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  • Payday loan concerns

    The state Legislature risks worsening the difficult financial circumstances of many low-income Californians with AB 377, a payday lending bill that maintains the high-interest status quo of a dubious industry.

  • Trying to grasp this disaster

    We now have incontrovertible proof that political polarization, which, until recently, has largely manifested itself as annoying theater, is about to send California over the cliff. On a near straight-party vote, the Legislature has allowed the engines of state government to freeze up. The few who in the past have showed a willingness to compromise have been ostracized. The camps have turned away from each other, and voters, who somehow still fail to see the disaster for what it is, only cheer on their partisan favorites and villify the other side.

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  • Ashburn doesn't get it

    Roy Ashburn, you've got to be kidding us. The state of California is in a state of fiscal chaos, poised to issue IOU's to taxpayers, vendors and local agencies as early as today because of the Legislature's continuing inability to balance the budget. But you're not willing to share the pain.

Community Voices

  • A godly society wouldn't need Obamacare

    Nearly everyone will agree that the federal government is getting bigger every day under President Obama. The government has its hand in the banking industry, in the automotive industry and soon to be -- but hopefully not -- the health care industry. This is not a good thing. Why is he doing this? Why is this not good?

  • ID theft? Been there, experienced that

    We live in a time when technology can offer great convenience to our lives. But with these conveniences, we also need to exercise caution. Recently, when I was back home in Bakersfield for a district work week, I held a town hall meeting on identity theft prevention. A few days later, a story broke that hundreds of cases of identity theft have been reported in the Tehachapi area. As a victim of identity theft myself, I know what it is like to feel that you don't have control of your personal information. That is why I have been working to increase awareness of the problem, and the measures that can be taken to help prevent identity theft.

  • The dissing of America's most significant Latina

    For Dolores Huerta to deliver the standard "the world is your oyster" speech would not be in keeping with her heartfelt concern for the underprivileged and disenfranchised among us.

  • The dissing of America's most significant Latina

    For Dolores Huerta to deliver the standard "the world is your oyster" speech would not be in keeping with her heartfelt concern for the underprivileged and disenfranchised among us.

Forum

Letters to the Editor

Submit your letter to the editor for publication. The letter must be less than 250 words. We limit publishing letters to local authors and one published letter every six weeks. Letters must be signed by an individual (not a group of people) and include your name, address and phone number for verification purposes. We will only publish your name and city. Email letter to opinion@bakersfield.com.

  • Put prisoners to work

    I certainly agree with Randy Fendrick regarding the tattered American flags. ("Tattered flag irks resident," June 10.) I have gone into a number of businesses to "remind" them that their flag needed to be replaced. Most of them have thanked me and they took care of it.

  • Fixing economic mess

    Our local and nationwide economic disaster was caused by banks' and loaning institutions' aggressive and successful loan activities, which exceeded the borrowers' capability to repay.

  • Not so golden state

    Do they call California "The Golden State?" Is this the same state that has the biggest budget deficit of any state in the union? Is this the same state that has 10 of the top 13 cities in the country with the highest unemployment rate? Is this the same state that has some of the highest gas prices in the country? Is this the same state that can't fix a road if the governor's life depended on it?

  • Fly flag proudly

    From the majestic Redwood Forest to the gulfstream to the eastern seaboards, the beauty of America shines. The blood, sweat and tears of our forefathers gave us our Constitution that America was built on. You ask why I love America? There are way too many things to count.

Sound Off

  • Sound off for June 14

    Reader: I was very disturbed about the bullying article. As a teacher of a couple of the students, I can attest they are exceptional young men. They're typically well-behaved and, since they don't have a pattern of bullying, it must have been a prank gone wrong. So why, with all the possible topics on our national economic, political and social crises, did you publish this on the front page?

  • Sound off for May 31

    Reader: This is in reference to the front page of Thursday's Californian. The headline is "Girl shoots baby brother" and then there is a picture of this precious little girl.

  • Sound Off for May 10, 2009

    Reader: I must say I am extremely disappointed in last Sunday's real estate "column" that is nothing more than an advertisement for real estate services. The crux of the argument that this is a good time to buy in the article revolves around inventory. The argument, as I can see it, is that since inventories have been shrinking, now would be a good time to buy.

  • Sound off for May 3

    Reader: I enjoyed reading Thursday's article about San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's bid for the Democratic nomination for governor of the state of California.

Viewpoints