Re: Tahir I. Siddiqui's Aug. 30 letter, “Thoughtful words,� a response to Yahya Merchant’s Aug. 28 letter, “Really, it’s not about religion�:

I found Mr. Siddiqui's words less than thoughtful. Basically, he is saying that Mr. Merchant's continual diatribes about the poor, maligned Muslims is right on, and the rest of us who cannot understand Mr. Merchant and the nuances of Islam should go ask our favorite imam to enlighten us.

Poppycock!

Re: Dean Sylvies’ Aug. 31 letter, “No equality for the unborn�:

Mr. Sylvies asks, "Why don't the pro-choice people have the guts to call themselves what they really are: pro-abortionists."

Let me give you an example of why I'm pro-choice. In 1956, when abortions were not legal and certainly not openly discussed, my 16-year-old sister was taken to have an abortion. She was a victim of incest, and the man responsible decided she had to abort the baby. It took her three weeks to die from the infection and internal bleeding caused by an unlicensed, backroom quack. She died on December 21 and was buried on Christmas Eve.

Re: your Aug. 30 article, “Aid for illegal students backed�:

One of our country’s current major problems is the lack of controlling the entry of illegals into this country.

I checked the dictionary, and its definition of illegals is, “forbidden by law or statute.� If it’s illegal, then it obviously must be against the law.

The sky is falling, the sky is falling.

Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett has finally resorted to the tactic used by the Bush administration when trying to sway the public to their side. That tactic is fear.
Bennett is now "warning" us that if we vote for Proposition 90, S.O.A.R. will be irrevocably canceled and the county of Ventura will have to file bankruptcy.

Re: your Aug. 30 article, “Money to treat brain injuries may be slashed�:

Regarding this administration’s and president’s plan to cut funding for those soldiers who have been brain damaged from this useless war in Iraq: How can the Republican Congress accuse the Democrats of "cut and run" when it is cutting and running from our soldiers in Iraq?

When are the people going to wake up to this administration’s follies?

Re: Jill Martinez’s Aug. 27 commentary, “Time for a plan to bring troops home from Iraq�:

I say good for Martinez, Democratic candidate for the 24th Congressional District. Here’s a candidate with a plan who’s not afraid to speak out. Her plan is an end to our involvement in Iraq that will bring our troops home with honor and stop out-of-control spending that has brought this country to the brink; to begin now to mend our relationships with countries where we once had respect and, yes, even envy; to turn our efforts and money into securing this nation by securing our ports (which was voted down because it cost too much); and to return our Congress to representatives who can debate and vote their minds. What an idea!

Re: Jill Martinez’s Aug. 27 commentary, “Time for a plan to bring troops home from Iraq�:

I agree completely with Martinez. We need a plan for getting our troops home from Iraq, but any kind of intelligent plan of action is not forthcoming from President Bush and his rubber-stamp Republican Congress. That is why this upcoming election is so important. We need a change of direction and a change of leadership. Bush says he wants to stay the course, but in reality, we're going nowhere and have achieved little to make us safer from terrorism.

Re: Yahya Merchant’s Aug. 28 letter, “Really, it’s not about religion�:

It is not about religion or politics. It is about knowing where I stand with my brothers and sisters. These are easy yes-or-no questions. Only the Muslim religious leaders can answer this, and I wish they would.

Question 1: In the original Quran (as opposed to the watered-down American version) does it not say to kill the infidel not under subjugation? If it has a different meaning in content, please explain. The words Merchant took out of content from the Bible have a totally different meaning in content.

I read there will soon be a Planning Commission meeting on the impact of additional development at Ventu Park and the Newbury Road/ Ramona area in Newbury Park. As I understand the issue, Centex Homes of Texas desires to pay a fee to the city of Thousand Oaks in lieu of constructing a few "affordable housing units."

Is this an exchange or a pay-to-play proposition? Do I understand this correctly?

The people of Thousand Oaks have a great friend in Ed and Lynn Hogan.

Sunday evening, many of us attended the last musical performance at the 4.5-acre Gardens of the World. We had a wonderful time listening to some great New Orleans jazz, picnicking and soaking up the flora beauty of this amazing little spot in the world.

Re: Dawn Williams’ Aug. 30 letter, “Out with the incumbents�:

Williams will be very disappointed. The City Council election has already been decided. Big money has always ruled in Thousand Oaks and always will. The method of election gives its candidates an overwhelming advantage. Big money doesn't need a majority to win, only an at-large plurality, so it has three candidates for three seats. Ironically, the more the incumbents are disliked, the more likely is their re-election because more opposition candidates file to run. More candidates just dilute the votes of the anti-incumbents. All the incumbents need are their core of supporters and a few voters who pick at random. I've seen enough of the voting farce in Thousand Oaks to believe that big money encourages more opposition candidates to run.

Why, with all of the taxes being generated with the influx of housing and shopping centers, is there not enough money to staff our Ventura police and firefighters with the manpower and whatever else needed to protect our city? Where is the money going? Out of this city to another one in elsewhere the county? Hopefully, we will see the question regarding the tax raise on the ballot in November, with an explanation of why the additional sales tax is needed to increase our protection forces because of the increased population.

