Archive By Section - Columnists
Becoming sustainable, a step at a time
'Sustainability" is our latest buzzword. But sustainability is more than just a buzzword. It is a great opportunity for companies, cities, and individuals to explore fantastic avenues for self-sufficiency, creating a healthier environment, and increasing profitability.
‘News briefs’ from the Picarella household
Parents suspect two 4-year-olds are an item Earlier this month, teachers and students reported that my 4-year-old son and one of his female classmates were dating. "The two of them were caught together in the tunnel slide sharing a moment of passion," said a teacher, who asked to remain anonymous. "It seems they were sharing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, something they're both passionate about." Both my 4-year-old and the girl denied the alleged ...
Democrats are putting us on a tax roller coaster
I used to like roller coasters. When I was a kid, we could ride for hours and not be fazed one little bit. On one visit to a thinly-attended Disneyland, we rode Space Mountain 17 times in a row. Seventeen times. On a full stomach.
Year-round fun in your backyard and beyond
'Tis the perfect summer for camping. The Great American Backyard Campout, sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation, is coming up Saturday night. Last year more than 42,000 people participated in this low-key introduction to camping. Recipes, packing lists, nighttime wildlife guides and more are available at www.backyardcampout.org.
Messing with Mother Nature, and paying for it
Don't mess with mother nature." This common colloquialism, often said with a knowing chuckle, becomes all too real and serious after major storms such as the current flooding in the Midwest. These rains were unusual but not unprecedented, with similar flooding occurring as recently as 1993.
Developing the idea of county reform
It is a little more than six months since I asked the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to convene a convention of stakeholders to discuss fundamental county government reform. During that time many have asked me what I propose.
One drop of blood in every gallon
After an absence of 36 years, the big Western oil companies are back in Iraq. You might have missed the news story last week. A very big thing, but announced without fanfare for reasons of "sensitivity and security." Thirty-six years after losing their half-century-old Iraq oil concession, Exxon-Mobil, Shell, Chevron, and British Petroleum are again returning to Iraq to service that nation's war-crippled oil industry. Back in the day, these "majors," as they are called, ...
Don’t trust a gambler this fall
We the electorate cast our votes for those running for office for various reasons: Often, our votes are issued in support of ideals; to promote specific issues; in response to a positive public relations campaign; or even simply by what our gut tells us about a candidate. Often, especially in American politics, some of the electorate cast ballots as a vote against an opposing candidate as well. This "negative vote" may help defeat a candidate ...
Same-sex unions: Yes, they will hurt marriage
Defenders of the same-sex marriages that began this month in California have repeatedly claimed the new definition of marriage will in no way hurt male-female marriages. Even the state Supreme Court decision paving the way for these June weddings declared its move would not deprive any male-female couple "of any of the rights and benefits conferred by the marriage statutes."
No June gloom for you — how hot will it get?
It's been a scorcher in the Santa Clarita Valley the past few days. I just returned from a vacation on Whidbey Island, Wash. where the high temperature averaged 57. It was a brutal return to reality and a nearly 50 degree temperature difference when I landed at the airport in Burbank. SCV Boys and Girls Club Auction
Russert's death a tragic loss
Tim Russert's sudden cardiac demise is tragic on many levels. He'll never experience another Christmas, tailgate party, Buffalo Bills game, or Springsteen concert alongside his adored son Luke.
Extreme neighborhood makeover
Neighborhoods. They are the fabric of our society. Who can't remember his or her neighborhood growing up, and most likely the names of the families who lived in the houses on that block. Ask any kid how far of a walk it is to his or her best friend's house, or where's a great place to ride bikes, and chances are you'll get a precise answer.
School's out for summer -- do you have your passport?
Local teens looking for something to do this summer may only need to look as far as City Hall to find not only a fun public transportation option but also a list of local businesses that are providing discounts. The city of Santa Clarita's Transit division has teamed up this summer with local businesses to offer students a Summer Bus Passport for the month of July. The Passport is a new student bus pass with ...
