Letters To The Editor

It’s really important we get the story about local animal adoptions right. The recent Santa Maria Sun article regarding Santa Maria animal services (“Potential Santa Maria animal services contract sparks controversy,” Oct. 20) missed the mark. Due to challenges, turnover, and a rising number of animals at Santa Barbara County Animal Services, a request for […]

The election is coming up in just a few weeks, and our local election is so important! You’ve probably seen former Councilmember Jim Mosby’s signs around town as he attempts to reinvent himself as the “public safety” candidate. Ironically, this is the same former official who decimated our public safety sector when he was the […]

In today’s super-charged political climate, I strongly support leaders in education and public life who are quiet, effective leaders getting difficult jobs done. I join the many Santa Maria Valley community members and leaders who are grateful to Judy Frost for her tireless, low-key, renowned track record, working for causes that matter, and getting the […]

Bravo, Mr. Fina! Some might say that you are the means to costing Santa Maria taxpayers $75,000 and your inferred collaboration with the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. This article (“Sailing away?” Sept. 1) also declares your efforts to “approach” the Santa Maria City Council and our local high school district. All of this […]

Lightning does strike more than once in the same place. Once again, the Lompoc Unified School District (LUSD) has placed a bond measure on the ballot, this time for $125 million with levies projected to be 6 cents/$100 of assessed valuation of your property, i.e., $240 per $400,000 property value. The past election seasons have […]

So our governor asks us not to use electricity between 5 and 9 p.m. due to overburdening the electric grid. There will be rolling brownouts throughout the state. Let’s see, 5 to 9 p.m. just happens to be when most people are home, living normal lives in their houses, apartments, condos, campers, tents, or whatever. […]

I have learned some things from years of interaction with county government officials and agency staff. Most are exceptionally capable, conscientious, cordial, and responsive. And some are prone to the very human foible of thin skin. It is also clear that as our taxes pay their salaries, they work for us in our collective best […]

Long-term and affordable residential rentals are being eradicated from SLO County, especially from the coastal zone. We must preserve those we still have. Oceano has a few left on Pier Avenue. However, their tenants are being disproportionately impacted by State Parks’ visitors. Tenants must suffer beach visitors in need of parking unlawfully using their private […]

The alert has gone out that polio has been detected in a New York water treatment plant. So, we add that to monkeypox and the ongoing COVID-19 variant. Where are we going with this? First off, it’s just the ongoing fearmongering that the federal government is engaged in to exert control over the population. The […]

It is not fair to the taxpayers of Santa Maria for our City Council and Planning Commission to give the developer of the recently approved housing on the site of the old Fallas property in Town Center West $1.25 million in incentives, when he will make millions on this project without taking money out of […]

Ken Haggard’s opinion piece from Aug. 18 titled “Growing up with guns,” like so many others, misses the point, although he does brush up against it. He says, “It never crossed our minds to actually point these weapons at anyone, much less load and shoot at a person.” It is not the change in guns, […]

During the Jan. 6 hearings, we’ve heard from former members of the Trump administration and Republican state officials about how Trump and his allies worked together to try and overthrow our democracy because the 2020 presidential election didn’t go their way. Now, they’re working to make sure all of our elections go their way in […]