Archive By Section - Columnists
Steve Lunetta: Severe left turn right about now
"Dumb moderates and Republicans never saw it coming. I fooled 'em. Fooled them all! I even hoodwinked liberals along the way. Lincoln was wrong - you can fool all of the people all of the time!"
David Hegg: Why the rule of law?
Since our founding, the United States of America has been committed to the "rule of law." This term, while familiar, is often not understood. We believe in it, but most of us don't really know what it means.
Cokie and Steven Roberts: The debate over immigration reform
The gathering debate over immigration reform is really about two different groups. One is the 11 million immigrants who are here illegally. The other was described by President Obama as "the folks who try to come here legally but have a hard time doing so."
Frank Ferry: Live from City Hall
The Bureau of Justice reports that graffiti is the most common type of property vandalism and costs the average taxpayer anywhere from $3 to $5 per year to clean up.
Tim Myers: No predictions for 2014 City Council election
Local wonks and the (slim) number of folk who follow Santa Clarita city politics may soon forget the historic 2012 City Council election - which saw a sitting mayor turned out of office for the first time and an incumbent for only the third time, as well as another incumbent assailed by locally powerful politicians, including our own Congressman Buck McKeon, coming first in the election and garnering the third most votes in city history - almost did not happen.
Tammy Messina: The debate on safety in our schools
Between the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and all the subsequent talk about gun control and what the Second Amendment really means, we're seeing more and more school-related "weapons" incidents.
Rick Jensen: Obama skeets the shooting truth
"I do skeet shooting." Of course you do, Mr. President. "I do skeet shooting all the time." Which is why skeet shooters (not "doers" of skeet or "skeeters" as you call them) took a quick look at your photo and noted your aim is straight ahead, not upward where the clay target would be. They also noticed you're pictured using a gun designed for trap shooting, wearing ...
Susan Stamper Brown: Yes, God made farmers
What was it about the Dodge' commercial "God Made a Farmer" that stirred the souls of so many Americans during the Super Bowl? Maybe it was the imagery of the dirt and grit of real America, not the white-washed concrete meccas many of us call home. Maybe for just a moment we were unplugged from our instant and superficial world and taken back to a time when we were ...
George Runner: Bullet tax will backfire
If you want to grow government these days, it seems the fashionable thing to do is invent new taxes.
Kevin Bayona: Are we ready for an encore in the Falklands?
When economic times are bad, what better than to reclaim your sovereignty over a small archipelago located in the frigid waters of the South Atlantic Ocean?
Donna Brazile: Immigrants are a blessing for the U.S.
We've known for years that our immigration system is broken, and reform has been near the top of the national agenda since at least 2007. But Congress addressed neither conservative anxieties - unsecured borders, people staying with expired visas - nor liberal concerns, such as treatment of immigrants (legal or not), paths to citizenship, etc. Now, however, we may be reaching consensus.
The Village Idiot: Where’s Gutenberg when you need him?
I've heard for years that "no good deed goes unpunished," but it seemed like a clever phrase being passed off as wisdom, something you might get in a fortune cookie on an off night.
Danny Tyree: Smoking penalties? What other surprises?
According to The Associated Press, many smokers were caught off guard by an obscure provision in The Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. "Obamacare") allowing health insurers to charge smokers buying individual policies up to 50 percent higher premiums starting next Jan. 1.
Tom Purcell: A Joe Biden presidency could be good for comedy
Maybe he's just what America needs. Then again, maybe not. I speak of Vice President Joe Biden - who, according to Politico, is "intoxicated" by thoughts of being inaugurated as president in 2017. He'd be delighted to "finish what Barack Obama started." Well, who better to finish what President Obama started than Uncle Joe? I'll bet he'd be even better at runaway government spending, lack of budget discipline and total disinterest in addressing entitlement growth, ...
Jonathan Kraut: Background checks are not ‘universal’
A lot of politicians are clamoring for mandatory "Universal Background Checks" for all gun buyers nationwide. There is no harm to anyone's privacy if gun buyers are screened for criminal records, a history of domestic violence, mental health risk, or other criteria that indicate having a weapon could put others at risk. After all, past behavior helps predict future conduct. I believe that it is the human mind that is the danger and not the instrument that is used.
Articles by Section - Columnists
Joe Gandelman: Bigots and the American Dream
Yes, it is possible. You can pursue the American dream. And maybe even be on your way to achieving it by age 11.
Gene Lyons: Response to leaks borders on hysteria
Spy work holds deep allure for many people. My own career as a secret agent began as an outgrowth of training beagle hunting dogs.
SCV Voices: Brian Baker
Star Chamber: Characterized by secrecy and often being irresponsibly arbitrary and oppressive." - From the Merriam-Webster online dictionary
Gene Lyons: Pryor owes Bloomberg
On the unlikely event that Mark Pryor wins re-election as Arkansas' senior U.S. senator in 2014, he should send New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg a thank-you gift. Something like a sugary 44-ounce Big Gulp or a case of Dr. Pepper.
Gary Horton: Guantanamo tarnishes U.S. reputation
On June 6, Fox News reported Buck McKeon's Armed Services Committed had passed another $650 billion "defense" budget.
Jim Mullen: Pssst! Wanna know a secret?
"I can't believe the government is invading my privacy! We might as well be living in Russia!" said the guy in aisle 3 into his cellphone.
Will Durst: Your ever-vigilant friends at the NSA
Dear U.S. Citizen,
Charlie Vignola: Giving up freedom and privacy for security
Two weeks have gone by since Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old computer tech working as an NSA contractor, leaked information about classified government information to the press, effectively exposing top secret programs designed to combat terrorism and save American lives.
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.
