Re: Sam Hackett’s Nov. 29 letter, “Never, ever surrender�:

Sam, you are the man!

It seems the anti-war folks would have us surrender our superpower status. Who do they hope to see in this position anyway? Oh, “a one-world global family.� Pardon me while I recover from spastic laughter.

— Helen Torkelsen, Camarillo

Why would Pope Benedict attempt to reduce the number of sex crimes against children by proscribing the entry of gays into seminaries? There is no statistical link between pedophilia and homosexuality.

On the other hand, there is one group responsible for the overwhelming number of such crimes. Why not refuse entry to them? To men, I mean?

Wasn’t it St. Augustine who said he believed because it was absurd?

— Margaret Morris, Ventura

We can understand why Supervisor John Flynn has a short fuse in trying to accomplish things in the City of Oxnard.

For about two years, we sought help from this town for a very bad problem we had, but it was to no avail. It was so bad we had to seek medical help and almost lost our home.

The final feasibility report for unification has been issued. The unification problems cited dictate the commission should not move forward on a unification vote.

The feasibility report recommends that the additional high school students will be housed at Adolfo Camarillo High School. We cannot accommodate 1,500 more students with our current infrastructure. At present, it is very difficult to navigate the main hall and the rest of the campus during passing periods. The traffic congestion in front of the school is unbearable after 7:30 a.m. Our restrooms, though remodeled, will not accommodate more students. In the cafeteria, many students currently wait in line 20 minutes of their 40-minute lunch period to get food.

Re: Sam Hackett’s Nov. 29 letter, “Never, ever surrender�:

According to Mr. Hackett, anyone who is against the Iraqi war, or, as he puts it, “surrenders,� is a traitor. I don’t know why he considers withdrawing from Iraq surrendering, since President Bush already declared “mission accomplished� years ago.

Personally, I consider it to be treasonous to lie to Americans about weapons of mass destruction and Iraqi-al-Qaida connections in order to wage a war, without a plan for peace, against a country that did nothing to us.

So much for protecting everybody’s rights.
 
I know this won’t be a popular letter, but it’s something that needs to be said. The Ventura City Council recently brought this city one step closer to banning smoking in parks and on beaches, and it did so under false pretenses.

Re: Barbara Hensley’s Nov. 29 letter, “The Black Friday woes�:

Thanks so much for publishing this letter. It made my day! After the laughter died down in our house, I just had to write and say once again that The Star’s “Your Letters� section continues to offer more laughs per column than the comics.

The writer drives to the outlet mall on Black Friday for a kitchen gadget. I’m sure all Camarillo residents who love crowds, congestion, heavy traffic and waiting in lines laughed along with her when she mused, “What was I thinking?"

Re: your Nov. 27 article, “4 soldiers face reprimand after bodies of Taliban burned�:

Four of our soldiers are being punished again for doing something they do not understand. How can our leaders send our boys over to a land they know nothing about?

We as Americans have our beliefs — Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran. I don’t even understand the Quran or how they practice their religion.

Re: Jane Slater’s Nov. 27 letter, “What is vendetta all about?�

There’s a simple answer: unionism.

Wal-Mart offers good products at good prices so the consumer’s needs are met. Despite the lies told about Wal-Mart, their wages and benefits are in line with industry averages. They are the largest employer in America, and as Ms. Slater noticed, none of those employees are chained or shackled.

Re: Jane Slater’s Nov. 27 letter, “What is vendetta all about?�:

In response to Jane Slater’s request to “get off Wal-Mart’s back,� all I can say is, “Please do a little research of your own.�

All big-box stores are not alike. There isn’t space to list all the “wonders that are Wal-Mart� here. But here is a sampling:

Wow! Time has flown by again, and here we are, already heading toward Winter Break.

It was Thanksgiving Day, and we were lying around our house groaning from overeating, trying to remember whom to give thanks to, when we realized that the next day was the beginning of the best season of all, when we gather up all our cash, credit cards and checkbooks and hit the sales. We can buy stuff for everybody we can think of. What a great season it is!

Of course, as usual, there will be some Christian zealots who will try to turn it into some kind of religious celebration. Never mind! Shop, shop, shop! Have a very merry Winter Break!

— Roger Muir, Ventura

In reading about the diverse efforts going on in the Rio School District, I couldn’t help but think back to the time when the former superintendent was in charge.

It is my personal opinion that the genesis of today’s problems stem from that time and those circumstances. For persons with a real interest in the matter, I urge them to read the 2002-2003 Ventura County Grand Jury Report on the matter. It can easily be accessed at http://grandjury.countyofventura.org/ When at the site, click on reports and go to the 2002-2003 Report.

— Richard S. Hawley, Thousand Oaks

American proponents of torture admit the practice is morally reprehensible and contrary to every respectable ideal of a free society. Despite that, they claim, there are times when our national security requires it.

But there are fundamental problems, even on purely utilitarian grounds, with the argument “sometimes torture is unfortunately necessary.� And for utility’s sake, the most serious problem is this: Torture does not yield clear and compelling statements of the truth.

Under torture or threat of torture, real people give four main kinds of information:

Re: your Nov. 27 article, “Life of Crips co-founder in the hands of governor�:

This article reminds me of a Halloween ball: Let’s put a nice face on a monster.

Stanley “Tookie� Williams may have written children’s books, but how many children lost their lives to the gangs that Williams created?

If Williams is granted clemency, then they should grant clemency for the remaining death row prisoners because the death sentence is meaningless.

If Stanley “Tookie� Williams is executed on Dec. 13, poisoned to death by the State of California, his fame will have doomed him. We will have killed an innocent man without even realizing it.

On the other hand, if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger pardons Williams because he has rehabilitated himself, his fame will have saved him, and the crucial question of his innocence will simply fade away.

It was that auspicious day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday, and I needed groceries. So, let’s shop! Wrong! What was I thinking?

I live in good old safe Camarillo. Here we have one of the biggest shopping outlets around. I needed a kitchen gadget. So, I set out on what was to become one horrifying odyssey.

When I arrived at the “outlet,� I could not believe my eyes. Unfortunately, the bigger picture lay inside the arena, for that is what it was: an arena. There before my eyes was a great circus of writhing humanity and horseless carriages going nowhere fast, and I was trapped.

Re: Jonathan Ziv’s Nov. 22 commentary, “County spanked over boating center�:

I cannot help wondering why The Star did not report the happenings at the Wednesday meeting of county supervisors and the California Coastal Commission.

It seems that Supervisor John Flynn was the only board member who was interested in adhering to the modifications imposed by the Coastal Commission, with Supervisor Steve Bennett and the rest of the supervisors evading the issue for many months, culminating in the other supervisors trying to silence Flynn.

Re: your Nov. 16 article, “Seven things to do with $315 million�:

It is interesting to me that luxury items such as private jets to fly to private islands and paying more to the already overpaid sports teams, staying in luxury hotels, etc., are the first thoughts of a winner — even in jest.

I commend the writer for thinking of our underprotected troops in Iraq and elsewhere in the world, but two very glaring needs were not listed. They are additional budgets so desperately needed by our police forces and firefighters. They are even asking for senior citizen volunteers to fill in where there is a need that their budgets won’t allow. And this is not in jest.

I consider those who speak of surrender to the Arabs in the Middle East traitors. In my advanced years, I know I can speak for a lot of dead friends — some of whom were sunk in the western Pacific.

Many members of Congress and people in the media are traitors. Americans all the way back to the Revolutionary War did not quit or surrender or withdraw.

We know that Franklin D. Roosevelt did not really support us against the Japanese. He was interested in helping Stalin, something that has been documented. However, Adm. Chester Nimitz, our leader, did not know or hear of withdrawal or surrender. We survived and won.

I am a concerned citizen in Oxnard. I live at the intersection of Wooley Road and Novato Drive. I would estimate we have, on average, a vehicle accident every three months.

Each time we have an accident, I contact the traffic engineers to see about getting a traffic signal at our corner. Now when I call, they don’t even bother to call me back.

I have spoken to the Oxnard Police Department. I have been told the cost of a traffic signal is $100,000 and it probably would take a fatality or two to get that job done.

How ironic that the United States, a promoter of democracy, took China’s invention of gunpowder and used it to become the largest supplier of weapons throughout the world, while China, a suppressor of democracy, took our manufacturing ideas and is on its way to becoming the world’s greatest economic power. 

— Steve Crandall, Camarillo
 

There is more to supporting our troops than sticking decals on our cars and slogans like “Support Our Troops,� “God bless America� and “United We Stand.� It entails more than sending Christmas cards and cookies.

With more than 2,000 dead and 16,000 wounded, we must see that the families of those killed be adequately taken care of and the wounded have the best of medical attention.

In spite of this, a hypocritical Republican-controlled Congress has voted as a bloc to cut budgets to Veterans Affairs. One of the worst examples of this was when Congress defeated by one vote a proposal to add a paltry $9 million to the VA for prosthetics.

I am disgusted by the nerve of Supervisor Steve Bennett, Kathy Long and Judy Mikels for putting special restrictions on Supervisor John Flynn. This is a disgrace.

Flynn is an honest man and always willing to give of his time, regardless of how busy he is to those in his district. This is a fact. A friend and I went to him and met with him three or four times for help.

We could not have a better supervisor, and this is why we always keep him in office.

Re: your Nov. 19 article, “Scientific advances raise questions about Jesus�:

I continue to be amazed that Christians are so involved in discussions about how Jesus was born, how he was conceived and who his parents were.

I would hope that Christians would spend their time discussing the words of the Sermon on the Mount. Here we find the teachings of Jesus. This is where we find out who Jesus was. These verses spell out the requirements for becoming a follower of Christ. In my mind, this is all we need to know.

— Lois V. Barrus, Moorpark

Re: Thomas D. Elias’ Nov. 21 commentary, “Californians will pay more under new tax code�:
Mr. Elias wants to fight to protect California taxpayers with large mortgages against proposals for simplifying the federal tax code.

Apparently, he has no concern for young Ventura County residents who will never be able to realize the American dream of homeownership in Ventura County.

Income tax deductions for mortgage interest is not only a great benefit to homeowners, but it actually encourages people to purchase or build more expensive homes than they would without the deduction.

We are a civilization assaulted and distracted by noise — noise of traffic, TV, incessant conversation, construction, telephones, pagers, advertisements, ad infinitum.

Everywhere, masses of people are using their cell phones, totally oblivious to their surroundings, uncaring whether the voice is interfering with others.

Statistics inform us that more than half of the civilized world has access to cell phones. It is a blessing as well as a curse. For those who have been deprived of communication, it is a blessing. However, one cannot shop or travel without observing the constant use of cell phones.

Re: Paul D. Sanders’s Nov. 22 commentary, “Anesthesiology decision part of a trend�:

I have just one simple question: If any of the high-ranking Wellpoint executives or their families require one of these “routine� colonoscopic and upper endoscopic examinations, will an exception be quietly made for them to receive anesthesiologist-administered Diprivan anesthesia?

