Re: Kathryn Jean Lopez’s April 26 commentary, “We can't wish away the brutality of 
the war on terror:�

This commentary was superb. In it, Ms. Lopez refers to “United 93,� the new movie “dramatizing the heroism of passengers on the plane that went down in Shanksville, Pa., on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.�

I would like to suggest an addition where she says, “there are people determined to kill us, and our allies, because of who we are.� The addition would be, “and because of who they are: Islamofascist evil.�

Re: Anna Baer’s April 19 letter, “Tapo Canyon just fine�:

A Tapo Canyon Park run and maintained by Rancho Simi Park District would be a long overdue blessing.

"Nothing gringo� is immigrants’ appeal to shoppers for action on Monday. That’s a good date selection — sort of reminiscent of May Day in the Soviet Union — and equally counterproductive, as many of us can still recall.

“The Great American Boycott� is meant to point out to us Americans the importance of the boycotters to the U.S. economy, but it seems to this writer that those who are most vulnerable stand to suffer more by their actions than those being ostracized.

My parents were immigrants and came here for the opportunity. Did the Mexican immigrants - legal and not so legal - who will be boycotting on Monday come to the United States from Mexico because of the great weather? I don't think so. For the exceptional Mexican food? Probably not. Could it be because the government of Mexico is so corrupt that there is no opportunity?

I would like to suggest they boycott and march on the Mexican government, but who would do the body count after the protest?

- Jim Barros, Simi Valley

The one theme that stands out in most of the letters about Iraq is the perceived unnecessary deaths the war has brought about.

The problem with this is nobody mentions the deaths that were brought to us for the past many years before the Afghan and Iraq wars. Are we supposed to just let it happen and blame ourselves for it?

Re: your April 26 article, “Flood plain maps spur county letter�:

This is an ongoing issue started recently by our friends at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, intending to double the size of the 100-year flood plain in the city of Camarillo, which would mean that more people would have to buy flood insurance.

I am writing to comment on the Ventura Packers football team. I personally think it is pathetic to charge a whopping $250 to join, plus the expense of purchasing a practice uniform.

One would think that having a child participate in after-school programs should not put such a financial crunch on parents.

When I was a child, kids participated in after-school programs, including sports, that were free of charge.

I've been following the issue of the Boating Instruction Safety Center at Channel Islands Harbor for a long time. East or west is the outward subject of the debate, but I sense there may be numerous other shadowy factors involved besides heron roosting and postulated safety criteria.

Maybe the real debate should be: Do we really want to finance a BISC in the Channel Islands Harbor, no matter where it is positioned? Is this an optimum project for the expenditure of taxpayer dollars to enhance and improve our harbor, stimulate the local business and increase the tax base?

Re: your April 21 article, “2 men face sentencing for narcotics distribution�:

Dr. Michael Huff and pharmacist Richard Ozar made a plea bargain, with Huff expected to receive a trivial three-year sentence in minimum security and Ozar expected to receive house arrest. Is this justice? They were charged on several counts of illegal drug sales that were linked to multiple deaths. This is even more heinous because they used and abused their trusted positions to commit these crimes.

That the president's ratings have slipped to the point where more than two-thirds of the public disapproves of his policies is not surprising. Eventually, good, decent people are able to see past the fear-mongering which has been a substitute for reason in America, even among those who tend to conservatism.

What is disturbing is that almost one-third of the public still backs an administration and policies founded on lies and manipulations.

The thousands of illegal immigrants (undocumented workers) that we have in this great country, which was founded on immigrants, are not felons. But they have broken the law. When I break the law by driving 75 mph and get cited, I pay a fine. But I am not a felon. We need to treat illegal immigrants the same way. We can do this and legalize these undocumented workers at the same time as follows:

— We create a new “Temporary Residence Status� alongside the “Permanent Residency Status� that we already have, the Green Card.

Re: your April 14 article, “Developer to seek voter approval for project�:

What we’re now going to witness is an onslaught of lies that Westlake Village residents have a pent-up need for Lowe’s and its version of “upscale� restaurants.

To paraphrase an expression: Money tends to corrupt, and lots of money corrupts absolutely.

The California Clean Money Campaign has a different idea. Clean Money is a voluntary system of publicly funded political campaigns for elected statewide and legislative offices. The bill sets up a system for cleanly financed state elections and, if passed, would place a measure on the ballot to adopt public financing for all statewide and legislative races in California. It is patterned after the successful Clean Money systems now working in Arizona and Maine.

BHP Billiton’s proposal of the offshore liquefied natural gas terminal will create an acceptable amount of pollution, which will most likely affect the whole county of Ventura. This is unacceptable.

The Santa Barbara Channel’s ecosystem is on a path to recovery after the devastation it suffered as a result of the oil spill of Platform A off of Summerland in 1969. I want to make sure I do my part in the preservation of our beautiful park and marine sanctuary of the Channel Islands.

I normally don’t get caught up in all of the political rhetoric going on at election time, and I try to sort through all the mudslinging and rumors. I don’t know whether Judy Mikels lives here, or in Arizona. I don’t know how many meetings she misses.

What I do remember is this: She attended the vigil for the seven people killed in a car crash back in August of 2005. Her statements made were so unbelievable that I wouldn’t vote for her just based on her total insensitivity toward the family and also the young driver involved, who was also in attendance. Her statements of “We’ve all forgotten how to drive� and “I’m so sorry for this accident, but we cannot legislate stupidity� were totally inappropriate. If she didn’t even have the common sense or courtesy in this particular instance to keep her mouth shut, one has to wonder what she says when the press is not there.

What a sad statement on our community if Supervisor Judy Mikels has to invite the press to her Simi Valley home to dispel lies that her challengers are conveying out in our neighborhoods.

Everyone is sick of political campaigns today, and the tactics that Judy Mikels has to deal with – lies by challengers to avoid real issues, most likely because there are none – are a prime example of why.

