Who are the Los Angeles Galaxy? Apparently The Star doesn't care. They are the soccer team that has won two Major League Soccer championships. They have been to the playoffs 10 out of the last 11 years, more than any of the other professional Los Angeles teams. Coming to them this year is one of the best world-renowned soccer players, David Beckham. And yet The Star refuses to give proper respect to this team and the world's biggest sport, soccer.

Re: Larry Janss’ April 29 commentary, “Ansel Adams captured light and a boy’s heart�:

Like Larry Janss, I, too, am captivated by the light and natural beauty of Yosemite National Park. This time of year, I hunger to see the towering granite cliffs and hear the thundering waterfalls. So in mid-May, my wife and I will return for our 19th wedding anniversary to celebrate our marriage in the chapel there. As always, I will visit the Ansel Adams Gallery, again rejoice in the images he created, and celebrate an anniversary dinner at the Ahwahnee Hotel.

This time, however, will be different.

Those who attended enjoyed a very special evening recently at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library when Sen. Edward Kennedy, "the loyal opposition," was the speaker. The crowd gave him a standing applause numerous times. The audience was polite and enjoyed his sense of humor.

Not all ideas were agreed upon. His statement, "Medicare for all," I do not think went over well, but there was no heckling, no shouting down and no intolerance for one’s ideas. You sensed in this man a great sense of warmth, loyalty to family first and deep personal tragedy. High marks must go to him because he continues.

Re: Claudia Satori’s April 21 letter, “Protecting the preborn�:

Ms. Satori wrote a letter disagreeing with an article written by Ellen Goodman that was pro-choice. Ms. Satori was anti-choice, and her interest was for the “preborn.�

An omelet is “preborn,� and so is caviar. There are no “yet-to-be-born� dogs at the American Kennel Club dog show and no “eventually-to-be-borns� running at the Kentucky Derby.

I wish a reporter from The Star had heard the Global Exchange talk recently at the Thousand Oaks Library. Dr. Dahlia Wasfi showed slides of her three-month stay with relatives in Iraq last year. She spoke passionately from first-hand experience about the horrible consequences of the Iraq war and the suffering experienced by ordinary people in Iraq.

Re: Yahya Merchant’s April 27 commentary, “Tense relationship result of Iraq war�:

It seems Mr. Merchant has a myopic view of the Middle East. According to him, the problems only started when we invaded Iraq. He justifies Sept. 11 because of al-Qaida’s anger at us for being in Saudi Arabia. We were in Saudi Arabia because their government allowed us to be there. Who is Osama bin Laden to tell the Saudi government who is allowed to be in their country?

Re: your April 25 article, “Parks loses T.O. Arts Plaza office�:

I am disturbed with the Thousand Oaks City Council’s actions in removing the office of Linda Parks. This Ventura County supervisor represents the Thousand Oaks district. The council must not care about us wishing to visit her office.

The council should explain its reasons for us living in the Conejo Valley having to drive to an office someplace else then a building built and paid for by us Conejo taxpayers. This is our building, not the council’s. The council is certainly not representing the people in this endeavor.

Re: Martin Miller’s April 27 letter, “Signal needed for left turn�:

Something had to be done to allow motorists to make a left turn onto Olsen Road after exiting Highway 23 in either direction. Miller is correct that this spot was “an offramp begging for traffic control for years.� However the other letters criticizing the new lights on Olsen Road are also correct. What we now have is a major traffic problem. Traffic is backing up on the freeway, and traffic on Olsen is backed up to the Ronald Reagan Library turnoff.

To rectify the situation, may I propose the following:

The solution to this traffic mess at Highway 23 and Olsen Road is very simple: Go back to the way it was before the red light and prohibit left turns off Highway 23 onto Olsen Road.

The only cars using the left turn are probably residents of the Sunset Hills and Erbes tracts. There is no other reason to use the left turn. These tracts are as easily or better accessed by turning off at the Sunset Hills off-ramp and going down Olsen Road or Erbes Road.

U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly is one congressional representative whose voice has for many years proposed controls on those invading our country. As a World War II veteran, I support his intentions to run for a seat in Congress. We need to stop the destruction of our country and our way of life.

If we look at what has been happening to our country, there is no doubt that we are being invaded, not only by Asians and Russians, but by Hispanics and Africans whose sole purpose is to ignore our laws. The cost to us, the taxpayers, is astronomical and affects our legal, judicial, medical and educational systems, as well as our insurance industry.

Re: your April 26 article, “U.N., Iraq clash over civilian death tally�:

I want to emphasize the need for Americans to recognize ongoing civilian casualties in Iraq, in addition to the loss of our own troops. In the safety of our home communities, there seems to be too little regard for this horrendous aspect of the war.

Re: Garry Trudeau’s April 15 “Doonesbury� comic strip:

I was surprised to see that Garry Trudeau would use a blatant lie in his cartoon alleging that Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family would choose a political party over his principles.

The “Doonesbury� creator made a worthwhile point in noting the multiple marriages among Republican presidential hopefuls, but his suggestion that Dobson isn’t concerned about the moral failings of those men is blatantly untrue.

Thousand Oaks City Manager Scott Mitnick's actions targeting Supervisor Linda Parks go beyond declining to extend her lease. The novice city manager involved himself in the 2006 supervisor election by trumping up accusations against the county's financial relationships with the city in order to help her losing opponent, Joe Gibson.

In 2002, Mitnick was responsible for choosing the number for her City Hall seat dedication, a usually nice gesture that is made to all City Council members who end their tenure. It's K-9.

Re: your April 28 article, “Oak Park woman is already a local hero; ‘Apprentice’ is cancer activist�:

I was extremely disappointed in this article about “The Apprentice� winner Stefanie 
Schaeffer. The headline talks about “local hero� and “cancer activist�, but 80 percent of 
the article was about “The Apprentice.�

The activities the article cites do not strike me as being activist. Hundreds of people participate in the Agoura and Newbury Park Relays for Life every year — thousands across the nation — and many of them raise large amounts of money. Personally, I walked in last year’s Relay for Life at Newbury Park High School and raised about $3,500. Do I need to raise $10,000 in order to be referred to as an activist? Or is being on a national TV show the criteria?

People who become team leaders, participate in multiple events over time, work at organizing the events, work to change policy and legislation, encourage research — those are the activists. Perhaps Ms. Schaeffer actually is an activist, but this article does not demonstrate that she is.

I assume Ms. Schaeffer deserves the award the American Cancer Society is giving her, and, let’s face it, it attracts more attention — and hopefully donations — to the Relay for Life, so that’s a good thing.

I just don’t approve of an article on the first page of the paper, above the fold, that is largely advertising for a TV show rather than news. The content of the article would have been better placed in the Arts & Living section or the Conejo Valley section, where the paragraphs about the Relay for Life would have been a nice counterpoint to the lead article, “Volunteerism in decline.�

— Debra Levine, Westlake Village

Re: Yahya Merchant’s April 27 commentary, “Tense relationship result of Iraq war�:

Merchant defines war as “the failure of peaceful negotiations and every resort to the use of international sanctions to resolve a conflict.�

He implies his is the only definition. He asks, “Why continue the failure?�

Carl von Clauswitz, a Prussian army officer and military theorist, proposed the doctrines of total war and war as instruments of governmental policy, therefore making war just as viable as face-to-face diplomacy or mediation.

