On Friday, May 1, approximately 70 students from both Pioneer Valley and Santa Maria high schools decided to cut school so they could protest America’s current stand on illegal immigration. All of the students held Mexican flags as they marched from Main Street to City Hall, where they finally congregated on the corner of Broadway […]
Letters To The Editor
Who wants to be a dog catcher?
It seems that in California’s current/annual budget debacle, it’s one public employee union against another. “Guns or butter?” we are asked, each side having valid points. What we really need is a healthy private sector that can provide a robust tax return to an inclusive and functioning government and at the same time can provide […]
The United States doesn’t make cars I want
Chrysler will not survive if it becomes part of Fiat and the UAW. When I purchased my new Dodge truck in 2006 it was then Daimler/Chrysler. That is Mercedes Benz. They invented the automobile and the diesel car and truck. My truck had Mercedes and German technology. After three years, I have had no problems, […]
Step up the enforcement
About 10 years ago, my son was rear-ended by an illegal. “Hit and run,” my son’s vehicle was disabled and unable to chase the driver of the damaged-but-not-disabled vehicle that hit him. The police were called. They wrote the usual report, but cannot take the time to look for all of these “minor” incidents. My […]
Contribute to the amazing PCPA
I just sent a donation to PCPA Theaterfest, not because I am rich, but because PCPA makes my life richer with the live theater they bring to me year round. I came to Santa Maria in 1985 to perform at PCPA in Gypsy, and last performed and taught there in 2000. I know from the […]
Bring on more Rob Krider
Why isn’t that (sometimes) nice young fellow Rob Krider in every edition of the Sun? He’s funny. He’s self-effacing. O.K., maybe he’s just honest. But his column is the reason I read the publication. Truly. Won’t you consider it? Or, how about alternating with a column by his wife, whom he loves? Might be interesting […]
Children and teachers need your support
I am a student at Nipomo High School, where, a month ago on March 13, we held a demonstration protesting the unfair budget cuts that could cost our school a third of its teachers. More than 800 kids, including me, stood out on the quad in support of the teachers whose jobs have been threatened. […]
Let world leaders’ actions speak against racism
In view of the fact that this conference is basically one more attempt to chastise Israel instead of those countries such as the Sudan, etc., who are truly criminal in their abusive actions against their own people, for example, our own president should definitely not attend. Nor should any representative from the United States. In […]
Non-permitted food carts are a blight
The many non-motorized and non-permitted food carts throughout Santa Maria, both bicycle and push carts, pose a real health threat to our community. Most of these non-permitted food carts can be seen throughout our community in the north end of town in the shopping centers and residential areas. Not only are they a blight to […]
Here’s how a health plan could make us great
President Obama’s public health insurance option is a good way to lower privatized health insurance. Why is this? One: If the federal government starts taking over health insurance for all (the poor, who cannot afford private health insurance; small businesses; up to the mega corporations and even the wealthy), the privatized health corporation would fail. […]
Drop socialism, get affordable housing
Regarding the commentary, “Eureka! We’ve been selected for a rezone!” by Ken McCalip in the April 2 edition: The idea of affordable housing or low-income housing are another example of government-sponsored socialism at work. The recent example of the federal-level programs is the “subprime loan” national financial crisis that has resulted from the government insisting […]
Illegal immigrants cause hit-and-runs and more
I would like to commend our local police for taking steps to make our streets safer by setting up checkpoints for drunk drivers and unlicensed drivers. Santa Maria is currently the hit-and-run capital for a city its size in our state. I know that this is just one problem of many that plague our city, […]