Or perhaps exceptions for them are unnecessary, thanks to generous compensation packages that cover all of their out-of-pocket medical expenses.

If General Motors really wants to resurrect itself from imminent ruin, all it has to do is become the first carmaker in the world to modify its engines to run on biodiesel fuel, which is made from slightly refined vegetable oil. Biodiesel is cheaper, more environmentally friendly and could potentially end American farm subsidies. GM could even open its own biodiesel fueling stations across the United States, thus ending our dependence on foreign oil. But given GM’s track record, they’ll probably wait for the Japanese to do it first.

— John Blumenthal, Westlake Village

Re: Clint Matkovich’s Nov. 15 letter, “North Park’s impact�:

As a Moorpark College student, I must respond to this letter from Mr. Matkovich, who also identifies himself as a Moorpark College student. I have learned as a college student that there are fellow students who do their homework, and there are those who do not.

He is correct that fellow students have difficulties with traffic near the college, but incorrect in stating North Park would make it worse. Aren’t we taught to reach conclusions based on research?

There’s a warning coming in your next natural gas bill. Once over the shock of the sudden increase, understand this price spike is a preview of the future unless California takes action.

Californians for Clean Affordable Safe Energy is a statewide coalition that believes liquefied natural gas must be added to our energy mix. While we are the 10th-largest consumer of natural gas in the world, we produce only 13 percent of what we need. Without action, growing demand and production hiccups will mean ever-rising gas bills.

New power plants run on natural gas, which means electric bills will be affected too.

Re: Larry Ames Nov. 20 column, “This rivalry getting a little too heated�:

Ames’ column on the Nordhoff-Oaks Christian rivalry seems uninformed. Ames equally blames both schools for the “inappropriate atmosphere� at the game. Ames is correct in saying there was an “inappropriate atmosphere� at the game, but he failed to notice all but one of the unsportsmanlike penalties were against Oaks Christian. 

I was unable to attend the Nov. 9 liquefied natural gas forum sponsored by the city of Oxnard, only recently viewing the tapes on Channel 10.

I was dismayed to hear Star senior reporter John Krist, one of my favorite environmental writers, make some totally uninformed statements about gas pipelines. Several people from the audience voiced loud disapproval, and Krist, in his closing statements attributed the dissent to an unpopular position on his part.

Re: Rosalind Thomas’ Nov. 22 letter, “No jackpot for schools�:

In response to Thomas, $78.6 million is going to California public schools from the same lottery sales that yielded the MEGA Millions $315 million jackpot won by seven healthcare workers two weeks ago.

Anytime people want to see exactly how much in lottery-generated funds have gone to a school district, we urge them to log onto http://www.calottery.com, click on “supporting education,� then “lottery funds at work,� then “how much money.

As we move into the holiday season, it is important to remember that one’s gift of time can be just as valuable as gifts of treasure.

Each year at this time, numerous nonprofit organizations in our county benefit from the support of hundreds of volunteers. In fact, without volunteerism, many nonprofits would be unable to provide important holiday programs and services that truly make a difference in the lives of thousands of Ventura County residents.

Re: Irma Schneider’s Nov. 8 letter, “Glad to be a Republican�:

Ms. Schneider states, “Until Democrats can come up with solutions to correct the world’s problems, I’ll continue voting for the Republicans.�

According to this pseudo-logic, the United States is now responsible for “correcting the world’s problems.� What a novel idea. I wonder how many more countries we must invade on the basis of flawed and manufactured intelligence before we “correct the world’s problems?�

— Barry Long, Ventura

Re: Saylor S. Milton’s Nov. 20 commentary, “Land-use initiatives squeeze out much-needed housing�:

Milton reports his long antipathy to Save Open-space and Agricultural Resources and portends doom for our county if it should continue.

Continue it must.

Consider this: At some point in the future, were S.O.A.R. not to exist, Ventura County would become completely built-out, a la Orange County. Wall-to-wall housing and retail with a little industry here and there.

What is this vendetta against a Wal-Mart store coming to Ventura?

It would, if going on the site of Kmart, only be replacing a large store already there. And as for all this talk of how Wal-Mart treats its staff, if it is so bad to work for the company, how come people are there working each day?

In my visits to the Oxnard store, I have seen the same faces for a long while working there, not chained and shackled, I might add.

Re: Pa Ventura’s Nov. 12 item, “To Moorpark�:

The purpose of my letter is to correct the mistaken impression given by Pa Ventura’s comment in The Star concerning the recently concluded Civil War Reenactment in Moorpark.

Pa asked: “Wouldn’t it have been more appropriate to stage a re-enactment of the peace treaty?� If Pa had taken the time to visit the Rotary Web site or spoken with The Star staff reporter who attended the event, he would have a better grasp of the many activities taking place during the event.

Is anyone else becoming irked by the game of salary leap-frog played by senior public servants in California? One county, for whatever reason, gives its sheriff, for example, a big raise, and immediately all other county sheriffs deserve one, too.

Ventura County appears to offer adequate pay to attract competent personnel, and my view is that if a county official wants a significant salary increase, he or she should apply for a job in a county which offers it.

Otherwise, accept a modest boost like the majority of tax-paying Ventura County residents can expect next year.

— Dale Osborn, Camarillo

Re: your Nov. 18 article, “House OKs bill cutting deficit�:

Again, I see that our representatives in Washington, D.C., have sharpened their axes for another chopping session. It amazes me, and I am sure others also, that our representatives are looking out for themselves and the wealthy. Otherwise, why is it that whenever there are cuts in the budget it always hurts the ones who need it the most?

In California, there have been too many cuts affecting the poor, students, teachers and various emergency workers already. We surely don’t need more of the same from Washington.

It is absolutely breathtaking that the Bush administration really thinks that all it has to do is attack someone who speaks out and that will take care of the message as well as the messenger. We get it, we Americans. We’re not fooled by despicable tactics. If anyone is undermining our troops’ morale and those who are not being patriotic, it’s the ones who slander our war veterans.

Keep in mind that our troops now serving in Iraq will come home and what are they coming home to? A government who will trash them if they dare to speak the truth. We also get it that these same people who are slandering our war vets did not serve. It took more courage for Rep. John Murtha to speak out than to keep quiet. I applaud him and respect him, for he knew what would come from the other side, but it didn’t matter.

As Rep. John Murtha wrapped up his press conference last week, a reporter eager for one last quote said, “Senators Warner and Stevens said they have yet to meet a single soldier who thought it was time to pull out of Iraq.�

Murtha replied: “The soldiers aren’t going to tell you that. I told you what the soldiers say. They’re proud of their service. They’re looking at their friends. We are here — we have an obligation to speak for them.�

With so many Christians now in favor of the intelligent designer over God, can we expect others changes as well?

“In Intelligent Designer we trust,� “One nation under Intelligent Designer,� “Our Intelligent Designer who art in …� and, of course, “Thou shalt have no other Intelligent Designer before me.�

— John Mulchay, Camarillo

Our El Rio neighborhood continues to be unsafe due to the construction of the sewer project mandated by the State of California, even after many letters, calls and e-mails to the county’s project manager and project manager of Ace Engineering, which was awarded the bid on this project.

We certainly understand and expect inconvenience and the general mess construction brings to any project, but this project is beyond an inconvenience. It has become a war zone.

The most frustrating thing about this project is that there is no communication from the county or Ace Engineering, and when we do get any information, most of the time it’s wrong.

The next time Ventura City Manager Rick Cole approaches the City Council — or County Chief Executive Officer Johnny Johnston comes to the Board of Supervisors — with a proposal for yet another pay raise for department heads and all other managers, the council and the board should remind themselves of who was on the fire lines protecting Ventura on November 18, and then give them the pay raise instead.

And the next time the council and the board feel like trotting out the old “recruit and retain� mantra as justification,  they should place their thumbs firmly against their noses and wiggle their fingers at the taxpayers and all the public employees who are “on the line� every day, because that’s the reality of what they’re doing.

Our El Rio neighborhood continues to be unsafe due to the construction of a sewer project mandated by the State of California, even after many letters, calls and e-mails to the county’s project manager and project manager of Ace Engineering, who was awarded the bid on this project.

We certainly understand and expect inconvenience and the general mess construction brings to any project, but this project is beyond an inconvenience. It has become a war zone.

Re: your Nov. 18 article, “New Los Angeles Ave. to get a new name�:

The Moorpark City Council has authorized the expenditure of $20,000 to change street signs.

So let me see if I understand this. For the same cost as educating three children in the district’s public schools, six to 10 street signs will have the word “New� removed. Wow, seems like a bargain!

— Jerre Reimers, Simi Valley

Re: Frank Moraga’s Nov. 18 essay, “Wanted: college graduates�:

Frank Moraga is correct in stating that per capita income in California is projected to decline substantially over the next few decades. This is primarily due to a population shift that is creating a proportionally larger Latino workforce.

Unfortunately, this growing Latino workforce is not nearly as well educated or as highly paid as the previous generations of workers they are replacing. In practical terms, what that means for California is that we have a growing population but shrinking tax base.

Re: your Nov. 20 article, “Top 10 worst science jobs listed�:

I would like to thank The Star for choosing to post, in such a prominent position, Popular Science’s list of the top 10 worst science jobs.

The article listed the third-worst job as being a biology teacher in Kansas, just behind the positions of a human lab rat and a manure inspector, and ahead of being an orangutan urine collector and a semen washer.

I’d like to speak to volunteerism.

I have in my life struggled with many things financial, emotional and just getting through the day-to-day issues of life. In the course of it all, I frequently chose to ignore it and march on. Part of my marching on is to continue to give, in spite of circumstance.

In looking back over the years, volunteerism has given me peace. It has kept me active, aware and enriched my life.

I am a student and a mother of a student at Moorpark College, and I am deeply troubled by the academic and moral standards that are manifested in the classroom.

I’ve heard profanity, crude language and sexual innuendos consistently, not only by the students, but the instructors as well.

When I approached the dean of the school and the Department of Student Learning, I was told, “We are for broadening the mind, delivering a rounded education, and we want our students to think for themselves.�

I was flipping through the TV channels on Adelphia before dinner, and I happened to come across the Simi Valley YMCA “bill reading� event held at the City Council chambers.

I didn’t know much about the event, but watching the teenagers read their proposed laws and answer tough questions from a very informed panel of adults made me feel that the best days in this very cynical age are ahead of us as a nation.

Despite very negative news, attack ads and personal attacks, these students reminded me that a large part of self-government means that instead of criticizing others, we need to be proposing solutions. We need to go out on that limb and make our society a better place.

I agree with recent letter writers that Moorpark residents should take the time to get truly educated about the North Park Village plan, because from what I’ve seen, once you know the facts, it would be hard to ignore the plan’s depth and benefits.

