Archive By Section - Columnists
Uncle Earl’s view on the election
My Uncle Earl has voted for every Republican since Barry Goldwater in '64. To say Earl is little right wing is akin to saying that Chuck Norris has a slightly hard edge. Earl was very upset about the election. From the last phone call with him, I could tell that a couple of hours venting was all he needed to get back to his regular old crusty self. Dutiful nephew that I am, I paid ...
Palin: the chink in the Dems’ armor
We are renovating our house. Any of you who have lived through this experience know what a horrible thing this is. What was once a nice, comfortable retreat from daily struggles is now a nightmare of dust, debris, and detritus.
Is a water monopoly a good thing?
Recently, Castaic Lake Water Agency has begun promoting itself to become a water monopoly in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Inclusionary housing the way to go
Affordable housing is quite the buzzword these days. From the city's rush to approve a new housing element that meets state law in this area, to a developer in the county who used that law to push through a senior project in a high-fire-hazard zone, and Valencia Industrial Association's luncheon meeting on the subject, it seems that this problem has somehow just come to everyone's attention. As of 2008 there are 80,000 dwelling units in ...
Schools remember, honor 9/11
The thousand of lost lives and heartbreak from the 9/11 tragedy are something students and teachers in the Santa Clarita Valley will always remember.
We should not 'stay the course'
Bush's recent speech to the G20 was mostly a plea to stay the course and avoid the temptation of too much government intervention in the economy.
Pick the smartest guy at the BBQ
Oh, boy. Monday's stock market crash signaled a resounding kiss goodbye to the Great Lipstick Debate. The worst day in finance since 9-11. A 500-point crash on top of a real estate and mortgage meltdown of epic and unprecedented proportions.
Reflection on the election
This presidential election is one for the history books. Around-the-clock political analyzing and second-guessing had as its downsize the tendency for pundits to misconstrue or blow out of proportion every word, gesture, deed, acquaintance and faux pas of politicians. Whether the commentators appear malicious or simply attention-grabbing, the influence of the news organizations played a pivotal role in America's democratic journey.
Don’t let them fool you with their lies
With less than two months until the election, I believe we are on the verge of some significant and very-much-needed change.
Spending cuts and tax increases
Well, here we go again with another version of the Sacramento budget crisis. Californians were given a heads-up that the state is in deep trouble when, on Oct. 2, the governor sent a letter to the House of Representatives on the eve of the vote regarding the bailout of financial institutions. Schwarzenegger wrote: "Absent a clear resolution to this financial crisis that restores confidence and liquidity to the credit markets, California and other states may ...
Welcome Ian Lamont
We're edging up on the middle of September - already! Wasn't it just yesterday that SCV children were heading back to school? Yet, here it is, its been nearly a month! Welcome Ian Lamont
A solution for top notch high schools
We are seven weeks and one day away from what is the most important election in American history. Of particular importance to Santa Clarita Valley residents is an item at the end of a very lengthy ballot. It is Measure SA, the William S. Hart Union High School District bond.
Mr. SCV: Obama wants my cowboy shirts
My Dearest Sister-like substance Lisa, Delighted to get your e-mail earlier in the week about the family Christmas drawing and happy that you are recovering after what you called "your November 4th accidental Prestone antifreeze overdose and wrist-slashing suicide attempt whilst hysterically sobbing." Honey. Share your feelings. Are you sad? I'm guessing you're sad because of You-Know-Who getting elected, not because of the passage of Proposition 8. Not to insinuate you're gay, like our brother ...
Obamicans, come out, come out wherever you are
I will present a numerical fact. Barack Obama crushed John McCain in a most nasty way, beating the Republican by in excess of 7.5 million actual votes.
SCV veterans will always be remembered
I've long viewed Veterans Day through misty eyes. As the offspring of a proud, disabled World War II Navy vet, I couldn't have turned out any differently.
Articles by Section - Columnists
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.
Jason Stanford: What Rick Perry can learn from California
The faux pas bordered on sedition. The Texas Association of Dairymen sent blocks of mild cheddar to state senate offices "in appreciation for your hard work this legislative session on behalf of the people of Texas." Legislative offices often get free-and perfectly legal-swag from special interests. The problem arose when someone read the label. The company that made the cheese was based in California.
Cliff Schecter: The United States really needs to grow up already
This country needs an enema. I paraphrase, of course, from Jack Nicholson's take on Gotham City in his turn at The Joker.
Maria Gutzeit: Cycling is not all about Lance
Recently, people asked me with sincerity in their eyes if I am reconsidering my involvement in cycling because of the Lance Armstrong scandal. My response: Pftttt.
Byron York: Winning Hispanic vote not enough for GOP
After six months of mulling over November's election results, many Republicans remain convinced that the party's only path to future victory is to improve the GOP's appeal to Hispanic voters.
Michael Berger: Bill helps colleges meet student needs
Higher education is undergoing significant changes such as we've never seen before. And while we're charging forward to integrate technology in the classroom, offer online learning, and enhance the academic support available to students outside of the classroom, we find ourselves being held back by a relic of the past.
David Hegg: We need a society of heroes
The past months have been a constant barrage of stories about tragedy. Horror in Newtown, bombs in Boston, flooding in the Midwest, fires in SoCal … all bringing loss of life, loss of property, and loss of our sense of wellbeing. But in every case there were also stories of exceptional devotion to duty, to courage, and to an essential ingredient in healthy society: sacrificial service.
Tim Myers: A battle in a war already lost
On May 2, 2013, I took the day off from work to watch the Foothill League tennis tournament. (Results of this tournament posted elsewhere in the pages of this newspaper. Just sayin'!)
Peter Funt: The wider our options the more narrow our interests
I've never heard a hotel guest argue that he should pay less if he declines to swim in the pool. And I've yet to encounter a coffee drinker who believes a latte would be cheaper if shops quit providing wi-fi to customers who don't use it.
Marsha McLean: Live from City Hall
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Santa Clarita will be on center stage with an international audience. We are thrilled to have been selected as a host city for the 2013 Amgen Tour of California with both a Start and Finish stage.
Rick Jensen: Do we still need Dept. of Education?
When executives of corporations are caught aiding and abetting criminal behavior of their employees, the executives are prosecuted and the businesses are destroyed.
Tammy Messina: Intolerance fuels hate and bigotry
Hate. It's a strong word. It's a strong emotion. And it's often used to describe Republicans.
Jason Stanford: Will Obama beat the 6-year itch?
If the 2010 elections weren't bad enough for Democrats, here comes the "six-year itch."
Tom Purcell: No-fault Internet addiction
nline chat host: Good morning, cyber pals. As you know, the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the psychiatric "bible," is to be released this month.