Re: Bill O’Reilly’s Aug. 26 commentary, “A final Iraq solution requires some course-altering�:

Bill O’Reilly has established a new low for himself in trying to equate the U.S. invasion of Iraq to the American Revolution. Only a truly twisted mind could conclude that the American colonists' decision to free themselves from British rule is the same thing as the United States deciding for the people of Iraq that they should be liberated from Saddam Hussein's rule — and, for many, liberated from their heads and limbs by American bombs.

Re: your Aug. 24 article, “History is basis for attitudes on charity�:

I really enjoyed the article comparing charitable giving in China and the United States. However, there is a minor mistake in it. The author says that three-quarters of American donations to charity come from individuals and the rest from corporations. While it is true that in 2005, of $260 billion in charitable gifts, 76.5 percent of donations came from individuals, the remainder is a mix of support. Foundations gave 11.5 percent, 6.7 percent came from bequests, and corporations gave 5.3 percent, not 25 percent of total gifts.

Re: your Aug. 29 article, “Assembly OKs overhaul of insurance�:

Over 47 years ago, I registered to vote and listed myself as a Republican and so far have never missed an election, always voting for the Republican ticket until the last election when I got so tired of the lies our government was feeding us I switched to the Democrats and independents.

Re: your Aug. 27 article, "ID theft growing concern on campuses":

By using Social Security numbers as identification in colleges, there is more opportunity for identity theft. Even though a Social Security number is required for financial aid, schools should use their own code to identify students. If the Social Security number is confidential, why do all the school’s staff members have to know it? Moreover, schools cannot legally save confidential information.

— Yesenia Gonzalez, Oxnard

Time to demand quality

Santa Paula is at a junction.

One road appears easy. It is familiar and leads downhill. The other leads upward and appears difficult.

Re: Debbi Steele’s Aug. 25 commentary, "Celebrate 'Equality Day'":

Steele takes a landmark event, the 19th Amendment, and distorts it to advance her political agenda. She wanted to celebrate "Equality Day," but her equality extends only to those who share her narrow opinion. She obligingly follows the pro-abortion script and trots out all of the tried-and-true liberal lines about “reproductive health and safety, “reproductive freedom� and “rights to control fertility.�

Re: Megan Hook’s Aug. 29 commentary, “ER no place for an impatient patient�:

Hook gave the solution to the emergency-room dilemma near the end of her essay: "Go to an urgent care facility" that can handle almost anything except for life-threatening illnesses and accidents, i.e. heart attacks, car accidents, gunshot wounds, strokes, etc.

Re: Megan Hook’s Aug. 29 commentary, “ER no place for an impatient patient�:

Props to Hook for writing about what we've all been talking about continuously for months: the deplorable situation in our local emergency rooms.

In the last few years, it seems to have gone from bad to worse. I personally lost a friend who had to wait too long for treatment, which resulted in a futile emergency procedure to save him, which resulted in his death 19 hospitalized days later. And, by the way, he acquired a staph infection in that hospital that didn't help the situation at all.

Re: your Aug. 27 travel article, “Wonderful Wales�:

Thank you for the splendid article on Wales, which is my birthplace.

In the article, the actual town where I was born was mentioned, which is now a cathedral city. May I correct the spelling? "Swansee� is incorrect. The correct spelling then and now is "Swansea.�

Hope you don't mind the correction, Swansea being a most wonderful seaside city.

— Don Berger, Simi Valley

Re: Jim Sherman’s Aug. 18 letter, “Hospital stay investigated�:

Relative to Sherman’s assertion: “I regret that Ms. Soyster chose this particular venue to share her perceptions.�

Re: your Aug. 25 letters on the topic, “Islam and its followers�:

The American Heritage Dictionary lists the following definitions:

— “Islam: a religion based upon the teachings of the prophet Muhammad, believing in one God (Allah) and in Paradise and in Hell, and having a body of law put forth in the Quran and the Sunna.�

— “Quran: the sacred text of Islam.�

Re: your Aug. 26 editorial, “SB News-Press mocks ethics� and Bill O’Reilly’s commentary, “A final Iraq solution requires some course-altering�:

Am I the only one who found this just the tiniest bit ironic? Directly beneath The Star’s impassioned editorial on Santa Barbara News-Press Publisher Wendy McCaw and her tactics, Bill O’Reilly’s column appeared with the usual lies.

In the editorial, The Star made it a point — and rightly so — to state “that a newspaper is no mere commodity. Newspapers report facts, seek truth and regularly stand up to the rich and powerful.�

Here’s an update on voter registration:

Ventura County citizens can register to vote at a county post office, fire station, city clerk's office, library, chamber of commerce or Ventura County Election Division at the Government Center.

The last day to register to vote in the 2006 fall election is Oct. 23.

If you have moved or changed your name since registering or want to change your political party affiliation, you must re-register.

All you people out there who think Islam is a "peaceful religion" had better get your head out of the sand before it's too late.

The only difference between Islam and Nazism is that Nazism was completely crushed and delegitimized within 12 years of its birth after a hard-fought campaign. In fact, Heinrich Himmler, the chief of the Waffen SS, was quoted as saying one of his most effective divisions was his Muslim division, which were Ottoman Turks.

Re: your Aug. 23 article, “State Senate OKs plan to drop out of the Electoral College�:
I was saddened to read that Assemblyman Tom Umberg, D-Anaheim, apparently slept through American history class. There were a few homework assignments he missed too, one of which was reading the Federalist Papers.

