Guest View

While 2006 was a year of great growth and learning for me, both personally and professionally, I am happy to see it go. It was a tough year for many locally as we struggled with the (in some cases, very) premature loss of some beloved members of our community due to malice or inattentiveness, and nationally, as we struggled through the loss and injury of soldiers involved in wars on two fronts that become ever more difficult to sustain, financially, practically, and morally.

I've pretty much discounted the reality (or rather, unreality) of the next few weeks of Christmas and am already looking forward to a new year. So is the governor it seems, as he seeks to devise a proposal that addresses the crisis of inadequate health care for the entire population of California. Because so many of California's non-profits are health care providers or greatly impacted by the ramifications of poor health care policies and practices, the California Association of Non-profits asked about what is going on around the state, particularly in the area of private and public partnerships.

We welcome news that the federal Department of the Interior's

As the U.S. House of Representatives continues discussion on proposed immigration legislation, the California Farm Bureau Federation cannot support a part of the bill that addresses agricultural employees.

Our City Council's alarm with LAFCO's response to a city project

It is a fact that two words still strike terror in my heart: Valentine's Day. This is not because I don't believe in love and hearts and all. It's just that every Feb. 14 I suffer unfortunate flashbacks to my grade-school days, which, truth be told, occurred lots of decades ago.

Because the city council is nearing a decision about the

Alex Epstein