The lesser-regarded invisible hands of capitalism

Economists of all stripes have long taught the lessons of Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations." Smith's "Invisible Hand" of free markets has particular fame, and one hears reference to it frequently - sometimes correctly, but often twisted beyond its intent.

500 channels and everything to watch

I am sure we can all agree that one of the wonders of the 20th century was the invention of television, and that its only real rival in history as a conveyor of information was the invention of the printing press.

Risking it all for cheap gas

A friend of mine called and asked if I had received a recent Buck McKeon mailer stating that the price of gasoline could drop as low as $2.09 a gallon if only Congress would approve a variety of bills presently co-sponsored by him.

Rally around Tony Strickland

My fellow Republicans, 2008 is the year to rally 'round our party's candidates. Spread the good word that Santa Clarita's Republican Party is alive and well.

Summer in the SCV is heating up!

It is truly summer in the SCV, hot, hotter and hottest! As my good friend Richard Green tells everyone, "The blast furnace that is the SCV summer is not a good time for planting trees, or much of anything else!" Can you believe that school starts for most SCV kids in less than a month?

Learn to protect your identity on ‘Shred Day’

The threat of identity theft looms over everyone. The issue of having someone steal your personal information and use it as his or her own receives much attention.

Cops face uphill battle fighting gangs

Cities and counties across California are becoming war zones as gangs fight and kill for control of streets and larger shares of the drug market and other criminal enterprises.

Thoughts on our series of recent local ‘shockers’

Rick: How can you close me up? On what grounds? Captain Renault: I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on here! (A croupier hands Renault a pile of money.) Croupier: Your winnings, sir. Captain Renault (Sotto voce): Oh, thank you very much. (Aloud) Everybody out at once! - "Casablanca," 1942 The classic scene above became synonymous with cynicism in high places. The morally ambivalent Capt. Renault, Vichy puppet of the Nazis in Casablanca, ...

First ladies: It’s not just about gowns and glamour

Throughout American history, the role of first lady has been an important one. Although it includes no official duties or pay, first lady status carries a certain tradition for embracing causes.

The Avenue at Santa Clarita is Las Lomas Jr.

Within the city of Santa Clarita there is very little land available to be developed, the exception being the Whitaker Bermite site, which is in the process of being cleaned and de-contaminated.

The wife’s not a fan of the fan

My wife hates my fan. It's a little white 2-speed oscillating fan that I use to keep cool at night while I sleep. My little fan helps save energy and money by giving my air conditioner a rest, yet my wife can't stand the thing. But before I make my wife out to have a red tail and a pitchfork, I should give a little background on the fan. I can't lie. I don't just ...

Good manners include good dressing habits

Dressing, being fashionable, wardrobe management - they all pose questions from time to time. Women deliberate over what to wear, when to wear it, how it looks and fits, how it makes them feel. Men pick it out, put it on and move along.

Tax naïveté: We need smaller budgets, not higher taxes

'We've got so much taxation. I don't know of a single foreign product that enters this country untaxed except the answer to prayer."

The water conservation conundrum

Water conservation is a good thing. It is a "mom and apple pie" issue with which everyone agrees. It is as old as the "waste not, want not" attitude of our grandparents and is just good common sense in all aspects of our lives, whether we are talking about water, electricity, food or gasoline.

Putting our lives on hold

Driving south on Interstate 5 from Castaic, one passes a smattering of billboards to the west of the highway. We don't see roadway advertisements much in squeaky-clean Santa Clarita, so it's always a treat to get blasted by billboard clutter while driving through our less appearance-policed neighborhoods. Thank our L.A. County government, I suppose.

Kathryn Lopez: Semantic gymnastics rationalize abortion

t a recent Thursday-morning press conference, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi was asked to explain the moral difference between the 20-week-old babies whom Dr. Kermit Gosnell killed in his Philadelphia clinic and the unborn children that legislation sponsored by Arizona Republican Rep. Trent Franks would help protect.

Rick Jensen: Democrats are OK with Obama spying

Liberals are slurping at a new yet familiar theme trough: Republicans are hypocrites because they're against NSA surveillance now but were all for it during the Bush administration.

Steve and Cokie Roberts: Out of their minds

Have these men lost their minds?"

David Hegg: The legacy of leadership from our fathers

Famous leadership expert Dr. John Maxwell is on record as declaring that "everything rises and falls on leadership." The ability to see into the future, understand the risks and rewards, and organize a group of people to accomplish the mission is essential for success.

Tina Dupuy: The freedom of too much information

We are all celebrities now. Ever since we won Time Magazine's Person of the Year in 2006, the same year we first found out about the National Security Administration spying on us, we've all become essentially public figures.

Bob Kellar: Live from City Hall

"Responsible," "on time," "balanced," "lean" and "sustainable" are words used to describe the city of Santa Clarita's budget and budget practices, and that's something your City Council is extremely proud of.

Timothy Myers: What to do with Stephen Winkler?

By the time this column runs, with a bit of luck, Stephen Winkler, the extremely controversial member of the Saugus Union School District governing board, will have submitted his resignation from the board.

Tom Purcell: Countering government intimidation

Admit it. You're a dirty rotten conservative!"

Christine Korenthal: Meet your new HOA, the city of Santa Clarita

I will never forget when my husband, Kevin, and I began looking for our first house. It was an exciting time for us as we began our search to find the new place that we would call home.

Danny Tyree: Toy gun buyback? Just shoot me

According to Townhall.com and other sources, Stobridge Elementary School in Hayward, California, may be shooting itself in the foot, publicity-wise.

Joe Gandelman: Will America regret Snowden’s intelligence leaks?

A popular graphic making the rounds on the Internet shows Boston Marathon bombing terrorist brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev with the caption: "Apparently Not Verizon Customers."

Kevin Bayona: Things heat up in Turkey

When the Arab Spring erupted back in December of 2010, I never thought the revolutions and protests we witnessed on our television screens would reach Turkey, considered by many to be a democratic anchor of stability in an otherwise un-democratic and unstable part of the world.

Ever feel like you’re being watched?

Killing me with kisses

In some countries, greeting friends with a kiss is the common custom. France, Italy, Greece and Hollywood come to mind.

Repeal, don’t expand, ethanol mandate

Sometimes big government becomes so big that even good conservatives find themselves unwittingly advocating expansions of government in response to its failures.