Re: Richard Larsen’s Aug. 22 essay, “Islam is not the enemy�:

I am tired and bored with the number of articles, editorials and columns in The Star that profess that the Muslim religion is a religion of peace! It seems that after every incident of terror or major arrest of a possible extremist — who, in most every case, is a Muslim — we have to wade through numerous days of articles in The Star about the much maligned world of Islam. Enough already! I and most everyone don't believe it.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he hopes France will lead the peace-keeping force in Lebanon. How safe Israelis must feel today, knowing they will be protected from the coward's yellow flag of Hezbollah by the white flag of France.

— Robert Ostrove, Oxnard

Re: Ken Raduechel’s Aug. 25 letter, “Is Bible truth or fiction?�:

He asks, “If science is fact and God is fiction, why does science keep changing and God remain the same?� The brutal truth is that, historically, god myths tend to remain the same because people with contrary ideas don’t like being imprisoned, tortured or killed.

Re: Jim Sherman’s Aug. 15 commentary, “Los Robles Hospital CEO: Patient care comes first�:

I was very disheartened by Jim Sherman's commentary, although not surprised. With all the negative letters coming from the community, I'm sure he has reason to squirm.
I have been a nurse at Los Robles for 30 years. I have seen huge changes in healthcare and none of them good for patients or staff.

Re: Gerald Christian Nordskog’s Aug. 25 letter, “Threat to humanity�:

What on earth is the Ventura County Christian Leadership Council?

Its chairman, Gerald Christian Nordskog, writes a letter that is characterized by dishonesty, bigotry and ignorance, as well as a profound lack of understanding of the essence of Christianity. When he states "the Quran espouses violence by the sword and war and tyranny and terror," he is apparently oblivious to similar passages in the Bible where true believers rape, pillage and murder innocent men, women and children who differ from them.

With the recent heat wave, many Southern California Edison customers received record-high electric bills in July. After receiving a $700 bill, we implemented some dramatic conservation measures in an attempt to reduce our monthly electrical cost. When we received our July/August electric bill, we had reduced our daily electrical usage 6 percent from the same period last year. However, our bill was still $138 higher.

Ah, Pluto, we hardly knew ye.

— Steve Morsa, Thousand Oaks

When are the American people going to wake up and see that what is happening in Israel is just around the corner from happening here? The solution to begin with was to remove Saddam Hussein from power. Now America must do the same thing in Iran. If the Muslim world is teaching their kids to hate the way we think and operate, we must remove the people who are teaching them.

— Lenny Shteynberg, West Hills

I'm a regular player at Buenaventura Golf Course, and I would like to thank Ventura officials for giving us a beautiful place to enjoy the game of golf.

I have been concerned about the quality of the design of the new buildings being placed across the street on Olivas Park Drive. These buildings appear to be very basic concrete structures that are lifted into place by cranes overnight. From the 10th fairway, they look like concrete bunkers. I would rather look at a sand bunker.

With the election just a couple of months away, I strongly urge The Star to address one of the major issues on the ballot.

We are going to be asked to approve a number of state bonds totaling billions of dollars, to say nothing of the various local bond measures which will also be presented. Would The Star please do an in-depth investigation and 
analysis of at least the state bonds?

It’s that time of year again when parents prepare children to start back to school. The store ads advertise back-to-school sales, but there’s not much on the official English language amendment. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a most charismatic politician, opposes the notion of making English the national language because there is no funding for schools to teach English classes to immigrants. “A waste of time� he says.

Re: Terence Geohegan’s Aug. 20 commentary, “Trustees’ giveaway of public funds shouldn’t be tolerated�:

Geohegan, in relation to the Rio School District recall, states that the League of Women Voters sponsored the "nondebate" and was averse to questions of substance. I disagree and have to wonder whether he and I were at the same forum.

Re: Les Spiegel’s Aug. 18 letter, “LNG isn’t the answer,� in response to Richard Kibbe’s Aug. 14 letter, “Power spikes show need for LNG�:

As the local natural gas utility, it is our job to safely and reliably supply Ventura County residents and businesses with the natural gas they need, when they need it and at a competitive rate. We support the development and introduction of new supply sources, such as natural gas from the Rocky Mountains and liquefied natural gas, because it will benefit our customers in several ways.

Re: Dale Edwards’ August 16 letter, "Sanctuary plan takes the joy out of fishing":

What is really going to take the "joy out of fishing" is the location of liquefied natural gas facilities off our Ventura County coast.

Why was there no front-page headline — indeed, there was no coverage — of President Bush's statement of August 21 that no one in his administration had said that Iraq had anything to do with Sept. 11? You will notice that the FBI Web site shows the majority of most wanted terrorists are from Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Not one among these most wanted is from Syria, Iran or Iraq.

— Suzanne Gorenfeld, Ventura

Re: your Aug. 20 article, “Residents in rural Oregon cope with pervasive poverty�:
It surprises me that people who write for newspapers don't attempt to portray people as active creators of their lives. It seems that the negative always gets the emphasis.

For instance, why are these people poor? Because there is no big industry destroying the environment, cutting down trees up there anymore? Nonsense.