I would personally like to lend my endorsement to incumbent Ventura County Supervisor Judy Mikels in her campaign for re-election. Recently, there have been a considerable number of unsubstantiated attacks and negative comments from her opponents.

Re: your April 25 article, “Clippers in control�:

Wow! A cover headline and photo of the Los Angeles Clippers! The Star finally gets it that the Clippers are for real a team! Is The Star stuck in the Lakers and the NBA’s media hype? The Clippers won Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs, and The Star didn’t even mention it in Sunday’s edition.

I do not have an answer to high gasoline prices, but the facts are clear: We are running out of oil.

I just finished reading a Department of Energy-sponsored report from 2005 titled “Peaking of World Oil Production.� It states, “As world oil peaking is approached and demand for conventional oil begins to exceed supply, oil prices will rise steeply.�

Average gasoline prices have doubled in the past five years.

The nation’s gasoline consumers should take advantage of the immigration boycott of U.S. goods on May 1 by not purchasing gasoline on that day and every Monday thereafter in protest of the oil companies’ price gouging at the pumps.

— George Galgas, Oak View

This morning, I stopped to fuel my car and body. I paid $3.12 per gallon for gas and $1.70 for a 16-oz. coffee, equal to $13.60 per gallon.

Coffee costs more than four times as much as gasoline! I find that perplexing, since I have to believe the investment and risk to find, produce, transport, and refine oil have to be greater than for coffee beans.

Why aren’t our legislators and the media clamoring for an excess profit tax on the big coffee companies?

— Tom McNeilan, Ventura

I’d like to coin a new word to describe the blatant, illegal gouging of America’s drivers by greedy oil companies: “profityranny.�

As a combination of “profiteer,� which means “to seek an excessive or unfair profit,� and “tyranny,� which means “cruel, unreasonable or arbitrary use of power or control,� the word perfectly describes both our government and the oil giants to whom the Republican Party, Inc., is beholden.

National Volunteer Week, April 23-30, is a time to pause and thank and cheer the thousands of volunteers in Ventura County who give of their precious time and talent to improve our community and to help our most vulnerable residents: the hungry, the homeless, the elderly, youth and the disabled.

At FOOD Share, the regional food bank serving Ventura County, our hats are off to our own incredible corps of hundreds of volunteers, who provide more than 40,000 hours of amazing volunteer service every year.

National Volunteer Week, April 23-30, is a time to pause and thank and cheer the thousands of volunteers in Ventura County who give of their precious time and talent to improve our community and to help our most vulnerable residents: the hungry, the homeless, the elderly, youth and the disabled.

At FOOD Share, the regional food bank serving Ventura County, our hats are off to our own incredible corps of hundreds of volunteers, who provide more than 40,000 hours of amazing volunteer service every year.

Re: Mary Haffner’s April 24 letter, “Say no to LNG�:

Ms. Haffner states, “LNG production relies on the burning of fossil fuels.� That’s not necessarily so. In the case of BHP Billiton, I would expect them to burn natural gas to operate their liquefied natural gas facility and also to power their ships. And, of course, we the consumer will pay for that.

— William Wolny, Oxnard

Re: your April 21 article, “Bush, Hu smile and pledge cooperation�:

You missed a great headline opportunity for this article on the Chinese president’s visit to Washington, D.C.: Commander-in-chief meets Mandarin chief.

— Raul Kottler, Oak View

Re: your April 20 article, “Criticism dominates as LNG hearings wrap up�:

Thanks to The Star for its continuing coverage of the effort by BHP Billiton to build a polluting liquefied natural gas terminal off our coast. As someone who went to the April 18 hearing in Malibu, I found it remarkable how few people in attendance supported this dangerous plan.

Passed off as insignificant in the revised Draft Environmental Impact Report of BHP Billiton’s proposed Cabrillo Port is that the liquefied natural gas facility will emit up to 270 tons of smog-producing contaminants per year, according to the Environmental Defense Center’s estimate. These pollutants will be blown ashore by the prevailing winds in both Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Nevertheless, the Environmental Protection Agency has exempted Cabrillo Port from any pollution standards.

The Los Angeles and Orange County air basins are second only to New York’s as the most smog-polluted in our country. Any air pollutants that come into Ventura County, after affecting our air, will eventually drift into the Los Angeles air basin.

As a person who travels up and down the state, I see a huge variation in the price of regular gas. As I go from Simi Valley to the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles, there is a 10-cent or so drop in prices. In Garden Grove, the price was about 20 cents a gallon less. Traveling to outer areas you pay more, up to 50 cents a gallon more. In Washington state, it was 30 or so cents less. That's a huge gap.

Re: your April 18 article, “The Great Quake�:

I have just finished reading this story and I am now, for the umpteenth time, gazing at a letter dated May 13, 1906, written by my great-grandmother, who lived in San Francisco at the time of the earthquake. It is somewhat difficult to read, as she was an immigrant from Germany and her English skills were still being developed. Also, the copy I have must have been made in the very early days of copying machines.

When listening to the news and hearing that oil has gone to more than $71 per barrel, I didn’t really think much about it. After all, what can I do? Then I stopped at my local gas station and paid more than $30 to put 10 gallons of gasoline into my fuel-efficient car that gets 25 to 30 miles per gallon.

Then I realized that even if I drive a fuel-efficient car it’s still costing a fortune for fuel. And the oil and gas companies are making a bundle because I have no choice. I need to use my car.

We were saddened to learn of the recent fire at the venerable old Glen Tavern Inn, the historic, Craftsman-style landmark in downtown Santa Paula, which has also resulted in the untimely closing of the newest gourmet restaurant in Ventura County, Avenue X, located on the inn's ground floor.

The owner and chef, Richard Hyman, whom my wife considers the finest chef in Ventura County, poured his heart and soul, not to mention a tidy sum of hard-earned greenback dollar bills, into making his restaurant a destination landmark based on merit alone. The cognoscenti were electrified, and his establishment's reputation spread like wildfire, to use an unfortunately apropos turn of phrase.