I have come to believe that the best way we can support our American troops is to get them out of Iraq. Along with many U.S. citizens, I've been struggling to understand what is the best action we can take now, given the circumstances of this war and the difficult choices we face.

I had the painful but enlightening experience recently of attending a talk at the Thousand Oaks Library by Dr. Dahlia Wasfi, a medical doctor born in the United States to an Iraqi father and an American Jewish mother. Wasfi's talk was sponsored by the Ventura County branch of Global Exchange.

Re: Bob Jackson’s April 23 letter, "No exploitation here":

It confuses me as to how Mr. Jackson can conclude that I am a "gun zealot" simply because I oppose an all-out ban on firearms. He claims to pray every day for some "sanity" in gun use. Is he suggesting that millions of responsible gun-owning Americans are insane?

I keep hearing, "Why didn't anyone see the warning signs? How did they not know that Seung-hui Cho was capable of such violence?"

Who is responsible for it not being recognized? Not his family, friends and teachers. They saw the warning signs and tried to get help for Cho. They knew something was wrong.

Re: Peter Shedlosky's April 26 letter, “Why give away the game?�

First and foremost, the Iraqi quagmire is anything but a game, with 150,000 dead Iraqis, 3,300 dead Americans and more than 20,000 wounded Americans, half of them severely, meaning arms and legs missing and brain injuries.

Wars are won and lost. The war with Iraq ended when President Bush proclaimed, "Mission accomplished" some four years ago. Since then, the United States and, to a much lesser extent, the British and others, have been involved in an illegal occupation of the sovereign nation of Iraq. I'm not sure how you win an occupation.

Re: John Moore’s April 22 essay, “Giving readers the truth�:

Moore’s comment, “We can’t make all our readers happy — we’d end up with a version of the Weekly Reader,� popped from the print. Taking this word-pelting, while also contemplating the comparison between our community’s newspaper and a grade-school publication, I would have preferred if Moore used his statement in the first person as he honestly admits not everyone in the newsroom agrees with “his� decision to print.

So even with the disapproval of the Iraqi government, we have decided to erect a wall through the middle of Baghdad. Besides making me wonder who the real government is there, or if it has ever been independent, it also reminds me of the walls we are building around Mexico and the walls we are supporting around Palestine.

It seems to me that all this wall-building isn't "nation-building" at all and, in fact, focuses on or targets minorities. Why wasn't a wall suggested around Canada, for example? Wasn't it Canada where the hijackers of Sept. 11 came from in the first place?

Imagine this scene: A woman stands in her kitchen, clutching a checkbook with a determined grip. Her husband stands across from her. He appears angry and desperate. He's demanding that she give him the money they saved for their child's college education.

He wants to take it to the racetrack and bet it all on one horse. He's already gambled away his paycheck and hers. He's lost their money for the groceries, the utility bills and the rent. But this time, he assures her, he can't lose. This time, he says, he's got an inside tip. This time he has a new plan.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer states, "Our troops are mired in a civil war with no clear enemy and no clear strategy for success."

It is my opinion that having a clear enemy and success strategy is less important than providing the image to the world that we stand for, and will fight for, freedom and the right of self-determination. We cannot back away from this responsibility and still look at ourselves in the mirror the next day. Let's quit treating this as a game requiring a loser and a winner and start thinking of it as of providing hope to the oppressed.

— Terrance Elliott, Oxnard

Everyone agrees, I believe, that the Virginia Tech massacre was a horrible, senseless act. It seems to me that now we are concentrating on how it happened, with much discussion on changing laws regarding gun control and mental health. All these are important issues, but isn’t why it happened more important?

When our entertainment has become foul-mouthed, bullying humor full of violence and sexual behavior, are we not all to blame?

Re: Timm Herdt’s April 25 essay, “Seeking a better way to die�:

This essay was hopelessly naïve about the realities of medical care and physician-assisted death. In a word, legalization gives us doctors way too much power. We are the ones who control the board: We provide the patient with information about treatment options. If we don't know how to control pain — and according to the World Health Organization, about 80 percent of us don't know the basics — how can we be trusted to advise people when it's time to die? At Sloan Kettering's Pain Center in New York, and also the Los Angeles County pain center, there is hardly anyone whose pain can't be controlled with them staying alert and awake. Giving incompetent doctors the right to kill is not progress.

Re: your April 27 article, “Pac-10 tennis players gain extended families competing in The Ojai�:

Congratulations to The Star for a great front-page article that pushed aside war and politics. It helped to prove our core values are still intact.

— John E. Gary, Camarillo

In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue — and he landed on America.

My second-grade teacher brought to my attention the fact that the “Indians" that so many people refer to — the "Indians" who live on reservations — aren't actually Indian. It was actually just an ignorant mistake by Christopher Columbus. He thought he was in India, when, in fact, he had landed in America.

Re: your April 25 article, “Tickets for Reagan forum still available�:

As the quoted spokeswoman for Rock for Life Ventura County, I would like to clarify something: Our "protest" is all about Ted — specifically, Rock for Life, which is a pro-life youth advocacy organization, is demonstrating to state that Sen. Edward Kennedy, who is a claimed Catholic, cannot be both Catholic and anti-life. We are not saying he can't hold these views, or that he needs to espouse our pro-life views, just that he can't call himself a Catholic and be anti-life.

Vice President Cheney has labeled as "unpatriotic" the Democratic Party and any American citizen who wants our troops to return or be redeployed from Iraq. It is evident that these troops are there because of the administration's deception and untruths told to Congress and the American people. And now I ask, who is "unpatriotic"?

It seems that Cheney's clear and resolute actions of fabrications to us all are that and more. Put him under oath and let him prove how patriotic his untruths about going to war with Iraq really were. Congress and the American citizens deserve an accounting of his actions and of all others who propped up his lies with false statements.

— Charlane Keith, Newbury Park

There’s only one more week — until April 29 — that you can go see "Always....Patsy Cline" at the High Street Arts Center in Moorpark. It's great! Even someone who doesn't care all that much for country music would still really like this show. After seeing on April 22, I highly recommend it.

— Hazel V. Munger, Newbury Park

Re: your April 12 editorial, “Day of action to light a fire�:

If global warming is a serious problem, then we need some serious solutions, not the usual liberal demands for us to "change our lifestyles."

Instead of saying there are too many SUVs producing too much carbon dioxide, let's get our elected representatives to change laws and regulations that have made auto pollution worse:

As teachers in the Pleasant Valley School District, we are proud to work with fabulous colleagues, the wonderful students we teach and the families we collaborate with throughout the school year.

At the council meeting of Jan. 9, developer Skip Padberg was given a setback to his development of a small parcel of land in Newbury Park. His group had spent considerable money in planning for an office building on Borchard Road between Silas Avenue and Theresa Drive based on a condition placed on this parcel in 1985. The portion of Silas that exits into Borchard was to be eliminated at the developer’s expense.

Re: Ellen Goodman’s April 20 commentary, “World now a more dangerous place for some women�:

Goodman used to be a favorite writer of mine, until she starting writing on abortion. She has missed the whole point about pro-life work.