The Scott McClellan imbroglio
The noise made by Scott McClellan's recently released book only slightly surprises me - the slight part being attributed to the fact that I never saw him as a snake, merely as an incompetent. And I so advised the president in a letter I wrote him in March 2006, a copy of which is the focal point of this column:
The giant, looming, six-foot ‘B’
It was 10 a.m. on a Tuesday morning in July. I was already eating lunch - a roast beef sandwich at Skip's Deli down on 11th Street. They made the best coleslaw at Skip's, and I was sure not to spill any of it on myself. I was wearing a lime leisure suit with a gold chain around my neck, with white athletic socks and white tennis shoes on my feet. I was everything a ...
Articles by Section - Columnists
Betty Arenson: Where is the outrage?
Perhaps there is hope that change will come sooner rather than later with regard to Americans at last expressing due and civil outrage. "Where is the outrage" is a question that has never been more appropriate than under the administration of President Barack Obama.
Doug Patton: The danger in D.C. is bipartisanship
The growing scandals enveloping the Obama administration are becoming a series of shiny baubles being dangled before the right and the left alike.
Terri Crain: Don’t misuse environmental protection law
In 2008, Santa Clarita was named the most business- friendly city in Los Angeles County by the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation.
Joe Gandelman: Watch the credibility games
Forget the political "blame game." The biggest game in town now is the credibility game - a high-stakes exercise that will end with America's political middle deciding who is trustworthy and who isn't. Some key players:
The scandal of scandal in Washington, D.C.
If you listen loud enough you can almost hear the siren song of the Republican Party spread its dulcet tones across Washington. It's scandal season boys and girls, and for the GOP it's Mardi Gras, Christmas and The Spanish Inquisition all in one!
Steve and Cokie Roberts: Astonishing attack on our core values
Finally, an issue Republicans and Democrats can agree on:
The Village Idiot: Please, invade my privacy
A world-famous entertainer announced that she and her boyfriend were splitting up in one of the saddest tweets I've ever read: "We have decided to go our separate ways. Please respect our privacy."
Charlie Vignola: A scandal is only a scandal when it happens to Democrats
Imagine for a moment a President of the United States who ignored warnings about an imminent terrorist threat that resulted in an attack that killed American citizens, then argued that we didn't need an investigation to figure out what went wrong.
Tom Purcell: Advice from the master
ill Clinton, wearing a white toga and a crown of gold, sat in a garden while attractive women fed him grapes. President Obama, having just suffered the most devastating week of his presidency, sat nearby, seeking advice in the art of telling whoppers. Using the Socratic method of teaching, Clinton began to tutor his new student.
Frank Ferry: Live from City Hall
May is Building Safety Month and the ideal time to tackle all of those home-improvement projects on your "to do" list before summer is in full swing.
David Hegg: Of progress and purpose
There is no debate that time marches on. The sun rises, shines, and sets, and then does it all over again, day after day. And each day we encounter the unknown components of a whole new 24-hour set of life experience.
Tim Myers: Where respect for private property ends
As a Midwesterner and a Lutheran, I must admit to a great love of irony, and there is nothing more entertaining and ironic than the practical behavior of an elected official, particularly a locally elected official, when their ideology runs straight into the practicalities of the moment.
Phil Kerpen: Government can't be trusted with our health
"We have a large government," political consultant David Axelrod offered as a plea of ignorance to all of the scandals swirling around his boss. "Part of being president is there's so much beneath you that you can't know because the government is so vast."
The Village Idiot: Why I hate my Facebook friends
When I first signed up for Facebook, I was thrilled to get back in touch with old friends, distant relatives, high school classmates and old co-workers. I'd check in to find out that they had new children, new spouses, new lives, new hobbies, new kitchens, new news.
Gary Horton" Why can't California be more like Texas?
I just returned from a three-day business trip to Austin, Texas. This was my third visit to Austin in 18 months. Each time, my visit has focused on business opportunities stemming from Austin's robust population growth.