Let’s examine the history of our “public equestrian center.�

First, Andy Fox had plans for the site that Two Winds Ranch is on, but the community demanded a public equestrian center. Then, in order to keep the site for whatever development he had planned, he arranged for the Thousand Oaks City Council to approve a public equestrian center to be built by the city of Thousand Oaks but on a different site, which was the Olympia Farms site.

Re: Don M. Johnson's April 23 commentary, “Mysterious statement awakens dear memories�:

Don mentions the warm feelings he gets when he remembers a framed “God is love� picture from his childhood. He indicates that he's never understood the meaning of the statement, and continues: “And at church, if God is love, I wondered why ministers emphasized hell and the wrath of God.�

I don’t understand.

The employers are saying that illegals are necessary for their business to survive. Do they pay differently if the person is a legal, naturalized citizen? If they don’t, why not just require a naturalization certificate for employment That’s what I had to do when I worked in the aerospace industry in the ‘60s and ‘70s. I got paid the same, it’s just that they knew I was legal and had pledged allegiance to the United States.

Re: your April 23 article, “County Earth Day events celebrate renewed interest�:

Please have Alan Sanders, chairman of the local chapter of Sierra Club, take a look from a different perspective when he talks about Earth Day not having the public draw it had when first organized in 1970.

The one day, April 22, may not be as well attended now, and I believe there is a reason: Member of the public, instead of showing their support for Mother Earth on just one day, have now broadened their perspectives and actions, possibly because of education disseminated during Earth Day.

I think it’s ludicrous to somehow explain away the exorbitant gas prices on short supply of ethanol or the Nigerian civil war.

The truth is that people who drive vehicles that get 14 miles per gallon are still driving 90 mph on the freeway, and I witness this every day. They are consuming more than their fair share of this resource, and it is immoral that our soldiers are fighting a war to secure this country's energy resources while selfish and self-absorbed people continue to waste gasoline.

Re: John J. Bardgette’s April 21 letter, “Abolish gasoline tax�:

Mr. Bardgette says that we need to reduce or eliminate the gas tax to bring down gas prices. I’m guessing that he drives a gas guzzler, has stock in the oil companies and no offspring to care about.

Rather than having another Target in Simi Valley, how about building some affordable housing? The corner where Kmart currently sits would be an excellent site for townhomes, condos or apartments. With the current cost of housing in Simi Valley, many of our young people are moving out of Simi to places like the Inland Empire. It’s vital to the health of our community to make sure everyone has a chance to live here, work here and contribute to our wonderful city.

— Arleigh Kidd, Simi Valley

Re: your April 21 article, “Mikels says stories of Tucson home not true�:

OK, so let’s give Ventura County Supervisor Judy Mikels the benefit of the doubt and assume that maybe our supervisor doesn’t live in Tucson half her life. Then what is her excuse for missing 70 percent of the meetings she's getting paid to attend?

Is Mikels spending too much time on all these “regional� committees that just happen to meet weekends in Tucson and Phoenix? Is too much of her time taken up freelancing as an Arizona-based housing developer? Or is it simply that the Queen Bee of the Board of Supervisors is too lazy to do her job?

Re: your April 20 editorial, “Adams worth another shot�:

OK, one more time on Santa Paula’s Adams Canyon thing: Pinnacle threatened to sue, they got their do-over vote, and they had the glossy brochures and a near-million-dollar public campaign to crush those opposed to their collective iron will. They dangled dollars like stink bait as if we all were bottom feeders. It was deplorable.

The Adams Canyon development proposal by the Pinnacle Group was not worthy of Santa Paula. Our community may need growth as an economic stimulus, but it does not need a 10-square-mile McMansion plan. It was a bad plan, and the community was right in turning it down.

This victory comes despite the Arizona developer's “Easter Surprise� special election and million-dollar campaign aimed at 4,200 voters. Santa Paulans should be given credit for seeing through Pinnacle's campaign of deception and for seeing the proposal for what even The Star admits was a bad plan.

Save Open-space and Agricultural Resources is right up there with Greenpeace and the Sierra Club, so their opposition to Measure Y was expected. However, there were two groups in Santa Paula that were instrumental in the defeat of this measure: the Board of Directors of the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce and the members of the Santa Paula City Council. In my opinion, both of these groups should have seen through everything and done what was right for the long-term economic health of Santa Paula. It will take a long time for the chamber to recover from its major faux pas .

Re: your April 20 editorial, “Adams worth another shot�:

The Star's assertion that S.O.A.R.'s opposition to the development of Santa Paula's Adams Canyon but not Fagan Canyon is based on who stands to make a profit is both preposterous and irresponsible. It is the most blatant of the many misrepresentations The Star makes about S.O.A.R.

Re: your April 20 editorial, “Adams worth another shot�:

The Star is way off the mark with this ridiculous editorial.

Save Open-space and Agricultural Resources was not intended to stop all growth, but to allow some controlled growth while preventing conversion of large tracts of open space or agricultural land. And that’s the way S.O.A.R. has been working. Certain smaller projects have been approved, and certain larger ones have not.

Two Winds captures the headlines, again, letters to the editor follow suit, and dialogue between the factions has begun.

On April 27, there will be another rubber-stamp meeting confirming Ride On as the recommended recipient of the contract for management, for review, by the Thousand Oaks City Council. It sounds like, pretty much, a done deal. Of course, city staff will incorporate community feedback from the meeting into their recommendation. What will be very interesting is to see what weight the community feedback will carry.

Two Winds captures the headlines, again, letters to the editor follow suit, and dialogue between the factions has begun.

On April 27, there will be another rubber-stamp meeting confirming Ride On as the recommended recipient of the contract for management, for review, by the Thousand Oaks City Council. It sounds like, pretty much, a done deal. Of course, city staff will incorporate community feedback from the meeting into their recommendation. What will be very interesting is to see what weight the community feedback will carry.

Re: Merle Duckett’s April 17 letter, “Union needs better focus�:

It was disappointing to read Merle Duckett’s letter, which was aimed at continuing the controversy regarding the winter vacation and other Conejo Valley Unified School District issues.

