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 […]
Opinion
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 […]
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Chamber danger
How much does it take to fold a chamber of commerce? In Lompoc, apparently, it takes a little less than $50,000. The Lompoc City Council decided to cut into the amount of funding it provides to the Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce—both in cash and in-kind. The result of that is about a net $60,000 […]
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Democrats who make fun of Trump motivate his sense of vengeance
TACO Trade? Seriously? Democrats just never learn. And thus, we are where we are right now. And, if Trump’s vengeful personality has anything to do with it, things are going to get a lot worse, thanks in large part to Democrats who just can’t get out of their own way. According to some of his […]
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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 […]
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What permission?
How many lawsuits does it take to stop Sable Offshore Corporation? At least two: One from the Environmental Defense Center and one from the Center for Biological Diversity. Well, two and a restraining order request—and even then, Sable continues its march to open the oil tap. Both were filed in response to the Office of […]
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Property owners are now on the hook for tenants’ poor fireworks decisions
The Fourth of July is coming soon, and that means that hundreds of people in Lompoc will likely be detonating fireworks in every sector of town. Many of these people rent the space they live in. In a December 2024 Lompoc City Council meeting, the police chief reported that “From June 1 to July 25 […]
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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 […]
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Rainbows galore
Pride is upon us. It’s here. And I’m ready to flap my wings and tweet and twitter in celebration of the LGBTQ-plus community during their month, June! I’m curious what will happen at the Santa Maria City Council meeting tonight—June 3—as proclaiming Pride Month in June is on the agenda. Will the emboldened haters out […]
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Now is the time to defend our public lands
“Action is the best antidote to despair.” –Joan Baez Public lands and waters are our country’s most popular areas for exploring nature while conserving landscapes, cultural areas, clean water, and wildlife, including the Central Coast’s very own Carrizo Plain National Monument, Los Padres National Forest, and Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. But legislation introduced in […]
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Stop targeting trans people, focus on issues
At a recent school board meeting, I stood up to speak—not to argue, but to ask our community to refocus on the real challenges facing our students. What I witnessed that night was deeply troubling: a growing effort to target trans students and trans athletes, often based on fear, misinformation, and political rhetoric. We owe […]
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Eat, prey, love
Even as a fully fledged bird, I need a mother every now and again. Sometimes I miss the comfort of a sheltering wing; sometimes I just need to be reminded of what’s right and what’s wrong. But needing someone to fill that mama-shaped hole in my heart is no excuse for going all cuckoo on […]
