if 'unanimous' means all three people in the room agreed, or if it's just another symptom of the self-congratulatory echo chamber that is our public sector. It’s hard to get excited about adding another rung to the judicial ladder when local courts are routinely criticized for being slow, inefficient, and often out of touch with the taxpayers footing the bill. One can almost hear the collective sigh of relief from county coffers, knowing another six-figure salary and pension package is now firmly ensconced.

What *is* the assistant to the presiding judge, you ask? A vital question, given the typical output of such roles. Is it to ensure coffee is brewed promptly? To organize the annual potluck? Or perhaps, and this is purely speculative, it's to create another buffer between actual accountability and the daily grind of the courts. This isn't about judicial excellence; it’s about administrative bloat. While regular citizens struggle with the cost of living, our public institutions find new ways to create more management layers, always at our expense.

Perhaps Mr. Dunkle's first official act could be to explain exactly what this new role entails, beyond vague pronouncements of 'administrative support' and 'policy implementation.' We're sure the judges had good intentions, probably envisioning streamlined processes and improved efficiency. But in our experience, these appointments usually mean more meetings, more memos, and more opportunities for the public to wonder where their hard-earned tax dollars are truly going. Hint: it’s rarely to making things better for *you*.