Re: your April 20 editorial, “Adams worth another shot�:

I find it interesting that The Star would be pro-development for mini mansions above Santa Paula.

Discounting the fact that the modification to Save Open-space and Agricultural Resources lost by only 119 votes does not tell the whole story. Simply driving through the town showed that most of the homes that would have been near the mini-mansions — and the increased traffic — had anti-development signs.

The rising price of gasoline has been much in the news for several weeks.

I know that there is very little that we as individual citizens can do to affect the price charged by the companies that refine and sell gasoline, but there is one thing that we can do: A large portion of the price we pay is for taxes on each gallon, and, to a fair extent, on the taxes that the service stations pay on their property. Everyone should write or call their representatives in Congress and the state Legislature to reduce or totally eliminate the tax per gallon, and write or call their county officials to reduce the property tax on service stations and require the stations to make a proportionate reduction in the price they charge for gasoline.

— John J. Bardgette, Thousand Oaks

Re: your April 19 article, “E-mail from wife of school trustee creates a furor�:

I'm originally from the South, where a good conservative Republican man doesn't hide behind his wife's skirt to do his political dirty work.

Mike Dunn is an embarrassment to himself and this community. It seems like every time I pick up the newspaper, he's in trouble again. It's time for a change.

- David Adams, Thousand Oaks

Re: Patricia Green's April 16 letter, “Protest illegal immigration�:

No offense to Ms. Green, but, I can't see how staying home from work and not buying anything for one day is going to get the attention of our politicians. The only thing it would do is cause everyone to lose a day's pay, burn more fuel - because you know everyone isn't going to just stay at home - and possibly overburden our law enforcement and emergency service personnel. And no morning coffee? Yeah, right.

Re: Earl Jonnson’s April 19 letter, “Balanced cartooning�:

Mr. Jonnson’s idea that The Star should publish a cartoon showing Gen. Santa Ana's Latino immigration officers killing all those defenders at the Alamo of European heritage should be done to be fair and balanced, but it seems Mr. Jonnson omitted or maybe did not know that more Tejanos (Texans of Mexican descent) lost their lives defending the Alamo than those of European heritage.

— John L. Thawley, Santa Paula

Re: Alicia Reynolds’ April 16 commentary, “Are we disciples of Jesus Christ or Judas Iscariot?�:

There is always a plethora of magazine covers, news articles, movies and sudden archeological finds that tend to crop up every year just in time for Easter. By using a biblical framework for her argument, Ms. Reynolds has jumped rather cleverly right onto the bandwagon with them.

Jesus was concerned about the Kingdom of Heaven and the rescue of humankind, period. Judas missed what Jesus was all about and paid for it.

Re: your April 17 editorial cartoon, “Immigration�:

I can’t tell you how upset I was with this cartoon. As a descendant of European immigrants, I really resented the quote, “The American Dream isn’t for your kind.�

The dream is for anyone who waits their turn in line and enters the country legally, learns the language and is willing to assimilate into their new country instead of trying to still be Hispanic, and who wants more than anything to be American and is willing to make whatever sacrifices are necessary to obtain that goal.

On a winter day in Minnesota in the 1930s, my parents took me to see my paternal grandparents who lived on a small farm. I was 4 years old and was greeted with smiles, hugs and: “My, how you have grown!� Grandpa smelled of cows and hay. I knew, because I had played in the barn.

Re: Martin Kaplan’s April 20 commentary, “Freedom is necessary for truth�:

Mr. Kaplan’s reply to my criticism of his faculty should not be taken at face value. He is rightly defending his turf and his faculty, Bill Garlington. However, the obfuscation in his letter would bear Karl Rove proud. The basic fact is that the portrayal of Nelson Mandela as an advocate for peaceful change is not only wrong, but corrupt. Comparison of Mandela to Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mahatma Gandhi is an abomination.

Tuesday, April 25, is Equal Pay Day.

To match men's earnings for 2005, women have to work from January 2005 to April 2006 — an extra four months. Equal Pay Day takes place each year on a Tuesday in April, symbolizing the point in the next week and year to which a woman must work to achieve pay equity. Her male counterpart must work five days a week for 12 months, whereas she will work seven days a week for 16 months to earn equivalent wages.

Women continue to earn only 77 cents on the dollar to their male counterparts.

Re: your April 20 editorial, “Adams worth another shot�:

No one who reads The Star regularly can miss its biases, among which is a strong pro-development streak. But this editorial went beyond bias to another level of smear and insult.

Yes, the Santa Paula voters went in a different direction than The Star recommended, and some disgruntlement on The Star’s part might be expected. But “an easy message to sell to the masses� is an insulting mischaracterization of those Santa Paula voters who took the trouble to vote Tuesday.

Re: your April 16 editorial, “Adams: Part of SP future�:

Regardless of Tuesday’s vote, the end result in Santa Paula’s Adams Canyon must be a real preserve of substantial size, not just a park of 100 acres or so. Full community involvement should be mandatory. This looks like an under-the-table intrusion of “by the super rich and for the super rich only� from a strong-arm group way outside of this area with no interest in the residents here.

The GOP is a party of ideas, not a party of incumbents.

The entrenched Republican activists in the 24th Congressional District should not be excused for having short memories. Elton Gallegly's last-minute decision to retire caused havoc in the ranks and exposed his lack of knowledge of election law. Yet he apparently retains the support of those to whom he failed to give advance notice of his desire to retire. How considerate of him.

Re: Frank Moraga's April 14 essay, “Counting every ballot�:

I read Mr. Moraga's commentary in the Ventura County Star and must take issue.

A bill is needed that makes English the official language of all business, commerce and politics in the United States. Every citizen involved in the political process should be able to speak and read English well enough to understand the issues presented on any ballot; otherwise, they should not be voting.

I think The Star is "slanting the news" to appeal to the large Hispanic population in Ventura County.

