I am a new resident of the Mandalay Shores beach neighborhood. I moved here from inland due to the fact that I love the ocean and beaches. I was pleasantly surprised at the rental prices compared with those inland, so here I am.

My problem is this: When I walked down my street to go to the beach the day after I moved in, I was so disappointed to find out that there was so much driftwood and remains from bonfires on our beach. Inside the bonfire area was broken glass! And, upon further investigation, I found there were no trash containers on the beach.

After stalling for three years and raising every possible roadblock to a vote of the people, the Santa Paula council gave Texas developer Centex everything it asked in Fagan Canyon. A referendum to overturn council’s action was certified for the ballot by the city clerk. Centex filed a “friendly� suit against the city challenging the certification on the grounds that numerous referendum procedures were not proper.

Driving through Oxnard recently, I passed the area where 1,800 homes and three schools are under way. I can already imagine a traffic and congestion nightmare. Surely, this could have been better planned.

Oxnard is overbuilt, especially around Pacifica High School, which is penned in on all sides by homes built like assembly line look-alikes. Gonzales Road as a route has become a difficult choice.

In my opinion, a large development is a small area that speaks out like a “peninsula.� It was a bad choice!

Residing on the border of Oxnard and Port Hueneme has allowed my neighbors and me to experience the poor handling of the cities’ public works departments to its citizens.

The Redwood Trunk Sewer Project has been on going day and night for more than two years, with noise, dirt and damage to our homes, and there is no end in sight. Yet neither city has yet to send a single letter, post a single note to residents’ front doors or come knock on a few doors to invite a conversation to residents explaining what to expect, apologizing for disturbing the roads, streets and sidewalks, cutting down trees, waking the young and the elderly and more.

This letter is to the approximately one in three Americans who still somehow approves of the job President Bush is doing.

These people must be without children or grandchildren, since they will have to repay the enormous national debt incurred in the past six years. They must either be unaware of, or willing to accept, the incompetence, deception and corruption which pervade this administration. By way of example, they must be unaware of the disastrous situation in Iraq, where we have fostered civil war through our policies. There are 100 Iraqi civilians dying daily now, in addition to the tens of thousands killed by us during and after the unjustified invasion. The word “incompetence� seems to fit here.

Re: Richard Larsen’s July 25 essay, “Any chance he’ll respond?� and Tom Parker’s July 25 commentary, “Lebanon evacuation bungled like Katrina�:

I found the proximity of Larsen's essay on Dick Cheney’s 1 percent doctrine and the commentary from Parker on the very next page about the administration's dithering over the Lebanon dust-up sad, yet amusing.

If it weren't for the fact that our fellow citizens are at risk for life and limb, far from home, inadequately provided for, surrounded by hostile antagonists, I'd laugh out loud.

Al-Qaida’s No. 2 man, Ayman al-Zawahri, announced a “worldwide call for Muslims to raise up in holy war until Islam reigns from Spain to Iraq.� Although many see this as purely terrorist posturing, I do not.

Hezbollah has been doing its best to inflict death on Israeli civilians. Iran has stated Israel should be destroyed. Worldwide, fundamentalist Islamics incite hatred and a desire to become martyrs while killing as many Americans and Israelis as possible.
All these events are tied together by a common desire of these people to impart their own perverted view of a religion originally founded upon principles of tolerance, hospitality and broadmindedness.

Illegal immigration reform is the biggest issue that faces every California citizen and elected official. Every day, jobs are vanishing from legal citizens, and the safety and health of our citizens is in jeopardy. What makes this situation even worse is the complacency of U.S. companies and all levels of government in helping to fix this dire problem.

I've always had this ridiculously insane and unpopular idea that nations and groups should not murder each other in order to settle their differences. When I express my thoughts out loud, people usually react with anger, pity or contempt. I guess I’d better learn to conform. After all, humans have been killing each other for thousands of years, so I guess that means it's OK.

When I was young, I enlisted in a war — World War II. Too bad I can't re-enlist. Maybe I could be popular again.

— Ben Morrison, Oxnard

I am not surprised the city of Oxnard is raising its trash-collecting fees. When you buy new trucks that don't section the recyclables and trash, the sorting has to be done at the station. It’s more manpower, so it’s not surprising that rates are going up! They’re going up because our mayor and councilmembers don’t know how to run this city! Is this city going backwards, or is it just plain stupid?

— Paul Whaley, Oxnard

Making news is the weather and the shortage of power to residences and communities. The power supply companies have already been raising prices to residences and promise more increases to come. Absent are the city, county and state planners mandating solar energy to noticeably reduce the cost to the customer.

The purchase of an outpatient healthcare business here in Ventura County has benefited financially both medical staffs. But the result to both outpatient groups will be a financial increase and/or a reduction in services.

Re: Howard Landon’s July 24 letter, “Sorting out David, Goliath�:

Mr. Landon needs to ground his statements in truths, not lies. Arabs are full citizens of the state of Israel. His anti-Semitic, anti-Jewish vitriol blinds him to this simple fact: If the Muslim states decree a cease fire, then the world will have peace. If Israel declares a cease fire and the Muslims carry out their stated agenda, tomorrow no Israel, the next day no West. What do you want as a future?

— Charles Friedman, Ventura

The Oxnard City Council should consider making the area at the crossroads of Oxnard Boulevard and Gonzales Road part of the downtown’s revitalization plan and not another housing development project.

The area is less than a mile away from the downtown area, and it is along Oxnard Boulevard, the main thoroughfare. To build a park at this prime location will attract people to visit Oxnard, improve the image of Oxnard, improve the quality of life for the community, and bring both tangible and intangible benefits to the city.
Consider the following reasons:

Re: Tom Parker’s July 25 commentary, “Lebanon evacuation bungled like Katrina�:

Parker thinks the Beirut evacuation was a “Katrina-like� disaster. Really? The international community called the American effort seamless and said it proceeded like clockwork.

Re: Gary Eshleman's July 27 commentary, “Ignore it and maybe it will go away�:

Eshleman’s diatribe against The Star's deputy opinion page editor, Richard Larsen, and his periodic essays is itself everything of which he accuses Larsen, i.e., lacking "any redeeming intellectual value," "rantings" and devoid of "any positive contribution to the national political discourse." He further declares his own assertions to be "accurate," continues to compare Larsen's writing to that "of Islamic terrorists," and characterizes it as having a "small amount of content." What nonsense. I find Larsen's essays thoughtful, informative and consistently right on target.

I feel compelled to assure readers of The Star that they still have a hospital within their community that will provide competent, safe and kindly care.

I say this because I recently spent five weeks as a patient at Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center, and the surgical nurses and physicians literally saved my life. Due to the specialized care at the Acute Rehab Unit, I was helped to sit and walk normally. At no time was I doubtful about receiving good care.

The purpose of this letter is to lower the anxiety of those who might think we can’t depend on the hospital to “be there� for them.

Re: your July 22 article, “State OKs raising power rates for high-use Edison customers�:

After being quoted in the article and experiencing the recent heat wave, the subject of rates has been fresh on my mind. After doing a little research, I have a prediction to make: When the next meter reading and billing cycle occurs, the hue and cry will reflect a second disaster.

U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly voted no to override President Bush’s veto to expand financing of embryonic stem-cell research.

As one of his constituents, I cannot recall the congressman asking for our opinions on this matter, even before it reached the president’s desk as HR810. Therefore, I can only assume Mr. Gallegly voted according to his own personal views, not those of his constituency.

Some people think that life begins at birth. They think that abortion is OK. They also think that stem-cell research is OK.

While I disagree with that view (studies show that babies can remember voices, stories and songs they heard before birth) I think their view is logical to an extent. What I do not understand is people who are against abortion but are in favor of embryonic stem-cell research. They say that embryonic stem-cell research could cure diseases and save lives.

Re: your July 26 article, "A disastrous future":

The article is sobering, bringing home the potent message of Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth."

The inundation map, showing large swaths of Ventura and Port Hueneme under a 20-foot higher ocean, dramatically illustrates the extent of the flooding. But those above the prospective shoreline shouldn't feel much relief. Ventura would be isolated to the north, since portions of highways 1, 101 and 33 and the Union Pacific tracks would be flooded.

Re: Howard Landon’s July 24 letter, “Sorting out David, Goliath�:

Before 1947, there was no state of Israel or a Palestine. There were only Arabs who were not allowed to live in Jordan or Syria. The United Nations voted to designate 3 percent of the area for Israel, and the remaining 97 percent was assigned to the Arabs occupying that area. Yasser Arafat coined the name “Palestinians.�

Re: your July 25 editorial, “War in Mideast needs to pause�:

The Star cannot be serious when it states that Israel's attacks on "bridges, roads, power plants, factories, airports, TV towers, telephone networks, fuel storage and ports" do not constitute a coherent military strategy. I was never in the military, but one would think common sense alone would explain the above items as military targets. Bridges, roads, ports and airports? Cut off the enemy from his supply line. TV towers and telephone networks? It's called communications. The idea is to disable the enemy's communications and hence interrupt their chain of command. Power plants and fuel storage and factories? Come on. It interferes with the enemy's ability to continue to operate.

