TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

Recent Stories

1. 

   LOGAN CARTER: Why internal investigations don't just wrap up overnight

   Monday, May 20 2013 11:00 PM

   Law enforcement actions involving violence seem to have gripped this community. Some folks always dislike the police but most citizens want to understand why such matters take so long to investigate.

   I served for 35 years on one of the largest sheriff's departments in the nation, investigating homicides, officer-involved shootings and other deaths involving law enforcement. I supervised the internal affairs division, rising to the rank of captain.

   When someone uses violence, it is shocking. Add a badge to the mix and scrutiny understandably grows. Vietnam taught the military that the press has a right to battlefield access; however, such access must be controlled or citizens will turn against the war because violence is ugly on the 6 o...

   Read More
2. 

   SONYA CHRISTIAN: Sanctions against BC's football team are inappropriately harsh

   On Dec. 8, 2012, Memorial Stadium had a magical moment. With 16,000 exuberant fans supporting them, the Renegades played brilliantly and won the California community college football championship. The Bakersfield College program has been...
3. 

   MICHAEL GERSON: Common Core standards arousing baseless fears

   Modern conservatism comes in two distinct architectural styles. The first seeks to build from scratch, using accurate ideological levels and plumb lines, so every wall is straight and every corner squared. The goal of politics is to apply...

4. DOUGLAS BORER: On expanding freedom in Mideast, be careful what you wish for, Mr. Bush

   At the opening of his new presidential library in Dallas last week, George W. Bush offered the phrase "we expanded freedom" to sum up his legacy. I say to those who agree: "Be careful what you wish for." Freedom is a fine evocative word,...
5. 

   HARRY LOVE: Our surveillance state mustn't evolve into authoritarian state

   During the last part of the 20th century, the United States began developing a new form of governance that features the collection, collation and analysis of information about populations both here and around the world. The government uses...
6. 

   ESTHER CEPEDA: Hispanic kids missing school -- for vacation

   It's that time. If you're a teacher in a school with a large concentration of Hispanic students, you're doing end-of-year reviews and preparing for final exams -- and you have kids trickling up to you to let you know they won't be around...

7. SOUNDING BOARD: Big Brother is our friend, in some cases

   We're being watched -- by the IRS and by private business, on the street and in the solitude of our own homes. Is comprehensive surveillance, both online and in the flesh, worth the price of Americans' privacy? Or does a world full of...
9. 

   ROBERT PRICE: Has good-ol'-boy corruption seized the Kern County Sheriff's Office?

   The Kern County Sheriff's Office is out of control. That's one conclusion many people will draw based on the events of the past two weeks and in the context of recent years. We won't know whether that's a fair characterization until we get...
10. 

    DANA MILBANK: Obama's critics overplaying their hand

    At the end of a truly dismal week in his presidency, President Obama remains lucky in one crucial category: his opposition. It has been only a matter of days since two scandals -- the IRS harassment of conservative groups and the...
11. 

    NOEL PINEO: Something to offend everyone in race for 16th Senate District

    On rare occasions, the stars and planets align themselves just so, and a perfect example of what is wrong with our national politics emerges onto the local political scene. The race for the 16th District seat in the state Senate, vacated...

12. SOUNDING BOARD: People must draw line on government surveillance

    America is a watched nation. Our lives are monitored daily, from street-corner surveillance cameras to law enforcement drones. Much of this surveillance is done in the name of security, but many people find ongoing surveillance creepy and...
13. 

    DAVID COLLINS: Neighborhood cleanup drive is slowly making a real difference

    During the dark end of 2009 when the Great Recession was slashing fresh cuts on my community, I launched the South Oswell Neighborhood Watch as a chance to ignite some hope. Since that time our members have wedged themselves against the...

14. SOUNDING BOARD: '1984' scenario in our future seems unlikely

    America is a watched nation. Our lives are monitored daily, from street-corner surveillance cameras to law enforcement drones. Much of this surveillance is done in the name of security, but many people find ongoing surveillance creepy and...