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Nothing's Free
July, 2024 - Issue #232
To keep an eye on the pulse of Santa Clarita, one must, at least occasionally, visit the r/SantaClarita subreddit. It skews liberal, male, Millennial-ish and mildly conspiratorial. Some of its top posts of all time make fun of SCV Karens or warn about an apparent skinwalker demon on "Serria" Highway. Lately, though, there's been a focus on how expensive things are. Someone complains about alleged gastrointestinal issues from $14 strawberries at the farmers market. Another talks high HOA fees. Yet another bemoans the new Six Flags surcharge on food. Even Redditors, who aren't famous for leaving their homes, are noticing that nothing in Santa Clarita is free these days.
No Free Ride for Adjunct Faculty
The College of the Canyons is in an awkward situation because it accidentally overpaid hundreds of adjunct faculty. The Signal's Perry Smith broke the story, revealing some $120,000 in excess pay from a "clerical error." With 270 faculty involved, that's an average of about $444 each, and the mistake was spread out over many months, so it's easy to see how professors might not have noticed. Further, $120,000 is less than 0.1 percent of the college's $165 million general fund (per COC's "Fast Facts"), and some employees make over $522,000 in pay and benefits, so this error wasn't a huge sum in terms of overall budget.
What to do now? Well, COC asked for the money back - and some faculty were already responding to repay. More complicated options, including talk of debt forgiveness and repayment plans, have been proposed by various parties. Then there's the matter of this error costing more money as more staff time is dedicated to resolving it. As of this writing, there was no final timeline for resolution of the over-payments, but we've all learned a lesson that money never comes free.
The Open Road
After paying off the car, driving an electric vehicle can feel almost free. A charge from a solar-powered home can be very cheap indeed. But before you smugly pass yet another gas station, know that the good times may be coming to an end. This year, CalTrans is offering some drivers up to $400 in incentives to track their mileage in either hi-tech (trackers) or low-tech (odometer photos) ways. Participants will be selected this month. This pilot program could lead to all drivers paying a few cents a mile in taxes, which helps make up for all the Tesla drivers who don't pay gas taxes.
Even if driving isn't exactly free for your wallet, being on the road has always felt free in another sense: you have the possibility of going wherever you like. That feeling of freedom, too, may be diminishing. The California State Senate recently passed a bill to require speed governors, which beep aggressively when you go 10 mph over the speed limit, in all new cars. It may not become law, but the hope is to curtail speed-related fatalities. In sum, future summer road trips may be paid by every responsibly-driven mile.
Horse-Free
There are some apparent exceptions to my thesis that nothing's free in Santa Clarita. Sitting at the Fourth of July Parade, which celebrates American freedom and independence, will not take any cash out of your bank account. You can wave to the firefighters who have a very busy summer ahead, see all kinds of community groups that you had no idea existed and cheer on whoever won the coveted title of Little Miss SCV 2024. You won't be seeing horses, though. This year's parade entry form announces in at least four different spots, always in all caps, that "horses are no longer allowed to participate in the parade."
No horses? That's outrageous for a town with the Western Walk of Stars and a cowboy festival. Sammy Clarita, our City mascot, is a horse. Sure, horses poop in the street and can trample people, but I'd happily sign a waiver acknowledging those inconveniences. If any reader has camels, elephants, particularly-sturdy goats or any other type of ride-able livestock not expressly forbidden, please try to get in before it's too late. We heart the long history of SCV's biggest parade and hope it doesn't change too much.
This column is intended as satire and a (sometimes successful) attempt at humor. Suggestions and catty comments intended for the author can be e-mailed to iheartscv@insidescv.com.
"If any reader has camels, elephants, particularly-sturdy goats or any other type of ride-able livestock not EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN, please try to get in before it's too late."
No Free Ride for Adjunct Faculty
The College of the Canyons is in an awkward situation because it accidentally overpaid hundreds of adjunct faculty. The Signal's Perry Smith broke the story, revealing some $120,000 in excess pay from a "clerical error." With 270 faculty involved, that's an average of about $444 each, and the mistake was spread out over many months, so it's easy to see how professors might not have noticed. Further, $120,000 is less than 0.1 percent of the college's $165 million general fund (per COC's "Fast Facts"), and some employees make over $522,000 in pay and benefits, so this error wasn't a huge sum in terms of overall budget.
What to do now? Well, COC asked for the money back - and some faculty were already responding to repay. More complicated options, including talk of debt forgiveness and repayment plans, have been proposed by various parties. Then there's the matter of this error costing more money as more staff time is dedicated to resolving it. As of this writing, there was no final timeline for resolution of the over-payments, but we've all learned a lesson that money never comes free.
The Open Road
After paying off the car, driving an electric vehicle can feel almost free. A charge from a solar-powered home can be very cheap indeed. But before you smugly pass yet another gas station, know that the good times may be coming to an end. This year, CalTrans is offering some drivers up to $400 in incentives to track their mileage in either hi-tech (trackers) or low-tech (odometer photos) ways. Participants will be selected this month. This pilot program could lead to all drivers paying a few cents a mile in taxes, which helps make up for all the Tesla drivers who don't pay gas taxes.
Even if driving isn't exactly free for your wallet, being on the road has always felt free in another sense: you have the possibility of going wherever you like. That feeling of freedom, too, may be diminishing. The California State Senate recently passed a bill to require speed governors, which beep aggressively when you go 10 mph over the speed limit, in all new cars. It may not become law, but the hope is to curtail speed-related fatalities. In sum, future summer road trips may be paid by every responsibly-driven mile.
Horse-Free
There are some apparent exceptions to my thesis that nothing's free in Santa Clarita. Sitting at the Fourth of July Parade, which celebrates American freedom and independence, will not take any cash out of your bank account. You can wave to the firefighters who have a very busy summer ahead, see all kinds of community groups that you had no idea existed and cheer on whoever won the coveted title of Little Miss SCV 2024. You won't be seeing horses, though. This year's parade entry form announces in at least four different spots, always in all caps, that "horses are no longer allowed to participate in the parade."
No horses? That's outrageous for a town with the Western Walk of Stars and a cowboy festival. Sammy Clarita, our City mascot, is a horse. Sure, horses poop in the street and can trample people, but I'd happily sign a waiver acknowledging those inconveniences. If any reader has camels, elephants, particularly-sturdy goats or any other type of ride-able livestock not expressly forbidden, please try to get in before it's too late. We heart the long history of SCV's biggest parade and hope it doesn't change too much.
This column is intended as satire and a (sometimes successful) attempt at humor. Suggestions and catty comments intended for the author can be e-mailed to iheartscv@insidescv.com.
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