Re: U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly’s July 23 commentary, “Take away welcome mat for illegal immigrants�:

Rep. Gallegly noted all the things that attract illegal immigrants to our country.

The very first item was employment. Yet, he completely ignored this issue in the remainder of his essay. This should come as no surprise. Each election year, the biggest Gallegly campaign signs show up first on local farmland. We cannot expect real solutions to this problem from a Congress that is beholden to employers who have become dependent on low-wage, non-citizen labor.

Re: your July 24 article, “Continuing the family�:

This should have been called "Continuing the dysfunctional family." Whose ridiculous idea was it to glorify such disgusting behavior? The photos of the happy little couple that statistics assure us will be splitsville and on welfare within two years were truly moving.

Re: your July 9 article, “Love times 60�:

It was a great pleasure to read The Star's 60th anniversary stories. What a refreshing and heartwarming illustration that the purpose of marriage is to build a life together. But clearly some people didn't get the point; witness the recent focus on sexuality and babies in the discussion about why marriage should not be a legal option for certain couples.

Re: your July 21 article, “They have no home, little help":

I was gratified to see coverage by The Star of the challenges that face young people coming out of the foster care system. I firmly believe that we all have some responsibility for helping these kids land on their feet.

Re: Tom Parker's July 25 commentary, "Lebanon evacuation bungled like Katrina":

This commentary carried a tagline stating Parker is a former FBI agent who had worked in the Middle East. Considering his attempt to link the evacuation of Lebanon with the evacuation of Hurricane Katrina, it might have been more relevant had the tagline mentioned the fact he is a member of the Ventura County Democratic Central Committee. He was certainly speaking as a partisan member of the Democratic Party in his attacks on the president.

— Jere Robings, Thousand Oaks

Re: Tom Parker's July 25 commentary, "Lebanon evacuation bungled like Katrina":

A few questions Parker might want to answer:

Of the total number of U.S. citizens who were in Lebanon at the outbreak of hostilities, how many were there on official government-sponsored business? How long have U.S. embassies worldwide had pre-existing evacuation plans for U.S. citizens? How many U.S. flag-registered merchant ships were in the Mediterranean to divert to Lebanese ports?

Re: Tom Parker's July 25 commentary, "Lebanon evacuation bungled like Katrina":

I have to strongly disagree with Parker that our government bungled its assistance to U.S. citizens caught in the war zone there. No one except the terrorist Hezbollah organization knew that a fight was going to break out, and our people on the ground there probably reacted as quickly as possible with the resources available to them. It’s easy to criticize from thousands of miles away.

I am getting so tired of hearing how President Bush has botched the evacuation of Americans from Lebanon.

For starters, the U.S. government has no obligation whatsoever to evacuate people who got to Lebanon of their own free will. Be it for business, pleasure or whatever the reason, they chose to ignore the travel advisories that have been in place for no less than four years. They are on their own. The exception to this would be an employee of the federal government, say, the U.S. Embassy, and they choose to close it down.

Re: Howard Landon’s July 24 letter, “Sorting out David, Goliath�:

This letter reeks of anti-Semitism to all Jews — or is it to all Americans, who believe that America is the melting pot for everyone?

The influx of Jews to Israel began a long time before World War II. England had declared to the Jews that, in return for Jewish help, Jews could have their homeland called Palestine. England reneged. For many years before World War II, the Jews revolted against England.

Re: Howard Landon’s July 24 letter, “Sorting out David, Goliath�:

Enough is enough. When is the world going to awaken? Doesn't the world realize that Israel is keeping the Arab terrorists from our shores?

Is it not clear enough that Muslims care nothing about themselves, Christians, Jews, or those of any other religion? Their only goal in life is to take over the world and kill off all who do not believe as they do. If you don't believe that, just look at whom they are targeting. They are all civilians. How many armed servicemen were in the World Trade Center?

Re: Howard Landon's July 24 letter, "Sorting out David, Goliath":

Landon justifies the Islamic terrorists in countries bordering Israel because they resent their loss of territories.

Re: Howard Landon’s July 24 letter, “Sorting out David, Goliath�:

Landon states that the Islamic states that border Israel are upset that Israel took their land. Didn't the victorious Allies give the Jews that land after World War II? His assertion that, since Israel has nuclear weapons, it’s OK for Iran to have them, is ludicrous. I can’t remember when Israel conducted terrorist raids against its neighbors. Maybe Landon would prefer Hezbollah, Hamas and the like to be in charge of the "peace process.�

Re: Howard Landon’s July 24 letter, “Sorting out David, Goliath�:

Howard, a former Nordhoff High School history teacher, made it clear he hates the state of Israel. That is his right, and I am not criticizing him for expressing his opinion.

I am also not writing to defend or decry Israel or its neighbors, although with regard to the war between Israel, Hezbollah, and Hamas, I believe only God has the right to take the lives of innocents, and I know that God is not the one firing rockets, driving tanks, shooting AK-47s and dropping bombs in the civilian areas of Israel, Lebanon and Palestine.

Re: Howard Landon’s July 24 letter, “Sorting out David, Goliath�:

Landon's rant tries to give the impression Jews came "into the Middle East after World War II." There have been Jews there for more than 3,000 years — long before Islam existed.

Since the middle 1800s, the majority of the population of Jerusalem has been Jews. A large percentage of the Jews who came to Israel were those who had been expelled from Arab countries such as Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Yemen, Algeria and Lebanon.

Re: Kenneth D. Hower’s July 20 letter, “Foul language unwarranted�:

So President Bush said an expletive and was caught making a hand gesture. Has Mr. Hower ever said or done anything he was glad wasn't caught on tape? He made a big deal out of Vice President Dick Cheney making the same hand gesture. While the gesture was a childish reaction, that and the “foul� language only goes to show that Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney are human, subject to the same human frailties and mistakes of all humans.

As a patient at Los Robles, the hospital staff’s fight for better staffing is a matter of personal concern. I was appalled at HCA’s disregard for staffing levels, in spite of the staff's effort to force proper care for its patients.

HCA has made profits, adding to what is already a fortune of its owners, the family of U.S. Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn. The staff does not have a retirement plan, and nurses work long hours standing, lifting and moving patients. The nurses will be making rounds at ages 67 and older, since Social Security has raised the age limit. Students will think twice about entering the nursing field for career. How many mistakes will occur when burned-out nurses are giving medications after doing rounds, lifting and moving patients?

Re: your July 20 article, “Los Robles workers authorize a strike�:

I have been a full-time registered nurse at Los Robles Regional Medical Center for six years. I was also been a patient in 2004 and 2005. I have experienced the problems created by the administrative policies of HCA Inc. as they relate to patient care.

Safe staffing ratios set the number of patients a nurse can safely care for depending on acuity and unit. This has resulted in HCA decreasing and/or removing nursing assistance from patient care areas, thereby creating increased responsibilities and workload for RNs.

Re: your July 25 article, "Parent firm of hospital in T.O. may go private":

It is time that we in the Conejo Valley have a choice of hospitals. We need to have available services for our community with permanent and qualified healthcare staff. The use of contracted personnel is ridiculous. There is no need to lose our wonderful staff. It is strange that HCA Inc. wants to go private, but it is time we in the Conejo Valley insist on the reopening of Westlake Village Hospital.

— Dena Beaudine, Westlake Village

Re: your July 24 letters on global warming:

The Star published a spate of letters supporting the Al Gore position that global warming is caused by mankind. Before reaching a final conclusion on the subject, the prudent citizen should consider the following:

— Never, ever accept on face value the missives of a politician with an agenda delivering a “scientific� paper. Party affiliation doesn’t matter. Politicizing science undermines the independence and purity that are hallmarks of the true scientific process.

Re: your July 23 article, "For better or worse":

I was appalled by the front-page article and two full pages following about old news that happened on July 1. Gay union is not something legal, newsworthy — certainly not in a Sunday edition — and certainly not deserving of a full-blown three-page spread. I didn't appreciate this sort of junk being shoved down the throats of Star readers. I was disgusted!

— Robin Nagel, Simi Valley

Re: your July 22 article, “A low-flying plane buzzes Wood Ranch area�:

I live in the very west side of Wood Ranch. Thursday at about 9:35 p.m., my wife and I were awakened by the very loud sound of a jet engine. We both thought it was going to crash into our house or one nearby.

I am a pilot and also was an accident prevention counselor for the Federal Aviation Administration more than 30 years ago. I have investigated about 1,500 air crashes over those early years. We did not get back to sleep for several hours. We are in our 80s.

Re: your July 24 article, “Continuing the family�:

I find myself in a quandary as to The Star’s story regarding the parenting of a child by two teen-agers.

That the occasion is a happy one for them is not being questioned herein. That The Star chose to print it is, however, the issue.

