COVID-19’s such a little devil. As of Feb. 1, this thing ain’t over yet, according to the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, which once again extended the indoor mask mandate for yet another month. Community transmission is still considered “high,” the department stated. The county had 4,330 active cases with 108 in the hospital, […]
Opinion
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Nonprofits stand in solidarity against vandalism of the arts, cultural center
The undersigned arts and cultural organizations from around the Tri-County area are appalled by the recent Jan. 18 vandalism and racist stereotypes against Corazon del Pueblo in Santa Maria. We are writing this on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s holiday and were reminded of this quote of his, “Every man must decide whether he will […]
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Federal legalization is necessary to understand health benefits of cannabis
I just read about the research study from Oregon State University, which found that consuming two cannabinoids (called cannabigerolic acid, or CBGA, and cannabidiolic acid, or CBDA) could prevent the spread of COVID-19. Awesome! But the study falls short. CBG-A and CBD-A are both derived from hemp (i.e., part of the cannabis sativa species, but […]
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It’s not too late for Santa Maria leaders to save homelessness project
It saddens me to see some members of the City Council reject funding from the county to house the homeless. They complain about riverbed encampments, then refuse money that could house people who live there. Around the country, cities have found that housing the homeless is key to their success as people. Once housed they […]
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Appropriate politics
In a real shocker of a decision, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors sided with greenhouses in the political war over agriculturally zoned land in the Santa Ynez Valley. Should it be for residential uses only or should agricultural activities still be allowed on agricultural land? Well, according to the Santa Ynez Valley Community […]
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Lompoc’s new city manager hits the ground running with odd priorities and unnecessary proposed changes
The newly appointed city manager isn’t wasting any time establishing his priorities. In the first agenda of his administration, there are five consent calendar items and two public hearing items. One of the public hearing items is to restructure the Human Resources Division and make it a separate city department. In the process, the city […]
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Losing a voice
If the recent candidacy announcements for the Central Coast’s new Assembly districts are any indication of the areas that will feel unrepresented in the future, Santa Maria will be left out. So far, in new Assembly District 37—which together with the 30th District is replacing the district that Republican Assemblymember Jordan “I’m Not Running Again” […]
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Miss Information, aka COVID information
2021 crowned The Queen of COVID, Miss Information. But what information? Was it misinformation when Fauci initially said the Wuhan outbreak was nothing to worry about while Chinese authorities imprisoned residents of Wuhan where outbreaks occurred around a viral studies lab? Was it misinformation when Fauci said masks don’t work, they only give you a […]
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Coastal Commission owes us an explanation
Last March 18, the California Coastal Commission voted unanimously to close Pier Avenue in Oceano to vehicle beach access on July 1, 2022, to stop crossings at the Arroyo Grande Creek and to extend the snowy plover exclosure. Last month, a backroom secret agreement was made to undo those conditions and maintain the status quo. […]
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It’s time for the humorless left to recognize that it’s lost the cancel culture war
Many of you may have read of the brouhaha over the Netflix special of comedian Dave Chappelle, The Closer. Chappelle’s routines are notorious for jokes that insult and mock nearly every group, including whites, women, gays, Jews, and Asians. His usual material largely revolves around biting comments on race and identity, and Bloomberg has glowingly […]
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Media matters
Copenhagen Drive in Solvang is reopening to vehicle traffic on Feb. 2, according to the Santa Barbara-News Press. According to the Sun’s reporting, it most certainly is not. In fact, the Solvang City Council is now considering potentially keeping the city’s main downtown drag closed to trucks, trailers, cars, and buses in perpetuity. Ooh. So […]
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High pension risk in Lompoc affects the future of public projects citywide
Lompoc taxpayers and those in many other cities of the county have a problem: The Public Employee Retirement System (CalPERS) is underfunded. This should concern everyone, and I’ll explain why. CalPERS was created to provide public (government) employees with a retirement fund paid by employee and taxpayer contributions. It replaces the federal Social Security program, […]
