Our All-Star Panel of Top Local Journalists roves through the full range of politics and public policy stories animating Santa Barbara this week, as Nick Welsh offers a behind-the-scenes view of the Independent’s Yes-on-50 front cover editorial, Josh Molina sheds light on the city’s meeting-before-the-meeting on the big Paseo Nuevo development and Ryan P. Cruz breaks down the agendas of the city council members pushing anew for rent control. Plus: why supes punted on health department layoffs, why Montecito Union School District decided to settle a $7.5 million, decades-old claim of child abuse, and why Nick went long in this week’s issue on Good Samaritan homeless services.