I had the opportunity to attend a recent public information presentation by North Park representatives. I knew a little bit about what was proposed from newspaper reports in recent years of all the public hearings the applicant went through before the City Council and Planning Commission. Those hearings resulted in changes that made the plan even better, I learned.

U.S. Rep. Jack Murtha, D-Pa., has defended his country, not obtained deferments, as Vice President Dick Cheney and other Republicans have done. He has won two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. He should not be subjected to Swift Boat-style attacks by Karl Rove and Co. Jack Murtha is right about the need to get out of Iraq.

— Julia Gregg, Simi Valley

I find the treatment of U.S. Rep. Jack Murtha, D-Pa., by the White House and many other people reprehensible.

A decorated war veteran, a long-serving member of the House, an American — he deserves to have his opinion heard and debated on its merits.

Rep. Murtha has been subject to baseless attacks and character assassination for speaking his mind. More than 2,000 Americans have died in Iraq, ostensibly for democratic principles. There is no democratic principle greater than the right of free speech, the right to challenge your government when you feel that it needs to change direction.

Re: Gerry McGuire’s Nov. 16 letter, “Show respect�:

St. Bonaventure High School does not need me or anyone else to defend them. Simply look at their athletic and academic accomplishments.
 
Mr. McGuire’s letter contains a few statements that look to find fault with St. Bonaventure, its players and coaching staff and leave all others blameless.

Reading recent letters to the editor concerning the deplorable behavior of Oaks Christian High School in its football game versus Nordhoff High School compels me to write this short letter of protest.

I find it spineless, gutless and ridiculous that the California Interscholastic Federation and the principals and administrators at the high schools within the Tri-Valley League allow an athletic powerhouse that recruits all over eastern Ventura County and the San Fernando Valley to be in the same league with public schools which represent small communities like Ojai, Fillmore, Santa Paula and Carpinteria.

Re: Peg Hicks-Moore’s Nov. 17 letter, “Unification needed�:

We also have a son at Camarillo High School, as well as another son at Newbury Park High School. I would very much like to send my two younger sons to Camarillo High School but will not unless it’s truly a high school that continues the excellence we have come to expect in Camarillo elementary schools.

Now that my younger son is at Newbury Park, I have seen first-hand how a high school should be run and operated. I cannot risk sending another son to the stepchild of the Oxnard Union High School District.

Re: Rick Larsen’s Nov. 15 article, “Who’s rewriting history?�:

What Mr. Larsen’s piece was all about was taking events completely out of context and thereby making them more damning.

Conspicuous by its absence in Mr. Larsen’s commentary is any mention of Sept. 11, an event that understandably changed many people’s view of terrorism. While it is true that many Republicans did not think Saddam Hussein was a threat to our country before Sept. 11, is it surprising they changed their minds after that day?

Once again, President Bush is accusing the critics of his Iraq war policy of “rewriting history.� He first used this line in April 2003, when his prophecies about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction failed to materialize.

Anyone with a skeptical mind should be alarmed at this point, because he’s playing a rhetorical trick on us.

The critics aren’t “rewriting history,� because the arguments Mr. Bush used to justify war do not qualify as “history.� In fact, his claims have all proved false, which makes them the exact opposite of history.

A civil libertarian has to ask what has seriously gone wrong with our country.

Since the attack of Sept. 11, Americans have sat by and watched their civil rights diminished for the illusion of security.

The Patriot Act has allowed the government access to our reading habits and library records, among other things.

If this were not bad enough, we have witnessed a fight in the Senate to ban torture, with the president stating that he would veto any bill which limits his ability to use such tactics.

Re: your Nov. 15 article, “Airplane parts to become mountain dwelling�:

What a great idea to use idle land below Boney Mountain for an aircraft boneyard!

While the mountain itself is a California majestic pearl of beauty, the undeveloped land below it is so superfluous. There will still be plenty of land for indigenous plants and animals to satisfy those with environmental concerns. Besides, wild animals will snuggle up to just about anything mankind wants to embellish their habitat with.

I am fortunate enough to live near Kiddie Beach at Channel Islands Harbor, and I frequently walk the 200 yards along the jetty and walkway from Kiddie Beach to the ocean. This used to be one of the most beautiful gems of Southern California — except that:

1. The Kiddie Beach parking lot wall has been crumbling for over a year, and the pavement is being undermined.

2. Most of the Kiddie Beach disappears at high tide because sand has not been replenished.

3. The pollution problem has not been corrected.

Re: your Nov. 15 articles, “World’s largest retailer expects jolly holiday despite modest gain� and “Memo indicates more stores planned�:

This is another reminder to Ventura citizens that we must prepare for an application to operate a Wal-Mart on Victoria Street where Kmart is currently located.

Wal-Mart is proposing to open 484 new stores across the United States. We can’t be certain exactly where the Ventura store will be formally proposed to our city, but we understand that Kmart’s lease will be up in 2007. Likely, that would mean Wal-Mart would be proposed in January of 2007, and that’s approximately 13 months away.

Re: Richard Larsen’s Nov. 15 essay, “Who’s rewriting history?�

Richard Larsen may claim that others rewrite history. He, unfortunately, has a tendency to ignore it altogether.

Larsen displays his research prowess by digging up some old quotes concerning Iraq and weapons of mass destruction. His quotes first cover a period of time from February to May 2001, but then he suddenly shifts to October of 2002. He cites the sudden shift in opinion between these two time periods as evidence that Bush misled the public about the Iraq war.

We were undermined as a society into accepting a California Lottery by the claim it would help education. How much did our schools receive from the latest mega lottery? In your news coverage, we never read of the actual percentage of the money going to our schools. Was it “bait and switch� from the beginning?

— Rosalind Thomas, Ventura

We are balancing the California state budget. Aren’t we proud! Some $2.8 million was taken away from the schools, and the Republicans are thrilled.

Clearly, the governor and Assemblyman Rick Keene, R-Chico, have no children in the public school system.

— Terry Gibson, Oxnard

Re: your Nov. 16 editorial, “Voters opt for scientific way�:

I have to take issue with the following statement in your editorial: “The board members’ Web site goes further and suggests there is scientific support for intelligent design, which there is not.�
I’m sorry, but there is in fact support for intelligent design within the scientific community. Unfortunately, years of teaching one perspective makes it nearly impossible for anyone to question any aspect of Darwin’s theory. This is surprising, considering the revered status diversity has acquired in our society and culture.

If diverse views were allowed to be included in the debate, such discourse should serve to strengthen Darwinian assumptions if this theory is wholly adequate to explain the origins and evolution of life. Forcing students at all levels to accept ideas and concepts as factual without question places such information into the category of dogma, not truth. Diverse perspectives allow students to make informed decisions about what is true. Opponents of non-Darwinian theories and beliefs usually cast their arguments in religious terms, thus rendering the entire point of view an unconstitutional church-state issue.

People who oppose theories or beliefs counter to anything “Darwin� are often the same people who argue that those who hold differing perspectives should be more open-minded and tolerant. What is so open-minded and tolerant about being forced to accept an unchallengeable philosophy?

— Jim O’Brien, Simi Valley

Re: your Nov. 16 article, “Santa Rosa road traffic signals get OK�:

It is interesting to see what a wealthy group of concerned citizens can accomplish when they present a united front.

It is unfortunate for the citizens of Santa Rosa Valley that the commuting public has found Santa Rosa Road to be a convenient shortcut. Nevertheless, it is a public road and because of unbridled development, traffic has increased substantially. In retaliation, the Valley residents have persuaded the Board of Supervisors to install traffic signals and reduce the speed limit to 45 mph. This decision was made in spite of the fact that Ventura County transportation engineers indicate that the proposed signals will not improve safety nor slow the commuter traffic.

So the will of a minority group trump the experts. This type of action is unconscionable and unreasonable. Wealth, coupled with influence, is a dangerous combination and this action taken by the Board of Supervisors is all the proof necessary. The 582 citizens who approved an assessment to finance the proposed traffic signals were able to dictate “improvements� for their road at the expense of thousands of commuters who will be inconvenienced by the traffic signals. The result: more congestion, pollution from cars idling and impatient drivers.

Now that the Santa Rosa Valley citizens are exalted by their Pyrrhic victory, what’s to prevent them from taking further actions? What’s next, a toll road?

When a small minority can convince the Board of Supervisors to take an action disadvantageous to the majority, a dangerous precedent has been set and all citizens should be concerned.

— Jack Carlson, Camarillo

As an interested community member and taxpayer, I have read with interest the various articles in the newspaper regarding unification in the Pleasant Valley School District.

I was struck by the amount of money and time that has been devoted to this pursuit of unification over the years with no clear idea of the costs in both past funding and impact on the children of the affected  communities. It appears that these children would be better served by the expending of all of this energy and taxpayers money on bettering the educational programs.

If this money is coming from the general fund, surely those funds could be better spent on children attending school in the district. The number of staff hours devoted to this project could be devoted to bettering the school district as a whole.

Has an accounting been presented as to how much money has been spent since the ’70s on various studies, petitions, attorneys and consultants in the name of unification? We are constantly being told how underfunded schools are. With this continual drain of money, it can only exacerbate the problem.

I’m sure that the majority of the Pleasant Valley School District trustees feel this is a personal mission, but, this subject has been studied ad nauseam. The time we should have unified was before 1965, when Oxnard Unified High School District could have met the diversity requirement without Camarillo and all Camarillo students were at Camarillo High.

Where are we going to put the 700-plus students now attending Rio Mesa High? Stacking the students like sardines at Camarillo High isn’t exactly what the parents of Camarillo have in mind for their children. Perhaps the right questions are not being asked, or the answers are too evasive for clarity. Perhaps it’s not meant to be.

— Carol Lambert, Camarillo

Re: Colleen Cason’s Nov. 16 column, “Schwarzenegger’s folly: So much venture, but nothing gained�:

No, the real folly is the millions of dollars spent to recall the governor last year. We axed a deadbeat governor and elected Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to fix all the wrongs in our state. Why else would we elect him?

When it’s revealed that the Legislature is a major part of the problem and they won’t work with the governor to fix the broken system, he’s forced to go to the people. The same people who asked him to bail our state out. The governor proposed some measures and was instantly demonized.

In this fine state, we can’t just disagree, we must angrily demonstrate and spew hate. The nerve, a governor using the ballot to give us, the people, a say. These propositions may not have kept everyone happy but some had a real potential of fixing the very problems he was elected to fix.

Let’s review, oust a do-nothing governor, elect a hard-charging governor and insist he take the reins and fix things. Refuse to give the new governor any of the tools to do the job we elected him to do and then ridicule him for having the audacity to try.

— John Gentzvein, Thousand Oaks

I was appalled to see the county is considering raises of such proportion. If District Attorney Greg Totten feels so underpaid at almost $167,000 per year, perhaps he should resign and go back into private practice. He is not forced to stay as district attorney. His salary is certainly higher than most people earn in the county.

