The Canary

The thin ice that Sable Offshore Corporation skates by on just keeps getting thinner.  Ramming this overly aggressive push to get oil flowing through its pipelines down California’s throat isn’t really helping the Texas-based company’s case. And a reliable Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors oil vote switched sides because of Sable’s seemingly never-ending chain […]

What brought us here? A tit-for-tat escalation of actions that we all agree are bad—and yet we’re doing it anyway.  It started in the Texas Legislature, which—after a show of resistance from state Democrats (who ran away so there wouldn’t be enough legislators to vote)—voted in August to redistrict its congressional districts mid-decade to add […]

Who knew an oil pipeline in little ol’ Santa Barbara County could be on the national political radar? The Trump administration is weighing in on Sable Offshore Corporation’s battle to get the Santa Ynez Unit, its affiliated offshore oil rigs, and a corroded pipeline up and running. On X—formerly known as Twitter—no less.  Actually, it’s […]

 A fairy-tale Danish “village” has Solvang’s policy preferences all twisted up. Nine cottage-style hotel units went a little off-script during the construction process, and Solvang put a stop to developer Ed St. George’s dreams. Apparently, he got a little too slap-happy with the half-timbers for the city’s liking. Too much wood!  St. George didn’t take […]

Maybe people can learn from their mistakes.  That’s the impression I’m getting from Santa Barbara County’s recent encampment cleanups in both the Santa Maria and Santa Ynez riverbeds. Both have had their fair share of repeated efforts to clear out the trash, tents, and makeshift living structures that accumulate in the riverbeds over time thanks […]

If my boss offered me a raise that was less than 20 cents an hour, I’d be offended.  That’s why I’m empathetic to the plight of Santa Maria-Bonita School District’s classified employees, who took a look at the district’s offer of a 1 percent raise and decided it was time for a mediator to step […]

Does the county have any control over the federal government? What about the state?  No. That’s the answer I’m going to go with.  What have we done as a state? We’ve banned Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents from conducting their business at state courthouses—as in, arresting people. According to CalMatters, officers are doing it regardless. […]

Some punishments go too far. Like the prison sentences our justice system once assigned to criminal offenders caught with marijuana thanks to the “war on drugs.”  They were aggressive.  And aggressive is exactly how the Central Coast Youth Football League is being when it comes to the Orcutt Youth Football League. It’s confusing, but the […]

Happy Pedestrian Safety Month!  Did you know that was a thing? I didn’t. But I’m not a pedestrian.  Well, this winged wanderer just got another reason to be glad I’m neither a driver nor a walker. Local police are starting to enforce a new law this month, one that went into effect in January.  The […]

Tri-tip sandwiches are the bread and barbecue sauce (or salsa) of fundraising in the Santa Maria Valley.  Need to raise money for a school basketball trip? Tri-tip barbecue!  Need some funds for soccer uniforms? Tri-tip barbecue!  Senior center field trip? Barbecue. Nonprofit low on dollars? Barbecue.  Santa Barbara County just made it a lot harder […]