I went to class today, and the rooms were full. All my classes were full. I was on a wait list to see if there was enough room for me in two of them, and to my luck, I got in. There were a few students who got turned away.

I am enrolled in Ventura College. I am 47 years old. It is good to see so many in classes — that means a brighter future for our economy, schools and lives of our youth. Competing for a place in class can only mean one thing: the need for more teachers. This doesn't mean that there is a cause to raise tuition, because there are more students to cover the cost.

Re: Charles Albrecht’s Aug. 23 letter, “It’s science, not philosophy�:

Responding to Chris Maguire’s Aug. 18 letter, “Debate requires surmising,� Albrecht states that science goes where the facts lead. He also states the facts for God are nonexistent. If science is fact and God is fiction, why does science keep changing and God remain the same?

Recently we received a flier from Time Warner Cable. On Page 2, under "What you need to know," it claims, "Your services will never be interrupted."

On Wednesday, about 10:15 p.m., all stations were lost, and their notice said, “We’ll 
be back momentarily." I turned off the TV at 11:15 p.m., and there was still no signal. Good thing “CSI New York� was a rerun!

Not off to a good start!

— Rick Esler, Newbury Park

Re: your Aug. 23 article, "New documents show more toxics at test lab":

It surprises me that the Department of Toxic Substances Control is surprised to learn of Rocketdyne's past hazardous practices at Santa Susana. I thought we all knew about this, but now it seems we have their own documents to further support what others have known for some time.

The Star’s article states that the last time destruction of hazardous material was done at Santa Susana was in 1991. Let's not forget July 26, 1994, when an explosion at the site killed two scientists, one being my husband, Dr. Larry Pugh.

— Toni Pugh, Thousand Oaks

Re: Dan K. Thomasson’s Aug. 2 essay, “Thanks, but no thanks�:

Thomasson wrote, "It may be difficult to ask the Israelis to stand down under the circumstances, but the possibility of further killing of innocent children should force them to do so. Americans expect more of their allies."

Proposition 89, the California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act, is an initiative that has been placed on the November ballot to reduce political corruption and make election to statewide office possible for those who are not wealthy. Proposition 89 will provide public funding for the election campaigns of those who wish to run for statewide office and who accept no private contributions to their campaign. It will also strictly limit campaign contributions.

I'm afraid it's too late for the South Coast Wildlands group to influence the Simi Valley City Council, the Larwin Corporation or Mt. Sinai regarding the Douglas Ranch development on Happy Face Hill, at the northwest corner of Kuehner Drive and the 118 freeway. The pleas of residents and environmentalists didn't stop Councilwoman Michelle Foster from bringing back a housing development for reconsideration after initial denial. This project was finally passed by the council in April of 2005, even though it was being built on an acknowledged wildlife corridor.

“60 Minutes� recently featured a half-hour interview with Iran’s top leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He is the most twisted, convoluted, illogical and diabolical person I’ve ever heard. Never giving a straight answer, his “reasoning� has more twists and turns than a roller coaster. He is vain, definitely has his own agenda and defends his actions and those of Hezbollah with convoluted, nonsensical rhetoric. The United States had better beware. There may come a time, soon, when we face him head to head.

— Gary F. Traxler, Camarillo

The Port Hueneme City Council held a special meeting August 16 to take public testimony regarding implementation of a proposed gang injunction and safety zone in the city of Port Hueneme. A full house attendance included representatives of law enforcement, religious entities, financial institutions, homeowner associations, rehabilitation groups and residents of Port Hueneme.

After careful presentation of materials and information documenting need for the injunction by Port Hueneme City Manager Robert L. Hunt, the public testimony was opened for comment and questions by attendees. Without any discourse, all comments presented were positive for moving forward with the injunction.

It is wrong to tax my Social Security check. It’s a violation of constitutional law. It’s double-taxing the same money.

The Federal Reserve banking system is a private corporation and is not part of the federal government. This outfit is a very large cartel or trust. There is price fixing on interest. It’s a violation of Sherman and Clayton antitrust laws. General Electric did price fixing and paid large fines. This is a felony. The directors of this bank system should be in jail and the bank doors locked.

Re: George Sjostrom’s Aug. 5 article, “Loss of freedom may be the price of peace�:
After reading the tirades about the liberal media by your two “fair and balanced� essayists Bill O’Reilly and George Sjostrom, I would like to point out that the same “liberal media� was able to transform Osama bin Laden into Saddam Hussein and Iraq into a major terrorist threat to the United States.

Unfortunately, our “liberation� of Iraq has created a new brand of Muslim terrorists who kill each other with impunity, and Americans and foreigners are caught in the middle.

Dennis Prager, author and radio talk show host, recently said that it is irrelevant that there are moderate and peaceful Muslims. I agree.

If there were only a few Muslim terrorist extremists in a small number of countries, then the connection with Islam would be irrelevant.

But that's not the case. The extremists are all over the world in large numbers — and growing.

We live in the Mandalay Bay area of Oxnard. We have been burglarized while home in bed and had two cars stolen in a two-month period. Most of our neighbors have also had burglaries in the past couple of months.

We are not getting support from detectives or the local route commander. Several neighbors have said they are arming themselves since we are not getting any response.