Those who live in Thousand Oaks have most likely observed the day laborer site located next to the Hampshire Road onramp to Highway 101 North. Is everyone aware that this day laborer site is sanctioned by our Thousand Oaks City Council and that they are spending $92,900 of our tax money each year to maintain it?

Drive by this area any morning of the week and you'll see that many of the day laborers don't even stay within this city-designated area. Instead, they
congregate, in growing numbers, around the intersection of Hampshire Road and Thousand Oaks Boulevard to solicit employment, creating an unsightly, undesirable and unsafe community environment!

Re: your July 23 article, “For better or worse":

The Star got it wrong when it reported about money raised to support and defeat the California marriage amendment.

The Star reported, “As of the last reporting deadline in March, (VoteYesMarriage.com) members had raised about $130,000. A gay rights group, Equality California, has raised nearly four times that to fight the proposition.�

Re: your July 23 article, "For better or worse":

This article left me with a sense of deja vu.

I'm old enough to remember the arguments for and against interracial marriage. The same arguments are being made today about same-sex marriage — i.e., children would suffer, it would violate the sanctity of marriage, it would undermine the institution, it's against the will of God, it flies in the face of tradition, etc.

The best thing that heterosexual people can do to protect marriage is to stop getting divorces.

— Joanne Cunha, Oxnard

Last week President Bush did what he promised to do in his first year of office: He vetoed the bill that would provide federal money for embryonic stem-cell research. As he stated so clearly, those clumps of cells are how we all began, and he will not approve a bill that uses boys and girls as spare parts.

He kept his promise to the American people. It was a brave decision and probably not a wise political move. He has reverence for human life, and he chose to do what is right morally and ethically.

Polls say that Democrats and independents support stem-cell research by a certain percentage, and Republicans support stem-cell research by a certain percentage. How about a poll on who supports taxpayer-funded stem-cell research? If stem-cell research is so very promising, why isn't any biotech company willing to expend its own money?

— John Diehl, Oxnard

As the hypocrite-in-chief takes the moral high ground and vetoes his first bill, Tony Snow, the White House press secretary, rushes to his defense, stating the president will not trade one innocent life to save another. He will, however, trade thousands of innocent lives in Iraq to “protect America.�

— Michele Gianelli, Ventura

Isn't it bad enough that we have to see and hear innumerable repeated TV commercials for all kinds of vehicles and prescription drugs? Now we are already being hit by spots for the governor's race. I thought these usually did not start until after Labor Day. Thank goodness for the mute button.

— Ed Schlossman, Thousand Oaks

I find it ironic that a liberally biased paper such as The Star would even dare to criticize the owner of another paper. The people in Santa Barbara should just stop buying the paper if they don't like it and get their news somewhere else. Maybe they should start a new paper if they are so upset.

Re: Steve Greenberg’s July 23 cartoon:

I am completely amazed, angry and insulted at the content of this political cartoon. It is totally false and intentionally misleading.

For the record, President Bush vetoed, as he promised, a bill sent to him providing federal funds for embryonic stem-cell research. This has nothing to do with private funds being used.

Re: your July 20 article, “Los Robles workers authorize a strike�:

Thank you to The Star for its article on staffing problems at Los Robles Hospital. As a resident of Conejo Valley who is using this hospital for its services, I am concerned about the current situation there. I do think that the hospital needs more permanent, qualified health care staff.

— Pari Mostovoj, Thousand Oaks

Re: your July 20 article, “Los Robles workers authorize a strike�:

This article about local healthcare workers being pushed to the brink was very disturbing. The Los Robles parent company, HCA, is making record profits, yet they refuse to adequately staff their facilities or competitively compensate their hard-working employees. No one is asking for special treatment, only that they be treated as well as providers at other facilities in the state. Parity in pay and working conditions doesn't seem like an unreasonable request for those who hold our lives in their hands at our most vulnerable moments.

As I was driving to Gold’s Gym in Simi Valley, I noticed three or four people out front with a banner that said, “Shame on you, Gold’s Gym.�

My first thought was that Gold’s Gym doesn’t offer its employees medical benefits or that they hire illegal immigrants. I asked employees inside what was going on. It was explained to me that the protesters are union workers angry because Gold’s Gym had decided to go outside the union to construct its new facility, which is opening in October. I asked the lady behind the desk why the gym opted to hire outside the union. She told me the union was simply outbid for the work.

My husband and son had just arrived in Lebanon to work on a human resources project for an American chartered university when the Beirut airport was bombed and current hostilities broke out. It fell upon me, as business partner as well as wife and mother, to deal with the U.S. State Department and the American Embassy to try to get them out.

Re: your July 1 article, “Kaiser Permanente buys Ventura doctors’ practice�:

The article on the purchase of Buenaventura Medical Group by Kaiser Permanente was correct, “It’s too early to know effects.�

Re: Brian Schwan's July 20 letter, “Gore’s selective memory�:

Perhaps Schwan is right when he says he is the only reader disagreeing with Al Gore. Incidentally, he also disagrees with 95 percent of the scientific community.

According to Wikipedia, Norse saga has it that Eric the Red gave Greenland its name in order to attract more people to settle there. About 81 percent of its surface is covered by ice, known as the Greenlandic ice cap.

Re: Brian Schwan's July 20 letter, “Gore’s selective memory�:

Schwan claims he disagrees with Al Gore. He questions the naming of Greenland and suggests that, because glaciers are “floating in the ocean,� melting would not cause sea levels to rise, much the same way a melting ice cube doesn’t cause a glass of water to flood the kitchen floor.

Had Schwan done a little research, he would know that many historians believe Eric the Red, the first settler in Greenland, named it that to attract other settlers.

Re: Brian Schwan's July 20 letter, “Gore’s selective memory�:

Regardless of Al Gore being right or wrong, Schwan's letter gave me the best chuckle I've had in weeks. Brian must have been one of the guys in the back row at school because if he'd been paying attention during geography he would have known glaciers form wherever yearly snowfall far exceeds the amount of snow and ice that melts in a given summer (i.e., not just the North Pole) and that Iceland should have been called Greenland because it's mostly green, while Greenland should have been called Iceland because it's mostly ice.

Re: Brian Schwan's July 20 letter, “Gore’s selective memory�:

Before Schwan challenges Al Gore’s information, he should check his own.

— Greenland was named by the Viking Eric Thorvaldson (Eric the Red). According to a Canadian government Web site (http://collections.ic.gc.ca/vikings/ericred.htm), “Eric named the new land Greenland to attract people to it.� It was covered with ice then, as now.

Re: Brian Schwan's July 20 letter, “Gore’s selective memory�:

Schwan’s letter is typical of the misunderstanding of science and natural history demonstrated by many who do not accept that climate change is occurring.

He references the glaciers at the North Pole melting under the ozone hole. In actuality, the ozone hole is over the Antarctic. The Antarctic ice cap sits mostly on top of land. If it melts, it would without question add significant amounts of fresh water into the oceans. This would not only affect sea level, but would also change ocean currents and worldwide weather patterns by affecting the salinity levels of the seas. Let's see what happens if Schwan adds more water to his already full glass in his kitchen. It would certainly overflow.

Remember that famous photograph of Donald Rumsfeld in Iraq, shaking hands with Saddam Hussein because Rumsfeld favored him over the leaders of Iran? Saddam is gone, and the master power in the Middle East is now Iran. What irony!

Until the huge influx of Jews into the Middle East after World War II, there was no troublemaking state of Israel. It is only fair to ask ourselves: What makes terrorists? In the case of Islamic people bordering the newly created state of Israel — financed largely by American dollars and American-made war products — it is resentment over the loss of large pieces of territory the Jews stole from their neighbors. They are angry, as we would be.

Re: Audrey Christy and Patti Dumerant’s July 20 letter, “Ventura’s beaches a mess�:

Our beaches aren’t the only messy spots in Ventura. I become disheartened — and embarrassed — every time I take my dogs for a walk around the city. East Ventura, West Ventura, midtown, it doesn’t matter. Litter, litter, everywhere — in our streets, gutters, sidewalks, alleys, schoolyards, parks and beaches.

The city is beginning to resemble a giant debris-filled vacant lot. If you haven’t noticed, you’re not paying attention.

I find it quite amazing that liberals think that the protection-of-marriage amendment is not a major issue, that this is simply pandering to the religious right. To the millions of those who want it, however, it is a more important issue than high gas prices, the war in Iraq, the turbulence in the Mideast, the economy, or any other current issue. All of the current issues are temporary, but the damage done to our society if we weaken the family by making gay marriage legal will resonate forever.

Consider the horrendous effect of Roe vs. Wade, which legalizes killing unborn children — 45 million over the last 30 years, most of whom were killed for the convenience of the mother.

I recently participated in an online survey. As a reward for my participation I was offered a free gift. All I needed to do was pay for the shipping, which required my credit card number. I decided to do that.

When I finally got the gift, it was three CDs with a notice that if I didn't return them within 10 days, my credit card would be charged $79.95. I am a retired person who doesn't have that kind of money to throw away on something that is supposed to be free, since that is what they promised. They did say that I could keep two of the CDs, but I still had to pay to send the remaining one back.

