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1. A victory for disclosure in political races

   By The Bakersfield Californian

   Wednesday, May 22 2013 10:10 AM

   As the final votes are tabulated in a special election pitting two million-dollar front-runners in a five-way race for the California State Senate, we pause for a moment of silence in honor of a time long distant when campaign war chests contained far fewer zeroes.

   Sometimes, however, we're given the opportunity to celebrate small, incremental victories in the never-ending (and probably futile) quest to keep the light of disclosure and transparency shining brightly on political campaigns and statehouse machinations.

   Tuesday brought us one such victory. California Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced her willingness to expand the way her office presents campaign finance data online. She had previously rejected requests by a coalition...

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2. A worthwhile plan to address mental illness

   We'll never know if it would have helped David Sal Silva, who had sought refuge at the Mary K. Shell Mental Health Center the night he died following a beating by sheriff's deputies two weeks ago. But perhaps, if it's approved, new...

3. A feel-good ordinance that achieves little

   The Bakersfield City Council's Legislative and Litigation Committee was wise to table a proposed ordinance that would effectively make abortion illegal within the city limits. The committee should have tossed out the proposal completely;...

4. KCCD board correct to appeal harsh penalties

   Over the years, NCAA has slapped down several universities for rules violations -- vacating championships, ordering forfeits and barring schools from postseason appearances. Without exception, the violations that prompt those sanctions...

5. HITS & MISSES: Local doctors report findings on 'Spice Gold'

   HIT: The work of two Bakersfield physicians should help increase awareness in the wider medical community of a troubling, and possibly unrealized, practice that threatens pregnant women and their unborn children: the use of legal but...

6. Campbell the choice to serve Ward 1

   There's a lot of passion for Ward 1 among the six candidates vying to serve it as a member of the Bakersfield City Council in the June 4 special election. Each of the six preaches job creation, better relations with law enforcement,...

7. It's not just the numbers, it's where numbers come from

   Kern County's latest employment numbers are encouraging. In a county like this, with its heavy reliance on seasonal agriculture-sector jobs, employment numbers may not always be an accurate indicator of true conditions. But even in that...

9. Summer school not available? Try this

   School will be out in just a few weeks, and thousands of high school students -- some of them new graduates, others underclassmen -- will be looking for things to do with their time. Parents who may previously have assumed that summer...

10. At last, we have progress on a farm bill

    We have good news and bad news regarding the prospects for a new federal farm bill this fall. The good news: Both the Senate and House versions are moving forward, setting the stage for the two houses to begin structuring a new, five-year...

11. BC should put up a fight over stiff sanctions

    Were the infractions committed by Bakersfield College's football program serious enough to justify the sanctions imposed Tuesday? Or did college administrators roll over and accept penalties -- including the loss of last season's state...

12. Panama-Buena Vista made the wrong call

    Cheryl Palla, a Panama-Buena Vista Union School District board member, is right: Delaying approval of new school boundaries was the wrong decision. While it's nice that the board has opted to stop and consider every bit of input from the...

13. Trust took a beating that night, too

    Cooperation between law enforcement and the broader community is so vital to public safety that police and sheriff's departments across the U.S. typically devote money and resources to building those relationships. From Neighborhood Watch...

14. Give witnesses back their phones, Sheriff

    The more we learn about the Kern County Sheriff's Office's seizure of two witnesses' mobile phones -- specifically, the manner in which they were seized -- the more we are troubled. Less than three hours after Maria Melendez and an...