Pro-life is about protecting the most helpless of all: the preborn. That is all that is important. If a woman finds herself with a child she is unable or unwilling to raise, she should give it up for adoption to a family who desperately wants a baby.

Re: James E. Tilton’s April 19 letter, “Prison reform critical�:

The headline was right on target, but Tilton, of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, is off in his thinking. The overcrowding problem is now, not years away when the governor's proposed building program would be completed.

Re: Nasser Moradian’s March 7 letter, “Wetlands were man-made�:

I would first like to thank Moradian for saying, "If the city wishes to make my property as Mr. Matkovich suggests into a park, the city may wish to purchase the property." He was responding to my letter of Feb. 16, “Turn wetlands into park.�

For the past few years, veterans of World War II and the Korean War have been having lunch at Denny's off Moorpark Road. We generally get together about every six weeks and find pleasure in our camaraderie, being part a diminishing and oft-forgotten generation. We chose this location as we are allowed the privacy of a back room, isolated from the restaurant area, so our noisy group of 15 to 20 can shout to each other with abandon.

It’s been said that if you tell a lie often and loudly enough, people will begin to believe it’s true. Pinnacle Development must think that strategy will work in Santa Paula. It keeps repackaging the same nebulous development package and throwing it out to the voters of Santa Paula. I guess it has worked elsewhere. I trust that here, in Santa Paula, we will surprise Pinnacle by thinking about what is before us on the ballot and, again, saying no to these out-of-state carpetbaggers.

Do not let Save Open-space and Agricultural Resources keep Santa Paula poor. This is the bottom line about Measure A7.

If you vote against A7, you have committed Santa Paula to remain poor. If you vote for A7, then Santa Paula has an opportunity to control the development of Adams Canyon, and maybe, just maybe, put some money in the city treasury. The opponents of A7 are not interested in Santa Paula doing better. They are just interested in keeping open spaces around Santa Paula.

Once again, the citizens of Santa Paula are being asked to take a leap of faith and trust Pinnacle Development’s promises and rosy financial projections. Once again, we need to tell them no.

Last year, Pinnacle repeatedly promised their development would generate $20 million per year in net tax revenue after 20 years. It has now “adjusted� this figure downward by $15 million — so much for promises. Remarkably, this same developer is still asking us to trust it.

"Pep rally." Those words were used at a City Council meeting when many of us were there in support of Measure A7. That is what we were there for, to "rally Santa Paulans� to realize that we need to move the city urban restriction boundary to give our community an opportunity for growth.

I do not understand the opposition to A7 from members of the school boards. The needs for our school system are too numerous to list, yet these school board members are opposed to A7, which would give our schools some revenue. This is not about personal agendas, it is about the community as a whole.

Last year, Pinnacle used deceptive means to solicit signatures to place Measure Y on the ballot. Soon after the start of the campaign to develop Adams Canyon, Pinnacle said the project would raise $20 million annually for Santa Paula and the city would realize substantial benefits starting from day one.

I publicly questioned Pinnacle about the $20 million; it seemed greatly exaggerated. I asked Pinnacle to identify “day one.� Pinnacle ignored my request. Toward the end of the campaign, realizing it was in a close race, Pinnacle said the project would raise $22 million and would create 7,000 jobs instead of the 5,000 it had been citing. This desperate move failed.

I opposed the excessive Fagan Canyon proposal voters rejected. The Adams Canyon proposal emphasizes quality, high-end housing that would bring Santa Paula’s housing mix toward balance with other cities. It calls for approximately one-fifth the number of units that were proposed for Fagan. Adams Canyon is more than twice the size of Fagan Canyon. Adams traffic will not pass through our existing streets. Measure A7 would limit the number of units to about 500 and bring Adams into the city. Details of the specific plan would be approved by the council.

Progress is always a good thing — or is it? With the improvements on Highway 23, especially over Olsen Road, it is hoped that traffic will flow smoothly and more efficiently. However, this project has caused major problems for the commuters attempting to get to Thousand Oaks via Olsen Road.

Two automatic signals were installed at the overpass of Highway 23 at Olsen to allow traffic exiting the freeway to get onto Olsen. What used to be a 20- to 25-minute drive from Simi Valley to Erbes Road in the morning rush hour has now become a 45- to 60-minute drive. It is not unusual to see traffic backed up form Erbes to Presidential Way during morning rush hour.

I woke up the other day for work, just like any other day. I left my house at the same time I always do to drive the half hour it takes from Simi Valley to Camarillo. I then ran into dead-stop traffic halfway through Wood Ranch.

I'm curious about the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (http://www.spp.gov/) and the general effect it will have on the residents of Ventura County. Being the huge plan that it is, it demands more attention.

— Tony Acosta, Oxnard

Re: your April 23 article, “New St. Bonaventure principal first lay person to head school�:

It was so refreshing to open The Star and read positive school news. As a parent in the Pleasant Valley School District, that has not been the case over the past few months.

St. Bonaventure High School is on the verge of renewed greatness with the addition of Marc Groff as principal. Parents in our county are looking for high schools that stress a core focus of strong academic programs. Marc Groff is the leader who can help St. Bonaventure move up the ladder to academic success.

I wonder how long the American people are going to put up with the likes of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the head of the Justice Department.

On the first day of his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, he used the term "I misspoke" at least 60 times. I translate that to mean he lied.

I am a parent of three children in the Pleasant Valley School District. It pains me to see such a division between the parents, teachers and the district.

By withdrawing its decision to close low-enrollment schools and programs, the Pleasant Valley School District board is catering to a small, select group of parents and students and jeopardizing the success of the rest of the district’s students.

The inability of the board to make the needed changes has caused a rift between teachers and parents and pitted schools against schools. PVSD will not be able to thrive much longer because the intelligent teachers will seek employment in a school district that treats the employees like professionals. When Superintendent Ken Moffett completes his term, what type of superintendent candidates is the district going to attract?

Do you know that Save Open-space and Agricultural Resources has not released its required list of financial contributors yet? Do you know it is legally required to file a disclosure listing these contributors? What are they hiding?

According to the Santa Paula City Clerk’s Office, it seems that not one person from this “concerned group� has bothered to file the required documents disclosing their contributors. Nobody knows who is funding their well-funded campaign against Measure A7. Nobody knows who is funding the slick brochures. Nobody knows their real agenda in opposing Measure A7.

Re: Doug Crosse’s April 24 letter, “Sign impractical�:

Mr. Crosse must have never tried to turn left at the Olsen and Madera Roads off-ramp. If he had, he would have been faced with three lanes of east and westbound traffic traveling at 50 to 60 mph. It takes a brave soul and a very competent driver to make that turn. I have seen three very serious multicar injury accidents at this off-ramp over the years, and I do not travel this route every day. This was an off-ramp begging for traffic light control for years.

— Martin Miller, Thousand Oaks

Re: Doug Crosse's April 24 letter, "Signal impractical":

Let me amend that to say, "Signals impractical." Yes, there are now two signals where there previously were none. My morning commute, as well as that of hundreds and maybe a thousand people, has been adversely affected by the placement of these signals. My route takes me on Olsen Road towards Thousand Oaks. Previously, traffic flowed smoothly through the intersection of Highway 23 and Olsen Road. Now, the gridlock of vehicles extends all the way to the Ronald Regan Library turnoff, approximately two miles.