In December 2004, my Adelphia bill was $52.91. My latest bill is $67.59, which is a 27 percent increase in about a year and a half. My rented equipment has not changed. Also not changed is the audio quality on such stations as TNT, Court TV and several others. The volume level changes from channel to channel and also during commercial breaks. Unlike the network channels, the commercial volume goes down, which is fine, but there should be some consistency.

Now if my Social Security would increase 27 percent…. Yeah, sure.

— Rick Esler Newbury Park

Re: your July 19 articles, “Simi Valley to set rules limiting conversions of apartments to condos� and “Simi council won’t vote on project without affordable housing�:

Bravo to the Simi Valley City Council. Monday, the City Council took two important steps to make sure there is entry-level and affordable-housing in Simi Valley. The council sent a project back to a developer that had not included affordable units in their plan as requested by the council. Council also is planning to restrict the conversion of apartments to condos as long as vacancy rate is below 5 percent.

Ask not for whom the Israelis are dying; they are fighting and dying for all civilized people.

It is a given that terrorists are the enemies of all civilized peoples and will have to be confronted sooner or later. Israelis are fighting our fight. Claiming “overreaction� and demanding a cease fire is short-sighted and extremely naive.

This an all-out war between cultures. All civilized nations should refrain from criticizing Israel and, in fact, should be sending troops and supplies to assist in this crucial battle for the survival of civilization.

— Bernard Lehrer, Ventura

Re: Michael T. Stein’s July 12 letter, “Personal responsibility�:

I’d like to make a comment and get the record straight. First of all, it’s obvious Mr. Stein doesn’t know much about gangs at all. I don’t mean any disrespect to anyone, especially The Star, but it tends to rattle a nerve when people voice an opinion on something they know nothing about.

The reason I write this letter is because, being a “former gang� member off the streets of “The Avenue� (yeah so what), I’m speaking with experience, and I know the deal inside and out.

Re: Marie Wren’s July 17 letter, “Growth is inevitable�:

The city of Fillmore is facing an increase of around 2,000 new dwelling units over the next 14 years. Although this number may sound small to those living in Ventura County’s larger cities, it will increase the population of Fillmore, already the densest city in the county, by about 40 percent. The 700 units approved for north Fillmore that Wren talks about are the latest to be approved. This development’s environmental impact report was released in April of this year, which was the first time the people of Fillmore could learn how it would impact their lives.

Re: your July 19 articles, “Senate passes stem-cell research bill, 63-37,� and “House rejects ban on gay marriages�:

The liberal media has accused President Bush of playing games with words. How about these "games with words" played by the The Star in Wednesday's paper:

— Presenting Congress' passage of the stem-cell research bill as a victory — although it promotes murder.

Our senators reassure us that only "excess" embryos, frozen by in-vitro fertilization clinics, will be killed by having stem cells removed for research that so many Americans fervently believe will produce cures for dreaded diseases.

But what has prevented these embryos from being destroyed thus far? Perhaps the scientists who created these lives have some compunction about destroying them.

Five to nine days after conception, a human embryo implants itself in the uterus, draws nourishment and continues development. Twenty-two days after conception, the embryo's heart is beating, circulating its own blood, not the mother's.

Re: your July 20 article, “Bush’s first veto used on stem-cell legislation�:

Once again, our president has shown his true colors and total lack of sensitivity to what the majority of the population of the United States wants. He has been in office five and a half years, signing every spending bill that crossed his desk (and every other bill as well), creating such a deficit that our grandchildren will be left to solve. He finally has an opportunity to sign a bill that could make a significant difference in the quality of lives of thousands of Americans. What does he do? He, for the first time in his presidency, vetoes the bill so he can pander to his ultra-conservative backers.

Re: your July 20 article, “Bush’s first veto used on stem-cell legislation�:

Congratulations to President Bush for two things: First, for keeping his promise to veto the embryonic stem-cell research bill; and second, for understanding the science of human life.

Embryos are the offspring of human parents and have human DNA and are thus actual humans beings. Human embryos do not develop into frogs, birds or rutabagas; they develop into human infants. They are not potential human beings. Embryos are human beings.

The main moral objection with embryonic stem-cell research is that destroying embryos actually destroys living, human beings. Granted, at roughly five days after conception, these humans are very small and undeveloped, but they are no less human. At this point, their DNA code, gender and blood type have already been determined.

Re: John Sherffius’ July 20 cartoon on President Bush’s veto:

I am not surprised at all by the political cartoon The Star ran critical of the president's veto of embryonic stem-cell research funding.

The president is not opposed to stem-cell research, but he is opposed to the use of embryos as a tissue source. The bioethics controversy of embryos as a tissue source is a major part of the topic at hand, but I want address the controversy from another angle.

Seventy percent of people support stem-cell research, which holds great promises for cures. I would welcome a cure for my 12-year-old granddaughter's Type I diabetes, for my multiple sclerosis, for my sister's lupus and my daughter's rheumatoid arthritis.

President Bush and other "people of faith" who oppose stem-cell research: How dare they stand in the way of science and research! When cures are found, they and their families don't have to accept treatment using stem cells; that would be each person’s choice.

Recently I read “The Path of the DreamHealer� by Adam, a 19-year-old healer. His message for good health is our need to realize the interconnectedness of all life. Science concurs in this belief. In other words, the bombing in the Middle East - the hatred, discord and intolerance anywhere - have an effect on the body of the planet and humanity. Hurricanes like Katrina do not manifest for no reason. The planet is very, very sick. We can't afford this third world war.

Re: Thomas D. Elias’ July 14 commentary, “Congressional delegation, governor fail to collect:�

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has made getting California its fair share of federal funds a priority. What matters isn't President Bush's proposed budget, but Congress' final funding decisions. Since the governor took office, time and again these decisions favor California. Just a few examples include a nearly 150 percent jump in public safety and policing grants; a 50 percent increase in very low to moderate income housing loans; a 30 percent increase in California's share of federal funding for highways; and $1.6 billion annually for health programs.

Re: Roger Hernandez’s July 14 commentary, “Mexico struggles between modernity and populism�:

Hernandez speaks from strong opinions that are strongly expressed but of questionable bases. Still, he does allow out one important word missing in other accounts: anomalies. Other published stories, all strongly slanted toward Felipe Calderón, speak of a ballot box stuffing video and recordings as at best ambiguous, and all suggest Andrés Manuel López Obrador should go quietly.

Re: Leonard Snebold’s July 17 letter, “Domino theory revisited�:

Mr. Snebold’s revisit to the consequences of our troop pullout from Vietnam leaves me frightened that I have been "Rip Van Winkled" for 20 or 30 years. It’s either that or Snebold failed to notice some rather earthshaking headlines spanning those years.

Our wonderful president is a hypocrite. Here is a man who appoints very conservative people to the Federal Communications Commission to curb and censor bad language, yet he uses profanity with wild abandon.

Our illustrious president uses foul language to get his point across at the Group of Eight leaders’ luncheon. "Oh, he didn't know the microphone was live!" This is a bunch of hogwash. This isn't the first time he's been caught using expletives. Just in the past few weeks before addressing our nation on TV he was caught on video using a hand signal we are all very familiar with.

Re: your July 16 article, “Bilingual debate costs education board�:

Proponents of giving English learners the same curriculum as native speakers apparently believe that forcing students to sit through two hours a day of incomprehensible instruction is a good idea. Professional educators call this “submersion,� or “sink or swim.� It is a terrible idea, and study after study has shown that it doesn’t work. We acquire language when we understand what we hear and read, not when we don’t.

— Stephen Krashen, Professor emeritus, University of Southern California, Malibu

Who doesn't know that the deal reached between the White House and Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., concerning the Bush administration's warrantless eavesdropping program is a "compromise" only in the sense that it compromises our fundamental freedoms as Americans?

The Cheney-Specter bill ratifies the president's illegal spying and uses the disclosure of this illegal activity as a springboard to authorize even broader spying on Americans.
This bill is worse than the Patriot Act. It gives the president vast new powers, including a blank check to spy on Americans without an individualized warrant in violation of the Fourth Amendment.

Re: your July 18 editorial, "Take the high road to Nov. 7�:

The editorial stated, "The fall campaign season is set to begin in earnest. Name-calling, finger-pointing and mudslinging only get in the way of serious discussions and such tactics are a disservice to voters."

As the governments’ powers over people’s lives continue to increase, politicians will go to ever-increasing extremes in order to be those who get to yield the power. Politicians will use whatever tactics it takes to get elected. Wouldn’t it be nice if they didn’t have such an intense incentive?

— Bill Stanley, Westlake Village

Re: Bob Munson’s July 19 letter, “A real problem�:

He attributes to me (July 11 letter, “Global warming debate�) things I never said. For another, he makes a claim about "hottest years on record" without establishing either a time- or a location-frame, or, for that matter, a source for his factoid.

