So, the late, great U.S. of A. endured months-long bloviating with a manufactured crisis revolving around “raising the debt ceiling”—a process so formulaic, so perfunctory, that it has been done more than 100 times in our nation’s history with no fanfare whatsoever. Even the idol and hater of government, Ronald Reagan, did it 18 times […]
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Kick Obama out for his Democrat-generating ploy
Orcutt
Obama’s backdoor amnesty deal with La Raza and the Hispanics to reward lawbreakers and ensure millions of future Democrat votes is nothing short of criminal. It’s like, “I’ve done my part to stop deportations. Now you do your part and vote for me in 2012.” This flagrant abuse of power has led Representative Steve King […]
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You don’t have to leave town for books
Santa Maria
In her article (“Libraries among the endangered species,” Aug. 11), Malory Ensor talks about students having to travel as far as San Luis and Santa Barbara to find such books as Farewell to Manzanar and A Separate Peace, which are on their required summer reading lists for school. What saddens me is that these students […]
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Sierra Club slams regulatory reform
House Republicans are wisely attempting to remove restrictions that needlessly hamstring business
Well, boohoo: The local chapter of the Sierra Club is outraged by Congress’s attempt to do something about unemployment and the economy. You would think from reading the spew by the chapter’s executive committee (“Worst. Bill. Ever.” Aug. 18), that Congress was hell bent on annihilating the planet. Birds will refuse to migrate, “evil” corporations […]
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What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you on vacation?
Colleen Beck librarian “Spending the whole day in the Vancouver airport while returning from a cruise.” Diana Aguilar student “Not seeing my boyfriend for three months.” Jaime Sherburne caregiver “Going fishing and not catching any fish.” Stephen Daily student “Oh God, where do I start? On the way to Las Vegas we were hit and […]
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Plan ahead
The children of elderly parents inevitably face difficult decisions
My 87-year-old mother lived independently in a mobile home in Arroyo Grande until soon after a telephone call that changed my life. At 5 p.m. on Nov. 2, 2009, I pushed “mom” on my cell-phone contact list: There was no answer, except the pre-recorded greeting, though she always picked up one of the several extensions […]
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If Santa Maria had a mascot, what would it be?
Tami Majewski teacher “Sammy the Saint—it’s the original.” Angela Tobin full-time student “A wall with a hole in it. It’s a hole-in-the-wall kind of place.” Lynne homemaker/retired “A cow—for the tri-tip barbecue.” Tom Walker musician “A Chihuahua. Little dogs have big personalities. So does Santa Maria.”
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Officials, follow Arnold’s example–for one thing, anyway
Los Osos
Regarding balancing the government’s budget: With all the talk of cutbacks and who is going to shoulder the burden of balancing the budget, it seems once again it is the middle- and lower-class families that are asked to give again. I live on Social Security, and my only medical benefit is Medicare. If money is […]
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Keep the blood circle complete
Lompoc
Here’s a big IF: If you are well, if you can sit still and relax for about an hour during the week (a few times a year would help), if you can get to a blood bank or bloodmobile, if you want to help others (here’s the kicker: you must weigh more than 110 pounds), […]
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Bring our troops home now
Santa Maria
We have been at war in the Middle East for 10 years, longer than World War II, at a cost of billions of dollars and many lives from the United States and other countries. Regardless of the military point of view, we have not weakened terrorism materially. The Middle East governments and many of their […]
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Worst. Bill. Ever.
Kiss nature goodbye if the House Republicans get their way
The Interior Appropriations budget bill (H.R. 2584)—known formally as the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2012—will, if ratified, essentially eliminate even the idea of the conservation of our natural resources and the protection of human health from environmental hazards. The bill passed the Appropriations Committee on July 25 and […]
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If you had an exotic animal for a pet, what would it be?
Kayla Turner student “An elephant. I really like them a lot. I went to Africa, and I wanted to bring one home with me.” Lyle Tisdel real estate broker “A cat. I have a calico, and that’s as exotic as I want. She owns me; I don’t own her. Everyone talks about spaying cats, but […]
