Can we odor abate outdoor anything? Like sewage plants with open-air treatment ponds, for instance—Nipomo, I’m talking to you. Who doesn’t love the smell of poo on the fresh morning air? We arguably should be doing something about that smell—but can we really? “In the north, we have many complaints of odors particularly with … […]
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
The county should save this one little piece of Orcutt’s past
In 1969, my class from Santa Barbara Christian School walked the beach after the Santa Barbara oil spill. I was 6 or 7. I remember seeing all the tar and the large oil-stained dead fish and tried to pry an eye out of one of them because I thought it would be cool to have. […]
Posted inOpinion
Using an electric vehicle will make driving cheaper for everyone
I seriously doubt that Ron Fink has ever had an honest discussion with an electric vehicle (EV) owner (“Who will pay?” April 25). I am an EV owner and would like to respond to his claims with facts. Ron claims that EVs catch fire spontaneously or after a crash, that the electric grid will be […]
Posted inOpinion
Risky donation
Did you know that every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs a blood transfusion? Did you also know that until recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had rules regarding collecting “gay” blood? As if homosexuality isn’t stigmatized enough, amirite? Well, presto-chango, because now, like magic, the FDA has decided that gay and bisexual […]
Posted inOpinion
We cannot achieve greenhouse gas reduction if the goals are continually changing
As Santa Barbara County and the state of California continue with their efforts to save the Earth, the metrics for measuring success of the effort continue to change like the weather. For example, in 2021 the Board of Supervisors set a goal of reducing so-called greenhouse gasses (GHG) by 50 percent of the 2007 levels […]
Posted inOpinion
Don’t knock EV ownership till you try it—at least learn more now
If I was going to write an editorial in the opinion section, I would make sure I knew the topic that I was talking about. If I was an editor, I wouldn’t print an editorial from someone who knows nothing about the topic. Ron Fink just wrote an article about the electric vehicle mandate (“Who […]
Posted inOpinion
We need reliable voting
To save our United States, we must vote in the 2024 elections at all levels, from city council to president. There was the primary election on March 5 and the general election on Nov. 5. But how will we vote? The last election in 2020 was a crazy-quilt example of irregularities. Because of the COVID-19 […]
Posted inOpinion
Elemental, my dear
Orcutt, don’t act so surprised. The county’s had its eye on your lovely open spaces for a while now, and all the Board of Supervisors did on May 3 was to approve what’s already been in the works. That’s part of the message from 4th District Supervisor Bob Nelson as the supes were about to […]
Posted inOpinion
Peaceful student demonstrations shouldn’t be disrupted by the university or police
American college students should not be forced to give up their constitutional rights to free speech, to peacefully assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. That is what is happening today on college campuses across the country. It began when protesters set up tents on the South Lawn of Columbia University […]
Posted inOpinion
Too little, too late?
The United States is getting $80 million from Southern California Edison for the 2017 Thomas Fire, which burned through more than 280,000 acres. That’s cash money. Why? To recoup the damages and cost of fighting said fire on 150,000 acres of Los Padres National Forest in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Los Padres is getting […]
Posted inOpinion
The electric vehicle mandate will cost more and cause more problems—for everyone—than it solves
According to the state Air Resources Control Board, California is mandating by executive fiat the electrification of all new vehicles purchased in California by 2035. Not mentioned is the cost of the mandate or who will pay for it. The first issue is fire safety. According to Business Insider, “Car fires have always been dangerous […]
Posted inOpinion
Mother Nature will have her revenge on Dana Reserve development
[Regarding the SLO County Board of Supervisors April 24 approval of the Dana Reserve development in Nipomo.] Really? This is an outrage on all levels, an insult and attack on our sense and sensibilities. We have surpassed our oak tree removal quota after letting Resnick clear-cut 15,000 oaks in Paso Robles. What is going on […]