Warm and fuzzy articles about illegal alien successes and cartoons aimed at making persons opposed to the current massive illegal invasion of the country look bigoted doesn't help an educated and informed public.

Re: your April 14 article, “Developer to seek voter approval for project�:

I was saddened to see this article, but not surprised. It was too good to be true that Rotkin Real Estate Group would accept the fact that they are not needed nor wanted in Westlake Village.

What I find interesting is that Westlake Village United wanted it to go to ballot and Rotkin Real Estate Group was adamantly opposed. What do they have up their sleeves now?

May 1 is the planned "Day Without an Immigrant" boycott by illegal immigrants here in the United States. They plan to boycott work, thus showing how many menial jobs they provide cheap labor for. They plan to boycott our stores, thus showing how much money they provide for the economy. I am fine with this tactic.

I have one suggestion: Please boycott our hospitals, schools, jails and highways.

Over the past few months, we’ve read editorials and heard talking heads on TV and radio complaining that the administration seems not to have an “exit strategy� for our troops in Iraq. It is clear to me, and has been for some time, that there is a good reason for this: the administration doesn’t ever intend to exit Iraq.

We are building permanent bases in Iraq that will house our troops for decades. We are building the world’s largest embassy complex in Baghdad, one which is hundreds of times larger than necessary to house an ambassador and his entire entourage, both military and civilian.

It was recently stated that we have 10 years to fix the global warming problem or we reach a point of no return. Our society is preoccupied with the effect of pollution on the body, but how much thought is given to the pollution that affects the human soul?

Plato and Aristotle argue that the young in society are most effectively molded towards virtue or vice through the music to which they listen. Music imitates human emotions. Good music which may imitate emotions of anger and despair always ends by resolving these emotions tranquilly. Bad music imitates these same emotions but provides no resolution, kindling anger, lust and despair beyond measure.

Re: your April 14 article, “County board OKs charter school plan�:

Congratulations to the founding teachers and parents of the School of Arts and Global Education on the unanimous approval of their charter petition by the Ventura County Board of Education.

As a parent of a current Open Classroom and future SAGE student, I am delighted. Dealing with Superintendent Charles Weis and the county board members was such a pleasant experience. They treated all of us with respect, listened carefully to what we had to say, and gave the petition the thoughtful consideration it deserved.

Re: your April 13 article, “U.S trade deficit improves�:

Wow! Some great economic news, or is it? On closer examination, if one does a little math, the figures come out quite different.

For starters, January has three more days than February. If you divide January’s trade deficit of $68.7 billion by 31, you come out with $2.216 billion in trade deficit a day. If you divide February’s trade deficit of $65.7 billion by 28, you come out with $2.346 billion in trade deficit a day. So, in reality, the trade deficit increased 5.8 percent in February.

The fact that many of the residents of Ventura County and of our country are illegal immigrants comes as no surprise to many. What is surprising is that people are acting as if they are surprised. We have never had regulations with any enforcement, and to close the gate after the cow is gone seems pretty silly.

What people don’t seem to know about unbridled population growth is that it makes the land less hospitable for wildlife. We need laws that take into account the carrying capacity of the land.

Immigration reform is finally getting the attention it needs. Unfortunately, as is often typical with elected “politicians,� their focus is on avoidance of alienating one voting bloc or another. Seldom do we ever get a comprehensive solution to complex problems. Instead, in real life, we make slight course corrections to determine a cause and effect. That is what we need here: a bit of common sense.

Re: your April 9 article, “Surfers Point project moves forward�:

I am a retired registered civil engineer in the states of Michigan, Ohio and Florida. I have had vast experience in designing, building and maintaining roads, bridges, parks and buildings. Therefore, I must take serious issue with the Surfers Point project as currently envisioned by the City of Ventura.

Re: Gary Selvaggio's April 3 letter, “Tapo Canyon wasting away�:

This letter was written by someone who has never been to Tapo Canyon Park, does not understand youth sports operations or is unaware of the local park district's budgetary restraints.

Or all of the above.

Tapo Canyon Park is being used today by a local archery group and by equestrian enthusiasts, hikers and picnickers.

Re: Ron Kelly’s April 6 letter, “Media too liberal�:

Ron Kelly’s assertion that the media is in partnership with al-Qaida is utter nonsense. I assume that he, like others who dislike the mainstream media, gets all his “news� from FOX, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage and other long-winded, self-serving purveyors of truth.

— Mike Teobaldi, Westlake Village

Re: Reg Richardson’s April 5 letter, “Don’t blame Mikels�:

Don’t blame Mikels? Incumbent Judy Mikels was the one who, despite her Planning Commission’s advice, approved a 1,200-square-foot house on a 1,500-square-foot lot, with no setbacks, in the midst of a single-family community with 10,000-square-foot minimum lots. That’s not to blame? If given another term, Mikels will only do more of the same, all over her district.

Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce: 1.

Measure Y: 0.

That about says it all. If Santa Paulans are looking for guidance in making up their minds about Measure Y, the recent decision by the board of directors of their very own Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce to oppose this initiative is about as far as they need look.

Once again, we find ourselves on the eve of Easter. Stores are overflowing with the images of this rite of spring. I urge anyone tempted to bring home living bunnies to please stop and resist that temptation. Shake off the intoxicating fairy dust of the holiday and educate yourself.

Tragically, most “Easter present� bunnies will be abandoned or die within their first year due to lack of information or compassion by their human caregivers. Of those that aren’t gone within that first year, most will be relegated to a life of solitary confinement within wire mesh, with little to no exercise and a steady diet of stale pellets and water, existing like that for years — a life of utter nothingness.

Re: Thomas Elias’ April 6 commentary, “Question may no longer be whether LNG, but when?�

The penny dropped with a resounding clang.

He is quite right.

“Only rarely has California seen such massive support for an unproven new scheme,� Mr. Elias writes.

With all the performing arts in Ventura, plus the galleries, museums, outdoor murals and public art, perhaps Ventura should be nicknamed, “Thousand Arts.�

If there aren’t a thousand performances and things to see and do each year, we’re probably pretty close.