I have always had the sticker on my driver’s license to donate any organ that would benefit another life. How important this is recently was brought home to me.

I received a phone call from my son in Michigan. The anguish and despair in his voice was something a loved one never wants to hear. My daughter-in-law was in the hospital with complete liver failure, and if a donor liver was not found in the next three days, she would not survive. She was transported to the University Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, with family praying and waiting for a donor liver. Minutes were eternities.

Re: your April 14 article, “51st Conejo Valley Days on way, sans rodeo�:

This article didn't include the fact that there will be six performances by the Conejo Riders, a local equestrian group, during the May 5 and 6 festivities at Conejo Valley Days 2007. They will be performing before the Super Dogs shows.

These are the same equestrian performers that have been at Conejo Valley Days for countless years, and this is twice the number of performances than in the previous years.

Unless the opponents of A7 have their heads in the sand, they must know by now that we have the lowest paid police, firefighters, teachers and civil servants in the county. As a matter of fact, we have become the training ground for the other cities of Ventura County for first responders and educators. We train them; they move on for better salaries. At the same time, we have the worst schools and the worst test scores in the county. The teachers do their best, but the money is not there. Why? Because we have the lowest tax base in Ventura County. A quality development in Adams Canyon would remedy this.

We support Measure A7, authored by Steve Smead, co-petitioned by Ed Beach and supported by a diverse group of Santa Paula residents, including three members of the City Council. We are one of three property owners in Adams Canyon. Our family has been and remains committed to sound stewardship and progressive agricultural production. If we had our wish, it would be for the neighboring properties to still be operated by the Smith-Hobson family as a well-managed agricultural operation in strong agricultural hands.

I agree with the opponents of Measure A7 that Pinnacle’s Adams Canyon project will cost us dearly in the long run. We will have to pay for maintaining streets, sewers, water pipes, parks, vegetation, etc., spread over a 6,500-acre area that extends from Foothill Road in Santa Paula to Sulphur Mountain in Ojai.

The fact that Adams Canyon runs to Sulphur Mountain is important in another regard. Adams Canyon had many more than 40 wells drilled into it years ago before the Division of Oil and Gas and its predecessor, Bureau of Mines, were active in abandonments. The dozens of old oil wells in Adams Canyon may pose a risk to Santa Paula. Oil fields seep naturally and regularly. Some wells were not properly abandoned.

Re: your April 10 article, “Family sues to get beach death facts�:

As Cindy Conolly's brother, I can't understand why police officers don't have to come forward and testify when they cause a death, as any regular citizen would have to in this situation. How can Ventura County be made safe from such incidents in the future when the public is denied the truth about what happened? Isn't it ironic that our family now is being forced to go into court to obtain an order to find out the truth from police officers?

— Randy Hudson, Pipestone, MN

Re: your April 10 article, “Family sues to get beach death facts�:

In response to Gary Gillig’s quote about how traumatic this has been on the officers, I would like to express how offended I am. We waited for the investigation for more than seven months. We have never heard from the city once to apologize or to see how we were doing.

Re: your April 10 article, “Family sues to get beach death facts�:

Oxnard City Attorney Gary Gillig was quoted in the article as saying: “This is a traumatic event for the officers, and at this point in time, it is the city’s position that the parties should be talking settlement and resolution and not reliving this terrible day.�

Re: Susan Robles' April 19 letter, "Cats, dogs in jeopardy":

I would like to clear up some of the misinformation contained in Susan Robles' letter criticizing the California Healthy Pets Act, or AB1634.

This bill would require the spaying and neutering of most cats and dogs by the time the pet is four months old. This bill is meant to reduce the number of unwanted pets in shelters and the number of healthy adoptable pets that have to be euthanized in shelters because there are not enough homes for them.

We moved to Santa Paula four years ago, and I could see immediately that the city needed to change its thoughts about growth.

Santa Paula is one of the most central towns in the county and at one time was the largest. Now it has fallen way behind in improvements and growth. More people mean more business, which means more jobs which means more money to help the city that is in major deficit.

One of the opponents of Santa Paula’s Measure A7 commented about a fishy smell. It probably comes from the seemingly endless supply of red herrings the opposition drags across any trail that might lead to upgrading our town.

Measure A7 would only give Santa Paula control over the future of Adams Canyon. It is not a development issue. While the lightweight negative arguments wander all over the map, they somehow manage to avoid addressing that simple fact.

Re: Robert Hardaway’s April 18 commentary, "Shooting may force high court to address 2nd, 9th amendments":

"Stacking the deck" could apply to the arguments Hathaway uses to prove that the Second Amendment is a collective, rather than an individual right. Being a professor of law, Hathaway should honor the opportunity to provide all of the facts. He is not guilty of falsehood, but of omission.

The recent shootings at Virginia Tech have left us all speechless and shocked. Our country need not worry about terrorism. We seem to be destroying ourselves from the inside out!

It seems to me that a spirit of murder is currently alive in our midst. It is a horrible thing to have warning signs that no one seems to see. This young man was certainly depressed and mentally ill, but no one seemed to notice or care.

According to a roommate of shooter Cho Seung-Hui, Cho was taking psychiatric medications every morning. Psychiatric drugs are commonly found among those involved in senseless violence. The Columbine massacre, the Red Lake Indian Reservation shooting — look closely and you will find psychiatric drugs.

Before a person is prescribed psychiatric drugs, he typically must first be labeled as having a psychiatric illness. Here is where it gets real interesting. Did you know that with psychiatric illnesses, there is no physical evidence of any disease? And yet strong mind-altering drugs are prescribed, many of which have strong written warnings of suicidal tendencies and violence.

Re: Robert Hardaway’s April 18 commentary, “Shooting may force high court to address 2nd, 9th amendments�:

It’s too bad Robert Hardaway did not acknowledge what the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit reasoned on March 9 when it announced the Washington, D.C., handgun ban violates the Second Amendment.

— Todd Sands, Camarillo

Many will blame video games, guns, insanity and others for the cause of violence in our schools. One point cannot be argued in case after case: The "killers" in many of the most violent acts in our schools in the past 10 years have been taking psychotropic medications.

This isn’t hard to understand when one looks at the facts. Many people who are taking these types of medications are taking them to block awareness to depression or some sort of pain. With a lessening of reasoning powers, the reality of what they are doing is blocked. They act in ways that appear totally irrational to human beings who are sane.

Less than 24 hours after the horrific massacre by Cho Seung-Hui on the Virginia Tech campus, we were once again confronted with the heartless and mindless promotion of agendas by the likes of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

To the hundreds of immediate family members who have had their lives shattered by this insane individual, do not let yourselves become tools of this agenda-pushing organization. If this butcher, Cho, had chosen to use a car, would we try to stop the sale of cars? What if he had used a bomb? The terrorists of Sept. 11 chose weapons of flying aircraft. Should we remove all aircraft from the skies because of why might happen if other lunatics gain control of those "weapons?"

It seems to me the easiest way to slow down people from committing mass murder — you can't totally prevent these things — is to limit how many bullets a person can buy.