Re: Dr. Robert Dodge’s Aug. 6 letter, “Leading by example�:

Dr. Dodge states we need to "change the way we think" and then brings forth that tiresome quote from Albert Einstein, a brilliant scientist but a poor historian. Einstein was also a poor judge of the human character. There are lessons from history that Einstein and Dr. Dodge are unwilling to recognize.

Re: Chris Maguire’s Aug. 18 letter, “Debate requires surmising,� a response to Dan Whelan's Aug. 10 letter, "Evolution is a philosophy":

In his somewhat rambling and half-hearted rebuttal to Dan Whelan's assertion that "evolution is a philosophy," Chris Maguire seems to be repeating the old saw that "evolution is just a theory." He just doesn't get it.

Science is still the best way we have of knowing and evaluating the physical world. Science goes where the facts lead. The evidence for evolution is overwhelming and far from abstract philosophy. The facts for God are nonexistent.

Recently, Vice President Cheney commented that Ned Lamont’s victory in the Connecticut primary might encourage “al-Qaida types.� This statement is an affront to anyone who truly appreciates the democratic process.

This win by Lamont was a display of democracy at its finest. Here we had an unknown, representing the frustrations of the majority, against an entrenched leader of the Democratic Party. Even if you don’t like the results of this election, you must agree that it was a marvelous textbook example of how democracy works.

Re: Frank Moraga’s Aug. 11 essay, “Latest lesson in tolerance�:

How naïve can we be? It’s so clear that Muslims want non-Muslims — and even some of their own kind in different sects — dead! Lying is allowed to further their agenda. This religion cannot be tolerated in a free society. You cannot have freedom from this religion. I won't be politically correct in this matter: Islam should go.

— John W. White, Oxnard

Re: your Aug. 19 article, “Boeing needs C-17 orders�:

The C-17 transport has been instrumental in projecting our military power throughout the world. Our occupation of Iraq would have been unlikely, if not impossible, without this formidable tool of war. While this tool has been used for life-serving purposes, such as disaster relief, it was not created for that purpose. Largely it has served destructive purposes.

Re: your Aug. 19 article, “Natural born believers�:

This article states: “Our ancestors may have been hard-wired in ways that inclined them to accept the notion of a powerful God (or something) who enforces rules of right and wrong.�

Two famous (or infamous) women have also opined on this subject.

I feel the police are getting a bum rap. They try to do their job, but first they have to check all the rules — rules that change each week — to be sure the criminal has all the rights.

Every night and day, they have to face situations that none of us would like to meet. If they touch a no-good crumb that has bit them, spit on them, kicked them or sworn at them, the police must stand and take it. If a gun is pointed at them and they fire theirs, they’re put through days of courts and fines and even litigation. The criminal has all the rights.

Re: your Aug. 19 article, “Divergent island views�:

With regard to this Santa Rosa Island story, I found it presented a slanted view of what is really happening between the National Park Service and the Vail hunting operation.

Re: Maywa Montenegro’s Aug. 18 commentary, “Electric hybrid cars can cut oil use�:
Electric cars will not reduce pollution or oil consumption. Electricity will still have to be generated at power plants.

Maywa Montenegro speaks of a modernized solar/wind grid to supply this electricity. That and a metro subway for Ventura County will occur at about the same time.

The Prius hybrid is not a wonder car. The good news is superb mileage. The bad news is lack of safety. It's a small car in a sea of larger vehicles.

Re: your Aug. 19 articles, “Natural born believers� and “Families may need to shop around for church home�:

I just have a couple of comments.

One, this lifetime goes quickly — for some much quicker than others — so people should decide what they believe and know for sure it is the truth because eternity is forever.

Re: John Moore’s Aug. 21 essay, “Copy desk keeps us clean�:

I appreciated your interesting article about the difficult and important role of copy editors. They've saved my bacon in the past. They may even have to fix this letter.

Then, wouldn't you know it, shortly after that article appeared, a misspelling sneaked by them. In the next-to-last paragraph of Beverly Kelley's thought-provoking column about grade inflation, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings’ name was shortened to Spelling.

I went to my local branch of Washington Mutual Bank to purchase a U.S. savings bond for my son and his fiancé. I was told they do not sell them, but I was directed to Bank of America.

I went to the Bank of America and, after standing in line, I asked the young lady behind the counter if I might purchase a U.S. savings bond. She said they did not sell state bonds. I repeated my statement of “United States savings bond,� and she directed me to a kiosk of disorganized pamphlets, one of which did refer to the bond program.

If there are any real Christians in this country who believe in one god, they should pray for Osama bin Laden supporters as much as they pray for President Bush. True religion embraces all gods, not the Wal-Mart cut-down version we now pay homage to.

— Noel Pugh, Simi Valley

Re: Jim Sherman’s Aug. 15 commentary, “Los Robles Hospital CEO: Patient care comes first,� Leslie Soyster’s Aug. 17 commentary, “Hospital stay less than pleasant experience� and Sherman’s Aug. 18 response, “Hospital stay investigated�:

I have with a thousand eyes read over and over these commentaries, and hereunder are my observations which are subject to a debate if deemed necessary.