But while he missed several points in the letter, he does appear to conform to the consensus of The Star’s readers, at least those who make it into print.

— Mike Savell, Simi Valley

Re: your July 13 editorial, “In denial about obesity in U.S.�

Follow the money. Obesity is not a recognized reimbursable diagnosis. Thus, if a physician spends time discussing her patient's weight and what to do about it, this time spent is not reimbursed.

It seems to me the consensus I get in talking to people is that they do not like the police. They view it as us against them, instead of the great service they do. I’d like to offer a challenge to anybody who does not at least respect the police. Go down to the Oxnard Police Department. Do a ride-along with the officers. Get a taste of what they do. Then offer your opinions with knowledge of what’s really going on.

—Nehimiah Palato, Port Hueneme

Re: Edith Toohey’s July 13 letter, “Commission overruled�:

I feel compelled to respond to this letter. It would be unfair to your readers and to the City Council of Ventura not to answer the false statements and implications left by that letter.

The City Council on June 26 reversed the Planning Commission and approved a two-lot subdivision in the Ondulando Estates portion of the city. But that is pretty much the only accurate statement in the letter. Please consider the following:

I had several cell phones that were still usable. I was ready to take them back to the store where I purchased them when I came across a place that recycles them and gives them to our soldiers. It was started by a young sister and brother.

The Web site, http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com, will tell you where you can drop the phones off. They also take empty printer cartridges.

— Jack Treese, Simi Valley

Re: Sharon Dreyer's July 13 letter, “Eliminate the borders�:

I agree with this writer that anyone who serves loyally in our military deserves citizenship. On the content of the rest of her letter, I disagree.

The first thing you learn in history is that it can't be changed. Colonization is history. We cannot be held accountable for actions centuries and generations before our time. American Indians fought amongst themselves for conquest and domination. Was this a type of colonization? How far back should we go?

Re: Richard Stegner’s July 12 letter, “Attaining salvation�:

This writer criticized Warren Buffett for performing several of the corporal works of mercy. If all of us would give the same amount in relation to our means, what a great world this would be. We would easily cure all illnesses, educate the uneducated and fill the millions of little bellies that go to bed empty every night. It seems to me that, if the generosity of this good and modest man isn't a healthy start in getting to heaven, it should be, and surely God must think it so.

— Jan McQuade, Thousand Oaks

Here are a few statements from an American:

— The government of the American people has legislated $528 million worth of subsidies to tobacco growers in the period from 1995 to 2004. This is according to Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit agency that keeps track of government subsidies. For more information, visit http://www.ewg.org

— George H.W. Bush went to Enron Corp. Kenneth Lay’s funeral.

Re: Yahya Merchant’s June 28 letter, “No, they aren’t like us�:

Here’s more backward thinking, in regards to Merchant’s reply to my original letter (July 25, “Not like us�). They are nothing like us.

This is just the kind of backward thinking we don’t need: going back to the Middle Ages to find excuses for the barbaric acts of the last few years, like the hundreds of Africans killed in the Embassy bombings, the wanton slaughter of their own people and the recent plot to kill hundreds of those horrible Canadians who welcomed them into their country.

Re: Sam Mayhew’s July 13 letter, “Never forget Sept. 11�:

Mayhew seems to have missed the point of Richard Larsen’s July 11 essay, “We are at war — maybe.� He needs to read Larsen’s next essay on ‘“Why We Fight� because Mayhew certainly got it wrong on why we’re fighting this war. He writes as though this is a war against intolerance and extremism. It’s not. It’s a war against insurgents in Iraq. This administration created this situation through its incompetence.

Re: your July 13 article, “County to crack down on unlicensed animals�:

Wouldn't it be much more justified for the county to begin going door to door looking for illegal immigrants instead of illegal animals? That would save this county and the state a whole lot of money and make the sweep just that much more justifiable.

But Sheriff Bob Brooks would claim that he has neither the manpower nor the case law to proceed with such a sweep. So I guess the unlicensed animals sweep is a good start. And we'll hope for better cost-effective measures in the near future.

— Troy Kuhlman, Camarillo

There is always traffic on Gonzales Road in Oxnard, which makes me angry because it 
takes a very long time to get to where you want to be.

I quote my teacher, Mr. Phillips: "It took me 45 minutes to get to Pacifica High School from Oxnard High School."

Another thing I dislike is how, in the middle of the day, they close the road. How are we supposed to get anywhere with Gonzales closed? It should be closed at night when no one needs to drive on it, so there would be less traffic during the day, what with all the people taking detours.

Re: Bill Nash’s July 13 column, “No change needed to protect U.S. flag�:

Nash was right on. He gives many good reasons why we do not need a flag amendment.

As an active member of many veteran organizations, I have had this discussion over and over. We cannot legislate respect for our national symbol any more than we can legislate morality. As Nash wrote: “It is up to us, all of us, to protect our flag. We don’t need Congress. We don’t need an amendment.�

Fillmore has been in a quandary since citizens took notice of the North Fillmore development plan as presented to the Planning Commission and City Council. These two bodies have been looking at these plans for more than a year, but “people� did not take notice until the final plan was about to be accepted. At the last minute, people wanted to be heard in opposition to the density and traffic congestion this new plan will bring.

Re: your July 12 article, “Port District ‘error’ spells end of short dream for builder�:

This article about the Oxnard Harbor District’s “clerical error� demonstrates how flagrantly the port toys with our community’s emotions. Raising our hopes that they are genuinely interested in seeking a feasible alternative site for a car facility and then abruptly dismissing that possibility is another example of how insensitive the port is to its neighbors. This action only reaffirms that the port is not taking seriously any attempt to find alternative sites for its vehicle facility.

Has there been any investigation into the Buenaventura Medical Group “takeover� by Kaiser Permanente? Can this be construed in any way as a fair business practice? In essence, Kaiser is buying Ventura County. How can this be allowed?

My concern is for all the patients, including myself, who have other HMOs, such as Health Net, PacifiCare, Scan, Blue Cross, etc. How can one company be allowed to displace so many patients? Where are these patients supposed to go?

I am so tired of these peaceniks spewing forth their diatribe that it's our troops who are killing hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians rather than the enemy, and therefore we need to pull out immediately to save innocent Iraqi lives. This is the same nonsense that they used during the Vietnam War. And what happened after we pulled out of Vietnam?

Re: Irma Schneider’s July 12 letter, “Let’s be reasonable, folks�:

I was greatly disturbed to read the letter from Schneider, wherein she decries those who complain that our soldiers are being killed in Iraq. She writes, "2,500 have been killed in over a three-year period … more could be killed on U.S. highways,� and “We're fighting a war.�

Re: Irma Schneider’s July 12 letter, “Let’s be reasonable, folks�:

It seems Schneider is using some sort of "new math" to justify the deaths of 2,500 troops in Iraq or, as she writes, 833 per year — and how the deaths somehow compare to the 40,000 people killed in auto accidents here in the United States yearly.

What about 20,000 troops who have come home crippled or disfigured? And what about the full third of all the solders who have come home from Iraq suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome? They and their loved ones will have to try to cope with that for the rest of their lives.

Re: Pa Ventura’s June 24 comment, “To free speakers�:

The comment claimed that the American Civil Liberties Union is betraying its free speech principles. Not so.

Like many nonprofits, the ACLU is in the process of reviewing its board members’ fiduciary and governance roles. In a meeting last month, the ACLU’s 83-member board discussed those topics, including draft language proposed by a board committee that many ACLU board and staff leaders criticized as conflicting with our organization’s abiding commitment to robust freedom of speech.

Re: your July 12 article, “Port District ‘error’ spells end of short dream for builder�:

The article about the latest error by the Oxnard Harbor District continues to raise doubts about whether anyone can trust the current port commissioners with issues that affect our daily lives.

Re: Peg Hicks-Moore’s July 10 letter, “A $100,000 scoreboard?�:

Hicks-Moore suggests Oxnard Union High School District is spending money to renovate Camarillo High School’s football stadium at the expense of adequate textbooks for our district’s 16,000 students. Nothing can be further from the truth.

Cowboy diplomacy is an oxymoron. It means shoot and run. It works as long as my guns are bigger than your guns. It is carried out with "power over others," not "power from within." Its mantra is made up of: "It's not my fault," "It's for your own good," "Look at all I've done for you" and "You don't know what you're talking about."

It thrives on intimidation, plotting, secrecy, manipulation and darkness. It publicly espouses religion and patriotism. It feeds on chaos and false issues and presents a false front to throw off suspicion.

Re: Marie Basiago's July 11 letter, “Use common sense�:

This letter was right on. It's stupid and deadly to ride a bike with the traffic, especially towards Simi Valley on Madera Road with a 50 mph speed zone. That’s what I would do if I was contemplating suicide. Perhaps the people who make those laws do not ride bikes, at least not down Madera Road.

They have protected horse lanes with a fence protecting the riders down 1st Street, I notice. How about protecting cyclists?

