Letters To The Editor

I want to commend Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham for leading by example and pledging 10 percent of his salary to local nonprofits. With state workers having to swallow pay cuts and furloughs, and with critical budget line items being slashed as a result of the COVID-19 shutdown, it’s refreshing to see a state legislator voluntarily reduce […]

Upon learning that the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Area (ODSVRA) will be closed until Oct. 1, dozens of off-roaders attended the California Coastal Commission (CCC) meeting on July 9. They argued that they are being denied enjoyment of the beach that they pay for with Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Division money—their money, for their park and […]

I attended many of the meetings associated with PG&E’s proposal to close Diablo Canyon. I was amazed at the lack of pushback by citizens and local business who depend on more than $1 billion that Diablo Canyon Power Plant brings to the region yearly. I expected loud wails of, “No, we’ll go broke! The plant […]

Like a wildfire, this pandemic is now at a point where those fighting the emergency are either going to successfully put out the numerous spot fires and prevent a disaster, or lose control and move into a defensive posture where they are struggling to care for the many victims who will overwhelm our capabilities. As […]

Regarding the catastrophe of this pandemic—the anger, insecurity, and fear of the unknown is bringing out the baser behavior in man. The difficulties of no income generates a fight-or-flight response in us, which can help us survive. Conversely, a misfire could cause us to respond to the perception of threat inappropriately in violence and in […]

I grew up around policemen who were friends and colleagues of my dad. He was “on the job” for 33 years, a superior officer, in every sense, with the NYPD. I think I know something about good cops, effective policing, and fine character.  I have met and spoken with Jim Thomas, a former sheriff now […]

I’m amazed, and sometimes amused, at the many creative reasons people give for wanting to stop housing development. Now they’ve latched onto COVID-19. Because New York City has high density housing and high rates of COVID-19, they argue that building more housing will lead to the proliferation of diseases, higher infection rates, and more deaths. […]

Well, it appears that Aera Energy has thrown in the towel. The reasons given were the global drop in the price of oil coupled with the ever-increasing regulatory demands from the county. There is little that we can do to control the influence on crude prices, none that compare to the foreign petroleum producing giants. […]

I was tuned into a weekly technology podcast where everything new from Zoom-bombing to what technology Walmart was buying, and the conversation turned to face masks and how we were grateful that there were people out there still stocking shelves and running the checkouts. These people were real heroes. One of the participants, someone who […]

Sheriff Brown’s commentary (“When the badge gets tarnished,” June 11) is right to point out the fallacy of generalizing one’s personal experience. It is not appropriate to brand all police based upon the actions of a few, just as it is not right to blame peaceful protesters for the destructive actions of a few.  The […]

The mission statement of CalGEM (California Geologic Energy Management Division) reads as follows, “CalGEM prioritizes protecting public health, safety, and the environment in its oversight of the oil, natural gas, and geothermal industries, while working to help California achieve its climate change and clean energy goals.” Failure to thoroughly deliver on its mission is not […]

I’m a recent transplant from a Northern California agricultural community. I lived in Lompoc last year and just moved to Santa Maria. Although I have no friends or family in the area, I moved here in 2019 for an amazing job offer in cannabis. Let me count the reasons why I say amazing: • Cannabis […]