There have been cuts in vital county programs and, yet, the supervisors are considering these raises instead of restoring some of the cuts. That seems to be poor judgment on their part.

— Jack Brewer, Simi Valley

Re: your Nov. 16 article, “County officials’ pay hikes get pared�:

After reading the article, I’m wondering if the Board of Supervisors plans on giving the registered nurses working at Ventura County Medical Center or any other county facilities a raise. It would go a long way toward recruiting RNs if the board would approve a 14.4 percent for these hard-working nurses.

It is a well-accepted fact that the hospitals in Ventura County don’t pay RNs as well as those in Los Angeles County do. I have never heard anything about the board discussing that fact.

It is very interesting to me, as a taxpayer, that when it comes to high-paid administrators such as the treasurer-tax collector, district attorney and human resource director, a substantial raise will be given in these precarious financial times. I haven’t heard of any difficulty recruiting individuals for these posts. In fact, I’m sure if one of these positions became available tomorrow, there would be no shortage of applicants to fill it.

The board seems to feel we won’t get good candidates if salaries aren’t up to the level of other communities. There is no proof of this. In fact, I don’t recall anyone studying this hypothesis. In spite of this, our supervisors want to spend our tax dollars giving them double-digit raises.

It’s time for the taxpayers to look at how our supervisors spend our tax dollars. I don’t think making the rich richer is a good way to spend my tax dollars.

— Linda Loiselle, R.N., Camarillo

The French are showing amazing restraint regarding rioting Muslims in view of the fact that they were so gracious in allowing these immigrants to seek a better life in their country. The only ones to whom they are hostile and intolerant are the generous tourists.
 
— Bernard Lehrer, Ventura

Bill O’Reilly’s Nov. 8 radio vituperation suggests a close identification he feels with those in the presidency who assert for themselves a right of being above the law in deciding that those holding differing beliefs should suffer and die:

“And if al-Qaida comes in here and blows you up, we’re not going to do anything about it. We’re going to say, look, every other place in America is off limits to you, except San Francisco. You want to blow up the Coit Tower? Go ahead.�

President Bush forgot to mention one thing in his Veterans Day speech.

The president took the opportunity to remind us that Phase I of last year’s Senate report on pre-Iraq war intelligence found no evidence of political pressure to manipulate the intelligence community’s judgments. What he apparently forgot to mention, however, is the fact that Phase I of the Senate’s investigation wasn’t looking for such evidence.

The question of whether or not the White House manipulated the pre-war intelligence was left to Phase II of the investigation, which, oddly enough, has yet to be completed.

It’s all the women’s fault — all the terrorism and killing in Arab countries.

God, or the supreme being who created the Earth and all of us, put into women the love for their offspring. Both animal and human, all the time they carry the offspring in the womb, they are building up the love that they shower on the newborn. They then nurse it and tend to it with devotion for the rest of their lives. They’re supposed to teach it how to get along in the world.

The proposed pay increase for County Treasurer-Tax Collector Larry Matheney is a bad joke foisted onto the taxpayers of this county.

Mr. Matheney’s lack of supervision allowed a former employee to allegedly steal from those who cannot or could not protect their assets. The Public Guardian’s Office should do just as its title says: protect the assets of those folks who cannot protect it for themselves. Yet this did not happen, and Mr. Matheney is to be rewarded.

No wonder everyone is apathetic about our government.

— Bill Kapetanich, Camarillo

Re: Richard Larsen’s Nov. 15 essay, “Who’s rewriting history?�:

What Larsen fails to mention in his piece are quotes dating back to the previous administration.
President Clinton: “If Saddam Hussein rejects peace, we have to use force. Our purpose is clear: We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction program.�

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: “We must stop Saddam from ever again jeopardizing the stability and the security of his neighbors with weapons of mass destruction.�

It was interesting to read that Ventura County officials have proposed raising salaries for some department heads, managers and analysts “because the county needs to meet market average to remain competitive.�

It makes sense to me. If we want to retain qualified, experienced employees and recruit new applicants, we need to pay them comparably.

It’s too bad this same ideology doesn’t carry over to how our Ventura County deputy sheriffs are paid!

Let’s recognize straight away that this question comes from a very selfish perspective: At what point do Venturans declare their lifeboat — the City of Ventura and the County of Ventura — full?
It is a question that cannot be avoided forever. At some point, every human, not just Venturans, must answer this question.

Clearly, few, if any, residents in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, and San Diego counties thought to answer this question before their lifeboats sank. Now, these folks wish to flee — many have flown — their lethally overcrowded lifeboats, and to where? To Ventura County and the City of Ventura.

Re: Donald E. Mueller’s Nov. 13 letter, “Missed opportunity�:

Mueller writes that “people need to be careful what they wish for and think more carefully when they vote.� Does he have any idea of how arrogant and pompous that sounds?

He wrote: “The Star says vote ‘no’ on everything and the folks vote ‘no’ on everything.� First, over 85 percent of every major newspaper in America endorsed John Kerry, but George Bush was re-elected. Second, voters from the county who read the Star voted yes on three of the propositions. Mueller’s town of Simi Valley voted yes on five.

The French should be congratulated on their recent efforts to control the riots by their immigrant population. The French can claim a great victory as the average number of vehicles being burned plummeted to only a few hundred per night. By French standards, this is a great victory, and President Jacques Chirac should be proud of the way he handled this minor issue.

Once French authorities cut the number of charred vehicles down to only 100 or so per night, the real challenges for France and the rest of Europe will commence.

Remember what Hans Blix of the U.N. inspection team told President Bush and the world before the Iraq invasion? Why didn’t Bush help them instead of calling them incompetent? Maybe he didn’t want to know the truth.

— Paul Lux, Thousand Oaks

I am very disappointed with the outcome of the recent election and with one particular proposition specifically. I know without a doubt that with proper information and adequate research on the part of many voters, the proposition that I am passionate about would have passed. I know now that I will have to help educate my neighbors and the community in the future on that particular issue so that the next time we have the opportunity to make positive change, we will be successful.

Re: your Nov. 13 article, “Prognosis grim for Medicare�:

Thank you for your article about Pat Beeman’s concerns about Medicare prescription coverage. As the recipient of a liver transplant two years ago, I am now facing enormous costs for my life-saving medications. Even with the new Medicare Part D coverage, these drugs are quickly depleting my savings.

Receiving an organ transplant is indeed the greatest gift of life. Without seeming ungrateful, the fear of entering poverty greatly takes away from one’s quality of life.

— Harriet Weiss, Thousand Oaks

Re: your Nov. 14 article, “Quitters win�:

It was so gratifying to see this article along with the many related sidebars full of resource information.

What a very powerful weapon against smoking your coverage was, and I am so hopeful that it caught the attention of a lot of smoking readers. And, it was a great boost for the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout today.

Re: your Nov. 14 article, “Athiest will challenge ‘In God We Trust’ motto�:

When are those who believe going to stand up and say, “Enough already! You are offending me.�
It is Michael Newdow’s right to not believe, just as much as it is my right to believe. But we have gotten to be so “politically correct� that we don’t want to offend anyone.

News flash: I am offended by Mr. Newdow’s nonbelief and his wasting my tax dollars to promote his unbelief at the expense of my beliefs. Why is the minority allowed to dictate to the majority and make the majority pay for it?

— Claudia Satori, Newbury Park

Re: David Lassen’s Nov. 16 column, “Wins, and criticism, follow Oaks Christian�:

The continuing controversy over the conduct of Oaks Christian’s football team overshadows the school’s excellent academic accomplishments.

This past year, 20 Oaks graduates were accepted at Pepperdine, one of the nation’s most prestigious Christian universities. Other Oaks grads are at Yale, Princeton, the University of California-Berkeley, Boston College and Stanford. All are excelling academically.

Given their horrendous human rights record, China’s 2008 Olympic Games mascot shouldn’t be the cast of five cute characters they just unveiled, but a tank.

— Steve Morsa, Thousand Oaks

I take no joy in watching apologists for the war and the Bush administration run for cover as the president shamelessly uses Veterans Day as a political event while leaving a draft dodger behind in Washington, D.C., to lay a wreath upon the Tomb of the Unknowns.

The “dark storm clouds� that Bill O’Reilly forecasts — unless, of course, the president takes his advice — are a certainty. There is no reason to believe the president could find his way out of a paper bag, let alone Iraq.

I attended the memorial services for veterans at Veterans Memorial Grove, Poindexter Park, Moorpark. Seventy-two people were there, out of a community population of about 37,000.

Where were the citizens who enjoy freedom because of the sacrifice of the men and women who went to war? Where were the American flags? All roads leading into Moorpark should have an American flag hanging from every lightpost — West Los Angeles Avenue, Tierra Rejada Road and High Street.

The president’s assertion that the “Senate investigation found no evidence of political pressure to change the intelligence community’s judgments related to Iraq’s weapons program� is a misleading canard designed to deflect attention from the issues now before Congress and the American people.

There has been no bus service between Ventura Harbor and the Ventura downtown area for many years.

This past spring, The Star published a news item which stated that a grant had been received to finance bus service between these two areas, to commence July 2005.

The commencement date was later changed to early October 2005. It appears to me that bus service connecting these two important areas would be of inestimable value to both residents and visitors to our city.

If Arnold Schwarzenegger accepts “full responsibility� for the special election, he would immediately write a check for $60 million to the people of California to pay for the cost of “his� special election. He would then apologize to the people of California for not being a big enough man to sit down with the Legislature when he first took office to hammer out a compromise that would protect education, medical and emergency services, our community services, and the economic viability of our state.

Those who really want to see how Ventura County Supervisor John Flynn feels about the Channel Islands Harbor should go and take a look.

For the past 20 years, under his watch, it has turned into a blighted ghost town. He has done nothing to improve the area.

Flynn will occasionally show his face and bully people in the area, but overall, from the Silverstrand to the end of the harbor, he has done what he does best: nothing.

— Bob Launius, Oxnard

Re: your Nov. 12 editorial, “Voting to keep a crazy system�:

Poor salesmanship killed Proposition 77, and The Star’s sour grapes editorial castigating the unwashed and untutored boobs who once again voted down one of the best ideas ever to come along in California politics is but yet another example of that type of salesmanship.

What did The Star ever really do to make anyone want to see Proposition 77 pass? Mostly, The Star promised that things would be more competitive after the demise of gerrymandering. Is that something that can be taken to the bank? Can anyone eat that? Will that keep the air and the water clean? The Star might as well have promised us toothaches.

My girlfriend is a neocon. Every morning she gets up early and checks Fox News and then gets on the computer to see what the right-wing blogs have to say. She knows the administration’s spin on everything before I have my first cup of coffee.

