Archive By Section - Columnists
Concern is not extremism
When asked whether Santa Clarita would employ eminent domain for the seizure of private residential property as a means of furthering the Newhall Redevelopment Project, Paul Brotzman expressly stated that the city "doesn't have the legal authority to acquire private property."
Unions take aim at statewide volunteers
From fires and earthquakes in the West to tornadoes, blizzards and hurricanes in the East, the United States has to contend with many different types of natural disasters. The one constant to all these disasters is that the aid of volunteers greatly enhances the ability of our local, state and federal governments to respond to these crises.
Buy a tree for a needy family
Tomorrow is Dec. 1. Somehow - and I'm not exactly sure how this happened - 2009 is just 31 days away.
Bizarre to some but delicious to others
Cow's urine tonic. Grilled cave bat. Raw camel with spice sauce. Donkey penis soup. Braised pig's tongue with hair moss. Barbecued bat. Roasted crickets. Flame-broiled guinea pig. Fried chicken uterus. Cup 'o fresh goat's blood. Cow vein stew. Crispy fried grasshoppers. Lamb eyeballs. Steamed wasp larvae. Duckling on a stick. Live beating frog heart. Sperm chowder. Snail caviar. Toasted tarantulas.
John Boston's very own $250B bailout
"No satirist shall be left behind." - The Dubyuh In a move characterized as "bizarre" and "startling" by world economic gurus, outgoing Secretary of the Treasury Henry "Pat" Paulson announced yet another bailout yesterday. The Federal government will be earmarking some $250 billion toward bailing out John Boston. This marks the first time a private citizen will be the recipient of funds heretofore reserved for bloated mega multinational corporations and outdated Detroit automakers. "The rules ...
The cleanup plan is a reality
Once upon a time, there was a factory where they made things that explode. It was on a 996-acre piece of property in the center of our valley, and people who lived here became accustomed to the sounds of explosions as factory workers tested their wares - military flares, fireworks, munitions and the like. The Bermite munitions manufacturing plant - later to be known as Whittaker-Bermite - was a key player in the Santa Clarita ...
The pantheon of suburbia: high school football
For the last two weeks I spent some time watching and re-watching YouTube videos of reaction to Barack Obama's presidential victory, particularly international reaction.
New library can invigorate Newhall
Public libraries exemplify all that is good in America. As Walter Cronkite said, "Whatever the cost of funding our libraries, it is cheap compared to the cost of an ignorant nation."
Fixing Newhall: Bigger project than imagined
If there is one blot on the otherwise pristine visage commending Santa Clarita, argument would say that Newhall is it.
Hart district numbers just don’t add up
A small lesson in political code speak: When an elected official states, "We must come together in a bipartisan way to solve this problem rather than dwelling on the causes," that individual really mean, "Please pretend my political party did not screw things up so badly."
America soon may just forget about Sarah Palin
In the romantic comedy "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," Peter, a down-on-his-self-esteem, in-need-of-better-direction musical composer is struggling to get over Sarah, the sexy and exciting actress-girlfriend who dumped him for another guy.
Street art, powwows and alpacas
You don't have to sit home today and wonder what to do. There's the annual Street Art Festival (www.streetartfest.com) in Newhall and a few blocks away at William S. Hart Park the annual Hart of the West Powwow (www.friendsofhartpark.org/powwow.asp.) Those keen on alpacas will find three Agua Dulce alapaca ranches open today for National Alpaca Farm Days (for more information visit www.saddlebackmtnranch.com, www.tanglewoodalpacas.com and <a href="http://www.sweetwateralpacas.com" ...
The truth about charter schools
The recent Signal news article "Change is in the air for probation camps Scudder and Scott" prompted me to think, "Why should the Santa Clarita public give a thought whether these detention-camp schools become pilot-dependent charter schools operated under an umbrella from the Los Angeles County Office of Education, with the approval of Los Angeles County Probation?"
Is paying taxes patriotic?
Is paying taxes patriotic? Joe Biden thinks so. The Democratic vice presidential nominee said so during a recent television interview, responding to criticisms of a proposed tax hike on America's richest earners. They should pay more, Biden said, during a time of national instability. "It's time to be patriotic ... time to jump in, time to be part of the deal, time to help get America out of the rut." The comment drew scorn from ...
Boston: Claremont's 'Jews and Friendly Nazis'
"You don't appreciate a lot of stuff in school until you get older. Little things like being spanked every day by a middle-aged woman: Stuff you pay good money for in later life."
Articles by Section - Columnists
Peter Funt: BYOB: Bring Your Own Bag
MONTEREY, Calif. - They don't ask "Paper or plastic?" around here anymore. Single-use plastic bags are banned, and stores offering paper are required to charge the stiff price of 25 cents per bag.
Kevin Bayona: The world is safer because of U.S. troops
This Memorial Day was a day of reflection over the sacrifices made by millions of America's greatest warriors who are still fighting for America and each other after nearly 237 years. So now let's talk about how America's warriors will continue to play a significant role in global geopolitical affairs.
Joe Gandelman: Terrorists: Not just failing to connect the dots
Gary Horton: Time to trim some public and private fat
Through their anti-Obama, obstructionist regime, Republicans have at least done one thing right - they have attuned Americans to waste in government spending.
Jason Stanford: Cheating on standardized tests commonplace
Atlanta wasn't an isolated incident. Neither was El Paso, or Washington, D.C., or Columbus. A new General Accounting Office report demonstrates that cheating by school officials on standardized tests has become commonplace, despite the use of security measures the report recommends.
Tina Dupuy: Apple could pay for Moore — and more
Investigators say due to some creative Ireland-based tax gimmicks, Apple has managed to keep $75 billion away from the IRS's reach just in the years 2009-2012.
Tom Purcell: Men, get a wallet
What to get for the contemporary male who has everything? The Man Bag.
Susan Stamper Brown: Truth floats despite tyranny on the Potomac
rogressivism thrives best when truth is suppressed, but suppressed truth is still truth.
Steve Lunetta: Understanding the true cost of freedom
pulled out the paper this bright Monday morning and started reading. Of course, I have my bagel with strawberry cream cheese, oat bran cereal and tall glass of orange juice at the ready. I know how to start my holiday day.
Rick Jensen: Shades of Richard Milhous... Obama
The cover-up is worse than the crime. The crime is so heinous it requires a cover-up.
John Kiernan: What's a real scandal?
I have watched the radical wing of the Republican Party do everything they can to obstruct Obama and his administration.
David Hegg: What's happening to the U.S.?
Increasingly a very simple question is becoming part of our daily conversation. "What's happening to our country?"