Re: George Pohoski’s Aug. 13 letter, “Study to learn of evolution�:

Pohoski is mistaken when he writes, “There is enough observable evidence to substantiate that evolution of the universe occurred.�

While it is true that there is a lot of stuff in the universe to see and study, there is no observable evidence to prove conclusively that evolution ever occurred. When a scientist says that millions of years ago such and such happened, the listener should ask several important questions: Were you there? Did you see it? Can you demonstrate that in the laboratory? If the answer to these three questions is no, then you know it is a belief and not an established scientific fact.

Re: Dan Whelan’s Aug. 10 letter, “Evolution is a philosophy� and follow-up letters:

I, too, have engaged in this debate on many occasions, so I was not surprised by the responses. What is disheartening is the unwillingness of pro-evolutionists to recognize the true debate. As is typical, their letters attack the messenger and not the message, and for good reason: Evolution is a theory based 98 percent on surmise and 2 percent fact. The empirical evidence offers us fossils of species long extinct. We look at physiological makeup and see similarities between species. However, to make a connection between, we have to make surmises of quantitative proportions.

Here's an interesting exercise for open-minded grownups. But first, some background:
Some months ago, Sens. Dick Durbin and Ted Kennedy compared American troops in Iraq to concentration-camp Nazis in World War II and tried to draw "moral equivalence" between them. The effort was despicable — certainly calling into question their loyalties and motivations — but that is a topic for another discussion.

But it led to this question: Which side generates the most "hate speech"? A simple, nonscientific test is to Google "Hate Bush" or “Hate Republicans.� Try it. You'll find invective that would make an old-time salty-dog blush. My drill instructor back in the 1950s didn't hold a candle to the stuff you'll find.

The Bush administration uses terrorist alerts as an irresponsible and cynical manipulation of public fear. Their political objective is to inflame the public and redirect media attention.

Both NBC and MSNBC have reported that government officials pressured the British to accelerate their apprehension of the suspects. The "liquid bomb" scheme clearly posed no immediate threat. The British had these plotters under surveillance for more than a year. The situation was under control. No tickets had been purchased. Some suspects didn't even have passports. The British had evidence that a "dry run" was planned. The target date wasn't even set yet.

Are you safer now than you were before Sept. 11?

Our invasion and occupation of Iraq, which had no weapons of mass destruction, has made more Islamic people hate us than ever before. The Iraq war also helps al-Qaida enlist new recruits to use against us.

Why should we feel safer now that the Middle East is erupting in war? All the incompetent Republican administration did was attack Democrats instead of actively seeking an end to hostilities.

Re: Tom McGee’s Aug. 14 letter, “Analysis on illegal activities�:

In regards to the Web site listed, while claiming to be a "nonpartisan coalition,� its founding members are all Democrats. Looking at the groups affiliated, I found only one conservative or Republican group mentioned. This hardly seems nonpartisan.
Regarding the actual "report" Constitution in Crisis, this too seems only covered by partisan Web sites and groups. Why is that? Even supposing the major news agencies were reluctant to publish articles on it, one would think they would at least mention it in passing. Yet, it's virtually unseen outside of partisan areas.

Re: Richard R. Kibbe’s Aug. 14 letter, “Power spikes show need for LNG�:

Kibbe confuses energy with fuel. The shortage of electrical energy is a direct function of the amount of electricity that is being generated (the number of plants on line) versus the amount of electricity being consumed, not how much natural gas is available.

Re: Fred Rothenberg’s Aug. 11 commentary, “U.S. must keep giving aid to Israel� and George Sjostrom’s Aug. 5 commentary, “Loss of freedom may be the price of peace�:

Rothenberg makes the point Sjostrom said: Israel receives $2.5 billion from the United States each year. But he failed to note that Egypt also receives $2 billion from the United States each year. This bolsters Sjostrom's point. Egypt would never get that much aid if it did not make peace with Israel.

U.S. corporate media coverage of the Israeli assault on Lebanon was atrocious. One would think that all history of the conflict began with the Hezbollah incursion, in which nine Israeli soldiers were killed and two were captured. The 1980s Israeli invasion of Lebanon and two-decade occupation that gave rise to the Hezbollah movement — not to mention the cross-border raids by both sides over the past four years — was ignored. The massive bombardment that wreaked havoc on Lebanon's civilian infrastructure, killed hundreds of innocents and threatens environmental disaster was treated as simply "Israel's right to defend itself."

Re: your Aug. 15 article, “Woman conducts Catholic Mass":

First, only a baptized male is capable of becoming a priest. Since Jane Via is not a baptized male, she is incapable of becoming a priest. Since she is incapable of becoming a priest, she is not a priest.

Second, only a priest can validly offer up a Mass. Since she is not a priest, she cannot validly offer up a Mass.

Re: Richard Larsen’s Aug. 15 essay, “Restore rational thinking�:

I thank Mr. Larsen for beginning his article on high grounds: "Debate on issues of public importance needs a free-ranging exchange of ideas.�

He then takes a triple gainer into the low end of the pool by doing exactly what he was preaching against by using the term, "language fascists." If that's not a polarizing attack, I do not know what is.

Re: Dan Doberstein’s letter, "Protect and serve?":

Mr. Doberstein’s ill regard and disrespect to our deputies is sickening and unfounded.
Why should our deputies direct traffic for us when a signal goes out due to a power outage? Had there been a terrible traffic collision, then, yes, they would be there to help direct traffic. Mr. Doberstein complains that his commute increased from five minutes to 20 minutes. Did his pit stop to the station make his commute any quicker? It’s probably safe to say no.