On Election Night, as each of the initiatives went down to defeat, she was just “ho-hum� about it. But by breakfast she had the party line: “The people of California are the dumbest creatures on earth!� That’s why all of the right-wing propositions lost.

On Veterans Day, the president accused critics of his Iraq policy of “rewriting history� when it came to accusations of misrepresented intelligence.

Is this the same president who rewarded United Nations Ambassador John Bolton for his efforts — a man whose main claim to fame was the verbal, professional and even physical abuse of analysts to force them to change their analysis? Is the president now going to say that these people were forced to change their analysis because it agreed with the administration’s predetermined positions?

Exactly who is “rewriting history� now?

— Stephen J. Schrader, Ventura

As a student attending Moorpark College, I am writing in opposition to the proposed North Park project.

Already, finger-pointing and accusations have commenced in an attempt to discredit those who oppose North Park — men and women who are concerned for the future of their community and who work at the grassroots level, not the corporate one.

Where were the Simi Valley High School cheerleaders?

With all the controversy surrounding the Simi cheerleaders, it was disheartening to see that they were absent from the freshman and junior varsity rivalry games against Royal High School on Thursday, Nov. 9, despite the fact that it was on their home field. Even if they had decided not to cheer from the sidelines that day because of the wet conditions, it’s a shame that Simi’s cheerleaders weren’t in attendance, not even to sit and cheer from the bleachers.

Thanks, in part, to the high-taxation, anti-business, Democratic-controlled Legislature in Sacramento — which I’m sure The Star supports — Nissan is moving its headquarters to Tennesee, where they are much more friendly to business and where there is no state income tax.

Another 1,300 jobs are leaving California. Also,  consider the revenue lost to other businesses who support and provide services to these Nissan employees. 

I have wanted to write down my feelings abut the state of our nation for about the past five years.
First, to our right-wing friends — you know who I am talking about: Thank you for giving us a president who has managed to all but tarnish our image with the rest of the world. It is amazing that there are still those few who believe this moron is a good president. If the past two years haven’t convinced you otherwise, I really feel for you.

As for this man’s administration, what a joke it is!

I have never felt so angry as with the direction this country has been heading. I am happy to see that Bush’s ratings are going down, but at this point, we are stuck with him until 2008.

I cannot believe the unprofessional treatment of Supervisor John Flynn by the other members of the Board of Supervisors!

Supervisor Flynn is a dedicated public servant who has always represented the people first instead of private interest. And now, because he disagrees with the other board members, he is punished.

What I find interesting is the fact that the problem that brought on this current situation is occurring in Supervisor Flynn’s district, and yet the likes of Steve Bennett, Kathy Long and Judy Mikels have the nerve to try to limit his input on the matter.

I attended the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday and had a chance to speak. I was there to support John Flynn. Although I don’t always agree with John on all matters, I think John is a good man, an honest man and, if you go to him with a problem, he will do his best to help.
I agreed with many attending that it’s not right to put special restrictions on John and not the other supervisors.

It seems I must have missed something.

From what I have read, the liquefied natural gas proposal involves creating a station well offshore at which ships carrying natural gas in a supercooled state might dock and offload their cargo. At the station, this highly condensed natural gas would then be reduced to a usable pressure at ambient temperature, the same as that now being distributed throughout our communities. This gas would then be brought ashore, added to our general supply of natural gas, and sent through existing pipes to our homes. It would be indistinguishable from our present supply.

Fighting is expensive — as measured in life, money, peace, trade and progress.

Warring factions must have a lot in common to be able to fight at all. They must highly value the same thing.

In Iraq, the fight is over who gets to run Iraq. The expense of this fight is huge — as measured in money, life, peace, trade and progress.

On abortion, the fight is over who gets to determine when life begins. Again, the costs of the fight are huge.

Regarding the recent remark by Maria Shriver, the wife of California’s governor, that she wouldn’t comment about the Nov. 8 special election because, “You know what happened the last time a first lady shot her mouth off?�

Yes. She was elected to the United States Senate.

— Karen Murphy, Oxnard

Re: your Oct. 27 article, “Magick Kingdom�:

I was rather appalled at the recent article in the Home & Garden section titled, “Magick Kingdom: How witchcraft can make a house a home.�

While someone may have thought this an appropriate genre for Halloween, making a house a home through witchcraft is not as benign as slapping on a fresh coat of paint! What many may not realize is that including a recipe for placing a spell on the house can have results just as real and tangible as that seen by swinging a 10-pound sledgehammer into drywall. What will next week’s home improvement installment be? “Home restoration through exorcism�?

The Rio School District board room continues to be overflowing with the “gotcha� attitude. It’s complete with eye-rolling, childlike verbal tones, comments that generate a buzz depending on whose side seems to be winning, and a superintendent who looks like a beaten- down dog, especially since the firing of Superintendent Patrick Faverty was on the Nov. 3 agenda and his job performance is scheduled to be discussed again later this month. More than two years of this discreditable behavior has built up to be just as interesting as a novella on TV.

Despite this incorrigible behavior, scores have improved due to hard-working teachers who do know how to work together to meet the needs of the children in the community. Imagine what could happen if the entire team was on board with this plan?

The most recent issue of the California Monthly — the alumni magazine of the University of California, Berkeley — contains an article titled, “Listening to Katrina.�

The following quotes were in the article:

“It has been 99 years since the last major quake, which devastated San Francisco, … a rising line on a graph showing that the probability of a major earthquake rises rapidly just after the first century mark.�

Re: your Nov. 10 article, “What’s on TV? More sex, says new report�:

There is an old saying, “Monkey see, monkey do.� Most parents are working, and kids are spending a lot of time watching TV, where shows are filled with violence and sex. How sad it is! Just remember of the 1960s TV programs.

— Beatrix M. Vasko, Newbury Park

Re: your Oct. 15 article, “Planners consider fees for housing�:

I shouldn’t be amazed when Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett trots out another socialist, collectivist bit of so-called “common sense.�

In the article, Bennett was quoted as saying, “If you’re going to come here and create 1,000 jobs� — like you’re a bad guy — “you need to create affordable housing for those people. It just makes common sense.�

Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett’s overwrought comparisons to the McCarthy era do not fit the circumstances of the Supervisor John Flynn and Harbor Director Lyn Krieger debate. 
  
Supervisor Bennett is not the courageous Edward R. Murrow. Krieger is not being blacklisted, she should be pink-slipped. In fact, by reaching back to the 1950s, Bennett invokes images of the scare tactics so famously used by Joe McCarthy himself.

Bennett goes on to proclaim that he will wait for evidence from Flynn, “until hell freezes over,� in the words of Adlai Stevenson. Bennett obviously taught high school economics, not history.

I’d like to take a minute to express my disappointment with the lack of response from Oxnard’s mayor and council members.

I attended the Nov. 8 City Council meeting. My primary purpose was to express my concerns about the lack of action by our city regarding affordable housing. That topic is another letter altogether.

Mayor Tom Holden led the opening ceremonies and asked us to take a moment of silence after the Pledge of Allegiance. He asked that we include a  member of the Armed Services who recently lost his life in Iraq.

I am not a resident of Ventura, but I have operated a chiropractic office in Ventura for 23 years.
I believe that the people of Ventura made another great choice when they re-elected Mayor Brian Brennan.

The level of integrity, intelligence and commitment that Mayor Brennan brings to this city is exemplary. It is with the best of elected officials, like Mayor Brennan, that we optimize the democracy that we live in and the quality of our lives.

It was impressive to me that Mayor Brennan intentionally raised no money and accepted no contributions for his re-election campaign, running instead on his record of service!

Re: your Nov. 4 article, “City’s boom predicted to continue�:

As a Camarillo resident since 1981, I would like to add a note of caution as to Camarillo’s so-called healthy retail sales environment.

The shopping environment for Camarillo residents has not kept pace with that of our neighboring cities. As our population as grown, our support residential retail services in many areas has not; in some cases, it has even shrunk. Our shopping plazas are old and run down, with additional shops and small fast-food chain restaurants being added without increased parking to handle the increased population and visitor volume.

So now Ronald Reagan’s “shining city on a hill� has a torture chamber in its dungeons and a gulag in Romania. The founding fathers would weep for shame.

— Brent Meeker, Camarillo

Re: your Nov. 9 article, “Flynn at center of raucous meeting�:

I suggest, contrary to Samuel Johnson’s most oft-quoted remark, that religion, far more often than patriotism, is “the last refuge of a scoundrel.�

I apply that thought to Supervisor John Flynn’s final remark to a group of his supporters at the County Government Center after the board meeting on Tuesday: “We have God on our side.�

— Debbie Diamond, Ventura

The outcome of the proposition votes was very disappointing to me. There was clear choice here: to not fall into special interest obfuscation. The majority failed the test. I suppose this clear choice will not occur again in my lifetime.

My disappointment is lessened somewhat by the news that Ventura County voted against the majority.

— Robert Hubbard, Ojai

Re: your Nov. 10 article, “Governor, legislators ready to talk�:

The governor’s spokesman, Rob Stutzman, says, “We lost because the voters did not want a special election.� They are just now figuring this out?

If Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had listened to the real people of California, instead of staging “by invitation only� town hall meetings, he would have known a long time ago we didn’t want or need his special election.

Re: Max Van Der Wyk’s Nov. 9 letter, “Worth fighting for�:

As a protester of the war in Iraq, I have to disagree with Mr. Van Der Wyk.
Sixty-plus years ago, the world was threatened by a insane leader, and going to war was the right thing to do.

Today, we have to worry about our own president who lied to get us into a war so he and his buddies could make huge profits; a president who avoided Vietnam, who wants us to be patriotic, but whose own young family members have not volunteered; a president who sends military recruiters to our schools to offer children of poor families bonuses to join the military.

It is time for developer Gary Gorian and Colton-Lee Homes to put up or shut up.

It has been 16 months since their proposal to squeeze about 278 apartments into our crowded, brush-covered, narrow-laned canyons was turned down by the Board of Supervisors. At that meeting, more than 300 residents from all over Simi Valley showed up to voice their opposition to the plan. More than 2,500 petition signatures were collected to stop the plan.

Re: Jesus Ric Romero’s Nov. 3 letter, “New mall is inadequate�:

Mr. Romero made some very good points, but the mall’s setting is one that extends into the landscape and blends into the hillside. This is why it is outdoors.

This is not to say that this was the right thing to do, but the folks we place in the Planning Commission did their best to provide what Simi Valley expected, not what folks necessarily wanted to see. Keep in mind that there are building height limitations, specific plans, input from the neighborhood councils and the fact that a mall would bring crime to Simi Valley.

I have been riding bicycles in Simi Valley for more than 15 years and in California for more than 45 years. Simi is the worst city to ride bicycles in Southern California. The major east-west and north-south streets are extremely bicycle unfriendly.

