Ron Fink

For decades California politicians, mostly Democrats and environmental activists—these days you really can’t tell them apart—have been hell-bent on eliminating fossil fuel as a source of energy. Their claims have been that natural power from the wind and sun was the way to go; isn’t there plenty of each in a state the size of […]

Lompoc parks renovation projects seem to interfere with team sports and major park events. Something needs to change to favor the schedule of teams and events during high-use seasons and conduct these projects in the off season. The youth baseball leagues in Lompoc, and almost everywhere else, spend a lot of time and money helping […]

What are the impacts to American citizens from creating a sanctuary state or city? Providing sanctuary for immigrants who enter our country without following the proper protocols is costly in many ways to persons who are American citizens either by birthright or naturalization. Politicians aren’t noted for looking ahead to see what might happen if […]

In private businesses, big and small decisions are made much quicker than in government. The management team makes a presentation to the board of directors and action is taken. In government, it can either be the professional staff or a group of “concerned citizens” that approach the elected officials, who then discuss the issue, sometimes […]

You hear the phrase “let’s have a conversation” a lot as the liberal arm of our political class confronts problems. Does it solve anything or is it an excuse for doing nothing? When I was a kid in 1950s Los Angeles, the six local TV stations would haul their large cameras down to “skid row” […]

Response times are very important when defining adequate emergency medical/fire services; the National Fire Protection Association established nationwide consensus standards, NFPA Standard 1710, for those services. For example, the standard specifies that a fire engine with four members is expected to arrive at a medical or fire emergency four minutes after dispatch 90 percent of […]

In 2018, California voters were dupped by animal rights activists into passing Proposition 12, which required farmers who raise laying hens to allow them to “roam freely”; it went into force in 2022. The theory was that this would be more humane and “free them from confinement.” Several other states also adopted this new idea […]

In July 2023, a local media outlet reported on progress of a wind farm project south of Lompoc: “Strauss applied to the federal agency for the incidental take permit [to kill birds] in March 2023, with a BayWa representative saying an oversight led to the delayed application,” (Noozhawk, “Strauss Wind Energy Project Seeks to Operate […]

There is a lot of criticism in the media concerning the response to the catastrophic fires in LA County in mid-January, but is it all justified? Was it the fire department’s response or the result of politicians making bad decisions? First there was the water supply. A retired Orange County fire chief correctly pointed out […]

Every day, as part of their daily duties, first responders encounter serious trauma, life-threatening medical emergencies, and fires that displace or injure families. When they arrive, they may appear calm and disassociated with the chaos surrounding the event. They really aren’t—they are trained early in their careers to take a deep breath, assess the situation, […]

“Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor the gloom of night stays these couriers from the completion of their appointed rounds” has been the unofficial motto of the U.S. Postal Service for generations. According to its website, one of the official missions of the U.S. Postal Service “is to provide the nation with reliable” service. […]

Why are gas prices in California higher than the rest of the United States? The political class in Sacramento blame the oil companies, saying that they are “profiteers.” But it is those same politicians who are driving them out of business to “save the planet.” So, who is really to blame? Maybe a recent decision […]