I am a pharmacist, and there is a law that says you can't buy more than, say, 100 tablets of Sudafed per month. This has really slowed down meth labs. The law has real teeth because you can't buy the Sudafed without a valid driver’s license, and if somebody tried buying Sudafed at different pharmacies, the register actually shows when they can and can't buy more.

While people wonder what would make a young man go nuts and kill so many fellow students as Cho Seung-Hui did at Virginia Tech, I can't help but have the answer flash into my mind:

He was evil. And he could do it.

Nothing could stop him — not the police, not campus security, not the brave professors and students who tried their best to keep him out whenever they could. This evil person even had the foresight to chain the door to the building shut, to keep out police and keep his victims in.

Re: your April 18 article, "Killer was known as a sullen loner":

In watching the continuous coverage of the horrible rampage at Virginia Tech, I am appalled by how things like this can continue to happen in the age of zero-tolerance. We have all read about how people with little common sense have misapplied zero tolerance to incidents such as the 6-year-old suspended for sexual harassment when he kissed a female classmate on the cheek and the kids suspended for carrying water pistols to school. And how about the kid suspended for having a 1.5-inch plastic toy pistol hanging from a key chain?

The city of Santa Paula has some wonderful opportunities to enhance its prosperity on the horizon. Responsible growth will benefit all Santa Paula citizens as we grapple with the many financial issues facing our beautiful city: escalating utility costs, deteriorating roads, worsening safety records and substandard educational results. The cost-benefit relationships of each development project for our town will be well thought-out with the creation of specific plans, development of comprehensive environmental impact reports and mitigation strategies for any/all environmental impacts future projects will create. This process is demanding but necessary to preserve the quality of life all of us enjoy and demand in Santa Paula.

Although Adams Canyon is a beautiful part of the Santa Paula area, I can personally attest to the property’s inadequate agricultural viability.

More than 30 years ago, several associates and I failed in an attempt to successfully develop a 600-acre avocado venture in Adams. Inclement weather and marginal hillside soil proved to our bane.

Of the canyon’s 6,000-plus acres, much is suitable only for open space and related activity. Some of the property appears to be residentially developable without losing the canyon’s charm.

It’s not too late to educate ourselves on why Measure A7 is a dangerous choice for Santa Paulans to make in addressing our needs for growth.

At Santa Paula’s Blanchard Community Library is a copy of the Island Press book, “Sprawl Costs: The Economic Impact of Unchecked Development.� It is a compelling argument against buying into growth that isn’t physically connected to existing city infrastructure. A Web search at home with the words “sprawl costs� will also turn up a number of Web sites and pdf files to download that provide good economic arguments against taking on projects like Adams Canyon.

Re: J. William Little’s April 16 letter, “Camarillo Library slighted�:

I thank Mr. Little for his letter. Members of the Friends of the Camarillo Library have been working and planning for a new library since 1988. We raised a great deal of money at the Big White Tent Sales by selling books donated by Camarillo residents. In November 2001, the Friends of the Library opened a bookstore using donated books. Both were successful. We were able to donate $400,000 to the city for use in the new library.

Re: your April 18 article, "Grand Jury audit report 'disservice,' officials say":

You have to wonder if any member of the Board of Supervisors actually read the Grand Jury report, "Failure to Audit."

The Grand Jury report is tightly reasoned and well-written. Its fundamental conclusion: "The county has exposed itself to loss from ineffective procedures and practices as a consequence of significantly reduced auditing capabilities."

By a narrow margin, the Board of Supervisors recently voted to prevent the subdivision of the 2,400-acre Rancho Temescal in Piru into luxury estate lots. Such subdivision would have priced the land out of the range of farmers and utterly failed to address the need for affordable housing. It would have decimated the wildlife values of the ranch, created development that would have been costly for the county to serve and led to long-distance commutes to jobs. In short, it would have been the opposite of “smart growth.�

I would like to address those who seem to be so adamantly opposed to Measure A7.

How can anyone possibly think that the huge amount of school fees generated by building permits could not help the school system? God knows it certainly needs help. The fact that 40 acres is set aside for a new school can't be all that bad! I know that it is too far away right now, and most kids would have to be bussed until they can drive, but it is better than gargantuan overcrowding.

As I sat and watched the Los Angeles Dodgers play the San Diego Padres on Jackie Robinson Day, April 15, I was somewhat surprised to see that the only starting player on the Padres wearing the coveted Number 42 was Mike Cameron, who happens to be African-American. I question why the other members of the Padres starting lineup, and many sitting in the dugout, did not see the importance of honoring the memory of a man who broke the color barrier by the simple gesture of wearing Number 42. How hard would that have been?

Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Bono, Oprah Winfrey — it seems that more and more celebrities are using their influence and money to support world humanitarian and environmental causes. It is wonderful seeing these people, who do not belong to the political or diplomatic sphere, become real examples for the advocacy of human rights to the rest of society.

The latest incident regarding the Chinese government's response to the actions of Mia Farrow and Steven Spielberg is a perfect example of how great an impact Hollywood can have in the pursuit of justice.

Since the current administration persists in continuing the obscene war that can never be won — the present cultures there have been fighting for centuries — and our troops are being forced to serve several rotations there, I join with Sen. John Murtha, D-Pa., U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., and a handful of others who put our nation above political ambition by calling for a draft.

The Star has covered two of three major animal-related issues, with headlines about the recalled pet food and U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly's Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act. It has reported nothing about AB1634, proposed by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys.

In announcing his decision to fire Don Imus, CBS President and CEO Leslie Moonves was quoted as saying, "There has been much discussion of the effect language like (Mr. Imus' remarks) has on our young people, particularly young women of color trying to make their way in this society."

Now that both his network and MSNBC have summarily fired Mr. Imus from their employ over his "racist and sexist" broadcast commentary, one can only dream that CBS’s and MSNBC's newfound values spread to their collective condemnation and elimination of all of the rap music and other racially and sexually offensive material constantly dispensed by the broadcast outlets under their control.

— Bill Whittinghill, Thousand Oaks

Don Imus got what he deserved, but not because Al Sharpton said he should be fired, not because the liberal" media said he should be fired and not because advertisers withdrew their money. He should have lost his job because the venom he spewed was wrong. The ubiquitous "taken out of context" excuse is just that: an excuse. He simply and absolutely was wrong. And anyone else, including rappers, athletes or imitators thereof, is just as wrong.

As for those who continue to trumpet the "What about the First Amendment?" argument, I ask this one simple question: Where is it written that the Founding Fathers’ intention was for the First Amendment to override right from wrong?

— Rodney K. Boswell, Thousand Oaks

Re: David J. Ameling’s April 16 commentary, “Stop scapegoating carbon dioxide�:

I thank Mr. Ameling for writing to express his views on global warming and the need for climate action. As one of the co-organizers of the Step It Up 2007 event held April 14 in Thousand Oaks, I feel that he missed a golden opportunity to have his concerns addressed by one of the experts in the field, Dr. David Lea of UCSB. Although the newspaper is not to best forum for discussing such complex subjects, let me provide a summary of what I learned.