Madera Road is a major north-south route into and out of the Conejo Valley, but riding between Easy Street or Los Angeles Avenue to and from the Wood Ranch area is almost a death sentence on a bicycle.

Likewise, riding on Los Angeles Avenue, Cochran Street or Royal Avenue between Madera and Erringer roads is unsafe.

Re: Max Van Der Wyk’s Nov. 9 letter, “Worth fighting for�:

Once again, I mourn the death of logic and the ability to think logically.

Nationalism is an extension of the civilization of caveman tribalism. It merely divides people into mutually aggressive territorial groups. The principle of nonintervention in the internal affairs of other nations is an attempt to control nationalism and reduce open warfare.

The people have spoken, and the reform the governor worked so hard to enact has fallen flat.
In his concession speech, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger stated that his priorities were now to build more roads and more affordable housing. These are problems most Californians agree need to be addressed and are anxious to solve for the good of the state.

So why weren’t they on the reform ballot?

Well, the special election is over. California voters threw out one governor because he and the Legislature were spending us into oblivion. Those same voters just denied the current governor the tools to rein in the out-of-control Legislature.
  
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says tomorrow he will begin anew. Begin anew to do what? Rearrange the deck chairs?

— Tom Casey, Newbury Park

For months, I’ve heard folks complain and complain that California is headed in the wrong direction, that we have got to change directions!

Here comes Arnold Schwarzenegger with a good start to change directions, and what happens? The Star says vote no on everything, and the folks vote no on everything! That means that they approve of the status quo — no change — right? No! So let’s keep heading down the same old rat hole!

Re: your Nov. 7 article, “Palestinian boy’s organs donated to six Israelis�:

Thanks to The Star for this moving article. What a great hope for peace in a very hostile area! A terrible tragedy is turned into a miracle for six families. In a part of the world where violence is the norm, we see a real act of charity and love. Would that all Americans be so generous!

— Jackie Colleran, Thousand Oaks

It is amazing to me the effort our federal government will go to in order to allow people unwilling to learn English to vote. It is once again time that we the people stand up for our country and our language. I, for one, am tired of having Spanish shoved down my throat.

If people are coming to this country for a better life and are considered citizens, then they should speak the language of this nation. It is time to stop catering to those unwilling to learn English.
How can anyone truly be informed about the issues regarding our state and nation if they do not even comprehend English?

Here we have a major story developing in France, with worldwide consequences, and you bury it on Page 7, giving it about the same amount of space as Azerbaijan elections, or news about new, improved ways to blow up whales.

Meanwhile, the British royals rate a third of Page 3, while Page 2 is entirely taken up with entertainment sprinkles.

— Frank Ward, Oxnard

Now that Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ego has been brought back down to earth, voters can ask themselves, “How many teachers, firefighters, cops and nurses could have been hired for the $250 million price tag of a special election?�

Rather than attacking the working class with his union busting tactics, Schwarzenegger should try doing the job he was elected for: working with the Legislature to make California a better place.

— Kelly Lynn, Ventura

Re: your Nov. 2 article, “Supervisors rebuke Flynn�:

I read with dismay the article about John Flynn. A few years ago, I met John while sitting outside my wife’s parents’ house in La Colonia in Oxnard. He was going door to door, shaking hands with people, even though most people in that neighborhood don’t speak English and could not vote for him if they wanted to!

About a year ago, I was in a McDonald’s in Oxnard, and from across the restaurant, John saw me and walked over to say hi. He remembered me, even though I had only met him once!

The developers of North Park want us to believe they are going to create a nature preserve by building 1,680 homes and that traffic won’t be an issue, even though we’re going to have more than 23,000 more car trips a day on city streets. They promise a school and a firehouse. The truth is, without their project, we don’t need them. I don’t like or support this project in its current form.

President John F. Kennedy said, “The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.�

The results of Tuesday’s special election tells me something tragic. The wool has been pulled over the eyes of the majority of Californians, not by the governor, but by unions and other groups who spent record-breaking amounts — $120 million-plus on the union side — to deceive Californians. Apparently, it worked.

My 10-year-old son accompanied me Tuesday to vote in Thousand Oaks. He is studying American government and history. I wanted to reinforce some of the basic concepts so important to our country. Unfortunately, we learned a civics lesson of another sort, at the hands of a polling place worker.

My son and I together punched the ballot. Halfway through, we made a mistake. I told him it was no big deal because I could get a fresh ballot.

Re: your Oct. 27 article, “Palestinian bomber kills 5 Israelis in suicide attack�:

My sense of The Star is one of professionalism and decent reporting.  However, recently, I was disappointed.

When I turned to page A14 of the Oct. 27 Star and saw the headline and then saw the picture of the mourning sister of the terrorist, I was outraged. A picture of the mourning sister? Where is the picture of the mourning mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, sisters, brothers, children of the five murdered Israelis?

Re: your Nov. 7 editorial, “No justification for U.S. torture�:

The Star points out that the government’s use of torture and inroads on individual liberties are far greater threats to our society than any terrorists. What’s the point of “saving� our country if, in so doing, we make this a country in which we wouldn’t want to live?

Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and United Nations high commissioner for human rights from 1997 to 2002, stated on TV only last week that the United States used to be viewed by the rest of the world as a “beacon of morality,� but not anymore, since the Patriot Act, official acceptance of torture, “black site� prisons and more.

Supervisor John Flynn listened to my concerns regarding my neighborhood, Rio Lindo in Oxnard.
Highway 101 is at our north border. For many years, the wall separating us from the freeway was so low that we experienced noise, air and criminal pollution daily. Black soot from freeway traffic had to be removed from our homes. One night, the freeway was shut down due to criminal activity. My entire family was awake at 1 in the morning, but we could not figure out why. We finally realized the silence from the closed freeway woke all of us up. Imagine, awakened by silence. Criminals knew they could make a run for the low wall at the end of Snow Avenue and escape. Not anymore.

I was unable to make the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday. I had to earn a living to pay property taxes so they could be squandered on pending lawsuits.

I did, however, view the meeting on the Internet. It amazes me that Supervisors Kathy Long and Steve Bennett portray such a holier-than-thou attitude and feel it mandatory that Supervisor John Flynn be escorted by a representative of County Executive Officer Johnny Johnston’s office while meeting with staff or other officials in order to prevent a lawsuit.

Supervisor Steve Bennett’s verbose essay comparing John Flynn with the vindictive, unethical Sen. Joe McCarthy of the 1950s demonstrates clearly that Bennett has more of McCarthy’s unsavory traits than Flynn.

Bennett and the other supervisors have repeatedly failed to exercise proper oversight of Channel Islands Harbor. They are incapable of telling the public what improvements are going to be made to Channel Islands Marina, when the work will start, and when it will be completed. I asked Bennett these questions in a recent letter. His reply was evasive and answered none of these questions. The harbor is being managed incompetently, and Bennett and his cohorts are doing nothing about it.

— Sherman N. Mullin, Oxnard

Re: your Nov. 2 article, “Supervisors rebuke Flynn�:

As County Executive Officer Johnny Johnston so clearly stated, Supervisor John Flynn is playing “the politics of destruction� by attacking his own district and his own staff.

The board should be commended for protecting Lyn Krieger and other county employees from future harassment, enabling them to do their work and continue to make professional, well-informed recommendations to the Board of Supervisors and the Harbor Commission.

Regarding Supervisor John Flynn’s latest inflammatory debacle with the county’s harbor director, it seems that this guy has crossed the line one time too often here. In the name of looking out for the interests of his 5th District constituents, he has made unfounded accusations against the harbor director, Lyn Krieger, which have not only damaged her name and professional reputation, but also that of the company that has entered into a legitimate agreement with the county, which Mr. Flynn happened to disagree with.

This is classic childish behavior by Supervisor Flynn, and it is totally appropriate for the rest of the board to chastise him in public for this outrageous behavior and establish restrictions on his future dealings with the harbor and its staff.

While walking on Wooley Road in Oxnard recently, I was dismayed and saddened to see that blocks of shrubs had been “trimmed� — or, rather, massacred with a chain saw. Their branches were crudely broken, and it looked like they were being slaughtered on purpose. If any survive, I will be surprised. They receive no irrigation water and looked stressed.

This was near Patterson and Wooley roads. If the City of Oxnard pays people to do this to their plants, it is a crime. The whole area is bereft of vegetation, benches or anything encouraging to community.

Forgive me for being a “bad Republican,� as I am a “good American.�

I was watching the news and on CNN, I heard a commentator shaming Argentina for receiving our president in a riotous fashion. “How dare they receive the leader of the free world and the largest superpower in this fashion…,� but I have to interject.

Exactly what has President Bush done for Venezuela, or any other country for that matter? Ignoring the tragic events that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001 — I can say that because I have every bit of respect for my fallen brothers in emergency response — what has Bush done for this country? All I can think of is bloodshed and poverty.

I visited the Simi Valley Town Center last week. The mall is beautiful, and the stores there are wonderful, but I will not be shopping there again.

Why?

Because it was impossible to escape the cigarette smoke. Smokers are outside the store doors and in all the seating areas. There is nowhere at that long narrow strip of stores to escape the smoke.

The Internal Revenue Service has sent a letter to the All Saints Episcopal Church in Los Angeles warning it that it may lose its tax-exempt status because in 2004 the rector preached a sermon saying the Prince of Peace was against preemptive war.

No warnings have been issued to right-wing evangelists railing against the right to abortions and decrying homosexuality and calling for a crusade. No warnings have been given to churches that gave their mailing lists to the Republican National Committee.

So the IRS definition of religion is apparently any belief that supports this administration’s policies.

Re: your Oct. 28 article, “Military warns of LNG site conflicts�:

Our local Navy facility at Point Mugu has a prestigious history and an important function. In 1947, Congress appropriated funding to establish a permanent Navy presence here for the purpose of testing both missiles and pilotless aircraft. The mission has evolved to include the development, testing, and evaluation of missiles and related systems, as well as drones to use in naval test programs.

This location was chosen and continues to be valuable because of the sea range capability.

Part of the reason why the Vietnam War (called the “American War� in Vietnam) ended is Americans were kept apprised of its events, including casualties, on a daily and nightly basis. Pressure applied by an informed public to Congress to take a better look at all the factors caused the war to ultimately end.

In the current war, we run the risk of losing that dialogue between the public and Congress because the public is not receiving information as we did during the Vietnam War.

The issue of a smoking ban in all of our city’s parks and beaches in the City of Ventura is a good thing. The city’s budget will not be impacted; the resources are coming from elsewhere to monitor the first- year pilot program. It makes sense for all the right reasons, including the message we are modeling and sending out to our youth and community.

The parks’ budget is impacted by $300,000 annually for maintenance, including cleaning up what smokers leave behind. Partners in Progress, the city’s wonderful volunteer community litter retrieval program, can support and lend credence to this effort to ban smoking in all our beaches and parks. 

