Archive By Section - Columnists
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.
Summertime blues and reds
This is shaping up to be one of the best political years ever. The Democratic Party has already presented us with a historic primary race (and near dead heat) between two U.S. Senators, one black, the other a woman. On the Republican side, the nominee is the oldest presidential candidate in the history of the United States. America has come a long way in my lifetime. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain have broken ...
A helping hand for our feathered and feral friends
There's been considerable squawking lately over the wild ducks and geese inhabiting a certain area of Valencia.
Articles by Section - Columnists
Tom Purcell: Are humans getting dumber?
The report said people are getting dumber - at least I think that's what it said, but the big words kept throwing me off."
Diana West: Setting the record straight on Joe McCarthy
Freshman Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is just the latest in a long series of public figures to be reviled for "McCarthyism" following his recent questioning of Chuck Hagel, President Obama's nominee for secretary of defense.
Joe Guzzardi: Obama pushes amnesty
After President Obama left for a three-day Florida golf vacation that included a round with Tiger Woods, the White House announced his latest immigration plan.
SCV Voices: From SignalSCV.com
Editor's note: On last Tuesday's Kevin Buck column "Straw men live in glass houses," one poster on SignalSCV.com asked the question, "In your opinion, what are the five biggest problems America faces right now?" Here are some responses from his fellow posters.
David Hegg: What makes right, right?
I recently met a man who was the epitome of post-modern thought in that he did not believe in absolute truth.
Tim Myers: No money, no county
I love history. I plan to purchase the Blu-Ray of the recent film "Lincoln" and rewatch certain key scenes 100 times in a row, unapologetically.
Bob Kellar: Live from City Hall
In Santa Clarita, the arts influence our community's quality of life. Without even realizing it, the arts act as an economic driver - creating and supporting jobs, generating revenue and serving as a cornerstone of the tourism industry.
Steven and Cokie Roberts: Voting reform
"Obama's proposed voting commission under partisan fire from both sides."
Alice Khosravy: California is at bottom for business
Just a few short days ago the lanterns fell, bringing an end to Chinese New Year season for 2013.
Joe Gandelman: America’s poop deck politics
It's the ultimate stomach turner: how Carnival's 893-foot-long cruise ship Triumph, along with its 4,200 passengers, was stranded due to a fuel engine leak for five days with no food, little water and few working bathrooms.
Kevin Bayona: China's rise is challenge to U.S.
The start of the 21st century has brought with it an avalanche of international problems such as war, economic recession, nuclear proliferation, and rising global competitors. Although all these issues merit individual attention and consideration, I think the unrelenting rise of China presents the largest and most significant global challenge to the United States.
