Solvang’s still down 30 city staffers after more than two weeks of a strike over the City Council’s “last, best, and final” salary offer: 4 percent raises in each of the next three consecutive years. What do employees want? For two of those years to have 6 percent raises, instead. They want it so badly […]
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Lompoc leaders shouldn’t pursue projects that the county won’t fund
Lost in the drama surrounding the censure hearing for a Lompoc City Council member on Sept. 15 was an agenda item to discuss an additional roadway crossing of the Santa Ynez River. Currently there are already three crossings: one on North H Street, one on Floradale Avenue near the U.S. prison, and one on Highway […]
Posted inOpinion
Speak out now against our endless wars
For two years I have stood on the corner of Broadway and Main with a group of good people on Mondays from 4 to 5 p.m., protesting America’s dangerous and illegal military aggressions around the world. We hold signs saying, “War is Not the Answer,” “Stop the Bombing” and “No Hate, No Bombs.” My sign, […]
Posted inOpinion
Political theater
Things got a little wild at Lompoc’s last City Council meeting—so wild that Mayor Jim Mosby asked police officers to forcibly remove a woman from the chambers. “Can you please remove her?” Mosby asked about resident Shawna Stillwell, who continued speaking after he warned the chattering crowd that he’d “clear the chambers.” “We don’t want […]
Posted inCommentaries
The Trump administration’s destroying national forests
On Aug. 24, commemorating the annual observation of National Park Week, President Trump proclaimed, “My administration is committed to protecting every acre of our lands.” Four days later, it became clear that this is not true. That’s when the news broke that the Trump administration has been secretly negotiating to give a chunk of Yosemite […]
Posted inOpinion
All students facing mistreatment deserve protection
Assembly Bill 715 is a well-intended proposal for protection of Jewish schoolchildren. But Jewish students aren’t alone in needing protection. The 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center was a timely reminder that, after the attack, Arabs and Muslims were stereotyped as terrorists and suffered widespread mistreatment. The wars in Iraq […]
Posted inOpinion
Harsh measures
Guadalupe’s in quite the fiscal pickle. Facing a $1.6 million deficit, the city’s elected leaders made the prudent decision to cut their own stipends as way to help tackle budget woes—even though it only amounts to savings of $2,100 per month, every little bit counts! It’s quite the opposite of what its neighbor to […]
Posted inOpinion
A dramatic political shift could come to Lompoc with the upcoming election
The 2026 election in Lompoc could result in a dramatic change of political direction in our city. First, the election for mayor pits two former foes for the seat. In 2020 they faced off for the council District 4 seat, and Jeremy Ball won handily by a 600-vote margin. Then in 2024 Jim Mosby, who […]
Posted inOpinion
We’re at risk of more than mutual destruction
Some militarists still claim that the country that has the greatest nuclear arsenal holds the best cards in the game of “mutual destruction.” “It has kept America and Russia from starting a nuclear war for 60 years,” they say. “Why change the equation?” They refuse to look at today’s total nuclear landscape and consider alternatives. […]
Posted inOpinion
Guns R Us
Should we allow gun stores to set up shop close to schools and day care centers? It seems like we’ve been doing it for a long time: Get R Gun in Santa Maria, for instance, is across the street from Santa Maria High School. In Goleta, prior to recently opening next to Here We Grow […]
Posted inOpinion
Guadalupe City Council and administration need to be held accountable now for their ongoing mismanagement of funds
When my husband and I moved to Guadalupe in 1997 and bought our first home, we did so because we saw potential. This little coastal city was frozen in time and offered beach weather without a high price tag. Granted, if the city had a dollar for every time someone said they saw potential, Guadalupe’s […]
Posted inOpinion
Look closely, listen, and choose candidates carefully
As the midterm campaign season begins in earnest, it’s a good time to get grounded. When considering which candidate to vote for, remember that an elective office is first and foremost a job. The campaign is the job interview, and every citizen is part of the interview panel. The questions to ask oneself are: Which […]