Re: your April 13 article, “Santa Susana Lab may be listed as Superfund site�:

As a concerned citizen of Simi Valley, I was elated that the Santa Susana Field Laboratory might become a Superfund site. Along with many of my neighbors, I have been very concerned about the cleanup of chemical and nuclear waste at the Boeing site. Many Simi Valley residents are unaware of the conditions at the Lab. I applaud The Star for helping to create community awareness about these problems.

What has been of great concern these past two years has been the announcement by KB Home to build houses on the land just below this site.

Re: Lee Karageorge's April 12 letter, “Rosie-bashing is wrong�:

It is amusing to me how people react to supposed diatribes depending on their personal views. In my opinion, Rosie O'Donnell is the spinner. She insinuates that we killed our own people on Sept. 11 and planned with Britain to have their sailors and marines captured. She does this with no facts to substantiate her assertions. On her show, she made a pointed comment about the Gulf of Tonkin. I would bet that the day before, if she had been given an unmarked world map, she wouldn't have been able to point the gulf out.

If it is so important to give the original intent to the Constitution, including the Second Amendment, why does not the so-called right to bear arms extend only to one sword and one muzzle-loading musket?

— Irene Freeman, Thousand Oaks

I realize the widening of Highway 23 is a work in progress — and I hope progress is indeed the key word. So I ask: What California Department of Transportation rocket scientist saw fit to install the stoplight on the northbound Olsen Road offramp?

We had a very workable yield, no-stop-required intersection for folks turning right toward Simi Valley. Now, with the stoplight, traffic is backed up all the way down the offramp and up to three-quarters of a mile on the freeway, even on light commute days. I can’t see how this bottleneck will improve, even when the new lanes are completed. Caltrans needs to take another look at rush hour. It wasn’t broke, and Caltrans certainly didn’t fix it!

— Doug Crosse, Westlake Village

It's hard to know the situation in Iraq when newspapers report that Sen. John McCain walked unharmed down the street in Baghdad, and later report that there were two helicopters overhead and 100 soldiers guarding him and that he was wearing a bulletproof vest.

What's the real situation in Iraq?

Re: Dan Walters’ April 13 commentary, “No-new-tax vow opens annual California budget rite�:

Dan Walters again blames the car tax for the budget deficit. He writes: “In 2003, when Schwarzenegger was running for governor to replace Davis, who was being recalled, he was pressured by McClintock — another candidate for governor — and others on the Republican right to reinstate a $4 billion-plus-per-year reduction in property taxes that Californians pay on their cars, a revenue loss to local governments that the state had to make up out of its already deficit-ridden budget…. If Schwarzenegger had not done that, his budget probably would be balanced today.�

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has made it well known that one of his top priorities for California is a healthcare program for all Californians, and he looks for photo-ops and venues wherein he can present his ideas and garner support so that this goal can be achieved.

With that thought in mind, it occurred to me that the governor should consider making an appearance at Burning Man, a celebration of life experienced in a free-flowing way. Burning Man is set for Aug. 27 through Sept. 3 in the Black Rock Desert of northern Nevada.

Re: your April 15 article, “A fighter’s fight�:

Just when you thought that journalism had hit rock bottom, The Star has managed to drain a little more from the pit. This front-page feature story was an example of shameful journalism. This feature gives tacit approval to other forms of barbarism and brutality, such as dog fighting, cock fighting and cruelty to animals in general, all of which diminishes and desensitizes our humanity.

Re: your April 17 article, “Gasoline prices are heading back up�:

This story contained a lot of information about equipment failures of an unidentified company being the cause of this increase. But I read a story just a month ago that said the oil companies decided to raise their profit margin to $39 from $17 per barrel of oil — an increase of about 130 percent.

Re: Beverly Kelley's April 16 commentary, “Nothing sissy about caring for others":

Why in the world does The Star endorse (and pay) Mrs. Jonathan Sharkey to write such passive-aggressive rants against a group of community-minded citizens? This column is a thinly veiled attack against "Hueneme People,� a group of concerned citizens who are opposed to the 46-story tower that developers are proposing to build in a small parking lot across from the beach in Port Hueneme. Mrs. Sharkey has used this forum in the past to belittle this group, and since her column is a regular feature in The Star, and it also cites her relationship to California Lutheran University, it carries more weight than a letter written by an average citizen.

I look forward with great optimism, audacious hope and personal joy to casting my vote for Barack Obama for president of the United States.

In 2016.

I am convinced that between now and then, the very best thing that could happen for our country and for the well-being of the international community and of the planet itself will be the election of Al Gore to the presidency, with Obama as his vice president.

All decisions are made emotionally and justified logically. That is a fact of life! This is not my opinion any more than what goes around comes around is my opinion. It’s just a fact of life!

Re: your April 17 article, “More seniors are passing exit exam�:

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell is “deeply concerned� that students classified as English learners did not do as well as other groups on the state high school exit exam.

Re: Beverly Kelley's April 16 commentary, “Nothing sissy about caring for others":

Ms. Kelley speaks of a small group of selfish homeowners’ bullying tactics. Who is the bully here, David or Goliath? She’s talking about a multimillion-dollar structure that jeopardizes the lives of the smaller, less-financed homeowners. She gives her interpretation of a Margaret Mead quote on altruism. Are these builders erecting this monolith out of altruism or greed and self-aggrandizement? Give me a break! The bigger guy is the bully here.

— Wil Albert, Port Hueneme

Re: your April 12 article, “Murder co-defendant fires attorney; O.J. Simpson prosecutor Darden to lead defense in Ventura killing�:

This story says, “A co-defendant in the gang-related murder case of Ryan Briner fired his attorney, who works at the Public Defender’s Office.� This is incorrect. Senior Deputy Public Defender Brian Vogel, the attorney who was representing this defendant before a private lawyer was retained, was not “fired.�

I am a grandparent of a student in fourth grade at Los Senderos Open School. It has been a wonderful environment for her since kindergarten, and we were looking forward to her continuing there through eighth grade. The teachers, the staff and the parents are all dedicated to the philosophy of the open school, which will not be duplicated anywhere else within the district.

In looking at the propaganda being spread around town by Save Open-space and Agricultural Resources and a group called Citizens for SMART Growth (a misnomer), it’s easy to be confused by all of the misrepresentations and distortions of the truth. If you’ve seen the yard signs, you can see that the opposition to Measure A7 has reduced their arguments to two points: “sprawl� and “big costly mistake.�

Let’s examine these points.

Re: your April 12 article, “Senate OKs Gallegly bill on staged animal fights�:

It is good to know that our lawmakers are making it illegal to stage animal fights. President Bush will sign this measure soon. Many people do not like this age-old tradition of some cultures because it constitutes cruelty to animals and satisfies the need for fun and entertainment of a group of so-called uncultured people.

The Humane Society of the United States has rightly stated, “Staged animal fighting is barbaric and often linked with other serious crimes, such as illegal gambling, drug trafficking and acts of human violence.�

Re: Joe R. Howry’s April 15 essay, “Racism’s well runs deep�:

I thank Mr. Howry for pointing out that racism still exists in our society despite all the efforts of the civil rights movement. In all honesty, I do not believe that it will ever be eradicated or die. As long as we human beings differ, it will continue. Read on and you will see why.

Re: your April 14 article, “Human error blamed for Mars probe failure�:

"Human error triggered a cascade of events that caused the battery to fail on the Mars Global Surveyor last year, according to a preliminary report released Friday.