I have met with, spoken with and trusted John Flynn for many years. The latest controversy with the Ventura County Board of Supervisors causes some concern and should make us all aware and alert to the intrigue in politics local and national.

In all these years, Mr. Flynn has responsibly and tenaciously defended and represented our district in many matters that benefited our lives. The most recent disagreement is over the Channel Islands Harbor placement of a boating instruction and safety center — west or east side placement.

Re: your Nov. 5 article, “Some dispute slap at Flynn�:

There is a missing element in the stories about the conflict between Ventura County Supervisor John Flynn and Harbor Director Lyn Krieger.

The real casualty is the Channel Islands Harbor itself, which has fallen to an unprecedented level of disrepair. The supervisors should be less concerned about phony harassment lawsuits and more concerned about gross negligence in managing the county assets at the harbor.
    

Re: Jim McLain’s Nov. 2 article, “Yuletide’s early entry�:

While shopping in a major department store recently, I noticed displays of Christmas trees, decorations, cards and gift wrap, all of which indicates a preparation for the Christmas shopping season. Why wasn’t The Star’s headline, “Christmas’ early entry�? 

Yuletide could mean a heathen festival held at winter solstice or it could refer to the Christmas season. Why tiptoe around the word “Christmas�? Public schools ,which once offered students “Christmas vacation� now call it “winter holiday�. Why was the name changed to winter?  

Several other holidays occur in December. To be fair, why don’t we compromise and give recognition to each: Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa? I’d be OK with that.

— Roy Hammerand, Ojai

Re: The Star’s Nov. 2 article “Supervisors rebuke Flynn�:

We have it incontrovertibly revealed in the article and from others that county Supervisor John Flynn rages, bullies and slanders. He must have his way regardless of the injustice of his accusations and harassments, of the loss and pain he inflicts, and the disorder and unhappiness that radiate from his actions.

As stated by County Executive Officer Johnny Johnston and Supervisor Steve Bennett, the tactics he employs to harass, injure and remove those who resist his demands do indeed closely emulate those of Sen. Joe McCarthy, one of the most infamous figures in our country’s history, and to whose dastardly tactics his name came to represent: “McCarthyism.�

Kudos to Johnston and the Board of Supervisors majority for their resolute, unambiguous action in censuring Flynn for his outrageous behavior and for imposing constraints on his interactions with county staff. Their enactment should greatly reduce the probability of his doing harm to staff and to others — including the residents and taxpayers of Ventura County.

— Wolf Breiman, Ventura

Re: your Nov. 2 article, “Supervisors rebuke Flynn�:

I read with interest and more a than a bit of irony the latest squabbles about the Channel Islands Harbor and who gets the credit and who gets the blame.

Remember “Fisherman’s Wharf�? Remember all the wonderful shops and restaurants?

I do.

I owned “Channel Islands Gifts� for 12 years. To read the meanderings of harbor manager Lynn Krieger, and Supervisors Susan Lacey and John Flynn begs a question.:

Since “Fisherman’s Wharf� is now a ghost town, who wants credit for that?

— Ralph Waldo Emerson III, Ventura

It has been several years since I have been inspired to write a letter to the editor.

Opening my newspaper Wednesday I was appalled by the picture on the front page of The Star. There, I saw a picture of a cheap plastic Santa Claus taken at a Wal-Mart in Simi Valley.

Why is The Star paper promoting Wal-Mart and its cheap products? What about all of the fine small stores in our community? Are they not worthy of your attention? As an example, College Pharmacy on Ashwood Avenue in Ventura has had a very creative and artistic Christmas display for the past few months. You won’t find any cheap plastic Santas there. Why isn’t The Star promoting local small businesses?

Does The Star know or realize how it hurts small businesses in the community when it publish pictures of such cheap merchandise that promotes another big-box business in our area?

As an owner of a small business, I hope Ventura keeps on rejecting the invasion of Wal-Mart into our community. And I would ask The Star to please not give it any further free front-page advertising. Have a little more consideration for the small businesses in the community. It’s the little stores that need The Star’s support, not Wal-Mart.

In my opinion, I would say shame on The Star newspaper for promoting Wal-Mart and it products on the front page.

— Nancy Hodge, Ventura

Re: Bruce Leeds’ Nov. 3 letter, “Attacks unwarranted�:

Does Leeds believe that only the “far left� is fed up with our current president?

Does he believe I. Lewis “Scooter� Libby resigned because he is innocent?

Does he truly believe that there were WMDs; we just couldn’t find them?

How long do we stay in Iraq? I support our troops, but I have no faith in our president when his answer is to “stay the course.� Stay what course? What’s Iraq going to do when we leave?

The billions of dollars spent on Iraq should be spent here at home. We could sure use it to fix the mess we are in ,mostly due to this administration Hows our budget? Our deficit?

How many more young men and women are we going to lose to a battle we can’t win?

— Gregg Pearson, Simi Valley

A published story reported that a motorist involved in a major collision might have been using a cell phone.

When will our lawmakers wake up and stop this telephone and drive nonsense?

— Don Berger, Simi Valley

Re: your Nov. 3 article, “Time Warner earnings, oil prices push stocks�:

Seems everyone is up in arms about the oil companies making 15 percent to 30 percent profit as a result of high crude and fuel costs. The government has now begun talks of taxing those windfall profits in what I believe is an effort to appease an increasingly perturbed public.

So I read where Time Warner has shown an 80 percent increase in profits. Any congressman or senator going to call for taxing those gains?

Not likely.

— Bill Moak, Simi Valley

Re: Jesus Ric Romero’s Nov. 3 letter: “New mall is Inadequate�

The Simi Valley Town Center is, by far, the nicest back alley I have ever been to. The grand opening ceremony aside (which I did not attend because I feared the traffic would be atrocious — which it was), the Town Center hardly disappoints.

Here is my short list of accomplishments:

— Dozens of stores that accommodate every taste (with more opening soon).

— A variety of fast-food restaurants (standard mall food court fare) that are open with more opening soon.

— Sit-down style restaurants opening soon.

— Plenty of room to walk, stroll, skip; whatever suits you.

— An abundance of chairs and tables to sit and enjoy a meal.

— Huge rocking chairs for relaxing or just passing the time away.

— A fireplace and a koi pond (the fish don’t like coins) to soothe the soul.

— Friendly, helpful staff throughout.

Romero was too quick to judge when the paint was still drying.

The Simi Valley Town Center is more than 30 years in the making. Careful planning went into this center with input from residents who live throughout the city. The developer spent millions before the foundations were even poured. The city spent countless hours and years pleading with retailers to take a chance on our city.

The result? A $300 million shopping and dining experience unlike anything this area has seen. Porter Ranch? That’s big-box territory. Don’t we already have enough big-box centers?

But even I will admit, the smoking policy needs to be revisited. Calling it a “breathe of fresh air� is the irony of all ironies.

— Alan Barkwill, Simi Valley

Re: your Nov. 3 article, “Haffner spends $33,000 in school race�:

I am extremely disappointed in The Star’s critique of Mary Haffner’s campaign funding. Whatever Mrs. Haffner has spent on her campaign is for the purpose of getting information to the public, so that voters can make their own decisions. What’s wrong with that? The process of weighing information and choosing the best candidate is the basis of our country’s democratic system. Having the opportunity to be part of a democratic system is why many of our ancestors came to this country.

Police forces everywhere seem to come in for perhaps more than their fair share of criticism these days. It is in that context that I wish to compliment our Ventura Police Department on its handling of an incident earlier this week on the Promenade in downtown Ventura.

A man armed with a knife and under the influence of drugs was chasing another man when the officers arrived.  They shot the knife-wielding suspect with a “beanbag gun,� disabling him just long enough to disarm him and take him into custody.

Re: R. Duke Blackwood’s Nov. 4 letter, “Let’s start talking�:

Amen!

— Mary Hollan, Oxnard

Re: your Nov. 3 article, “Haffner spends $33,000 in school race�:

Mary Haffner’s willingness to loan money to her campaign is only further evidence of her commitment.

Mary didn’t break any spending cap rules, yet The Star presented it like gossip, as if she did do something wrong.

A vote for Jerry Martin will bring a welcome change to the Ventura City Council.

As a lifelong resident of the city, Jerry has a unique vision in what direction the city should head. He is a strong advocate of funding fire, life and safety in the city. He believes in prioritizing the budget to fund essential city services. He believes in local jobs for local people in businesses that pay a livable wage. He also advocates a program to boost tourism in order to pay for the non-essential projects that are still vital to the city and its citizens.

I ask that you vote for Jerry Martin on Tuesday and help provide a new vision and voice on our City Council.

— Anthony Cook, Ventura

I would like to let you know why I am voting for John Hecht for the Ventura Unified School District board.

I believe that John Hecht will make an excellent addition to our school board for the following reasons:

Hecht is a professional engineer and owns his own business here in Ventura. He is married and has two daughters who are currently attending Loma Vista Elementary School, where he has been an active volunteer. Currently, Hecht serves on School Site Council, the Parent Teacher Association, the Parent Advisory Committee and is a member of Ventura Education Partnership, a non-profit foundation that raises money for our schools.

Proposition 74 has raised a lot of discussion about teacher tenure. Many people want to know why teachers have job protection that those in the private sector do not.

The bottom line is this: In California, a teacher’s pay is based on the number of years he has served in his own school district. Should a teacher leave his district, voluntarily or otherwise, he can’t take those years with him to another district. This means that a teacher at year 20 on the salary schedule won’t be hired at year 20 in a new district. In California, most districts will only give experienced teachers five years of credit toward pay. Experienced teachers must take a substantial pay cut to change school districts.

I am writing on behalf of Mary Haffner, a candidate for school board in Ventura. Mary’s many accomplishments in our school district are too numerous to mention here, but two things she has done have me eternally in her debt:

In 2000, my young daughter was one of 30-plus children sickened at Mound Elementary by speed-spraying in a neighboring orchard of a chemical banned by the Environmental Protection Agency for use in homes because of its neurological effects on children.

Mary rallied parents, school officials and legislators and, through her efforts, state legislation was passed to help protect our schools.

Re: your Nov. 3 article, “Haffner spends $33,000 in school race�:

For the past few months, I have been volunteering for Mary Haffner’s campaign for Ventura school board. I’ve been willing to give up my time freely and generously because I am impressed with the work she has done for schools over the past nine years, and I’m sure she’ll be able to do even more as a school board member.

The Star’s article about how much money she has spent on her campaign changed only one thing about my expectations. I now expect her to provide some pretty darned good food at our victory party on Tuesday!

— David Goldstein, Ventura

Has anyone counted the number of hours that Mary Haffner has volunteered for our children in the schools and on fundraising committees? Has anyone counted the dollars that she and her family have donated to the school district?

Mary Haffner is fortunate enough to have the cash to back her commitment to her passion: the education and well-being of our children.

