Bakersfield.com Ric Llewellyn

RIC LLEWELLYN: Let's propose our own solutions to immigration reform

Mon, 13 May 2013 07:38:36 PDT

In 2006 there was a big bipartisan push for "comprehensive immigration reform." Remember?

In the Senate a few Republican stalwarts joined with Democrat icons to finally solve the American immigration problem.

RIC LLEWELLYN: 'Party first' is bad for the valley

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:50:04 PDT

I was surprised when I read that Fran Florez would drop her bid for the 16th Senate District seat.

It wasn't that she would not compete. I was utterly amazed by the REASON she gave for dropping out.

RIC LLEWELLYN: Let's be honest about cost of shiny blue recycling bins

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 07:06:05 PDT

A couple of weeks ago as I was returning home from work, I rolled onto the block and noticed a shiny new blue trash can sitting in the driveway.

"We don't do curbside recycling," I thought.

RIC LLEWELLYN: Next senator should be force for ideological compromise

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 12:00:00 PST

Michael Rubio quit the California Senate. That won't be the end of the story, but maybe it should be.

It's fair to review his voting record. Project Vote Smart provides insight into how he represented the 16th Senate District. Some of the most interesting votes were his "not voting" votes.

RIC LLEWELLYN: Why do we need immigration reform?

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 12:00:00 PST

Why do we need "comprehensive immigration reform?" Why do we need any immigration reform? Seriously, what is the need we have as a nation that drives changing our current laws on immigration and naturalization?

Maybe we are trying to solve a problem we don't even have.

RIC LLEWELLYN: Is it a gun problem or a violence problem?

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 20:00:00 PST

I agree with Robert Price. This gun control stuff is tricky business.

He and I would probably find that we have some disagreements on the issue. But we would agree that the NRA isn't much for negotiating the Second Amendment.

RIC LLEWELLYN: Act for the good of the union -- in its entirety

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 12:00:00 PST

By RIC LLEWELLYN

Contributing columnist

RIC LLEWELLYN: What does 'save the schools' really mean?

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 12:00:00 PST

No matter what we do, there's never enough money for schools. Do you remember these headlines from The Californian?

Nov. 3, 2012 -- "Schools face harsh reality if Prop. 30 fails."

RIC LLEWELLYN: It takes running a marathon to reach goals

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 12:00:00 PST

I want to be an Ironman. Ironman is a triathlon that begins with a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride and finishes with a 26.2-mile run.

Some people want to be fighter pilots, welders, teachers or entrepreneurs. In its own way every big personal goal is like becoming an Ironman.

RIC LLEWELLYN: Why women should vote for Romney

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 23:00:06 PDT

I am a man. Should that make a difference? Should being a man disqualify me from talking about birth control and abortion? Do women think I don't have anything useful to say just because I am a man?

Don't cite the crackpots when it comes to thoughtful debate on women's issues. That is a dishonest ploy to delegitimize our contribution.

RIC LLEWELLYN: Let's change workings of Electoral College

Sat, 13 Oct 2012 12:00:00 PDT

Kern County is a good place to live if you are politically conservative. Maybe a little frustrating if you are politically progressive.We have a presidential election coming up in a few weeks. Many of us in Kern County are committed to voting every time there is an election. We take the right, the opportunity and the responsibility seriously regardless of our political affiliation.

From time to time we have an election that creates a lot of passion on one side or the other. Sometimes the passions rise on both sides. Recently the presidential elections have been like that.

RIC LLEWELLYN: Dog owners, don't skip obedience training

Sat, 22 Sep 2012 12:00:00 PDT

Dog owners need to take their dog owning responsibility a little more seriously.

It's not like having kids ... well, yes, it is like having kids. If you don't nurture them, socialize them, set boundaries for them and teach them how to behave in society it could end up in calamity.

RIC LLEWELLYN: Californians deserve a spot in their own CSU system

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 12:00:00 PDT

"CSU approves $300 fee increase." Headline from the Sacramento Business Journal on May 13, 2009.

"Cal State University approves 15% tuition hike." Businessweek, Nov. 10, 2010.

RIC LLEWELLYN: Intelligent design deserves exploration in schools

Sat, 11 Aug 2012 12:00:00 PDT

School starts in a couple of weeks and I have a question about the curriculum. Why don't we teach intelligent design in our public schools?

Yes I'm a Christian and I believe in creation. But teaching a creation model, or intelligent design, isn't my idea of clandestine proselytizing. It's part of the larger goal of teaching kids how to think, not simply what to think.

RIC LLEWELLYN: We must take a real interest in who we're electing

Sat, 21 Jul 2012 12:00:00 PDT

I have never been one for "party politics." I embraced an anti-party attitude the very first time I voted when I wrote in Shirley Chisholm for president in 1972.

I've become a little more pragmatic over the years. For our republic (either state or federal) the two-party system may actually be the natural condition. The political discussion on topics like marijuana collectives, the bullet train and public employee pensions often breaks into two main positions.