“An internal NASA board determined that power loss likely doomed the spacecraft after a decade of meticulously mapping the Red Planet. But the problems actually began in 2005 when a routine technical update to onboard computers caused inconsistencies in the spacecraft's memory.

In retrospect, it's easy to see how BHP Billiton blew it. They should have said up front in the beginning that they were going to design and build a pollution-free liquefied natural gas platform.

— William Wolny, Oxnard

Re: your April 12 article, “Owner of Wagon Wheel site urges relocation�:

I admire the righteous indignation of Port Hueneme citizens regarding the proposed monolith in their town. I’m bewildered by the absence of a similar outcry from Oxnard citizens about the proposed high-rise buildings on the former Wagon Wheel site.

My daughter has lived in Ventura for more than four years, and when I first came to visit, I could see why she loves it so much. She recently moved to the area of Valmore, Entrada, Preble and Porter streets. She works at the mall, so she walks, being that it's so close.

I came to visit for Easter, and when we went for a walk, we were confronted by no fewer than five dogs loose in front yards. They all barked at us, but two we had to run from because they ran towards us as if to attack. My daughter says she has to face that every day on her way to work.

Re: Joe R. Howry’s April 15 essay, “Racism’s well runs deep�:

While I certainly agree with Mr. Howry that Don Imus' comments were despicable, his premise that racism runs deep toward minorities is one-sided, false and very disingenuous.

Re: your April 13 article, “Edison has plan to give away fluorescent bulbs�:

Southern California Edison's plan to "give away" fluorescent bulbs sounded wonderful until I learned that we ratepayers would be paying for it in the form of an increase to our electric bills.

Re: Ann Simmons’ April 3 letter, “When the tower fails�:

Regarding the tower being proposed for Port Hueneme, Ms. Simmons writes that “this monstrosity� will sit vacant “across from the vacant Oceanview Pavilion."

Re: Pam Waschbusch’s April 12 letter, "No mandate to end war":

Every day, George W. Bush and a dwindling group of Republicans in Congress, plus a shrinking number of right-wing voters, continue to want to waste tax dollars, lives and limbs of our brave young American soldiers while they stay in the safety of offices and homes to support a so-called war that was supposedly justified by nothing but lies.

Re: your April 12 article, “Gallegly's animal fighting bill clears Senate, heads to president�:

Thank you, Rep. Elton Gallegly! This is a great victory to stop cruelty to animals, and I totally agree with those quotations from supporters of the measure. What I and probably many others would like to know is how or why anyone with any humane conscience would vote against the measure. Would The Star please print the names, along with party affiliation and state, so we can vote against them in their next election? Maybe The Star could also ask them for a quote on their reason.

— Bill Neumann, Camarillo

Re: Scott Harris’ April 8 commentary, “Beliefs don’t make you right�:

Harris makes many points I can agree with, but the underlying theme gives me the chills. Simply put, Scott equates belief in God with “belief� in science.

It is disingenuous to speak of “belief� in science. Science put men on the moon, deciphered the genetic code, discovered pasteurization, invented nylon and antibiotics and computer chips, and so on. We don’t “believe� in science — we know it’s real.

I'd like to know what engineering genius designed the new stoplight at the Olsen Road offramp on the northbound Highway 23. It is an engineering blunder.

Is it that important to have two lanes of eastbound traffic on Olsen Road between Erbes Road and the freeway so that at rush hour the stoplight dangerously causes traffic on the offramp to back up onto Highway 23 all the way back past Sunset Hills? Mark my words, it won't be long before someone gets rear-ended in this area and seriously hurt or killed.

Re: Bob Munson’s April 11 letter, “Safety tops fuel economy�:

Mr. Munson’s letter suggesting that “smart drivers will continue to buy SUVs and larger pickups because personal safety comes first� is a desperate attempt to defend his beloved trucks.

The question should not be, “Do you want paper or plastic?� but “Did you bring your own bags?� My family has been using the same durable, washable canvas bags for the past 15 years when we shop. It is a simple process to keep reusable bags in your car and, after unloading your groceries or other purchases, return the bags to your car until the next shopping trip. It is a simple and easy way to take one small step to help save and improve our environment.

— Jeannette Bauer, Newbury Park

After phone taps and break-ins, you are suddenly seized, detained and banished. Later, disheveled, you are brought before a judge. “Are you with us or against us?� you are asked.

Do you believe Christ or the Koran your savior?

You are charged by unidentified accusers, and though you have witnesses who support you, they are only seen as conspirators, while the original charges are used as evidence of your guilt.

As president of the Friends of the Camarillo Library, I have been requested by our board of directors to express our extreme disappointment at the very limited and poorly timed coverage The Star gave to the March 31 to April 1 grand opening of the new and beautiful Camarillo Library.

Despite the fact that more than 9,000 people attended the opening two days of the library, a Star reporter was obviously not among those in attendance. Had a reporter been there, he would have witnessed the tremendous and enthusiastic welcome the Camarillo community gave to this wonderful, functional building that will serve our citizens for many years to come.

Re: your April 10 editorial, “A second effort on immigration�:

After reading this editorial concerning the president's latest immigration proposal, I have many questions about how it could be implemented, but there is one I am especially curious about.

Recently, the Vatican put the canonization of Pope John Paul II on the fast track with the announcement of an alleged miracle involving a French nun's sudden recovery from Parkinson's disease. I submit that George Bush should be fast-tracked for sainthood as well. After all, he talks to God, easily identifies good and evil, and it's a miracle that he hasn't been impeached.

— Gerald McGuire, Ventura

This letter is to urge the Pleasant Valley School District board to approve the application to charter the Camarillo Academy of Progressive Education.

The PVSD board is legally required to approve a charter application that meets the California state standards. The application submitted by CAPE not only meets but exceeds those standards. The parents and teachers of this community support the charter application, as shown by more than 300 students who have submitted intent-to-enroll forms.

Re: your April 7 article, “Wagon Wheel plan may involve third tower�:

Yes, more low-income housing is needed in this area. But before a high rise is considered, look at Cabrini-Green in Chicago — a high-rise, low-income housing project that turned out to be a cesspool, a breeding ground for gangs and crime, especially for young families.

Let's hope our city government looks at all the aspects when housing is created!

— Judith A. Beay, Ventura

Santa Paula covers approximately 2,908 acres. Adams Canyon is more than 6,000 acres. If this huge land mass is to be brought into the city, we would be stuck permanently with the high cost of maintaining a gated millionaires’ club spread over thousands of acres a few miles from town. We would be stuck protecting 6,000 additional acres from fires that ravage Southern California annually. Despite the measures taken by cities and developers, these canyons remain tinderboxes and lawsuits waiting to happen. Imagine a fire destroying a number of those multimillion-dollar homes in the proposed gated enclave. You can be sure those millionaire homeowners will pay for the best attorneys to blame Santa Paula and sue our fine little town.

The natural gas consumer — me and most Californians — was the biggest loser Monday evening when one of my favorite actors led an evil band of environmental ecoterrorists to intimidate two career politicians into voting against the BHP Billiton liquefied natural gas proposal. A terrific opportunity for competition in the California natural gas arena was thwarted due purely to irrational and emotional considerations that had folks scared of their own shadow.

