We’ve been seeing the relentless march of ICE officials. First, they hunted undocumented workers in Los Angeles, then Oxnard, Ventura, and Carpinteria. The workers that they are hunting are essential to our economy, often doing vital yet low-paying jobs. What’s more, they are protected by the U.S. Constitution. The Fifth Amendment clearly states: “No person […]
Letters To The Editor
Posted inOpinion
We need to protect ourselves from the unimaginable
I attended the July 11 California Coastal Commission meeting to support the Mothers for Peace request for a hearing on relicensing the Diablo Canyon Power Plant. The aging plant and its radioactive waste sit atop a thrust earthquake fault. PG&E has been granted a five-year extension but is now asking for 20 more, saying five […]
Posted inOpinion
Let’s champion Vandenberg’s growth together
On behalf of the Space Force Association—Western Region, I write to express our strong support for the increased launch cadence at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Vandenberg is not just a critical national security asset—it is a cornerstone of California’s aerospace industry and our nation’s space enterprise. The Western Range enables polar and sun-synchronous orbit missions […]
Posted inOpinion
Dear President Trump
I am the former mayor of Guadalupe, a small agricultural city with a population of less than 10,000 on the beautiful Central Coast of California. I am writing to you, Mr. President, to respectfully urge you to create a legal program for all honest and hardworking migrants who have labored for years, some even decades, […]
Posted inOpinion
The majority of us aren’t in the American Dream club
George Carlin once suggested that the concept of the American Dream is a tool used by “the owners” to keep people placid and focused on trivial things, preventing them from realizing how rigged the system is against them. “It’s a big club, and you and me ain’t in it.” This concept has never proved to […]
Posted inOpinion
The ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ will destroy us
I am a lifelong Republican. I have developed a new reason to hate getting older. It means I will have only a few more opportunities to vote against all of the elected buffoons from the top down who voted for this “Big, Beautiful Bill” that will destroy our country. The only reason for anyone to […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter-writer’s assumption went a bit too far
I am writing in response to Steve Pepe’s letter in the June 26 issue of the Sun (“Some protest signs have gone too far”) wherein he claims that “86 47” is calling for the assassination of the current president. He is obviously misinformed or unfamiliar with the term “86.” To “86” someone from a bar […]
Posted inOpinion
Trump’s all about instilling fear so he can gain power
“Los Angeles is under siege,” the president exclaimed. Don’t be fooled. The demonstrations are a microcosm of Trump’s strategy to usurp more power. His divisive demagoguery is not about law and order. It’s about instilling fear in the minds of Americans so he could wield more power. Jim Huchthausen Nipomo
Posted inOpinion
Some protest signs have gone too far
On Saturday, June 14, when we drove to Walmart with my grandchild at Central and H streets, we caught the light twice and watched the demonstrators for about a minute or so each time. As I scanned the crowd, I was shocked to see three handmade signs and a few more printed signs that said […]
Posted inOpinion
Voting rights are being attacked
A current bill in Congress aims to make voting harder for everyone. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act has the potential to disenfranchise millions of American voters. SAVE would require a passport or a birth certificate to register to vote or update voter registration information. It is currently illegal for noncitizens to register and […]
Posted inOpinion
When youth are the target: we must stand up to immigration raids on the Central Coast
Across Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, a deeply disturbing pattern is unfolding—one that echoes the violent immigration enforcement actions taking place in Los Angeles. Even more disturbing is that they are not isolated incidents. A Massachusetts high schooler was detained after appearing in court. A 9-year-old child from California is now in deportation proceedings. And […]
Posted inOpinion
We need better pesticide drift detection tools
A year ago, on June 13, 2024, there was a long-distance drift event from a fumigation using chloropicrin (tear gas) and 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-DCP) seriously impacting 33 known individuals in Oceano and Arroyo Grande with migraine headaches, nausea, flu-like symptoms, respiratory issues, and perhaps causing two pneumonias, according to data that I and others collected. Crows […]