Re: your July 2 article, “Simi police crack down on violators of bike laws�:

I read this article with interest. Thank you for illustrating the great need for bicycle safety and bicycle awareness in the City of Simi Valley. We bicyclists owe a debt of gratitude to the City of Simi Valley for adding desperately needed and long-overdue bike lanes. While once known as “America’s safest city,� the city systematically removed all bike lanes in the mid-1980s, making Simi Valley the most dangerous place to ride a bicycle in Ventura County. It is no wonder that there is confusion regarding bicycle riding in Simi Valley. Now we bicyclists have a place to ride – in the bike lane. Share the road.

— Michael C. Crosby, Simi Valley

Re: Marjorie Olson's July 12 letter, “Sincere objection�:

As a Korean War veteran, I take exception to Olson's letter criticizing Editor Joe Howry's essay (July 2, “Flag-burning phony issue�). I have the highest respect for the flag. However, desecration is generally used in a religious sense, as when a church, synagogue or mosque is desecrated. The flag can be mutilated, violated or burned. However, desecration should not be used in conjunction with the flag, a secular symbol of the United States.

Re: your July 11 article, “Tests inconclusive in man’s death�:

The Star must have it out for our police force. Again, The Star insinuates that the police made an improper decision when they used the “beanbag� ammunition. The Star focused on the possible improper use of the tools and methodologies available to the police officers instead of the fact that the person put himself in harm’s way. And, this person could have seriously harmed or killed someone had the police not acted as they did.

Re: Colleen Cason’s July 7 column, “Fidos endure another fitful Fourth in Camarillo�:

I applaud Colleen Cason for her column on the effect the fireworks display has on the animals detained at the Ventura County Animal Shelter in Camarillo. This brought to light what we all knew all along: The Lions Club annual fireworks display inflicts extremely cruel and unusual punishment on these poor defenseless animals.

Am I the only Star reader who disagrees with Al Gore?

I have some questions. Regarding the ice melting on Greenland everyone is so worried about: Why was it called Greenland? Because it was covered with ice?

Aren't glaciers at the North Pole where the ozone hole is causing massive melting floating in the ocean? Why would that cause sea levels to flood the planet? My glass of ice water doesn't flood my kitchen floor when the ice melts.

I commend the City of San Diego for banning cigarette smoking on county beaches and parks, citing cigarette butts as an issue, as well as secondhand smoke.

It seems that smokers just don't care as they throw down those lit butts and grind them into our sidewalks, parking lots and my driveway! I had an old buddy come to town for a few days on a business trip. He spent a lot of time at my house. Since he's been gone, I've been finding his butts all around my house, in my yard, in my driveway and in the gutter in front of my house and the neighbor's house — and this is a
friend of mine!

Re: Betty Wells’ July 10 letter, “Schools need more money�:

I wonder if Wells has ever heard of "collective bargaining?�

Conditions are accepted or rejected by the local teachers association when the contract provisions are presented to them. These provisions are negotiated by the union and the district.

Re: Roger Rodriguez’s June 5 letter, "Hypocritical racism":

I appreciate the writer's honesty in stating a case representing hundreds of thousands of our residents, some of whom have served loyally in our military services. Rodriguez presents a sane argument in a controversy many Americans have not taken the opportunity to research and understand.

Rodriguez correctly refers to a system of colonization in which many European nations invaded regions of the world for conquest, domination and expansion.

Here are a few thoughts for the believers of one God:

There would be no Quran if the Holy Bible did not exist first. The Jews, Christians and Muslims all believe in God the Father, but only the Christians believe he had a son named Jesus Christ. The Muslims should stop memorizing the Quran and start reading it. Memorizing all the books in the world will not give you wisdom; only an open mind can give you wisdom.

Re: Deborah Bechtel’s July 11 commentary, "Local growers should rethink pesticide use�:

Bechtel seems to believe that converting to organic farming is the obvious answer to growing crops using pesticides. If the demand for organically grown products is as high as she says it is, why don't all farmers jump on the organic bandwagon? I think there are several reasons.

On June 26, I attended a meeting of the Ventura City Council. On the agenda was a proposal by a homeowner to divide his property and build a second home on the divided section. Since this property is in a residential area zoned for one-dwelling parcel, he was asking for a variance.

All lots in the area are on septic systems. The neighbors surrounding his property had a serious concern about the ability of the subsoil to handle the extra liquid. There was also a very steep hill behind his property, and the drainage from that to be considered.

Re: your July 5 editorial, “Cheney out and about�

With all due respect to The Star, I think it would be better served than quoting the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Associated Press regarding Vice President Dick Cheney. What else did The Star expect from these sources?

For Earth to continue, the people, institutions and nations are going to have to get along.

We need to accept this and deploy our resources to build positive relationships with other nations. Take a moment and ask yourself if this is true and listen for an answer coming from deep inside you. Then ask: “How quickly must we make this happen for us to survive?" Again, listen for the answer from deep inside yourself.

Three changes of thinking must take place.

The seabird die-off is not new and was not surprising, given the birds can't find food. Why are the seabirds starving? The failure of seasonal, cold upwellings of nutrient-rich ocean currents. Why would the currents stop? A warmer surface creates a thermocline and holds the hypolimnion below. Was that hard to understand? Better learn some science — quick!

Why is the ocean warmer? A scientific consensus agrees that the general warming of global lands and oceans is caused by the sun's heat being absorbed by dark areas previously reflective with ice, and heat being trapped in an atmosphere thickening with carbon dioxide and methane.

Re: your July 9 article, "Terror arrests raise questions of zealotry":

This article from The New York Times News Service expresses concern that the FBI and other law enforcement officials are acting prematurely on plots by terror groups to kill Americans.

Waiting until a terrorist plan is under way before acting greatly increases the risk of the terrorists slipping surveillance and succeeding.

Re: Richard Larsen’s July 11 essay, “We are at war — maybe�:

Larsen says things that need saying, particularly questioning the justification for the “war� we are now in.

Many believe Bush went into Iraq for two main reasons: Saddam Hussein was behind the plot to assassinate his father, and we wanted control of Iraqi oil. I think the explanation is much simpler: Bush wanted to be a “wartime president,� a phrase he has used often. His hubris is without bounds. What a price we have paid so he could thus describe himself.

Re: Richard Larsen’s July 11 essay, “We are at war — maybe�:

Larsen appears to have forgotten Sept. 11, 2001. Our nation was attacked by extremists representing an ideology that is not tolerant and hates what the United States and Americans stand for: religious tolerance, including friendship with Israel. If extremists only hated our love of Middle East oil, American ingenuity could solve this problem sooner than we think.

Lately, I have noticed that, with increasing frequency, news reports from the “war� in Iraq have included the body counts of “suspected insurgents� who were killed in clashes with American troops.

Since journalists are unlikely to have access to all active combat areas, it would be safe to assume that these body counts are being provided by the Pentagon at the commander in chief’s request.

With the release of this new data, I submit that the “war� in Iraq has officially become what most people knew it would become: It has become Vietnam.

I particularly enjoyed the stories of the long-term marriages of 60-plus years, which also allowed a peek into the times, the sociology, the romances enjoyed and the shortages endured in the 1940s.

My parents married in June of 1947 and, sadly, have since passed away — Pop last year and Mom two years prior. I say sadly because they both wanted to live together longer to continue their happiness together. I found a $2 bill among what I considered their sentimental mementos. It confused me at first, but, thanks to your article, I'd like to imagine it had a special value where it was intended to obtain the marriage license.

Re: your July 8 article, “Sheriff, Ventura to use Tasers�:

I am definitely in favor of the use of Tasers by the sheriff or any law enforcement agency.

— Mac Grisham, Oxnard

Re: your July 8 article, “Sheriff, Ventura to use Tasers�:

The deterrent factor is a valuable tool once the citizenry realizes how effective Tasers are. I have seen the Taser used on persons, and, believe me, they are truly effective, not only in the musculature, but also causing those who intend harm to stop and think. Of course, there are those who really don't care if they get stunned or incapacitated, for their minds are of a different rationalization than most of the public. If, say, gang members know of the Taser, they probably think it is a badge of courage to stand up to it, but their thinking is not of the majority either.

Re: Tom Elias’ July 7 commentary, “Some places to look in gas-prices investigation�:

Mr. Elias clearly hasn’t been paying much attention to published reports about gasoline prices. If he had, he would have known that his call for an investigation of the oil industry has already been heeded numerous times, not only by the California Energy Commission but the Federal Trade Commission, the California attorney general and others. And none have ever found evidence supporting Mr. Elias’ allegations.

Re: Colleen Cason’s July 7 column, “Fidos endure another fitful Fourth in Camarillo�:

Thanks for publishing Ms. Cason’s experience at the shelter. If people truly understood how sensitive animals are to all the types of things we are fearful of, we wouldn't be having this sort of debate. But then again, most people are not educated about this.

