Letters To The Editor

The commentary, “I am undocumented” (Sept. 5), seems like a politically written hit piece. If factual, I am sympathetic. But I also grew up with illegal immigrants, hired illegal immigrants, and worked with them. Most went to the effort to be legalized and assimilate over the years.  The need to improve our immigration laws and […]

What a shame. Adelita (“I am undocumented,“ Sept. 5) has been living in this country 33 years and could never figure out how to apply for citizenship. For at least 20 of those years, she was legally an adult. During those years, politicians in Washington, D.C., kicked the illegal immigrant crisis back and forth but […]

The third postponement of ERG’s Planning Commission hearing on the West Cat Canyon Oil Project (“West Cat Canyon oil project decision delayed indefinitely,” Aug. 22) takes place in a larger context that needs clarification. ERG is one of three oil companies to declare bankruptcy in our county in the last five years. Oil prices and […]

Again, the wholesale attack against the National Rifle Association (NRA) is mounting to a fevered pitch. U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal’s (D-Santa Barbara) recent town hall was filled with cheers denouncing the NRA. Let’s make a couple of things clear. The NRA promotes gun safety and gun ownership rights. None of the shootings, mass executions, or […]

The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors face a choice to promote a future of clean energy development in the county or double down on our past history of high-risk and polluting oil development. ERG and Aera’s dangerous oil project proposals are being stretched out to wear the county down and […]

I would like to know why the Sun failed to edit last week’s Ross Mayfield cartoon. It draws an ugly picture of Bernie Sanders, with yellow teeth and a yellow button calling himself crazy. It quotes Bernie as saying he won’t pay his staff the same $15 an hour he is fighting to get for […]

It is interesting, and hopeful, to note that Allan Hancock College does not support new oil development in Cat Canyon or elsewhere in our county. For several years, the college president has spoken in favor of Big Oil. And he did this as if he were the official voice of the school. Now, after recently […]

It was sad to see the city of Lompoc employees get their “pink slips” this month. This action is due to the shortcomings of the three City Council members—Jim Mosby, Dirk Starbuck, and Victor Vega—who do not understand the city budget process. They cut the city services to the tune of $3 million at the […]

Things have been shaking in these parts lately. The big quakes in the Ridgecrest-Trona area, far east from our local San Andreas fault, have snapped large water well casings like toothpicks, according to a hydrogeologist in that area. Chevron just spilled 800,000 gallons of oil and water (240,000 gal of oil) into ravines and creeks […]

The Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area does not provide a safe, healthy, and sustainable form of recreation but it unleashes an unchecked lust for entertainment and diversion that is destroying Oceano, its beach, and dunes. I have been a resident of Oceano for over 30 years. I have seen neighboring towns become cleaner and […]

Please stop quoting the State Parks’ 2017 bogus Economic Impact Report. There has never been an independent, unbiased study of the financial impacts of the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area! The deceptive “report” issued by State Parks was conducted by a marketing firm, SMG Consulting, whose president is a self-proclaimed “adventure motorcycle rider.” The […]

On July 11 in SLO, the California Coastal Commission will discuss the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area permit and transitioning the park to passive uses that don’t harm the environment and our communities. A study is being trotted out to prop up the position that without off-roading, the local economy would crash. This is […]