Archive By Section - Signal Editorials
Our View: It’s time to flatten Calif. salary spiking
From the often-controversial subject of public employee salaries, benefits and retirement packages comes the particularly unscrupulous tactic of "salary spiking," in which government workers hike their pensions by scamming the system in a legal way, and California taxpayers are forced to pick up the tab.
Our View: What’s lacking in local theaters
With the Oscars now past, we can look back on the inspirational, artistic, moving, brilliant films of the last year that were nominated for Best Picture and reflect on what they said, how they said it and what they mean to us. Unfortunately, almost none of them made an appearance on a screen in the SCV before the Academy Awards. The Santa Clarita Valley is home to many film-industry professionals. It's the physical backdrop for ...
Our View: Cellphone abuse on road out of control
This week, officials from the California Highway Patrol announced that they were launching a $1 million campaign to encourage drivers to use seat belts. The money, from a federal grant, seems to be wasted urging people to use an obviously beneficial device that's been standard in U.S. cars since the 1960s. It makes more sense for this money to be funneled into a newer cause that is a major safety issue on California roads and ...
Our View: Station switch shouldn’t be only move
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recently authorized its chief executive officer to move ahead on a plan to build a new regional sheriff's station in Castaic adjacent to the proposed new courthouse under consideration by the state.
Our View: Sacramento needs to stop harming our local schools
Here we go again. This week, the cruel game of notifying local school district employees that they may be laid off because of budget shortfalls began. More than 80 Saugus Union School District teachers and counselors were told they may lose their jobs because Sacramento has, for the umpteenth year in a row, not gotten its financial house in order. And, ...
Time to do election homework
The first of the major elections in the Santa Clarita Valley this year is a little less than two months away, with two City Council seats. Later in 2012, we also look forward to elections for state Assembly, state Senate, Congress, president and a number of initiatives.
Our View: Our role in the information age
Inform, entertain and persuade: These are the three functions of the mass media in U.S. society, and they have been its functions since the establishment of U.S. society, whatever those changes may be. As a newspaper that just celebrated its 93rd birthday, we stand proudly within the more than 300 years of journalism tradition in America - where the truth was first established as a defense against legal action, and where the foundations of democracy ...
Our View: A look back at the SCV’s black history
We take February every year to celebrate and commemorate the contributions and important milestones made by black Americans, which help make this country what it is today.
Our View: Focus on advocacy in campaigns, not fear
Try something new this time around for races for City Council, state Assembly, Congress and even president: Don't let negativity dictate your vote. Candidates pander to fear and anger because they instill a much more reactionary and visceral response than happiness or contentment. Candidate A says one thing; Candidate B twists it 180 degrees to use it against his or her opponent; and Average Joe voter buys into the negativity without fully knowing the truth ...
Our View: Keep pets safe from predators
Yet another Santa Clarita Valley family pet met an untimely end recently from a wild animal coming in from the hills to look for food. It's a sad, but common tale that happens several times each year in our valley, but there are some simple ways to avoid losing a furry member of your family.
Our View: Fighting back against heroin
Over the last few months, the city of Santa Clarita, local schools, the Sheriff's Department and The Signal have been working hard to bring into the spotlight a deadly and growing problem that has moved into our valley recently: heroin.
Our View: Farewell to a man of, for the SCV
The Santa Clarita Valley lost a true role model of public service with the death of former Santa Clarita City Councilman Clyde Smyth this week.
Our View: Time to cure budget ailments
Gov. Jerry Brown gave his annual State of the State address Wednesday, and, to no one's surprise, the main focus was California's massive budget deficit and plans to fix it while keeping education funding mostly untouched.
Our View: Ground rules, deadlines for reader input on elections
The 2012 election cycle seems to be revving up. The candidates are making themselves known, and columnists and letter writers are starting to get more active.
Our View: Redevelopment funds in jeopardy
For anyone who's taken notice of all the many improvements in Old Town Newhall and thought, "Wow, how'd the city afford all this?" a large part of the answer is redevelopment money allocated from the state - and it might be drying up soon. Redevelopment, as defined by the California Redevelopment Association, is: "A process authorized under California law that enables local governments to revitalize deteriorated and blighted areas in their jurisdictions." In other words, ...
Articles by Section - Signal Editorials
Review of chloride plan needs more time
Last week the Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation District released two big binders full of information about four different plans for removing chloride from the Santa Clara River.
Einstein needs to get on with its mission
We here in the Santa Clarita Valley tend to elect fiscally prudent local government leaders whom we expect to be responsible with our hard-earned tax money.
Our view: Fighting fire with fire
A recent announcement by the U.S. Forest Service about altering its approach to fighting fires has caught our attention albeit for reasons different than theirs.
Our View: Enforce the gun laws we already have
Our Founding Fathers in their profound wisdom created a constitutional government whose central document intended not to grant people power but to protect them from it. The formation of a checks and balances system between the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches stipulated separate powers that would protect each from the power of the other two.
Our View: Don't give up yet on conference center
Santa Clarita received some disappointing news last week: A brand-new conference center that could help put the city on the business and tourism map would cost up to $27.5 million to build - not including the cost of land to put it on.
New solutions proposed for old traffic problems
We're all in this together when it comes to freeway traffic. It seems to get worse and worse. There's not enough money to build more efficient freeways and when there's money it takes years and years to complete improvements.
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