Archive By Section - Columnists
Pledges: Leadership or ideology?
Candidates for public office must demonstrate they deserve the public's trust, and if elected, they must maintain that trust if they expect to stay in office. Or at least, that's the theory.
Proactive versus reactive
Reactive 1: of, relating to, or marked by reaction or reactance 2a: readily responsive to a stimulus b: occurring as a result of stress or emotional upset (reactive depression) Proactive 2 (pro- + reactive): acting in anticipation of future problems, needs, or changes - Merriam Webster Online Dictionary Two stories stand out in my memory regarding development during our family's 12-plus years in the Santa Clarita Valley. The first came from a former city editor ...
The night the lights went out
Last Friday, Aug. 1, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats ended debate on energy issues by abruptly adjourning.
County’s green building rules will benefit us
As a lifelong outdoor lover, as well as a person who works in the environmental compliance arena, I've watched "Being Green" go through cycles of popularity. Sometimes caring for the planet is all the rage, and a few years later it's an afterthought.
Everyone wants our babies
When you're single, everyone asks when you're going to get a steady dating partner. When you're in a serious relationship, they ask when you're going to get married.
The one who’s too light
I had lunch with a very frustrated Republican the other day. The gentleman is a construction bond agent.
Republican platform: A sinking ship
For some of you who have just returned from an alternate universe, we are holding our national elections this coming November.
Days of whines and roses
Whine: To complain peevishly; to utter something in a high-pitched sound. A nation of whiners.
Letters to the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy office
We here at the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy get numerous letters in the course of a political season. Some are kind and some are profane, but all of them are worthy of review and reflection.
There is no water conservation conundrum
Why conserve? Here at Castaic Lake Water Agency, we believe the answer to that question is simple: We should conserve because it's good stewardship. It's the responsible way to manage a vital resource, and it's in the best interests of our community, our state and the environment. Yet, proving the adage that no good deed goes unpunished, "rumblings of discontent" have been voiced about water conservation efforts, based on the argument that some people - ...
Leaders of Character in our valley
Welcome to August! One month closer to summer being over and temperature sanity returning! I'm really done with the "heat waves."
Let's make the proper comparison
Last month the California Department of Public Instruction released revised numbers revealing the dropout rate of public and charter schools within the state.
Drilling best way out of oil crisis
There is a huge debate over drilling for additional oil right now that is confusing at best. The opposition to this idea seems to say that the additional oil won't meet our entire need quickly enough. Maybe we should think about it like this: Say you have 100 homeless in your town, but you only have shelter for 25. Would you not let any use the shelter because you could not satisfy the total demand? ...
Take a night out of crime Tuesday in Santa Clarita
Imagine a night when the entire nation could come together to stand up against crime. If only for one night out of the year, this united front would cause crime rates to drop, morale and people's sense of security would increase, and the nation as a whole would seem like a safer place.
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
"You wanna go on something really fast and really scary?" I asked my 4-year-old son during a recent trip to Disney's California Adventure Park. He seemed to think that every ride we rode at the park was too slow and too boring. So I wanted to excite him.
Articles by Section - Columnists
Timothy Myers: Let the good times roll again!
One of my coworkers during my time working for Ernst & Young found himself working for KB Homes during the middle of the residential real estate boom, putting together the analyses or so-called "land packages" for the acquisition of property for the building of tract homes.
Peter Funt: Rambunctious raccoons are laughing at me
Our backyard is filled with the pleasing sounds of spring created by birds, frogs, crickets and teens down the street testing their new cars. But lately there are also the haunting sounds of raccoons laughing at me.
Live from City Hall
For the past few months, the city of Santa Clarita has hosted a series of local town hall meetings in Saugus, Canyon Country and Newhall to share important community information and hear from community members regarding issues of importance to them.
Kevin D. Korenthal: Make all marriages civil unions
Rights, as established by the Constitution of the United States of America, are greatly misunderstood.
Leyla Ramos: Veterans deserve more employment
When our veterans come home from war, they are greeted by "welcome home" signs, banners, applause, hugs and cheers. The popular line "Thank you for your service" is heard time and time again.
Tom Purcell: Reverse psychology vs. the Nanny State
Get this: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to ban the sale of cigarettes - now legal to people at age 18 - to people younger than 21.
George Runner: Obama steals California Gov. Jerry Brown’s playbook
Given California's chronic problems, it's hard to imagine anyone sees our state as a model - but it's clear the Obama administration does.
Kevin Bayona: Bush legacy hinges on his war on terror
The 43rd president of the United States, George W. Bush, was recently honored with the dedication of the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum.
Jason Stanford: The revised legacy of George W. Bush
New polls show that George W. Bush is not as unpopular now as when he left office. That bodes well for a public examination of his legacy, but it's difficult to look back on his presidency as something other than a preventable catastrophe.
The Village Idiot: Tv or no TV?
Remember when TV used to sign off for the night? No infomercials, no reruns, no experimental public-access foolishness - nothing at all but snow. Or, if you were lucky, a test pattern.
Tina Dupuy: The Theory of Relative Laziness
My working theory - you could call it a philosophy, or a freestanding reason of how the world works - is what I call the Theory of Relative Laziness.
Charlie Vignola: America worried about the wrong things
America has always had a propensity to whip itself into a frenzy about the wrong things, but seldom has it been so clear as it has been the last few weeks, particularly in the wake of the Boston Marathon Bombings.
Danny Tyree: R.I.P. George Jones
Editor's note: The following column ran in 2006 marking the 75th birthday of George Jones. The longtime country singer died Friday at age 81 and will be remembered at a public memorial Thursday at The Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.
David Hegg: The need for adversity
We're all familiar with the old saying "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." It is often used to remind us that most really important things in life come with adversity built in.
Donna Brazile: Accountability needed
In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing, lawmakers are demanding answers from the FBI. They want answers not only about the Tsarnaev brothers - Did they act alone? Why did the do it? - but also about our security and intelligence operations.