Re: Colleen Cason’s July 7 column, “Fidos endure another fitful Fourth in Camarillo�:

Why can't volunteers take the animals from the shelter home and care for them during the Independence Day celebrations at Freedom Park? It seems this would be a win-win-win solution for the animals, the concerned volunteers and the citizens of Camarillo.

— Karen Gatchel, Camarillo

When more than 40,000 people are killed and 3 million are injured in auto accidents every year, isn't it incongruous to withdraw troops from Iraq because 2,500 (that's an average of 833 per year) have been killed in over a three-year period?

If the soldiers were to come home, more of them could be killed on U.S. highways than in Iraq, and not a single terrorist would be held accountable. Let's be reasonable, folks. We are fighting a war!

— Irma Schneider, Ventura

I am a senior citizen and have been on the SCAN Health Plan for over a year and am very happy with it. I am deeply concerned with Kaiser Permanente's impending purchase of the Buenaventura Medical Group here in Ventura County. All of my doctors are with BMG, and I’m so pleased with them and do not want to have to select other doctors. BMG accepts many health plans, whereas Kaiser accepts only their own.

It seems to me and to others I have spoken to that Kaiser is creating a monopoly in healthcare in Ventura and is denying the ordinary citizen a choice. There were no open hearings on this matter, so the public had no voice in a major change in healthcare services here in our county.

Re: your July 1 editorial, “No evidence to justify charges; Flynn should accept harbor findings�:

I was compelled to find a copy of the Grand Jury report and review the Channel Islands Harbor director letters to the Board of Supervisors, specifically the letter dated Sept. 13, 2005.

The Grand Jury apparently focused on the "legal" issues. No assessment was made of the "business issues" that will result in costs to Ventura County taxpayers.

Re: your July 6 article, “Blind woman’s seeing aids stolen�:

I knew Denise Cardenas while she was a student at Oxnard High School, and I was extremely disappointed to read that she had been the victim of a burglary.

Unlike her perpetrator(s), Denise is a bright, ambitious young woman who possesses great warmth and takes responsibility for herself and her future. Her sense of humor lights up a room while also putting our petty inconveniences into perspective.

Re: Colleen Cason’s July 7 column, “Fidos endure another fitful Fourth in Camarillo�:

I'm confused: Does the Ventura County Animal Shelter want to show how bad the fireworks problem is or help the animals?

The video and news coverage does a good job of showing that some animals are affected by fireworks, but it does little to solve the problem.

Here are some ideas:

Exploiting divisions among Democrats to insist they are undermining “victory� in Iraq, President Bush evades big questions about what that war was and is about.

A four-wheel-drive beach vehicle driving over and killing a sunbather was inevitable, and it will occur again and again. I bicycle along the beaches. I've been absolutely horrified at the mindless beach traffic by police, lifeguards and maintenance workers. Some parts of the beach have so many vehicle tracks that the beach resembles a freeway.

For decades, the beaches were adequately protected without the use four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is impossible for me to believe all the beach driving I see is justified. I really believe beach personnel regard these four-wheel vehicles as fun toys and the beach as a scenic place to play with their toys.

Re: Scott Harris’ July 9 commentary, “Anti-white-male ad doesn’t amuse�:

I'm not sure that Washington Mutual had the intention of poking fun at white males as an ethnic majority, but rather as an executive majority. Are the majority of top-tier business executives white and male, or aren't they? Maybe if the executive suite looked more like America, Washington Mutual’s portrayal of the Banker's Pen's occupants might look more like America, too.

By the way, I wonder whether Mr. Harris supports affirmative action for groups other than white males.

— Karla Johnson, Simi Valley

Re: your July 6 article, “Rarity of top military honor a sign of new kind of war�:

This article rightfully pays tribute Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism in Iraq. However, the article also says that Audie Murphy was "reputedly the most-decorated American of World War II." Reputedly? There is no dispute over Murphy's most-decorated status.

Re: your July 7 article, “Courts reject two same-sex marriage cases�:

The real fairness issue is not about marriage. It's about divorce.

Why should only straight couples have the right to drag each other through ugly divorce proceedings? To be forced to throw money at lawyers who do so little for so much? To bang their head against the wall of a legal system that has time for everything except hearing their side of the story?

Usually midterm elections are about local issues, but this year is different. Republicans control all three branches of our government and have greatly abused that power. The torture-loving Bush administration is either grossly incompetent or the most corrupt administration ever.

U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly has been a perfect lap dog for President Bush. He has voted exactly the way Bush ordered him to vote 100 percent of the time.

Re: your July 8 editorial, “Journalism 101 in S. Barbara�:

For all the pricey estates that overlook Santa Barbara County’s environs, the one with the loftiest vantage point is its fourth estate: the Santa Barbara News-Press. It seems they’ve swapped their mission as a higher authority with that of holding sway (and swag) as the higher authority.

Re: Troy Mann’s July 6 letter, “Give bike laws low priority�:

I also disagree with the current crackdown on bicycle laws in Simi Valley.

Having been born and raised in New Jersey, I was always taught to ride opposite traffic, not with traffic! This way, both driver and bicyclist can see each other. In California, I don't know how many times I have been startled by a driver I didn't hear coming or who came too close to the curb.

Re: your July 8 article, "Police search for man who touched woman":

What's missing from this article? "The act continued on and off until she left the bus." After the first time, she should have reported it to the driver, moved from that seat, even punched him out! Failure to do none of this does not condone the action against her, but come on! Women should be smarter than that.

— Neda Cancaro, Thousand Oaks

The end of gangs begins with "personal responsibility." The first step is for each member of the community to take "personal responsibility" for their neighbors’ safety. If my neighbor got robbed, I would feel "personally responsible." What kind of neighbor am I to let this happen? Should I even be allowed to live in this neighborhood anymore after being the weak link in the community?

Now when it comes to gangs, that is the ultimate slap in the face. A gang of punks dedicated to committing crimes against my neighbors and myself? I don't think so!

Re: your July 7 article, “Simi fire leaves family homeless�:

Thanks for your informative article. We live in Thousand Oaks, but we moved here from Washington state. Up there, prior to the Fourth of July, dozens of fireworks stands pop up on Indian reservations across the state every year. That's true here in California, too, right? So why didn't you mention where people are buying the "illegal fireworks" that cause all these fires that cost taxpayers so much money and cause so much property damage? It's truly an outrage that Indian tribes continue getting away with selling these dangerous, illegal products. Speak up, fellow citizens!

— Barb Lindsay, Thousand Oaks

Re: your July 4 article, “Camarillo making big scoreboard upgrade�:

Wow! A new $100,000 scoreboard for Adolfo Camarillo High School. New bleachers. New green grass. I am reminded of a business trip I took in the South about 15 years ago. I went to a high school football game and was impressed with the state-of-the-art wireless headsets the coaches and assistants had. They, too, had a new impressive electronic scoreboard.

The entry dates for the Ventura County Fair are coming quickly on the summer calendar. Did you think, while at the fair last August, that you might want to take part in 2006 by entering some craft, holiday decoration, jam, hobby, garment, needlework, art, quilt, photograph or collection?

Now is the time to search for these items you have created since last year’s fair. Read the entry guide to preview the categories and classes to make sure your item is appropriate and can be judged. Get your items brushed, polished, reglued and show-ready. Find a box to transport the items easily and securely.

Joe Howry has it within his power as editor to make a most positive contribution to our community with respect to gang suppression. To do so will require courage — not bleeding-heart stories about poor, misunderstood gang bangers. We need good old-fashioned investigative journalism, with one goal being that of exposing and somehow nullifying the multigenerational links that lead to perpetuation of the gangster culture.

Re: your July 6 article, “Europe leading the way to shrinking population�:

It is interesting that the article talked about dire consequences for the aging population, but not one sentence was given to the question of why this happened, of what the cause or causes might be. Could that be because nobody in the mainstream media wants to discuss the two 900-pound elephants in the living room - easy abortion and contraception for the last 30 to 40 years?

Re: Merle Duckett’s July 6 letter, “UACT direction wrong,� and Suzanne Duckett’s June 23 letter, “District needs trustees like Dunn�:

It should come as no surprise that Mike Dunn supporter Merle Duckett does not understand school finance. Does he fail to realize the relationship between portables, large class sizes, retirement benefits, old science equipment and state and federal school funding? School districts cannot spend money that isn't there.

I am tired of complaints about the Lions group setting off fireworks near the animal shelter. We went to the fireworks this year, and they were beautiful, but quiet. No boom-boom types, just the pretty sparkly ones.

We suspect it was so the animals would not be frightened. The Lions were careful to select fireworks that were not noisy. So I am sure the animals at the animal shelter were fine. Stop making such a fuss. We are animal lovers, too, and this was a humane choice for the Lions to make.

— Jeri Boeing, Oxnard

With all the problems associated with the fireworks used illegally in the other cities of Ventura County, and Fillmore's position that the sale of fireworks aids in their community-service fundraising, a new look for a solution is in order.

