Opinion


Passing laws to break laws

T. Keith Gurnee

OPINION by KEITH GURNEE In its paroxysm of over-the-top liberalism, the new Democratic supermajority in California’s state legislature is introducing a package of bills to protect sanctuary cities and illegal immigrants. The legislature is poised to pass laws to create... (Continue reading)

SLO County Democrats: mastering the road ahead

OPINION by STEW JENKINS Editor’s note: A column by Democrat Stew Jenkins will run in CalCoastNews every other Thursday, rotating with a column by Republican Mike Brown. Shock! Democrats are tired of focusing on the reaction for San Luis Obispo... (Continue reading)

SLO County reform and community resurgence

OPINION by MIKE BROWN Editor’s note: A column by Republican Mike Brown will run in CalCoastNews every other Thursday, rotating with a column by Democrat Stew Jenkins. In 2017, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors will have an... (Continue reading)

Is Cal Poly president all talk and no walk?

OPINION by ALLAN COOPER I was horrified to read that Milo Yiannopoulos has been invited by the Cal Poly College Republicans to speak at the Spanos Theater on January 31. This self-described “alt-right” conservative has engaged in hate speech against... (Continue reading)

Hate and hypocrisy

OPINION by KEITH GURNEE San Luis Obispo Tribune Editor Sandra Duerr’s admonition against hate speech was both timely and appropriate, but it was also hypocritical. Duerr’s article focused upon two forms of hate– racism and religious bigotry– and used examples... (Continue reading)

Money down the drain at the South County sewer plant

OPINION by JULIE TACKER While expenses at the South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District continue to climb under a new administrator, the public is seeing little or no benefit and a decrease in transparency. The district currently pays its... (Continue reading)

Talking turkey at Thanksgiving in the year of Trump

Opinion by Steve Brody, Ph.D. Whether here in SLO County or New York City, a good therapist doesn’t tell you what you want to hear. He tells you what you need to know. So after specializing in couples therapy for... (Continue reading)

Can the First Amendment survive President Donald Trump?

OPINION by PETER SCHEER Freedom of speech is as fragile as it is precious. President-elect Donald Trump likes to talk about a future in which America will be great “again.” Freedom of speech—in particular, the right to criticize government without... (Continue reading)

Prosecutors failed to provide evidence Bob Marley smoked weed

OPINION by STEPHEN COOPER In the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s tapping of Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions for Attorney General, Bob Marley fans and marijuana smokers, especially those planning a trip to Washington, D.C., should know about a quirky, overlooked judicial opinion issued... (Continue reading)

Finding solace in Steinbeck during the time of Trump

OPINION by STEPHEN COOPER In a jittery, newly authoritarian land of hatred and hurt, chastened criminal and social justice reformers and human rights advocates can find solace and sustenance in the words and works of the incomparable John Steinbeck, one... (Continue reading)