— Katherine Wertheim, Ventura

The guest-worker program is a facade. We all know that the guest-worker program is an unworkable program that will eventually be a blanket amnesty for all when the program’s bureaucracy fails. You cannot possibly determine how long someone has been here or what their criminal history is coming from a Third World country. I can’t wait to see the English test applicants will have to pass.

I’d like to thank the protesters for showing me the light. My sister-in-law was turned down for a visa earlier this year — she’s from a country in Southeast Asia. Now I realize all I have to do is get her a visa to Mexico, sneak her across the border, get her a low-paying job that “nobody else will do,� then claim it’s her right to stay.

And to think we wasted all that time and effort filling out forms and waiting in line at the embassy.

— Chris Bisbee, Oxnard

I was one of many hunters who paid Dr. Carey Stanton, who owned Santa Cruz Island then, to be allowed to hunt, under strict supervision, the pigs and sheep on Santa Cruz.

Dr. Stanton had tried several methods of controlling the population of the pigs and sheep. He had allowed a dog food company to try to eliminate the pigs and sheep. That failed when the dog food company found it not economical.

Dr. Stanton also had arranged for paid hunters to try to eliminate the animals. That failed.

Our lawmakers in Washington, D.C., are working on legislation to try to manage the immigrants who come into the United States illegally. Before the Immigration and Naturalization Service Act of 1965, our borders were much more welcoming to people from other countries looking for a better way of life.

I am an American born of English and Irish descent. The family from England settled on the East Coast, bringing with them their high ideals of society and the class system. My family from Ireland were farmers and settled in the Midwest. Thanks to the railroad, Grandpa met Grandma and my father was born. Thanks to the covered wagon and good Missouri soil, Grandpa met Grandma and my mother was born.

I find it very hard to believe that the Oxnard Harbor Commission voted to try to obtain the 17 acres of land destined for housing near our beach at Port Hueneme by eminent domain proceedings. I am sure they are aware of the minimum amount of land available in our city for residential housing.

The City of Oxnard has already annexed every parcel of land adjacent to our city to stop future growth. Now the Harbor District, a business entity within our city, wants to acquire what we have left. What’s next? The museum, the shopping center, my home and apartments on Ventura Road? The buck stops here and now!

Most of the time you can find me working the snack bar, organizing a fundraiser, attending a sporting event, opening up on Monday nights for youth group or doing anything that involves youth in Santa Paula.

Most of my children can’t vote — that’s why it’s my responsibility to speak for them.
If we don’t pass Measure Y, it’s going to cost our youth dearly. If we don’t move the City Urban Restriction Boundary line to bring the land in the Adams Preserve into the city, we will be selling our youth short.

I have been a business owner in Santa Paula for more than 46 years. I have served as mayor and as a council member for eight years. I have been a member of the Chamber of Commerce for more than 40 years, served on the Board of Directors for 12 years and president for two years. I have served on the board of the Boys and Girls Club, president of the Santa Paula Optimist Club and Santa Paula Shriners and more committees that I can remember.

As the saying goes, “You can choose your friends, but not your family.� Add to that, “You can choose your congressperson.�

To those of you who care about the welfare of animals, I urge you to choose U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly. As a resident of Camarillo, I am proud that he is my congressperson, since he has emerged as one of the leading voices for animal welfare in Congress. He helped pass laws that protect working dogs, that ban video depictions of animal cruelty, that ban the keeping of exotic cats as pets, and, most recently, taking on fights to rid the nation of bear-baiting, dog fighting and cockfighting. Animal advocates are grateful to him for his concern for both people and animals.

Re: Julie Saltoun’s April 4 commentary, “Settlements are products of Israel’s defensive war�:

Ms. Saltoun intimates that the reason for the Israeli settlements on the West Bank is for defensive purposes. Let me remind Ms. Saltoun, the regional director of the Santa Barbara Tri-Counties Anti-Defamation League, that accuracy is one of her qualities for credible advocacy of religious tolerance.

The prevalent attitude today is, “It’s our right.� Illegal immigrants have no rights in the United States, just as Americans have no rights in foreign countries.

I hear Americans won’t do what illegals will do. I remember my family going though the Great Depression. They worked for a dollar a day or for farmers, planting and picking crops in exchange for crops to keep the family alive. Our politicians today allow companies to hire illegals for low pay and don’t enforce the law.

Will someone please tell me what it is that makes it so difficult to become a legal citizen and why most would rather become instant criminals to the country they can’t wait to be part of by violating our immigration laws?

I would think the people who should be the most upset about the latest immigration issue would be the Mexican population who did the right thing years ago when they decided to come to the United States and become documented and legalized. They were issued Social Security numbers, and they learned how to speak the English language. They took normal, responsible, reasonable steps to show that they were serious about becoming an American in today’s world.

What happened to challengers coming out and clearly outlining new ideas, with details, and anticipated results? In the 4th District supervisorial race, so far we have seen only foggy statements from newcomers of what they support. Let’s face it, all candidates support public safety and improved traffic flow — and, of course, “reform.�

One challenger, Jim Dantona, has been running a slick, underground campaign since late last year. He offers brief statements of what he sees as his accomplishments, like the Rail Summit in the early 1990s, but few details, like actual results from that "summit." That's because the Rail Summit resulted in nothing.

Re: Betsy Hart’s April 3 commentary, “Conspiracy theories flourish regarding attacks on 9/11�:

Ms. Hart states, “The threat of Islamic terrorism is so frightening, so unpredictable, so unknowable….� Did Ms. Hart feel that way before the attacks of Sept. 11? If so, she was probably in the minority, as I think most Americans felt we were more or less invulnerable. If not, perhaps then she’ll understand that those who think the government was behind these attacks think that they were committed in order to strike fear in the hearts of Americans.

The advocates of illegal immigration often talk about the benefits of cheap labor. Cheap labor is certainly a benefit to business, but the advocates usually fail to mention the hidden costs to the community.