Perhaps service organizations and churches in the other cities of Ventura County could form a relationship with their counterparts in Fillmore and help each other raise funds so that the sale of fireworks would not be necessary for the Fillmore organizations. This would cut down on the use of fireworks in inappropriate places and fires related to the use of fireworks. Also, the calls to the police and fire departments would be fewer.

I was disappointed by the numerous displays of fireworks shows throughout the area by people who appear to have no regard for fire dangers, potential injuries, fear in animals or respect for the law. I guess perhaps I should change my way of thinking — fireworks should no longer be considered illegal but simply undocumented.

— Melanie Ehrlich, Camarillo

Re: your July 3 article, “2 police officers remain in hospital� and your July 4 article, “Oxnard police won’t discuss shootout�:

Having just returned home after working the entire Fourth of July weekend and weekday holiday stretch, I settled down to read the collection of newspapers that my wife kept for me in my absence.

I should hope that The Star learned a lesson from all the good people who wrote about The Star’s bad handling of the gang member who tried to kill the two police officers. Please give us a break about the status of lawbreakers versus police.

Our hopes and prayers go with the police and not some hoodlum. His family knew about his bad behavior but did not try to correct it. The biggest problem that we have is that parents and family do not correct this type of behavior, and then cry when their children have to pay a price for their actions.

— Don Allums, Port Hueneme

Re: Patrick Kelley’s July 6 letter, “Officers hardly mentioned�:

Like Mr. Kelley, I was outraged at The Star's one-sided article about the recent shooting in Oxnard. This is not the way to promote respect for law and order. This is not the first time The Star has disappointed me by its biased reporting.

— Janice Wurschum, Thousand Oaks

On June 15, the director of airports mailed certified letters to a number of Oxnard property owners who reside in or near the Henry T. Oxnard National Historic District notifying them that they must remove or disfigure dozens of stately historic trees. The list of targeted trees includes irreplaceable, century-old palms, pines and the sycamores that line F Street. If these trees are a hazard, then the whole city is in serious trouble. The trees in some cases are barely taller than the buildings.

Re: your July 5 article, “Study warns of liver dangers from Tylenol�:

As a registered pharmacist of more than 30 years, I would like to educate the general public and most doctors about the likely causes of Tylenol (acetaminophen) overusage — more than 4 grams per day, as stated in the article.

Most people who take plain Tylenol do not take the 4-gram limit. That would be eight extra-strength tablets a day.

Re: your July 2 article, “Living in fear of raids�:

If this is intended to elicit sympathy for illegal aliens — Gasp! I called them what they are! — it seems that The Star failed.

Re: your July 4 article, "Immigrants tell their stories":

Yes, Independence Day is the day we celebrate the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" created by the Founding Fathers and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. I think an article about Americans — that means Americans born in America, not immigrants, legal or otherwise — would have been better to read on the Fourth of July.

— Randy Terry, Oxnard

Re: Larry Godwin’s July 3 letter, “LNG’s OK, but salts aren’t?� in response to Howard Smith’s June 25 commentary, “Salts dumped in river threaten V.C. economy�:

It's hard to appreciate that Larry Godwin agreed with my commentary when he uses his letter to jump on a soapbox and intentionally distort the Ventura County Economic Development Association’s position on liquefied natural gas — a position available on the Web site: http://www.vceda.org/issues.html.

Re: Shawn Duffy’s June 15 letter, “Flynn is harbor’s friend�:

Here is a short history of my involvement in the Channel Islands Harbor:

— In 1983, I purchased the Whale’s Tail, when there are 26 different food establishments at the harbor. Harbor economics have declined steadily since 1990, and today, there are only a handful.

— I have worked diligently for 20 years to establish a marine and education center like the Marine Institute at Dana Point.

I had never heard of the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication before hearing about it from President Bush and his team. It seems that they are upset about The New York Times article that informed the world that the CIA and National Security Agency are gathering financial information from SWIFT, a financial information clearinghouse in Belgium. I went to the SWIFT Web site to get some more information and found the following:

Re: Jim Barros’s July 3 letter "Living with differences — or not":

Here we go again with the same knee-jerk reactions.

Why do I live here? I am a U.S. citizen, and America is my home. That does not mean I should not like all to enjoy the safety, security and open brotherly hospitality that I have enjoyed elsewhere. Is life perfect in Oman and Libya? Of course not, but people in many countries Barros and others vilify do have qualities which, if adopted here, would improve our lives.

I’ve always heard that if you go to a community college for your general education you can get into almost any University of California or California State University you want with a 2.5 grade point average or better. My case shows otherwise.

I worked on my general education at three different schools for the previous two years, yet I still did not get into either of my two choices for public California universities.

Re: your July 3 article, “2 police officers remain in hospital�:

The Star went off half-cocked in this article about Oxnard police officers Sgt. Jack Kujawa and Officer Michael Purdy. The Star assumed a lot, hoping that these officers acted overly aggressively, exhibiting a tendency to be "trigger happy."

Re: Richard Larsen’s July 4 essay, “Reclaiming our authority�:

I certainly respect Mr. Larsen’s right to disagree with our president. I have disagreed with some presidents in my time, too, including this one. I wish, however, that those who drone on about the president’s heavy-handedness regarding civil rights would do two things:

In response to the Simi Valley Police Department cracking down on bike violations, I believe their time should be spent on other crimes. With such a focus on petty bicycling infractions, I believe that other criminal activity will be overlooked. Simi police should be focused on more serious crime issues!

The residents of Simi Valley have always had the pleasure of living in an almost crime-free community, much of which can be accredited to the citizens themselves. The vast majority of our citizens are good, kind, caring, family-oriented, law-abiding people. Policing us is really quite easy and almost risk-free.

Re: your June 27 article, “Authorities seek community help to combat gangs�:

Sheriff Bob Brooks’ non-specific plea for help from anybody in the community to assist with the growing gang problem is not fully honest, and the sheriff knows it.
The growing violence is not some incredibly complex puzzle that defies solutions, in spite of our community leaders' best efforts. Growing gang issues are simply a convergence of problems that occur when people who are paid well to handle this issue don't do their jobs and receive no consequences.

As a retired executive director of a large Navy engineering organization, I was considered by peers to be a solid professional. Accordingly, I feel I have a reasonable understanding of what constitutes professional and “unprofessional� conduct.
I recently attended the June 29 Pleasant Valley School District board meeting. A lack of professionalism was demonstrated by the board president and some district staff members.

The Ventura Youth Correctional Facility Division of Juvenile Justice for Women near Camarillo provides a needed service and is the only one just for the 13- to 25-year-old age group in the state. Unfortunately, the population of women offenders is growing.

I believe that scattering this group around the state in facilities not targeting their educational and psychological needs would be a mistake. Finally the program has been reduced to a workable 20 to 25 in a living unit, and they have a full high school available to them with vocational and college preparation.

I urge the president to adhere to the rule of law, to all-too-belatedly uphold human and civil rights, close Guantanamo and all other prisons for political prisoners and release all prisoners. If no criminal charges have been brought against them in all the years they've been held and reportedly subjected to torture and inhumane treatment, I believe the government has forfeited the right to bring charges. Any future suspected violators of U.S. laws should be accorded due process.

The United States should live up to the rhetoric and support human and civil rights, freedom and the rule of law.

— Lynne Moore, Ventura

I am very much pro-development, but Santa Paula’s game of manipulating to get excessive numbers of houses and an inordinate number at the “low/very low� priced units is not what I would call sensible growth.

After the special City Council meeting of June 26, I conducted an informal survey with many longtime residents whom I respect. Here are the results:

— Good comments from the public holding a variety of positions regarding development.

This country is really suffering from poor leadership. The leadership in this country has a real machismo sheriff mentality. They seem to have a dyslexic approach to democracy. For the Republicans’ information, Jesus was not the prince of pre-emptive strikes — he was the prince of peace.

Every time the Republicans give the American people a black eye, there is Anne Coulter playing the battered wife. After every Republican blunder, she’s there with, "I didn't like that either, but they didn't mean it, and they won't do that again. What would I do without them?� Hopefully, she’ll run out of shockingly stupid remarks so she can go away.

Re: Mike Dunn’s July 2 commentary, “Conejo Valley school trustee answers critics�:
Mr. Dunn is at it again.

He spends so much time publicly defending himself it makes me wonder how he has any time left over to devote to the educational interests of our children. It is disturbing that my kids — I have three attending the Conejo Valley Unified School District — are at the mercy of this trouble-making trustee who is determined to wreak havoc on the school board and then respond to the problems he creates by playing the victim and defending his childish, uncooperative tactics by claiming he’s just “an independent thinker� whom the all-mighty unions are attempting to destroy. Give me a break.

Re: Greg Stratton’s June 22 commentary, “School district fails its students�:
Judging by the content of his commentary, Mr. Stratton has contracted an advanced case of “standardized testing and reporting testivitis.�

The symptoms are all too familiar: chronic complaining of not enough academic course work for students, restlessness caused by worrying about test scores and the conviction that electives are not a core component of a successful curriculum.