Regarding the Jan. 10 article, “Edison Restores Power to Santa Barbara Customers; More Shutoffs Possible,” we need to petition our government to allow natural gas generators. The constant and prolonged electrical outages necessitate a secondary energy source.
Natural gas service is buried and rarely disrupted. It’s cleaner than gasoline generators that require stocks of highly flammable fuel, usually stored in tanks or cans.
The war on natural gas is illogical and adding to hardships for Californians.
Jan Lipski
Lompoc
• • •
Why is Edison inconveniencing the public when there was NO WIND!? From 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Jan. 8 was an extortionate time to turn off the power to hundreds of customers.
But to add insult to injury, there were literally no winds during that time period.
Whereas I certainly understand SCE wanting to prevent yet another disaster caused by their aging infrastructure, I do not understand their intransigence in inconveniencing customers for that length of time, without reassessing the conditions.
Added to that, we had an horrific wind event the night of Jan. 6 with winds so high that my house was literally vibrating and I thought it might come off the foundation!
Yet SCE did absolutely nothing about that event! Not even a warning, yet alone turning off the power.
Why is SCE so erratic about their public safety power shutoffs? I just received a warning that my power would be turned off this morning, and yet again, there is NO WIND!
So far, they have not shut off power, but who knows? It makes life difficult when they cannot even be accurate.
Kate Winn-Rogers
Santa Barbara
• • •
Wildfires are a natural phenomenon in California, but as climate change overheats the planet, they have become more frequent and extreme.
With chronic, recurring droughts, they now burn year-round. They are unpredictable and no community is safe.
While this problem has many causes, including malfunctioning power lines and homes built too close to forests, there is little doubt the major cause is global warming. A hotter, drier climate reduces trees and vegetation to kindling.
We can blame utilities, zoning boards and others. The truth is we are on fire because emissions from burning coal, oil and gas are overheating the Earth.
We must begin now to phase out these destructive fuels and transition to a clean energy future.
We can jump-start that transition by making the polluters pay. A tax levied on fossil fuel companies on their carbon pollution would reduce demand for these products and give a comparative advantage to cleaner, safer energy sources.
Legislation that would do this has been introduced in Congress by Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara.
Robert Taylor
Montecito
• • •
I am a native Californian and was born in Ventura. I am saddened, disappointed and angered over what is happening to the state.
We have the highest taxes, our cities are a mess, crime is rampant, the rights of illegal immigrants are put ahead of native Californians, the Democrat leaders are trying to force the “Green New Deal” down our throats, and Los Angeles is on fire.
As a result of this one-party socialist rule, California is no longer the “Golden State.” Is there any hope for the state? Only if we get new leadership from some other party.
Diana Thorn
Carpinteria
• • •
Regarding the Jan. 5 article, “Santa Maria Woman, 92, Has Uncertain Future Due to Housing Fraud,” I get that the company that bought the house was not part of the fraud that took it away.
What I don’t understand is how could the sale be approved when the initial acquisition was the result of fraud?
I hope Noozhawk will continue to follow this story. Thank you.
Andrea Garza
Santa Barbara
• • •
Noozhawk publisher Bill Macfadyen is off-kilter with his Jan. 3 column reference to the Dec. 24, 2024, Highway 1 head-on crash between 19-year-old Asher Tenud in a Jaguar XJR and Joni Partlow’s Honda minivan.
Tenud died at the scene and Partlow was sent to Lompoc Valley Community Medical Center and then to Stanford Hospital.
Macfadyen links to GoFundMe accounts for both families. At the time, Tenud’s had raised $27,000 while Partlow’s had raised $15,000.
This is a tragedy, and I feel for both families, but I can’t help but feel that Macfadyen missed the mark.
A young kid in an expensive sports car loses control and crosses a large center dirt divider and crashes into another car. I have driven that road hundreds of times and I have to assume he was going more than 100 mph for a crash like that to occur.
I think Partlow’s family is going to have much more monetary struggles ahead of them.
This is a tragedy, but like most of what goes on in this state politically, the honest, hard-working citizens minding their own business seem to get second fiddle.
Prayers to both of the families.
Bart Bader
Goleta
• • •
Thank you to Ray Ford for his insightful Jan. 3 column, “Could Rose Parade Be Our Best Day Ever?,” and his photos about the Rose Parade. I could smell the flowers!
I especially appreciated the kudos to the volunteers, many of whom had emotional attachments to the floats!
May it never rain on any parade, especially the Rose Parade!
Gene Resch
Goleta
• • •
Thank you for publishing Michael Rattray’s series of commentaries regarding greenhouse gases and the earth’s atmospheric temperature.
For many years politicians and their followers have been parroting lines regarding global warming by only submitting a subset of facts.
When confronted by alternate facts they throw out lines like “climate deniers,” etc. Hence the ridiculous “the science is settled” claim (as if that’s how science works).
By compiling a set of facts, Rattray has presented a series that questions much of the “climate science” that is taught by public institutions.
If his facts are wrong, they should be refuted by a different set of facts, and we would all be better off for it. So far the only negative response has been to impugn Rattray’s reputation without presenting any argument regarding his facts.
Let’s have an honest, fact-filled discussion of this subject.
Gordon Hodge
Goleta
• • •
How dare Noozhawk provide a platform for Michael Rattray, who as far as I can tell, has no science background or professional credentials to comment on climate change.
The science is settled on this matter. Actual scientists agree that the danger to our planet from climate change is an existential threat to all life.
If Rattray’s commentaries are indicative of the quality of Noozhawk’s standards on such an important topic, I wonder how much it can be trusted on everything else.
T. Carter Ph.D.
Santa Clara
• • •
Mail Calls
Noozhawk welcomes and encourages expressions of all views on Santa Barbara County issues. Click here to submit a letter to the editor.
Letters should be BRIEF — as in 200 words-BRIEF — and letters under 150 words are given priority. Each must include a valid mailing address and contact information. Pseudonyms will not be accepted, and repeat letters will be skipped. Letters may be edited for clarity, length and style.
As a hyperlocal news site, we ask that you keep your opinions and information relevant to Santa Barbara County and the Central Coast. Letters about issues beyond our local region have the absolute lowest priority of everything we publish.
With rare exceptions, this feature is published on Saturdays.
By submitting any content to Noozhawk, you warrant that the material is your original expression, free of plagiarism, and does not violate any copyright, proprietary, contract or personal right of anyone else. Noozhawk reserves, at our sole discretion, the right to choose not to publish a submission.
Click here for Noozhawk’s Terms of Use, and click here for more information about how to submit letters to the editor and other announcements, tips and stories.