Archive By Section - Columnists
Jim Mullen: We went to the fiscal cliff; all I got was this stupid T-shirt
It seems we are about to fall off the "fiscal cliff." Didn't we already do that? What happened in 2007 and 2008 when the value of our homes got cut in half? What was that? A fiscal speed bump? A fiscal slap on the back of the head?
CORRECTION: Steve Lunetta: Modification affects many properties
Editor's note: Due to technical problems on our end, Steve Lunetta's column did not make it to The Signal in time for Monday publication. With apologies to Steve, we offer it up today.
Steve Lunetta: Modification affects many properties
Editor's note: Due to technical problems on our end, Steve Lunetta's column did not make it to The Signal in time for Monday publication. With apologies to Steve, we offer it up today.
Ted Aquaro: Who is in charge?
In recent weeks, we have seen the news flooded with "Zippergate" involving Gens. David Petraeus and John Allen, who have both had questionable relationships with some kind of military
Gil Mertz: Count on the fickle American electorate
One of the lingering questions from the recent election is if this signals a turning point of the American electorate, as we are now hearing from both sides. I think it's too early to tell for sure, but if we look at our recent past, we'll find that our politics have been quite fickle.
Jonathan Kraut: In season of giving, keep charity local
You are watching the late night news. At the commercial break you witness a young, barefoot girl in some Third World country standing on a smoldering trash heap. Her younger naked brother is at her side.
Tom Purcell: Shopping for a Christmas tree taught valuable lessons
It was one of my favorite rituals every year. One evening after dinner - a few weeks after Thanksgiving - my father and I would shop for a Christmas tree. My father wore his rattiest coat as he prepared to do battle with strangers who would attempt to part him from precious family resources. He instructed me to remain silent as he executed his negotiation strategy - one he'd refined and perfected over the years ...
Kathryn Lopez: Let’s talk about sexual health responsibly
Have you heard about the holiday gift some American girls could be getting? Emergency contraception!
Michael Reagan: Republican suckers are going to be duped again
Republicans had better learn from history - and from Ronald Reagan's mistake. President Obama and his fellow big-spenders in Congress are promising if they get higher tax rates today they'll make even higher spending cuts tomorrow. It's an old sucker's game. Republicans - and the rest of the country - should know it by now, because for three decades we've all been suckers. If history is our guide, and Republicans in Congress don't grow a ...
Joe Guzzardi: Welfare soars as immigrant use skyrockets
Across America, officials in nearly bankrupt cities and states are outraged by the Department of Homeland Security's new website that explains to recently arrived immigrants how they can receive the entire federal welfare benefit cornucopia. The site, Welcome to USA.gov, maintained by DHS' U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS), promotes itself as the "primary gateway for new immigrants to find basic information on how to settle in the United States." Included is a comprehensive section ...
David Hegg: Society needs to focus on spiritual health
Our society is obsessed with health. Or maybe it is better said that we are obsessed with the idea of health. All around us new discoveries and formulas call us to eat better, stay away from decaying agents, exercise and visit our doctors and dentists regularly. Our political system has become enamored with health and with the right everyone has to be healthy. And, since health has become an inalienable right, health care must be available and affordable if we are to be a healthy nation.
Laurene Weste:
There's nothing like the holidays to bring family and friends together. Whether it's decorating a tree, cooking special dishes or watching a movie, the holidays are a time for sharing and friendship.
Will Durst: Fiscal cliff traffic report
So, expect showers and gale-force winds over the next couple of days and don't forget that high-surf advisory is in effect throughout the weekend.
Tim Myers: Placerita: The 800-pound gorilla in room
One of my absolute favorite sayings relates to the "800-pound gorilla in the room." According to Urban Dictionary, which accomplishes much in the definition of vernacular speech, the term references "an overbearing entity in a specific industry or sphere of activity. A seemingly unbeatable presence always to be reckoned with; whose experience, influence, and skill threatens to defeat competitors with little effort."
Betty Arenson: Who are the agendas for anyway?
The recent election gave a supermajority to Democrats in California. The Los Angeles Times and The Associated Press have generously reported that this ultimate domination and total power to now "side-step" Republicans could be dicey. They can also overrule the governor. Whether feigned or not, some appear to have a bit of concern with headlines like "Supermajority holds promise, peril for Democrats" and "Power comes with perils."
Articles by Section - Columnists
David Hegg: This is why discipline matters
Our English language has many words whose forms remain the same even though the context changes their meaning.
Tim Myers: An older person's journey
Nate Silver, the sage oracle hero of all number-crunchers like myself, recently posted several fascinating blog entries about polled attitudes on same-sex marriage and the changes in those attitudes since 1996, when Congress enacted and President Bill Clinton signed into law the Defense of Marriage Act.
Kevin Bayona: US should not be ashamed of its recent wars
Forgive me for not writing sooner about the 10-year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, which was March 19. I found myself engaged in deep reflection over what the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan really mean and where they fall within the spectrum of American history.
George Runner: State can't tax itself into prosperity
Last year California voters approved two tax increases aimed at bringing billions more dollars into state coffers.
Joe Guzzardi: Here we go again, immigrants to march on D.C.
Here we go again. On April 10, thousands of illegal immigrants and their lobbyists will gather on the National Mall to support an immigration reform bill that the Senate is expected to introduce this month.
Danny Tyree: Cyborg-bugs and robo-rats
Salon.com recently ran excerpts of Emily Anthes's book "Frankenstein's Cat: Cuddling Up To Biotech's Brave New Beasts," and I may never look at national security the same way again.
Jonathan Kraut: Signs of spring
As warmer weather approaches, there are some tips that I might offer to help you save your hard-earned money, precious resources, and make your home and family safer.
Richard Hood: Confession: It was I who cut down the tree
I cannot tell a lie. It was I who chopped down the tree.
Susan Stamper Brown: Camps, clinics and selective ignorance
In a cold and snowy day in January a few years ago, I took a guided tour through the Dachau Concentration Camp in Germany.
Phil Kerpen: Repeal the mandate tax
With more than 2,000 pages of legislative text and more than 20,000 pages of regulations so far, most Americans can't possibly know all the details of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.
David Hegg: The Value of Valuing Something
About 10 years ago I officiated a wedding for two young people entering into marriage for the first time. It was a big deal, with a proper venue, pictures, and lots of family and friends in attendance. But for me it was very different from any I had done before.
Rick Jensen: Politicians in both parties need some class
Republican Mike Gmoser, the country prosecutor in Butler County, Ohio, wasted taxpayers' time and money by charging Pennsylvania's winter-predicting groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, with "misrepresentation of early spring."
Peter Funt: Taken in by April Fools
he calendar says Monday is April 1, but lately it seems that foolishness occurs year-round.
Tim Myers: Should the Santa Clarita City Council be elected by district?
On Nov. 3, 1987, a now-remarkable 25 percent to 30 percent of eligible voters in the area midwifed the city of Santa Clarita into existence, voting nearly 67 percent to 33 percent in favor of the formation of the city.
Marsha McLean: Live from City Hall
A strong retail environment is one of the foundations of a healthy economy and a strong community.
