Since 1970, for as long as I have visited Santa Barbara, the No. 1 issue has been water. Meanwhile, the No. 1 issue in Los Angeles has been traffic.

That is all still true, of course.

Except now, decades later, the No. 2 issue in Santa Barbara is traffic, and the No. 2 issue in L.A. is water. If only each county had learned lessons about each issue from one another.

Instead, these quality-of-life and environmental priorities become crises and intractable predicaments.

-- Chuck Levin - Los Angeles