I am old enough (barely) to remember the era when Joseph McCarthy declared that there were communists within the government, the military, and Hollywood. He claimed that he was going to ferret them out and put them on trial. And he did, not in secret but on television, ruining numerous lives. Finally, when McCarthy charged […]
Opinion
Posted inUncategorized
Conflicting interests
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office’s contract with a rental car company for its law enforcement vehicle fleet gives a whole new meaning to the company’s slogan: “Enterprise. We’ll pick you up” … in handcuffs. Since 2021, the Sheriff’s Office has rented its fleet from Enterprise at a cost of $3 million with an additional […]
Posted inOpinion
Dana Reserve development hurts the environment and doesn’t help the people who need it most
San Luis Obispo County’s biggest development proposal in decades, the Dana Reserve in Nipomo, just cleared a major hurdle—but the new Dana Reserve plan is still a bad deal for both housing and the environment. After a settlement with the developer, the project now promises only 78 deed-restricted affordable homes instead of the original 156—that’s […]
Posted inOpinion
Sacrifice is a calling
Sacrifice is a calling only the brave can hear. I’ve seen bravery in the still innocent eyes of an Air Force para-jumper, who drops from helicopters on a thin cable to bring home fellow airmen. I’ve seen bravery in the slumped shoulders of soldiers who disappear into the jungle at dusk, so that we could […]
Posted inOpinion
Have the courage to speak out loud and clear
My heart is breaking as the damage created by an undemocratic Republican Party under President Trump continues to destroy this country to the point of I do not recognize it anymore. A mere shell exists today of the America that was. The evildoers will soon think nothing of removing opposition to the point of physical […]
Posted inOpinion
Slippery slope
What brought us here? A tit-for-tat escalation of actions that we all agree are bad—and yet we’re doing it anyway. It started in the Texas Legislature, which—after a show of resistance from state Democrats (who ran away so there wouldn’t be enough legislators to vote)—voted in August to redistrict its congressional districts mid-decade to add […]
Posted inOpinion
Vandenberg’s Space Launch Complex 6 is poised for a modern facelift
Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6) has been around for several decades. First built for the Manned Orbital Laboratory in the 1960s, a project that was canceled 50 years ago, it was later modified for the space shuttle, which was canceled in 1989. Other projects followed, and they too were canceled or completed. Fast forward to […]
Posted inOpinion
Proposition 50 is not about saving ‘democracy,’ so please quit saying it is
Proposition 50 has very little to do with democracy; it is quite the opposite. The California representatives in the House are currently 43 Democrats and nine Republicans. This is 83 percent Dem and 17 percent GOP, yet California’s registered voters are only 45 percent Dem, 25 percent GOP, and 30 percent “other.” This is nowhere […]
Posted inOpinion
Political microcosm
Who knew an oil pipeline in little ol’ Santa Barbara County could be on the national political radar? The Trump administration is weighing in on Sable Offshore Corporation’s battle to get the Santa Ynez Unit, its affiliated offshore oil rigs, and a corroded pipeline up and running. On X—formerly known as Twitter—no less. Actually, it’s […]
Posted inOpinion
What really drove the LA fires?
”Total garbage.” That’s how wildfire scientist Jon Keeley describes studies blaming climate change for Los Angeles’ catastrophic 2025 fires. Every summer and fall, Southern California braces itself for fire season. On June 2, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department officially declared the start of high fire season, suspending all burn permits and ramping up resources […]
Posted inLetters To The Editor
The Five Cities has a historic opportunity for water security
In May of 2017, the California Coastal Commission (CCC) mandated the SLO South County Waste Water Treatment plant to begin planning for possible relocation of the Oceano facility by May of 2047. The CCC has legitimate concerns that the treatment plant could be compromised by climate change-induced sea level rise and creek flooding. It also […]
Posted inCanary
Color and whimsy
A fairy-tale Danish “village” has Solvang’s policy preferences all twisted up. Nine cottage-style hotel units went a little off-script during the construction process, and Solvang put a stop to developer Ed St. George’s dreams. Apparently, he got a little too slap-happy with the half-timbers for the city’s liking. Too much wood! St. George didn’t take […]