Finally we have a school board candidate who puts her money where her heart is, who doesn’t just talk about what to do, but gets them done.

— Tim Hansen, Ventura

Re: your Oct. 31 article, “Familiar faces take different routes to ballot�:

This article concerning the Santa Paula Union High School District puzzled me.

The Star quoted candidate Eric Barragan, Class of ‘93, as saying, “I was classified as a migrant student all my life, and I never got the chance to attend college prep courses, even though I knew I could do the work.�

I support the election of Jerry Martin for Ventura City Council.

I have known Jerry for 35 years as a friend, co-worker and successful businessman. He has always been fair and honest and expects the same from co-workers and friends.

Jerry cares about where Ventura is heading — keeping local jobs for local people, providing affordable housing for Venturans and supporting our law enforcement and firefighters. With Jerry’s experience in business and financial planning, he will be a significant asset for our city.

Please vote for Jerry Martin on Tuesday for City Council.

— Robert Neece, Ventura

I am writing on behalf of Irene Henry running for City Council.

I believe Irene would be an asset to the City Council of Ventura. I have worked with Irene for the past two years in the State Farm Insurance business. She is a very hard- working woman of integrity and fairness in dealing with issues concerning the balance of the City of Ventura. I believe Irene will make good on her promise in keeping beauty, culture and cleanliness as her goals while dealing with the growth issues of Ventura.

I believe a vote for Irene Henry will not go to waste. If the citizens of Ventura want to see visionary ideas become opportunities and put in place, they should waste no time in voting for Irene Henry.

— Diane M. Young, Ventura

The Oxnard Chamber of Commerce strongly supports Proposition 77, the much- needed reform of the legislative districting process in California.

The California Legislature has been stuck in partisan gridlock for years. We see Proposition 77 as a solution to the conflict of interest inherent in the current system. If there is one issue the voters should be passionate about in the special election, it’s Proposition 77, because it gives power back to voters and creates more competition among candidates.

This is an interesting race for the Ventura Unified School District board! It seems that the theme of this race is who has what endorsements, who can raise the most money and who can send out the most political mailers!

It’s interesting that one contender has raised and is spending almost $42,000 to be elected, and that some endorsements were not offered to all candidates.

Why is this year different? Why has the school board race become so political? I hope this is not a sign of times to come.

Re: Kenneth L. Hibbitts’ Nov. 3 letter, “Stratton fails constituency�:

I thank Mr. Hibbitts for his contribution to civil discourse. Name-calling of an honored and honorable public servant who has contributed to this community in many ways for many years is unbecoming.  Neither the passage nor defeat of these propositions will “end public education as we know it.� What is Mr. Hibbitts teaching our kids with this vituperative name-calling?

— David Hill, Simi Valley

Revenge. Pure and simple Proposition 74 was put on the ballot to send a message to teachers and the unions they may belong to.

Last year, in order to help balance our state’s budget, an education coalition — including representatives from school boards, P.T.A., school administrators and the teachers union — struck a deal with the governor. The governor “borrowed� several billion dollars from the education budget and promised to pay it back.

He didn’t keep his word.

The California Teachers Association, state Superintendent of Schools Jack O’Connell, and thousands of parents, teachers and school officials publicized their displeasure, hoping to get the governor to put the money back into this year’s budget.

Proposition 74 is not reform. In fact, no measures on this ballot will improve public schools. Extending a teachers probationary period from two to five years will not improve the quality of education. Incompetent teachers can still, and should be, fired, no matter how long they have been in the classroom. Where is the accountability of the administrators who hire and who supposedly have provided teachers the needed support and training in order to succeed?

Teaching is the hardest, most challenging and, at times, most rewarding job that I ever had. As a former 28-year classroom teacher, I see the real reform measures needed to improve our public schools should include an active program to recruit the best and the brightest.

How do we attract and retain quality teachers? Maybe with incentives such as student loans being waived or assistance in down payments for housing. More than 50 percent of our newest teachers already leave before the end of five years. Parents and our communities need to value and support their teachers. Please join me in thanking our hard-working dedicated teachers by Voting no on Proposition 74.

— Fran Pavley, Assemblywoman, 41st District

Vote no on Proposition 74. It will not advance our educational system. There is no evidence that lengthening a teacher’s probation period improves teacher performance. Only two other states — Indiana and Missouri — have five-year probation periods.

Vote no on Proposition 75. It prohibits the use of public employees union dues for political purposes. Proposition 75 is funded by corporations to protect “freedom and choice� of public employees. These donors have only contempt for the welfare of public employees. Think of it this way: Every organization has either a board or council or committee to manage its affairs. No union or organization can function if approval of membership or stockholders is required before each disbursement. Let’s let union members manage their own affairs.

When my wife and I first moved here from Santa Barbara in 1992, we used The Star to familiarize us with our new surroundings and as a trusted guide for objective reporting of local, national and international news.

For the first few years, I saved The Star’s reports on local and state issues each election year and, to a great extent, used these reports to guide my voting, especially for local issues and candidates who have little other means for getting their message and intent across.

I’m an active supporter of Neal Andrews for re-election to Ventura City Council.

Two years ago, I met with Neal to discuss my analysis of a severely flawed environmental impact report that had adversely affected the residents and property owners of my midtown street.

Flipping through several pages of complicated data, he quickly found the problem’s bottom line. Moreover, he laid out a common sense solution designed to serve the best interests of both the city and citizens of Ventura.

I ponder how best to ask readers to support Velma Lomax in the school board election for the City of Ventura.

It is almost impossible, in a short letter to the editor, to tell readers about Mrs. Lomax’s devotion, dedication and compassion for children. It is beyond words to try to list all of her accomplishments in working for the students and school district of this city.

Velma wears many hats — mother, grandmother, teacher, school board member and business owner, to name a few. All of these “jobs� give her different insights into how best to manage the business of running our schools.

As we get to the polls to select our leaders for the coming term, there are several factors I think we should consider in the candidates we choose.

We need to choose a candidate who has a vested interest in the success of Ventura.

The candidate should be concerned with how our community provides for its children’s future.
Our choice should have the skills and abilities to build consensus for solutions to the challenges that face our community.

Proposition 74 is ludicrous, as almost 50 percent of new teachers leave the teaching profession within the first five years as reality sets in.

Examples include dealing with parents who have alcohol and drug problems, or parents stressed out just trying to feed and house their kids. And then there are just uncooperative students and parents who don’t value education, as evidenced by homework not done or no one showing up for parent/teacher conferences — and the list goes on!

Many kids today come from such home environments, but under “No Child Left Behind,� the teacher has the added pressure of being blamed if a child doesn’t learn.

Over the past years, I have had the pleasure of getting to know Irene Henry as a downtown fellow business owner, community volunteer, committed mom and simply as a person.

Citizens of Ventura should know that a vote for Irene Henry as a City Council candidate means a vote for the three I’s: intellect, intensity (she will get the job done) and integrity.

Here is an opportunity for us as a city, where we have a willing participant to put her leadership skills forth to do better for us all.

Councilman Jim Monahan gets our support once again for City Council. He has served our city well since 1977 continuously, serving as mayor from 1988 to 1990.

Mr. Monahan has common sense, vision, supports the free enterprise system, believes in ethical values, has insight in our community due to his years of public service while owning a small business, and is needed as a voice of the people to watch overspending and keep taxpayers’ burden under control.

The council would not be the same without Jim Monahan — so let’s reelect this colorful Irishman.

— Jerry and Gail Nordskog, Ventura County Christian Leadership Council, Ventura

In California’s electrically charged political arena, it behooves each of us to think long and hard before casting a vote that we may regret.

Fortunately, the race for school board in Ventura offers an assortment of choices, and several of them would be beneficial. One potential candidate who has worked behind the scenes for many years is Mary Haffner.

After 38 years of teaching, 25 of them in eastern Ventura County, I quit in June of 2004. I belonged to the teachers union at various times and last quit when the contract required teachers to pay funds to the union whether they joined or not, excluding those of us who had been hired several years before.

Labor Day weekend of 2003 brought a union letter stating that they had “informed the district of our intent to implement the agency fee for all employees� and would be deducting monies ($764) from our paychecks. We could join the union, be an agency fee payer and apply for a rebate of the amount they say they spend on political causes or donate the monies to their approved charity.

Re: your Nov. 2 article, “Judge removed from DeLay finance case�:

Gee, I wonder if Tom DeLay was as concerned about the Dick Cheney-Antonin Scalia connection as he was about Judge Bob Perkins’ political donations creating the appearance of bias.

— Roy Kautz, Newbury Park

There’s good news for Sparky, our dog, who protected my daughter, 16-year-old Chelsea, from being bitten by a rattlesnake.

Sparky, a heroic cairn terrier, was released from Pet Emergency Clinic in Thousand Oaks Monday and is now recovering at home.

Oct. 30, Chelsea left the back door open as she worked on a paper for English class. When she got up to stretch her legs outside, Sparky suddenly darted in front of her, blocking her exit.
Looking down, she saw a rattlesnake coiled directly in front of her.

I urge all voters to vote Tuesday.

Proposition 73 upholds rights to parents of minor children on abortion issues.

Proposition 74 assures that competent teachers get tenure (a lifelong job guarantee) after five years instead of two years. Incompetent teachers won’t make the cut.

Proposition 75 (my favorite) will give union members the right to make sure their union dues will not go toward politics they disagree with.

An ad encouraging a yes vote on Proposition 74 states that a teacher treated her students rudely and showed an R-rated film in class. She was paid $25,000 to resign because tenure laws wouldn’t allow her to be fired.

Many of our cosseted children of high school age today do not believe a teacher has the right to discipline them. A strict teacher is often characterized by teenagers as one who treats them rudely.

Propositions 74, 75, 76 and 77 are confusing!
 
So, to simplify things, think about this:

Has the governor ever explained just how these propositions will help “rebuild� California, or are we just hearing more of the same old cliches that sound great but mean nothing?

Since the governor took office, California has fallen into worse despair, and now he wants to blame your teachers, nurses, police and firefighters for his failures.

Being a California native — I believe there are actually seven of us still around — I have come to the conclusion that the people in this state do not have the collective common sense that God gave a houseplant.

That being said, I think it is only right that everyone votes no on every proposition.

Who really cares if your 14-year-old daughter gets pregnant and has an abortion? At least she didn’t draw a picture of a gun or offer a friend an aspirin. That kind of serious crime will get you expelled.

I am writing as a union member of United Nurses Association of California. I feel nonunion voters who are confused about Proposition 75 should have all the information.

At my hospital, which is a closed shop, registered nurses have mandatory dues deducted from our paycheck, a portion of which goes to the political action of the union bosses’ choice.

As a conservative and Republican, I do not support left-wing causes or candidates, and I recently requested that the part of my dues used for political purposes not be deducted. I was told by my paid union representative that I could do this but would no longer be able to vote on my own uni