Illegal workers generally have family members who do not work. These family members are typically women with two or more children living at home — the Latino population has the highest fertility rate of any ethnic group. These family members may use educational, health, welfare and environmental resources, for which the community must pay.

Re: Alan M. Hoff’s April 3 commentary, “Flags fly out of respect�:

I believe it is a wonderful thought on the part of Mr. Hoff and the Simi Valley Flyers to display the American flags on Highway 118 between Moorpark and Simi Valley. However, I do take issue with his statement that he replaces the flags when they are worn or destroyed.

Re: Rogelio Salvatierra’s April 5 letter, “Helping the economy�:

Mr. Salvatierra’s disgustingly racist tirade should be enough to convince anyone that deep hatred exists among the illegal immigrant population. To the author’s credit, at least he didn’t attempt to varnish his hatred of Americans as other immigrants sometimes do. Sentiments like his clearly show immigrants’ lack of desire to Americanize, although some may deny that they’re here simply to exploit the benefits of our system.

Re: your April 5 article, “Gorbachev praises Reagan in T.O.�:

After reading this headline, I was left to wonder if I had attended the same event.

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev did make positive comments about both Ronald and Nancy Reagan, but The Star failed to mention other aspects of his talk. His speech touched on his belief that a country must look out for of all of its citizens and not just the country’s elite. He warned the United States about going at it alone as a superpower trying to impose its will on the world. More importantly, when asked what advice he had for President Bush, he replied, “I would tell him to follow the advice of the American people.� That comment was met with thunderous applause. His statement and the audience’s response to that statement should have been the headline.

— Stephen Irshay, Thousand Oaks

Glory Hallelujah! We have justified spending $8 million on a fish passage in the Ventura River because we have caught on videotape one fish going down the passage in 2005 and one fish going up the passage this year.

Now the question is, “What kind of fish is using the passage?� We want to know if the fish taped this year is a steelhead trout because, if it is, then all the money will have been well spent.

Re: David Lassen's April 4 article, “Second doesn't count at UCLA�:

I was very disappointed by David Lassen's front-page article on the UCLA team's accomplishments at the NCAA Tournament. I hope his opinion only reflects the media's take on the subject and not the UCLA student body's.

This team should be very proud of what they have accomplished. Many people, including the sportswriters, didn't think they would make it to the Sweet 16. They not only made it to the final, they beat the No. 1 regional seeded team along the way.

I listened to U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay’s “resignation� speech on C-Span. It lasted as long as some presidents’ State of the Union speeches, and it listed all of his so- called “accomplishments.� In response, I have a short one for him: “Goodbye and good riddance!�

— Steve Binder, Oxnard

Re: your April 3 article, “Curbing gangs is still a hot topic�:

Instead of going to the Oxnard Community Legal Defense Fund, I think that the suggested $5 donation to attend the statewide conference on gang injunctions should instead go to a fund for burial expenses of the kids who have been killed by the same gang members these committees are defending. “Committee on Raza Rights?� Maybe they should change their name to “Committee on Gang Member Rights.� That name makes more sense.

On March 31, British Prime Minister Tony Blair sadly proclaimed that al-Qaida terrorists were playing the British press against the British public. If he were to look across “the pond,� he would find a worse scenario here. In America, the press is teamed with al-Qaida and the far-left fringe of the Democratic Party against all decency and truth.

Ventura County needs a change. And that change is Jim Dantona. Judy Mikels needs to go now. She is too complacent in her seat and is just not in touch with her constituents.

Jim Dantona has been out talking to the residents of Ventura County, listening. When was the last time Mikels listened to anyone but big business and developers?

At 4 p.m. on March 10, U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly announced that he would not run for re-election to the 24th District due to an undisclosed medical condition. A few days later, following a call from Karl Rove asking him to stay in the race, he changed his mind and decided to continue his bid for a last term. Rove may be powerful, but this borders on miraculous. Does this make Gallegly a flip-flopper, or, more importantly, does he show what a puppet he is for this administration?

Re: David Lassen’s April 4 article, “Second doesn’t count at UCLA�:

I believe your emphasis on the fact that UCLA did not win the final game once again places the emphasis on the final destination and removes the excitement of the journey. The journey for George Mason University will be remembered, as will UCLA.

It was a great tournament, and UCLA was a class act to the end.

— Dennis DeGennaro, Westlake Village

Re: your April 1 article, “Genie is out of the bottle�:

This front-page story regarding student walkouts and rallies incongruously had a reference to Mohandas Gandhi. As I recall, Gandhi sought to get a foreign occupying force — the British — out of his country, India. In California, U.S. citizens are faced with those from many foreign countries (mostly Mexico) who demand, as foreigners, full rights of citizenship in the country of another.

The death penalty was voted for by the majority of Californians and must not be changed by a couple of people, namely previous letter writers Joe Nation and David Howard. They seem not to know the anguish felt by the victims or the victims’ loved ones.

It is an inexcusable crime in itself to keep murderers on death row for 25 years. The appeals process must be reformed immediately and limited to two appeals and no more than two years. Millions upon millions of tax dollars are wasted annually by keeping these criminals alive. And we won’t need to spend another $220 million on a new prison.

Re: Betsy Hart’s April 3 commentary, “Conspiracy theories flourish regarding attacks on 9/11�:

Well, what do you expect? After Sept. 11, the government said, “We couldn’t imagine...�

Then it was, “Well, yes, we could imagine it. Actually we were staging a national defense drill with that exact scenario that exact morning. But, hey, there’s no way that we could have known...�

It is my opinion that the Web site MySpace has caused many young adults to become addicted to spending every waking hour e-mailing friends and people they don't even know.

How do I know this? I have a 17 year old who wakes up in the morning, goes straight to the computer, clicks on MySpace and starts her day sending messages. When she comes home from school, she goes straight to the computer. I go in her room and there she is on the Web site MySpace.

