TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

Recent Stories

1. 

   ANOTHER VIEW: Judge Brehmer didn't deserve tarring over signing of search warrant

   By H.A. SALA

   Tuesday, May 21 2013 11:00 PM

   Although Lois Henry has penned remarkably insightful columns in the past, she missed the mark regarding her comments about Judge Charles Brehmer in her recent analysis of the David Sal Silva incident ("Impartial reviews should be standard procedure," May 15).

   Henry denounced the actions by deputies in entering a residence and holding the occupants against their will. In the next sentence, she added, "the judge who signed that ridiculously overbroad warrant, more than eight hours after residents were besieged, needs to be held accountable as well ... come election time." Consequently, one could infer from her comments that the judge had some involvement in the inappropriate, if not unlawful, conduct of the deputies before the warrant was...

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2. 

   CONNECTING CALIFORNIA: You'll need to be tough, high school graduates

   To the distinguished California Public High School Class of 2013: I'm sorry James Franco canceled at the last minute. I'm even sorrier you wound up getting me as your substitute commencement speaker, but I was offered gas money plus a...
3. 

   DAVID VALADAO: Let the valley flourish -- BLM decision hurts region's jobs

   The Central Valley has been home to agriculture and energy development for generations. This way of life is less about what we do, and more about who we are. Over time, the state and federal governments have imposed policies and...
4. 

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

   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...
5. 

   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...
6. 

   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...

7. 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,...
9. 

   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...
10. 

    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...

11. 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...
12. 

    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...
13. 

    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...
14. 

    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...