Archive By Section - Columnists
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 ...
Why we need a development monitoring system
Just look around you. Our schools are overcrowded - or in the case of Castaic High School, not yet built - and students from new housing developments must be bused all over the valley to find classrooms. The huge office expansion proposed for the Newhall hospital complex may not have an adequate sewer trunk line to support it, nor do the nearby streets have the capacity to handle so much increased traffic. The 13-story high-rise ...
Change, or more of the same?
BERMUDA - Last night, Carrie and I went out to dinner at the Four Ways in Bermuda to celebrate our 29th anniversary.
The value of children’s play
Each season awakens within me subtle changes, both psychologically and physically. Summer is no different.
Oil price cools SCV expansion
I have now lived through several California real estate boom and bust cycles, but I don't remember one as bad as the current housing crisis. Graded housing pads left to stand empty, new tracts with only a few occupants and a lot of vacant houses are a new phenomena in this valley that I don't recall from past downturns.
Fix the budget breach
Yesterday, June 15, 2008, was the deadline for the California Legislature to constitutionally pass the state budget. Legislators have now missed their obligation for the 21st straight year. It's the "government work" syndrome. Once Article IV, Section 12 of the California Constitution was breached with no repercussions or public outcry, than the breach became an acceptable norm.
Happy Father’s Day to SCV’s fab dads
Have you hugged your father today? Did you call? Send a card? Write a note? Today's the day to honor the many dandy dads in the SCV. My dad taught me to drive, taught me which wild plants that were safe to eat, taught me to think for myself, taught me how to ride a horse and taught me about honor. I miss him.
Congressional finger-pointing won't ease the pain at the pump
On Sept. 19, 2001, then-Fed chief Alan Greenspan, former Clinton treasury secretary Bob Rubin, and Bush economic advisor Larry Lindsey met with congressional leadership to detail the economic fallout from the horrific attacks perpetrated eight days earlier.
I now pronounce you 'Party A' and 'Party B'?
The English language is about to lose two more words. On June 16 at 5:01 p.m., say goodbye to "bride" and "groom." It is at that moment that the state of California and all of its 58 counties will change the official State Marriage license. No longer will you see the words "bride" or "groom." When I married decades back, I was the groom and became the husband. My wife was the bride and became ...
Global warming myths — what's the harm?
Last fall, a U.K. high court judge ruled the global warming film "An Inconvenient Truth" could be shown in schools, but it contains nine scientific errors. Thirty-five errors were exposed by Lord Christopher Monckton, a policy adviser to former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, in his document entitled "35 Inconvenient Lies."
My father, my buddy: Wish you were here
Every year on this Sunday, as well as on most every other day, I say a quiet thank you to the extraordinary man who was my father.
Articles by Section - Columnists
Charlie Vignola: Medicare works, no thanks to the GOP
This week I am headed to Florida to deal with a solemn duty that no one looks forward to, but which almost everyone will have to face sooner or later: I am going to deal with the imminent death of my father.
Peter Funt: Injustice in the juvenile justice system
Many of the nation's prosecutors and judges continue to put kids on trial as adults. This, despite declining crime rates among juveniles and growing scientific evidence about the inappropriateness of taking young offenders out of the court system designed specifically to protect them.
Danny Tyree:Why can't every day be like Easter?
Although it usually gets overshadowed by "Blue Christmas" in yuletide radio rotation, I still enjoy the Elvis Presley version of "Why Can't Every Day Be Like Christmas?"
Steve Lunetta: Jesus would be a conservative Christian
"Look at what this feller wrote about Jesus! Its a disgrace!"
Bob Kellar: Live from City Hall
The belief that "what is good for business is good for Santa Clarita" is a mantra that the city of Santa Clarita takes seriously. That's why City Council and staff are dedicated to providing local businesses with the tools and resources necessary to strengthen operations and improve sustainability, especially during difficult economic times.
Tim Myers: City Council candidates declare early
The race for Santa Clarita City Council in 2014 started to clarify over last weekend with two more fully announced candidates, Dante Acosta and Alan Ferdman, joining the four already-announced candidates - Gloria Mercado-Fortine, Maria Gutzeit, and the incumbents Laurene Weste and Marsha McLean - to bring the total fully announced candidates to six with more than one year left until the election.
Jonas Peterson: Environmental reform needed
At a time when California is striving to encourage both sustainable growth and job creation, reforming the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is imperative.
Donna Brazile: Leaned on for leaning in
Cheryl Sandberg's book "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead," has sparked a debate about the role of women in America - and everywhere else.
Doug Patton: Red states should be careful what they wish for
Recently, Republican Governors Rick Perry of Texas and Terry Branstad of Iowa appealed to those wanting to flee liberal California.
Kevin Bayona: North Korea is a dangerous nuclear power
Many Americans may find it difficult to believe, but North Korea and its imperious leader, Kim Jong-un, have yet again hurled a threat to wipe South Korea and the United States off the face of the Earth with a nuclear strike.
Tom Purcell: Income Tax 101
Ah, the income tax preparation season is upon us.
David M. Shribman: On the lost art of letter-writing
He was getting older, he worried about losing his balance fishing on the end rocks, and his hearing was failing him. So was his short-term memory.
Gary Horton: More residents should find the Master Chorale
Think "inspiration." Think "spiritually beautiful." Think "melodically breathtaking."
Jim Mullen: Village Idiot
I know there are couples who enjoy cooking together and make it look like a well-rehearsed ballet. They savor the aroma of their secret recipe for wild salmon over lemon couscous, stir each other's soups and sample each other's sauces.
Kevin Buck: Jesus would be a liberal Democrat
Recently my wife unearthed some old Signal newspapers, one of which contained a letter to the editor I had written. The Signal printed that letter on May 17, 1996.
