Free Republic

Editor's note: This column was authored by Patrick Hauf.Trendy environmentalist virtue signaling continues to thrive in California. Not content with bans on plastic bags and straws, west coast Democrats are flexing their green muscles yet again—this time, with a proposal to prohibit the use of paper receipts. Sure, this bill may be well-intentioned, but its promises are empty, and its only real impact will be boosting big corporations in Silicon Valley. California Assemblyman Phil Ting introduced the bill to ban paper receipts under state law in early January. The lawmaker awkwardly announced his initiative while standing next to a man...

The phrase “sanctuary city” should be redundant. Cities should be sanctuaries for citizens. Period.The surrounding walls of a community kept inhabitants safe from marauding tribes in the Middle Ages. To this day, Vatican City has its ancient surroundings. Israel has a fence, with a cement wall in key sections, to protect their citizenry from Islamic terrorists and West Bank agitators. Those cities are safe, or at least safer.American citizens, though, are finding less safety in their cities. In California, there are at least 35 sanctuary cities in the lawless sense: illegal aliens can live and work in these areas, and...