I’m more bird-brained than usual this week because instead of our typical in-depth news, we’re running our annual 55 Fiction contest winners. It’s a highlight of the year for our publication, to be sure, and it gets me all inspired to be shorter and more to the point in this column. So bear with me. […]
The Canary
Posted inOpinion
Quack less
In 2020, the county approved a wind energy project that was supposed to be constructed by the end of that year. In 2023, the company responsible for the project, BayWa, still doesn’t have its ducks quacking all in one row. In fact, BayWa is begging the county to give it the go-ahead before all its […]
Posted inOpinion
Jabby, jab, jab
Southern Santa Barbara County’s supervisors like to get a little catty with one another. The once tight-knit liberal caucus has noticeably frayed since 2nd District Supervisor Laura Capps took her space up on the dais—with Capps and 1st District Supervisor Das Williams taking tiny, little jabs at one another during elongated board discussions. A great […]
Posted inOpinion
On your own
“You’re in good hands.” “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” “Let Prudential be your rock.” “Nationwide is on your side.” Man, all of these insurance company slogans are so reassuring. They really care! Do they, though? Capitalism says they only care as far as their bet to make a dollar rather than lose […]
Posted inOpinion
RIP latecomers
Being in or adjacent to the cannabis biz right now has got to stink. The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has gotten the short end of the stink, I mean stick, for too long, and it’s taking action. During its June 27 meeting, the board voted to implement the “death penalty” for cannabis businesses […]
Posted inOpinion
Pipeline problems
Can the county oppose a business ownership change? It seems pretty standard: One business buys another business’s property and becomes the new owner of said property. But I guess if you’re an oil corporation buying a pipeline that spilled oil all over a beloved piece of the Santa Barbara County coastline, things become a little […]
Posted inOpinion
If you build it
The Santa Maria Planning Commission just greenlit a proverbial field of dreams for the Central Coast. As of June 7, the Blosser Ranch apartment development is a go, and its plans call for 301 apartments and more than 301 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. You heard that right: If the city builds it, they will […]
Posted inOpinion
Eat dirt
Is it better to know or is ignorance bliss? According to Lars Seifert with Santa Barbara County Environmental Health Services: “It’s good for people to be aware of what they are eating, drinking, and what they’re exposed to. … It gives people the power to make choices and reduce their risk if they are concerned.” […]
Posted inOpinion
A right to visibility
As Pride Month raises its fantastic colors on the Central Coast, it feels extra prescient. History feels omnipresent, rather than in the not-too-distant past, when it comes to discrimination—both outright and under-the-radar—against the LGBTQ-plus community. The outrage against what rainbow flags symbolize for some people isn’t unique to the Santa Ynez Valley. And the irony […]
Posted inOpinion
Menace to society
Colson Canyon Road has been closed since January. If you live on the wrong side of that closure, guess what? You better own an ATV, because that’s the only way you’re getting to and from your house. Sounds amazing, right? If you own a business on the wrong side of that closure, you’ve been out […]
Posted inOpinion
Big Frost
Do we feel bad for a vineyard operator in the Cuyama Valley that doesn’t get to build its “frost protection” ponds anymore? If you’re Andy “I’m With COLAB” Caldwell, yes. Does his opinion actually matter? That’s a rhetorical question. He’s very concerned about Santa Barbara County’s mistreatment of North Fork Ranch, which some folks believe […]
Posted inOpinion
It’s not a game
COVID-19 really did turn politicking into a spectator sport, complete with rabid fans who direct their indiscriminate, inappropriate, and often inarticulate anger at everyone if the game plays out in a way they don’t like. Only it’s not a game. And in the case of the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District, the losers […]
