Like all local governments in the state, Lompoc has been in the process of completing an eight-year update of the General Plan Housing Element; but this time it’s different. As the consulting firm made its presentation to the City Council on Nov. 21, its representatives informed the council that “the state’s big push, because of […]
Opinion
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America’s on a dark path
So now the Biden administration has bypassed Congress to provide military support to a religious state in a street fight with the terrorists of Hamas, who are funded by a religious republic, but that same administration is somehow unable in a similar manner to provide military support to the democratic secular state of Ukraine in […]
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New blue
As Larry Ferini takes a bow from the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission, Roy Reed takes his seat on the dais. Fulfilling the 4th District tradition of supplanting a business-oriented blue-collar type with another business-oriented blue-collar type, Bob Nelson replaced the family farm operator with a rancher and taxpayer advocate. Hey, and both Ferini and […]
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An epidemic of loneliness and how to leave it behind
“Eleanor Rigby” came out in 1966, and The Beatles’ plaintive rock anthem has aged well (clearly better than I have). “All the lonely people—where do they all come from? Where do they all belong?” Evidently they’ve all crossed the Atlantic, because loneliness seems to be a uniquely American problem. Our nation’s top health authorities have […]
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Classical economics breeds greed
John Texeira’s letter (“Bidenomics led to inflation, increased costs for consumers,” Nov. 16) is an attempt to gaslight us about how our economy is doing. Inflation is down to about 3 percent. Europe is still dealing with 8 or 9 percent. Much of the inflation we have now is price gouging. We are at near […]
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Protest permit?
One Solvang City Council member is very concerned that her city could attract the next protest where people glue their hands to the streets. Not only is she concerned about that, she’s also worried about the damage that glue could do to the city. Councilmember Elizabeth Orona was so perturbed about the possibility that she […]
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Locals will suffer because of politicians’ mistaken changes to the county’s ambulance system
When politicians make a mistake, who suffers the consequences? It’s usually tax-paying citizens who pay the price, and in one case it could have a dramatic impact on your health if you need emergency medical transportation. Recently the Board of Supervisors unanimously chose to award a 10-year ambulance services contract to the Santa Barbara County […]
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Square peg in round hole
The recent Sun article, “Sticking point” (Nov. 9), highlighted concerns from residents and the California Native Plant Society regarding the proposed Dana Reserve Project in Nipomo. The project aims to remove 3,000 mature oak trees, impacting the Burton Mesa chaparral habitat. The developers’ stated focus is on carbon reduction and oxygen replenishment, with plans to […]
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An opportunity that’s now lost forever
As a 93-year-old Holocaust survivor, I have always been proud to be a Jew. I have no desire for that pride to diminish. However, a unique opportunity has been lost forever. The inhuman barbarism that Hamas released on Israel on Oct. 7 provided an ideal chance to show the world that Jewish values of life […]
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Disapproval and disarray
Cuesta College Superintendent and President Jill Stearns has been singing the praises of the 1,300-housing-unit Dana Reserve project in Nipomo, touting the space it’s allocating to a new South County campus for the college, and advocating for all the “affordable” housing it’s going to bring to the area. She’s toured the public meeting circuit, speaking […]
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An interfaith inquiry into war, peace, and history
Editor’s note: This commentary originally ran in our sister paper, New Times, on Nov. 2, and we updated the number of casualties on both sides with data from the Associated Press. The tragic spasm of war in Israel and Palestine shocks the senses. Hamas militants launched their vicious attack into Israel on Oct. 7, killing […]
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Dig beyond ‘alternative facts’
In the Nov. 16 issue of the Sun letters section, John Texeira makes some salient points about how the national debt and the costs of inflation are impacting us all (“Bidenomics led to inflation, increased costs for consumers”). Unfortunately, he misread some of the factors leading to these problems. The national debt is indeed an […]
