The midterm elections are proof that we are still a democratic constitutional republic. President Trump is afraid that our free and fair election process will actually work and deprive him of control of Congress.  If Republicans retain control over the House of Representatives and the Senate, Trump will praise the electoral process as being fair […]

Election seasons are the winter fall of our discontent when politics rears its ugly head and hypocrisy runs amok. We are in the middle of that discontent as we approach the mid-term elections. Billions are spent in the scramble for power. Politicians offer vague platitudes as solutions while they accuse their opponents of things they […]

Across the U.S., Democrats Are Poised for a Midterm Election Triumph. In Santa Barbara, the Party Is Looking for Its Own Blue Wave. Article II, Section 6 of the California Constitution states that all county, school, and city elected offices in the state “shall be nonpartisan.” What a quaint notion. Political parties won the legal […]

In January of 2018 Montecito had a front row seat to the tragically high price we can pay for living in a small slice of paradise sandwiched between the beautiful Santa Ynez Mountains and the sparkling Pacific Ocean. We also came to understand why what’s going on in the insurance industry matters. State Sen. Ben […]

My work in Santa Barbara has long focused on public health and safety, prevention, and bringing community systems together to address difficult problems. That experience shapes what I look for in public leadership: an understanding of how policy works, a willingness to ask hard questions, and the ability to move from ideas to implementation. Devon […]

Recently, I attended the best SBUSD meeting I have witnessed in my 28 years of following local school board issues. The facilitator, Dr. Suzette Lovely, presented a creative and thought-provoking workshop on “Governance.” Two slides set the tone for the day: 1. Definition of the Greek root of the word governance (“to steer”); and 2. […]

I have yet to encounter any Progressive or socialist with a well-rounded knowledge of history, economics, and philosophy. They don’t seem to be open to ideas other than socialism as Marx-Lenin-Marcuse-Piketty espouse it. They have little understanding of the ideas of Aristotle-Spinoza-Locke-Adam Smith. As a result, their circular reasoning gets things wrong and, when reduced […]

This actually happened recently with OpenAI’s most advanced programs, but before the mob breaks out the pitchforks and torches, the incident requires some explanation.  First, the programs’ task was to test certain security functions in a controlled environment. Second, it’s just a machine and doesn’t have intent other than to do what it’s told. Third, […]

I have so much admiration for Mayor Sheila Lodge. I can’t imagine Santa Barbara without her. The impact she had was as deep as the love she shared for our community. In fact, the profound way she shaped our city, decade after decade, is unmatched.  Sheila was the first mayor I knew as a child, […]

Like many of us, I use AI programs a lot. I’ve worked with ChatGPT since it was first released. Now with version 5 it has improved immensely. I’ve used other programs, but this one is my current favorite. I use it for research, and I’ve had a lot of interesting conversations with it. It “knows” […]