Three Untold Central Coast Stories

What important, yet untold Central Coast stories, do you know about? When I say "untold," I mean the ones that get a couple of column inches in the back of the paper. Maybe a mention on Eyewitless News. If at all.

A few untold stories to suggest, after hearing from knowledgeable sources:

1) THE TOXIC ALGAE bloom that is in our central coast ocean waters. This is a recurring problem that has begun happening to this degree in only the past five years or so. Seems summer is the time for this growth.

Marine life dies and surfers get very sick from it. Some reporters say domoic acid is a "naturally occuring" poison in our ocean. Others say man made run off from the land is known to feed it and make it grow.

Think about it: when you want (toxic) algae to grow, mix in farm chemicals and sewage in warm summer seawater.

2) CASMALIA TOXIC DUMP and the "clean up" of this Superfund site. Observers who have talked with EPA people know about it and say "scandal" is written all over this one. Maybe this would be a cub reporter's dream story.

3) SB COUNTY SPLIT into a proposed "Mission County" and Santa Barbara County remainder. The commission studying the idea recently issued its report and the idea does not look feasible: the new county would begin with a huge debt. We have yet to read a real analysis of which special interests will gain or lose--and how much--from the split. Do you know who the people are behind this whole idea?

Proponents say they could "privatize" county services and pay for employees on the cheap without offering the usual benefits and retirement plans other counties use to attract quality people in the first place. We'll hear a lot more on this when the regular election season rolls around next year.

So there you have my suggestions for the most underreported, untold stories of impact on the Central Coast. If you have a story topic to add to this list, please email me at the address at the top of the right hand column.

Always like to hear from readers who have something to say! Sphere: Related Content