Former SLO City Councilman Ashbaugh

Excellent summary of the problems facing those in the Biden Administration, climate activists, and the fossil fuel industry as they negotiate the first critical steps to implement Biden's Climate Action Plan. There are no easy answers - but ALL of these solutions depend, fundamentally, on a carbon pricing strategy that would dramatically reduce carbon emissions through market-based incentives and penalties. Yes penalties. Those who use our scarce and diminishing carbon emission allowances MUST be made to pay a higher price. There's just no alternative. As to how to use the funds generated by the new carbon taxes, there are MANY options - including subsidies to those who would suffer the greatest distributional impacts.

S rising star in the California Legislature, Monique Limon had the good sense to hire my friend Benjamin Peterson for her staff last year.

It's hard to imagine that insurrectionist Senator Josh Hawley of MIssouri is also the author of a biography of Theodore Roosevelt. It would seem that anyone who was even remotely familiar with TR would also have been influenced to uphold the Constitution as both Hawley AND Roosevelt had sworn. It's apparent from reading some of the reviews of Hawley's book - like the one below - that Senator Hawley holds a profound delusion about TR's political philosophy - anyone who calls TR a "conservative" must be thoroughly confused about American history.

Cheryl Conway was a good friend to so many of us, especially those who are concerned with good representation among our local elected officials. She died yesterday of a severe coronary incident, in spite of emergency surgery at French Hospital. She will be - and she already is - very much missed.

The Pismo Preserve may be closed for now, but when it's open, expect it to be swamped by readers of the LA Times...

If you've been wondering what to expect on the San Luis Ranch project between Madonna Road and Highway 101, south of the Post Office, this article in today's SLO Tribune is forecasting that some of the model homes will be available to view as early as June. It's been a long time coming: I was on the Council when the City approved the new General Plan and zoning for this project in 2014. Over half of the 577 homes will be multi-family, and at least 68 are priced according to the City's "affordable housing" price constraints for low- and very-low-income households. Congratulations to Gary Grossman and Cate Norton for bringing this project so close to fruition, and for fulfilling your commitments to the City!

Hope to see you at the History Center Holiday BBQ on Sunday!

I'm very pleased to see that my friend and ally Dawn Ortiz Legg will be filling the seat of our late friend Adam Hill on the Board of Supervisors! There were many well-qualified candidates, including Kara Woodruff and Mariam Shah as well as Erica Flores Baltodano - and isn't it interesting to see how all the top candidates were female? Dawn will carry on the fight for the County's homeless, the poor and unemployed, and all those who have been left behind by the pandemic and by years of socio-economic policies that favor the wealthy and the well-connected. Congratulations on getting the call from the Governor, Dawn Ortiz Legg!

As a devout Christian, I feel conflicted whenever my faith is associated with the people described in this essay

I almost can't even look at these faces anymore. Fortunately, I will not have to look at them much longer!