With so many humanitarian atrocities continuing to happen here locally on the Central Coast, in our state, across the United States, and globally, I’ve spent many sleepless hours pondering how I’ve become so disillusioned and frustrated with Americans. Until this year, I’ve been proud to be an American and part of our society that I […]
Letters To The Editor
Posted inOpinion
Now is the time to help each other prepare for eventual evacuations
Two friends, who have lost absolutely everything to wildfires, say now is the time to help one another prepare to evacuate. If it’s not this fire, or an earthquake, or a tsunami warning … it will be some big challenge in the near future. How about we each help an elderly or disabled neighbor? Help […]
Posted inOpinion
Newsom’s mid-decade redistricting is dangerous gerrymandering and political revenge
Gov. Newsom has proposed mid-decade redistricting to redraw California’s congressional lines—not to serve the people, but to play political revenge games with Texas. This is gerrymandering, plain and simple. And a dangerous step backward. Californians fought hard to end the days of shady, backroom map deals. In 2008, we passed Proposition 11 to create the […]
Posted inOpinion
The Constitution guarantees due process for our undocumented workers
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 […]
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 […]