Re: Bruce Tinsley's recent Mallard Fillmore cartoons:

Enough already!

As I have been preparing for my 28th year in the classroom, I am astonished at the cheap and petty vitriol that editorial cartoonist Bruce Tinsley has been throwing at teachers every day for more than two weeks now.

I was a little surprised there was not much coverage of National Neighbors Night Out, held on August 5. With all the negativity in this world being aired daily, wars going on, political fallout both local and national, congestion and overcrowding, price of gas and everything else, I thought this uplifting event of neighbors getting together and finding ways to bring our community closer together would be a welcome path for re-establishing our bonds and strengthening our ties.

It’s not an American issue, or a human issue. It’s not even a liberal issue.

It’s right there in the name, as plain as a melting glacier. It’s global — meaning that it affects the entire earth.

I’m frustrated at the vigorous attempts by many to frame this issue as partisan or ideological. Believing in global warming — yes, there are those who apparently equate a measurably warming planet with the unseen Easter Bunny — does not turn me into a liberal or represent a shameful concession to the Democratic Party.

The 1990s was the warmest decade, and 1998 was the warmest year in a millennium. True or false?

Prior to 1999, the Intergovernment Panel on Climate Change’s consensus was the recent millennium began with a warming period (considerably warmer than now), followed by the “Little Ice Age� and a subsequent warming period — the current one. Michael Mann’s 1999 report changed this consensus, as he eliminated the prior warming period and produced the currently accepted “hockey stick� graph, the one Al Gore uses in his movie. Anyone studying this graph would conclude nearly all of the millennium’s warming took place in the last century.

I viewed the Al Gore movie, “An Inconvenient Truth." From this movie, I learned that Al Gore is a far better politician than he is a scientist.

The whole movie is based on the assumption that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the major factor in global warming. He supports this assumption by the fact that ice corings made in Greenland and the Antarctic show that the atmosphere had less carbon dioxide during ice ages and more carbon dioxide during warm spells. Since there was more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere during warm spells, carbon dioxide must cause warm spells. This kind of reasoning can show that fevers cause illness. If a person has a fever, he is ill. If a person is well, he has no fever. Therefore, fevers must cause illnesses.

Re: Dan Walters’ Aug. 3 essay, “Generating political heat� and Clifford D. May’s Aug. 3 commentary, “Middle East peace falls victim to Hezbollah’s psych ops�:

I suggest that the two subjects are related — that global warming started at about the same time as Hezbollah, and that Hezbollah is responsible for it.

Ridiculous? No more so than the Hezbollah propaganda or the global warming propaganda.

— Jim Kaness, Ventura

Re: Alexandra Dymond’s Aug. 2 letter, “Unfair to Cornejo�:

Alexandra Dymond’s excellent letter exposing the mistreatment of Leslie Cornejo by Mike Osborn and a rogue rump caucus operating as a kangaroo court within the Ventura County Republican Central Committee couldn’t have expressed Leslie’s achievements better, nor more accurately portrayed the mischief perpetrated against her by Mr. Osborn and his bunch of thugs. Ms. Dymond’s only mistake was in her conclusion that she should hold her nose and continue to write her checks, hoping for the best.

Re: Joe R. Howry’s July 30 essay, “A tale of two news calls�:

In my opinion, it was not necessary for you to apologize for the story on the two teens.

It's news, and it's true life. If readers have a problem with a story in my favorite newspaper, they write letters in protest. That's freedom of expression. But when readers demand an apology and the editor apologizes and promises not to let it happen again, now that to me is leading to censorship.

Re: your Aug. 2 article, “Gibson asks to meet with Jewish leaders�:

Of course the Jews will accept Mel Gibson’s apologies. We expect anti-Semitism. We grew up with it. We are pleasantly surprised when we witness the absence of it. It comes with the territory when 3 percent of the world’s population produces 90 percent of the brain power.

The Channel Islands Harbor was my childhood home.

When I left for military service in 1978, the harbor was neat, clean and vibrant. When I returned home 25 years later with my family and sailboat, it was a rotting mess. We stayed only two years before moving out in disgust.

The repair and restoration of the Channel Islands Harbor is long overdue. There is absolutely no excuse for its current condition, as it never should have been allowed to deteriorate to this state. The county, as the steward of this public, taxpayer-owned gem, failed miserably to require the lessees to properly run and maintain the properties. The buck stops there.

Re: Pete Kossoris’ June 20 commentary, “Don’t knock court ruling�:

I write this letter in response to the attack Mr. Kossoris made on The Star’s excellent values.

Mr. Kossoris was a prosecutor who had absolutely no sense of the community he served or the lives of those he dealt with. He didn’t and still doesn’t understand how citizens struggle in a loser-class community. It was no secret that his style of prosecution was politics first, then lock them up for as long as you can.

About a month ago, I submitted a petition to the Thousand Oaks City Council on behalf of the Democratic Club of the Conejo to memorialize the memory of Rosa Parks by naming a street in her honor. Los Angeles and Salt Lake City have already designated streets in her memory.

Where's the justification for these insane electric-rate hikes?