Re: Joe Howry’s April 2 essay, “An opportunity does exist�:

With the heated protests, demonstrations and debate over the House and Senate immigration bills in the forefront of just about everything these days, it remains an absolute anomaly to me as to why the biggest underlying issue, in my opinion, isn't even accepted as a legitimate argument. Anyone can see that there are major problems with having 10 to 20 million illegal immigrants in the country, but it is the explicit goals of the prevalent group MEChA that should be the real issue when speaking of illegal immigration.

I might be mistaken, but I believe a law was passed to turn headlights on when using windshield wipers. It is not only a law, but just common sense to be able to see other vehicles during inclement weather.

I have also discovered that turn signals are not optional equipment on vehicles. They are meant to be utilized so people will not try to read your mind when you change lanes continuously.

As I see it, Adams Canyon development is going to happen whether we vote yes or no.
All we are deciding on April 18 is whether the City of Santa Paula benefits from this development (a yes vote), or the County of Ventura benefits (a no vote).

We can see the writing on the wall. We need the money and the amenities this development will bring to Santa Paula. We may get only a small share of the benefits if this City Urban Restriction Boundary (CURB) extension fails the Santa Paula vote.
Please join me in voting yes on Measure Y on April 18.

— Pamela Merson, Santa Paula

Re: Donald Bowles’ March 31 commentary, “Self-censorship is biggest threat of all in academia�:

I agree with Professor Donald Bowles regarding threats to academic freedom.

However, he completely fails to take into consideration the views of open-minded mortals who prefer not to be misled by statements or pronouncements during public discourses by academics that are self-serving.

Re: Bob Dawson's March 30 letter, “Where's the problem?�

I have to respond to Mr. Dawson's letter regarding “so-called illegal immigrants.� Hello? They are illegal immigrants!

My mom came to the United States from Thailand legally. She studied her American history, learned English, pays her taxes and proudly became a U.S. citizen. My brother and I were born in Thailand. My birth certificate says “U.S. citizen born abroad.� Now wouldn't that be an innovative practice? How about having all the hospitals across the United States stocking forms that say, “(Fill in the nationality - Mexican, British, Canadian, etc.) citizen born abroad.�

Here are reasons why Santa Paulans should vote no on Measure Y:

1. Lack of detail. While other developers show Santa Paulans what they are planning and ask for input, Arizona-based Pinnacle’s intentions are purposefully vague and short on details. Three different people have asked Pinnacle on three different occasions how big the lot sizes will be for the 495 gated luxury homes they plan, and all have been given a different answer. Pinnacle has not said anything about how big the resort hotel they plan to build will be. And what about the size of the country club? What are they hiding?

I think we should deport all the illegals and their families. Then we should put some of our inmates to work picking crops and cleaning hotel rooms under guard. This would offset the cost of prisoner upkeep and save us from wasting tax dollars on a group of disrespectful ingrates.

In five minutes, I came up with a plan that has worked before in this country. Illegal immigrants shouldn’t think for a minute they’re the only game in town. We have alternatives, and it’s high time we quit putting up with the riffraff I saw waving Mexican flags last week. Their problems are not our responsibility or our fault.

— Wayne Roper, Oxnard

Re: Betsy Hart's April 3 commentary, “Conspiracy theories flourish regarding attacks on 9/11�:

Anyone who believes this is living on the edge of the Twilight Zone and probably also believes we never landed on the moon. I believe the polls would be the opposite if Bill Clinton were still president.

- Jack Treese, Simi Valley

I heard a great parallel describing the problem with illegal immigration. You can't put toothpaste back into the tube once it has been squeezed out.

We obviously can't go around and randomly scoop up every person suspected of being in this country illegally, although I find that tempting when I see them urinating in public, when I see them disrespecting our culture, when I see them committing violent crimes and fleeing back across the border, leaving our healthcare facilities degraded and our welfare system damaged.

Re: your April 2 article, “Undocumented drive wedge in Ventura County�:

What a depressing read! Sunday’s newspaper only confirms what dire straits this country is in. There are millions of illegal aliens costing the taxpayers billions of dollars, and there’s no end in sight.

Re: your April 2 article, “Where there's smoke …�

I have never been a smoker, at least not by choice, but I feel that many smokers often don't consider where they light up and who will be affected by their choice.

The right not to smoke is often literally taken away from the nonsmoker. We can't help but breathe the secondhand smoke, and waving in front of our faces or covering them is all we can do to keep inhalation to a minimum. It's not an act to degrade the smoker. I actually hold my breath until I'm through the smoky air; I'm often red-faced and gasping by the time I get to fresh air.

Re: your April 1 Arts & Living calendar, “April: Here comes a month of spring fun�:

Has The Star lost its way completely? If it chooses not to acknowledge the most solemn of days in the Christian calendar, so be it. But to disrespect Good Friday, the day Christ was sacrificed, by printing that it's a “good Friday� to catch a Disney flick is unacceptable!

Although my ultimate disappointment is in the U.S. government and its past 50 years of failure to enforce our laws, the recent marches by the pro-open border groups have changed my feelings of compassion and respect for the Mexican illegal immigrants.

During my childhood, I had many Hispanic friends. Two of my best friends were the Reyes brothers. Over the years I continued to enjoy the Hispanic culture and what it offered to the American Dream.

Re: your March 31 article, “Patients are worried�:

I think The Star missed the real story about the Indian health clinics.

Didn't it seem just a little bit odd that we are spending $3.2 billion in tax dollars to support Indian clinics? I was led to believe that allowing Indian gaming would make the tribes self-sufficient. Indian gaming is a complete success, so why are we still using tax dollars to support these special health clinics?

- Ron Hawley, Simi Valley

Let’s get some things clear here. Immigrants move to another country, learn the language, display the flag of their adopted country and obey that country’s laws.
Those who sneak into a country and form enclaves — defensive positions — wave the flag of the country they have departed and exercise mayhem are called insurgents.
Remarkably, once a logical, reasonable and acceptable solution to the illegal immigration — or, should I say, insurgency — problem has been found, everyone will look back on the events of these past few weeks and wonder what all the noise and excitement was about.