Archive By Section - Columnists
Food for thought over the holidays
As we gather with friends and families over the holidays to enjoy the abundance and variety of food our country offers, perhaps we might want to give some thought to how that food is produced.
The public is entitled to transparency
From budget delays to the notorious bailout, the American public and Santa Claritans in particular are faced with economic decisions that will affect our quality of life.
Put hung over Republicans in the drunk tank
Two years back, Congressman McKeon and I met for lunch over at Salt Creek Grille. He was gracious and remarkably forthcoming.
Run them out on a rail
Finally had enough? Have you lost so much, suffered so much, that you're ready to cry "Uncle!" on the excesses of these past terrible eight years? You're not alone. Regular readers know that Carrie and I make a morning practice of visiting with gregarious friends at the Granary Square Starbucks. Over hundreds of cups of Pike's Place Roast for me, and soy chai lattes for Carrie, we've assimilated into a raucous group of witty, irreverent, and ...
The transition to transformation
I have watched many election nights in my lifetime, and none comes close to matching the joy, relief and satisfaction I felt on Nov. 4, 2008.
General election, general intolerance
The nation spoke on Nov. 4. The 2008 election cycle will be forever marked in history for the incredible voter turnout and the election of the nation's first African-American president.
A lesson in history
One must have the gift of a storyteller and a wide breadth of knowledge to provide historical narratives for future generations.
We haven't seen much change yet
"Political campaigns are designedly made into emotional orgies which endeavor to distract attention from the real issues involved."
Concern is not extremism
When asked whether Santa Clarita would employ eminent domain for the seizure of private residential property as a means of furthering the Newhall Redevelopment Project, Paul Brotzman expressly stated that the city "doesn't have the legal authority to acquire private property."
Unions take aim at statewide volunteers
From fires and earthquakes in the West to tornadoes, blizzards and hurricanes in the East, the United States has to contend with many different types of natural disasters. The one constant to all these disasters is that the aid of volunteers greatly enhances the ability of our local, state and federal governments to respond to these crises.
Buy a tree for a needy family
Tomorrow is Dec. 1. Somehow - and I'm not exactly sure how this happened - 2009 is just 31 days away.
Bizarre to some but delicious to others
Cow's urine tonic. Grilled cave bat. Raw camel with spice sauce. Donkey penis soup. Braised pig's tongue with hair moss. Barbecued bat. Roasted crickets. Flame-broiled guinea pig. Fried chicken uterus. Cup 'o fresh goat's blood. Cow vein stew. Crispy fried grasshoppers. Lamb eyeballs. Steamed wasp larvae. Duckling on a stick. Live beating frog heart. Sperm chowder. Snail caviar. Toasted tarantulas.
John Boston's very own $250B bailout
"No satirist shall be left behind." - The Dubyuh In a move characterized as "bizarre" and "startling" by world economic gurus, outgoing Secretary of the Treasury Henry "Pat" Paulson announced yet another bailout yesterday. The Federal government will be earmarking some $250 billion toward bailing out John Boston. This marks the first time a private citizen will be the recipient of funds heretofore reserved for bloated mega multinational corporations and outdated Detroit automakers. "The rules ...
The cleanup plan is a reality
Once upon a time, there was a factory where they made things that explode. It was on a 996-acre piece of property in the center of our valley, and people who lived here became accustomed to the sounds of explosions as factory workers tested their wares - military flares, fireworks, munitions and the like. The Bermite munitions manufacturing plant - later to be known as Whittaker-Bermite - was a key player in the Santa Clarita ...
The pantheon of suburbia: high school football
For the last two weeks I spent some time watching and re-watching YouTube videos of reaction to Barack Obama's presidential victory, particularly international reaction.
Articles by Section - Columnists
Terri Crain: Don’t misuse environmental protection law
In 2008, Santa Clarita was named the most business- friendly city in Los Angeles County by the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation.
Joe Gandelman: Watch the credibility games
Forget the political "blame game." The biggest game in town now is the credibility game - a high-stakes exercise that will end with America's political middle deciding who is trustworthy and who isn't. Some key players:
The scandal of scandal in Washington, D.C.
If you listen loud enough you can almost hear the siren song of the Republican Party spread its dulcet tones across Washington. It's scandal season boys and girls, and for the GOP it's Mardi Gras, Christmas and The Spanish Inquisition all in one!
Steve and Cokie Roberts: Astonishing attack on our core values
Finally, an issue Republicans and Democrats can agree on:
The Village Idiot: Please, invade my privacy
A world-famous entertainer announced that she and her boyfriend were splitting up in one of the saddest tweets I've ever read: "We have decided to go our separate ways. Please respect our privacy."
Charlie Vignola: A scandal is only a scandal when it happens to Democrats
Imagine for a moment a President of the United States who ignored warnings about an imminent terrorist threat that resulted in an attack that killed American citizens, then argued that we didn't need an investigation to figure out what went wrong.
Tom Purcell: Advice from the master
ill Clinton, wearing a white toga and a crown of gold, sat in a garden while attractive women fed him grapes. President Obama, having just suffered the most devastating week of his presidency, sat nearby, seeking advice in the art of telling whoppers. Using the Socratic method of teaching, Clinton began to tutor his new student.
Frank Ferry: Live from City Hall
May is Building Safety Month and the ideal time to tackle all of those home-improvement projects on your "to do" list before summer is in full swing.
David Hegg: Of progress and purpose
There is no debate that time marches on. The sun rises, shines, and sets, and then does it all over again, day after day. And each day we encounter the unknown components of a whole new 24-hour set of life experience.
Tim Myers: Where respect for private property ends
As a Midwesterner and a Lutheran, I must admit to a great love of irony, and there is nothing more entertaining and ironic than the practical behavior of an elected official, particularly a locally elected official, when their ideology runs straight into the practicalities of the moment.
Phil Kerpen: Government can't be trusted with our health
"We have a large government," political consultant David Axelrod offered as a plea of ignorance to all of the scandals swirling around his boss. "Part of being president is there's so much beneath you that you can't know because the government is so vast."
The Village Idiot: Why I hate my Facebook friends
When I first signed up for Facebook, I was thrilled to get back in touch with old friends, distant relatives, high school classmates and old co-workers. I'd check in to find out that they had new children, new spouses, new lives, new hobbies, new kitchens, new news.
Gary Horton" Why can't California be more like Texas?
I just returned from a three-day business trip to Austin, Texas. This was my third visit to Austin in 18 months. Each time, my visit has focused on business opportunities stemming from Austin's robust population growth.
Jonathan Kraut: Domestic violence advocates needed
My firm was contacted last year to support a domestic case involving a young woman and her year-old baby. She needed help keeping legal custody of her child. The baby's father, a volunteer counselor with a drug rehab program, had claimed the mother of his child was unfit and a drug user.
Tom Purcell: Speech to the best graduating class ever
Students, faculty, family members and friends, it is my great honor to deliver your commencement speech today.