Our government should declare an emergency as a result of the recent record-breaking heat wave and come to the assistance of folks who will undoubtedly experience a financial hardship. This was definitely an unprecedented emergency situation. Many people lost their lives, and if you agree with the global warming scenario, there will be more of the same to come.

I'd like to inform the community about a project by Centex to develop 28 acres of land located near the Borchard Road exit in Newbury Park.

According to the city of Thousand Oaks, two-thirds of the property is wetland. Also according to the city, the entire property is zoned as a flood zone. The U.S. Geological Survey states that California has lost 91 percent of its wetlands thus far.

I propose that Centex set aside acreage for a bird sanctuary. Who would win in this situation? The answer is everybody.

The issue of universal health coverage for children, provided by the government, is a really hot topic these days. Nearly everyone seems to be for it, in one way or another. To feel otherwise is mean-spirited and wrong.

Am I the only one who sees the problem here?

Since I was a little kid, I knew that children were expensive. My mom clipped coupons and budgeted. My dad taught me a strong work ethic. Before I had kids, I made sure I could afford them. This is plain old common sense.

When is a deal a sweetheart deal? The Free Dictionary by Farlex on the Internet defines a sweetheart deal as “a merger or company sale where one company involved in the deal gives the other very attractive terms and conditions.�

Ventura County Supervisor John Flynn was right. The harbor director gave Oxnard Marina LP a great deal, a sweetheart deal, with payment to the county of just 20 percent of their gross rent with no infrastructure improvements required.

Re: your July 24 article, “Housing offenses cited in Ventura�:

Congratulations to Realtor Ellyn Dembowski's action to remedy the failure of our present system to monitor the affordable housing opportunities that have been provided. Our goals are lofty, but there are always people who will take advantage of the system for their own benefit. It has been going on for the last 30 years, before affordable housing was a popular effort.

As I drove through Oxnard the other day, I was struck by this dichotomy: A brand-new, city-owned trash truck with a beautiful scene painted on the sides of it drove through the streets collecting waste from residents in a city that has been trashed by graffiti.

— Karen Lombardi, Ventura

Re: your Aug. 1 article, “McPherson tells goals for office�:

The California secretary of state’s newfound desire to make it easier for voters to update their registration is a welcome reversal of his November 2005 decision to create a system that, had the Legislature not stepped in, could have prevented thousands of people from voting in the June primary election.

Re: your Aug. 1 article, “State, Britain join energy fight�:

Please tell me that a plan to fight global warming with Great Britain is not the No. 1 problem on our governor’s list. It would be a disgraceful set of priorities, what with high school seniors who can't pass a test written for eighth graders, illegal immigration running rampant and a non-secure border costing the state millions of dollars every day.

While on an East Coast vacation, my husband and I visited New Orleans. We have been there several times and have always enjoyed wonderful food, the great music and warm-hearted people.

To most Americans, Katrina is an historical event. To the people of New Orleans, surviving Katrina and the aftermath haunts them and affects them every day.

The latest con is HR5970, the bill to increase the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 over a three-year period. Republicans passed this bill after tying it to the exemption or reduction of estate taxes for multimillionaires. It’s far more than the 70-cents-per-hour bone they threw to those at the lower end of the wage scale.

As with previous distorted legislation, HR5970 was pushed through well past midnight and shortly before the August recess. House Republicans, aware that most senators having serious reservations would be seen as less than magnanimous, are playing politics as usual.

Re: Joe R. Howry’s July 30 essay, “A tale of two news calls�:

Thank you! It’s about time someone wrote that this is a newspaper, and, as such, it will cover all aspects of life in this county, in this nation. The gay community is part of that life. The gay community is here to stay, whether everyone likes it or not. I see The Star as doing its job when it covers this community as part of who we all are.

The Star has done numerous stories on the Easter Seals Pool on Henderson Road. What about this one?

The pool does serve a small community, even smaller since the changes in workers compensation laws took place. Well, this is part of the fallout. I am one of those “chronic� participants of the pool program, and it is crushing to see the loss of this pool.

Re: Greg Stratton’s commentary, “District ignores the state standards�:

Mr. Stratton’s response to the letters from middle-school teachers misrepresents their message. He is plainly wrong. At no time did any teacher’s letter suggest that one subject was more important than another, as Mr. Stratton accuses. Nor did any suggest that students should be free to choose an academic-free currculum.

I had a good laugh this morning looking at the projections for a 20-foot rise in sea level along Ventura County. Does anyone really believe there is enough ice at the poles to do this? You don't even have to do the math to know this is ridiculous.

Most of the concerned scientists are not even climatologists. Their opinion carries no more weight than anyone else's. In fact their's carry less because they have a political agenda. The only alternative is nuclear, and, of course, they are against that. The consensus among climatologists, who are the only scientists that count, is still unsettled.

The Thousand Oaks City Council’s response to the Ventura County Grand Jury report is denial and damage control. It is not unexpected. They should have taken responsibility for their actions.

The council majority did not have the decency to apologize for their horrific actions, including circumventing democracy in Thousand Oaks and replacing Ed Masry with their crony. Instead, they accuse the Grand Jury of making inflammatory comments and basing their conclusions on speculation, lacking evidence.

I must comment on the tragedy at the Seattle Jewish Center. Joseph Stalin said, "A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic." Well, the statistics keep coming in.

— Dianne Fritsche, Newbury Park