In 2020, the county approved a wind energy project that was supposed to be constructed by the end of that year. In 2023, the company responsible for the project, BayWa, still doesn’t have its ducks quacking all in one row. In fact, BayWa is begging the county to give it the go-ahead before all its […]
Opinion
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The Dana Reserve development project in Nipomo must have constructive community input
As we all await the final environmental impact report (EIR) on the Dana Reserve, it’s valuable to look at how the county process for the Dana Reserve project has reduced community involvement. Changes in the 2019 Affordable Housing Ordinance allows developers to work more closely with county staff in the planning process to assist the […]
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Regarding Ron Fink’s July 13 ‘Solutions’
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I doubt this planet will be habitable for the vast majority of humanity and animal life in the year 2100. We are having catastrophic weather events now. Bill Nye said it is getting worse every year. Do not think you or I will be spared. […]
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Help protect our local small businesses from predatory ADA lawsuits
Since 1990 the Americans with Disabilities Act has required improved accessibility for disabled individuals, resulting in substantial benefits for those individuals, their families, and their communities. Those with disabilities have enjoyed the freedom of improved access to businesses, transportation, and institutions that they depend on. Like many new mandates, however, the Americans with Disabilities Act […]
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The cost of a climate action plan exceeds any benefits
Since the 1970s, environmental alarmists have been predicting the “end of the civilization in five years” if their latest demands to change the climate aren’t implemented immediately. As near as I can tell we are still here, the climate changes hourly, and those alarmists are still making their predictions and demanding change. Their dog whistle […]
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Jabby, jab, jab
Southern Santa Barbara County’s supervisors like to get a little catty with one another. The once tight-knit liberal caucus has noticeably frayed since 2nd District Supervisor Laura Capps took her space up on the dais—with Capps and 1st District Supervisor Das Williams taking tiny, little jabs at one another during elongated board discussions. A great […]
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Rein in the Supreme Court with the Juduciary Act
The Supreme Court is running amok, and it’s past time we got it under control. In the year since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, abortion has been effectively banned (with extremely limited exceptions) in 14 states. Nearly 1 in 3 Americans have lost access to abortion care. This year, the court overturned […]
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Newsom’s budget trailer bills get pushback from state legislators
At the height of the fight over Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget trailer bills (see “How a bill shouldn’t become a law,” my June 1 column), he took time to sit down for a New York Times interview with a sympathetic Ezra Klein. Newsom unloaded on ungrateful environmental groups for the reception he got for his […]
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Ditch meat and save the climate
A new study reveals that the surge of disastrous wildfires in California is almost entirely due to the changing climate. So as Independence From Meat Day (July 4) draws near, let’s help to tame the flames with planet-friendly vegan food. Animal agriculture is a leading driver of the climate catastrophe. It’s responsible for copious amounts […]
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On your own
“You’re in good hands.” “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” “Let Prudential be your rock.” “Nationwide is on your side.” Man, all of these insurance company slogans are so reassuring. They really care! Do they, though? Capitalism says they only care as far as their bet to make a dollar rather than lose […]
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RIP latecomers
Being in or adjacent to the cannabis biz right now has got to stink. The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has gotten the short end of the stink, I mean stick, for too long, and it’s taking action. During its June 27 meeting, the board voted to implement the “death penalty” for cannabis businesses […]
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Could this be ‘weather weirding’?
There is no doubt that the weather we have had this year has been weird, culminating in rare June rain. Can we attribute these record highs and lows, droughts and floods to a newly unstable climate? Might that be because a century of greenhouse gas emissions has trapped solar heat, magnified the shifts of the […]
