By time this is reaches newsstands, the election should be decided; some will celebrate, and others may complain that the process wasn’t fair. No matter the outcome, we are stuck with those elected for another couple of years. Press deadlines prevented any commentary on local elections until my next submission, but I thought you’d like […]
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
What the what?
How mainstream are internet conspiracy theories, you ask? Well, OK, you didn’t ask, but if you’re a member of the Solvang City Council, one such conspiracy theory was an agendized part of your Oct. 27 meeting. A 36-page presentation put together by Solvang resident, avid internet researcher, and anti-5G activist Michael Mendizza was included in […]
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Richard Fulton brings experience to county board of education
In the midst of a year that has brought challenges to all of us, one bright spot is our ability to make our voices heard this election on a topic valued by everyone—quality education. Dr. Richard Fulton, who is running for reelection to represent District 3 on the Santa Barbara County Education Board of Trustees, […]
Posted inOpinion
Stop fueling the fires
Late the afternoon of Friday, Oct. 16, the Newsom administration quietly issued six new fracking permits to Aera Energy (owned by Shell and Exxon), bringing the total of approvals since April to 54. As a candidate, Gov. Gavin Newsom promised to oppose fracking. During our recent wildfires, he took to the national stage to declare […]
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Look at short- and long-term health
More than 5,500 medical and public health scientists and 11,000 medical practitioners have signed the Barrington Declaration. According to the declaration, “current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short- and long-term public health.” It concludes that “keeping these measures in place until a vaccine is available will cause irreparable damage, with the underprivileged disproportionately […]
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Lompoc rejects Vintners’ BID
At its Tuesday, Oct. 20, meeting, the Lompoc City Council passed a resolution stating: “The City Council does not consent to the inclusion of the city of Lompoc in the BID.” This was in response to a petition from 32 Lompoc wineries opposing the Santa Barbara Vintners’ Wine Business Improvement District (BID). The petition signers […]
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Party hardly
I love nothing more than the drama of a good ol’ local government meeting. But what I can’t stand is when someone on a dais doesn’t get the opportunity to respond to an allegation. Solvang City Council meetings seem to be a place where the community gathers to pile on City Councilmember Chris Djernaes. The […]
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Vote yes on Prop. 15 if you care about our future
I am very unsure about the future of my education right now. The only thing I do know is that we will need more funding for our schools and communities as we move past COVID-19. Proposition 15 is one of the only solutions that could help us get funding to get through this crisis. I […]
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Lompoc City Council member receives funds from city homebuyers loan program
I have been following Lompoc politics for about 30 years; anytime an elected official had a monetary interest or conducted business with the city, he/she would always recuse themselves from any discussion pertaining to their business interest. I have also been following City Council meetings closely for the last six years; Councilman Victor Vega hasn’t […]
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Letter or spirit?
The Second Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1791. More than two centuries later, we’re still arguing over it. Because, quite frankly, it’s written weirdly—and, here’s a shocker, people who want it to mean certain things interpret it differently! “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right […]
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A note on the Electoral College
What could be more un-American than Brits trashing this country. John Oliver recently took to task the Electoral College with how it misrepresented minorities and more irrelevant falderal. John, become a citizen, and then you might have some standing. The Electoral College is always topical because we stopped teaching the foundations of our government. Headline […]
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Vote against stupid Democratic proposals
California is facing a financial crisis with two idiotic proposals. First is Proposition 15. Small business owners already have difficulty paying workers. Workers who are struggling to put food on their family’s table and struggling to pay their bills. Proposition 15 is a deceptively worded bad idea trying to gut Proposition 13’s limitation of confiscatory […]
