Letters To The Editor

The Santa Barbara Vintners has spent two years and undisclosed funds trying to craft a Business Improvement District (BID).  The good news is their latest proposal—1 percent assessment on all California direct to consumer sales—has dropped two of its more objectionable suggestions: using BID funds to market to the trade (grocery stores, wine shops, hotels, […]

How many miles of California coast are open to the public? Answer: All of it! Some Californians choose to recreate in vehicles. Some choose to enjoy it in other ways. In all fairness, one group should not be able to deny another group their enjoyment. It belongs to all Californians. Because someone with their own […]

Is anyone else as sick of hearing “racist” as much as I am? If you disagree with me, then I’m a racist. If you say something I don’t like, then you are a racist. Everyone’s a racist. Give me a break. I am especially tired of people labeling Trump a racist because he wants to […]

The Santa Barbara Vintners have been working on a wine business improvement district (BID) for two years.  Their first proposal was a 2 percent tax on all direct to consumer (DTC) wine sales, which would include wine clubs, tasting rooms, wine merchandise sales, food sales, winemaker’s dinners, and weddings. The 2 percent tax would not […]

The mantle of victimhood is never a comfortable one, particularly for the proud employees and families supported by Santa Barbara County’s once-vibrant oil industry. Being oil people, they are all too familiar with the cyclical nature of their industry, most often the result of market fluctuations and the influences of foreign supply, but they have […]

For decades, the Oceano Beach and dunes have been used for vehicular recreation and ATVs. These last five months, since the shelter-at-home order, a vehicle-free Oceano Beach has been a blessing for our community and the entire South SLO County.  State Parks is completing a Public Works Plan (PWP) for the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular […]

Unless you watched the Aug. 24 Solvang Council Meeting, the facts as reported were skewed at best. The Canary opinion (“Overdramatic,” Aug. 27) was a cheap shot. Of the 52 emails the city received—how many were from horse owners? There is no room for a second horse conveyance in the tourist-related-commercial area with Copenhagen Street […]

I would like to offer my congratulations to the EDC for their great victory against the people of Santa Barbara County. The consistent extremist anti-petroleum posturing in Santa Barbara County is nothing if it is not consistent. It never ceases to amaze me, their ability to attack an entire industry with no accountability to the […]

To all of the Americans who are still adamantly supporting, defending, and enabling the president—have you had enough yet? Has the swamp been drained enough yet?  Four years ago the president appointed the wealthiest cabinet in U.S. history and plugged in family members. His tax plan two years ago disproportionately benefited the wealthy (not the […]

With a language as rich as what is spoken in the United States, how is it that we have been reduced to four catchphrases: “In these uncertain times.” “In these unprecedented times.” Maybe there are only three. “We’re all in this together” is the third, and it is the most annoying. We are not all […]

We’d all hate to not get our bills, beneficial checks, letters from loved ones, medication, celebration cards, magazines, etc. Our post offices are self-funded, but Donald Trump doesn’t want to add funding during the coming election because he knows if more people receive mail-in ballots, Republicans will lose.  Support our post offices by buying stamps, […]

How is COVID-19 test data reported on the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department website; what does it represent? On July 24, the “total test” data was as follows: 70,350 tests were administered; 5,576 were positive; and 64,856 were negative. The number grows every day. Is this the number of individuals who were tested, or […]