Monday, I participated in what I consider to be a historic event in the city of Oxnard. More than 2,000 people turned out to tell the State Lands Commission that they did not want a highly polluting, imported liquefied natural gas platform floating off the coast, emitting noxious gases into the air, inviting a potential terrorist strike and interfering with boating, the port operations, the essential activities of the Navy, the sea birds and the sea mammals.

BHP Billiton is not a nice company. A Google search with the terms "BHP Apartheid" and "BHP Billiton Mining" shows they take advantage of lax rules in Third World nations. According to many Web sites, BHP has pushed natives off their lands and destroyed the environment.

If we allow them to ship liquefied natural gas here, we are supporting their damage to nature around the world. Act locally, think globally. If we need LNG, we can buy from other, more environmentally directed energy companies. Billiton is not the only LNG company.

The Oxnard and Port Hueneme Chambers of Commerce position in favor of Cabrillo Port presented at the State Lands Commission hearing Monday demonstrates how out of touch the business groups are with the needs and concerns of local individuals, organizations and governmental agencies who overwhelmingly opposed the dangerous project.

And it showed how easy it was for BHP Billiton to buy votes with a free breakfast for supporters.

Re: Dalius Gedgaudas’ April 12 letter, “Hueneme: Learn from Ventura�:

Gedgaudas' argument for promoting a 46-story tower in the city of Port Hueneme is not only faulty, but insincere.

First of all, the current CSU Channel Islands location in Camarillo is beautifully located and is accessible from multiple points throughout Ventura and surrounding counties. Note that CSU Channel Islands is a university, not a college. Ventura already has a college. What is his regret?

If anyone disputes that we live in a republic with a representative form of government, let him call U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly's office for an appointment.

I was in Washington, D.C., with three friends, two of whom live in Thousand Oaks and one in Oxnard, and we contacted Gallegly's office to see him. Promptly at l p.m., we were ushered in his office with a beautiful panoramic view of the Washington Monument and were greeted warmly by him.

Re: your March 26 editorial, “Charters are real options�:

The Pleasant Valley School District board’s recent decision to close Los Senderos Open School and eliminate its 30-year open philosophy program resulted in LSOS leadership applying to become a charter school. The paperwork for Camarillo Academy of Progressive Education has been filed, and plans are well underway for CAPE to open in the fall of 2007. As the editorial stated, LSOS is “ready made� to become a charter school. The main thing standing in the way is the board’s approval.

Re: Dan K. Thomasson’s April 10 commentary, “Speaker Pelosi’s trip to Syria sent the wrong message�:

Thomasson couldn’t just make this a professional commentary, he had to stoop to name-calling and personal attacks. This is what the right always resorts to, and it is so old and tired.

Measure A7 is the kind of threat we need to fear most if we are to keep the Santa Clara River Valley from becoming another San Fernando Valley or Canyon Country.

Measure A7 seeks to include 6,578 acres of land in the watersheds of both Wheeler and O’Hara canyons west of Adams Canyon. This is in direct violation of recently reaffirmed greenbelt agreements between Santa Paula and Ventura.

Re: your April 10 article, “Imus draws two-week suspension for racist radio remark�:

I don't know if what Don Imus said was in fact offensive or just simply descriptive because I have yet to see any actual video footage of the game and the team members he was referring to. Certainly, radio personalities will try to paint a picture in the minds of their listeners in order to describe a particular scene in a way to relate it accurately and possibly with some humor so as to hold an audience.

What I do know, however, is that this country is losing its sense of humor due to its intolerance of politically incorrect speech.

Re: your April 10 article, “Imus draws two-week suspension for racist radio remark�:

Don Imus did overstep the line of taste, but what's new? It's his stock in trade. He treated the Rutgers basketball women to the same acid-tongue sarcasm, just as others routinely get treated. One can only be insulted to the extent one wishes to be.

What is this — the third time in 20 years that the city of Ventura has tried parking meters? The first two efforts failed, and the city had to pay to rip these meters from the ground.

I rarely have trouble finding parking in downtown Ventura. I may have to walk an extra block, but that is good exercise, and it gives me the opportunity to window-shop at my leisure. Put in parking meters and I won't be visiting any shops other than the specific one I came to shop at. The merchants will love the loss of business.

Re: your March 26 editorial, “Charters are real options�:

This piece was right on the money for many reasons, most notably that the Pleasant Valley School District board succeeded with its vote at the March 22 meeting in having scores of people share the pain of this school closure process. I think every reader would agree with the editorial’s assertion that “it’s hard to imagine a more disastrous school-closing process.�

Re: Bill O’Reilly’s April 7 commentary, “The Rosie factor may lead to the comedian’s downfall�:

Apparently O’Reilly doesn’t have enough to worry his fevered mind about. He’s now taking shots at Rosie O’Donnell.

Pinnacle Development and its local boosters are trying to get Adams Canyon into Santa Paula again despite the voters there defeating their attempts twice before, most recently in April 2006. And to that end, there are a lot of false claims being made and false impressions being created.

I am surprised at how many supporters of Measure A7 do not know that if the City Urban Restriction Boundary is not moved, Pinnacle will only be able to build 34 homes in the county. Pinnacle's supporters are telling people that the county will allow 495 homes. The county Planning Department will tell you it is only 34.

Last week, Sen. John McCain paraded his entourage down the streets of Baghdad, proclaiming them safe and that the "surge" was working. It only reminded me of President Bush's equally obscene gesture of 2003, when he staged a photo-op on a U.S. battleship and declared "Mission accomplished!"

Re: Bill O’Reilly’s April 7 commentary, “The Rosie factor may lead to the comedian’s downfall�:

Amazing to me that this man who trumpets himself as honest and denies "spinning" anything can write such a diatribe about Rosie O'Donnell.

Re: Kathy Matthews’ April 6 commentary, “Repeal gag rule on birth control�:

I want to thank Kathy Matthews for her very fine commentary for women's rights around the world as to birth control. As anyone who knows what happens in this world dominated by the men in power, women who do not have control over their own bodies do not have any type of freedom. I applaud her for saying what is needed to President Bush and to all who seem to hold "women as hostages" to promote their own agendas.

— Peggy A. Poehler, Santa Paula

Re: Richard Larsen’s April 10 essay, "Good manners do count":

Mr. Larsen is so right. He articulated what many of us are thinking as we read all the ad hominem attacks, hysteria and hyperbole that constitute so many letters to the editor these days. My colleagues at other institutions tell me there are studies out there that contrast letters to the editor from 10 years or 20 years back with the present. Scholars are finding a significant correlation between opposition writers (on just about any issue) and a lack of civility, supporting evidence and logical reasoning while affirmative writers (on just about any issue) are more likely to provide verifiable facts, rational argument and respect for the other side.

Re: your April 10 article, “Lands Commission rejects LNG terminal�:

California shot itself in the foot one more time. With the world's natural gas reserves dwindling, and North America having only 4 percent of these reserves, the State Lands Commission nixed a critical source of clean energy. Controller John Chiang feels there are too many minorities in Oxnard who will be forced to breathe polluted air, while Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, positioning himself for the next run for governor, believes Al Gore will come riding in with a renewable-energy, short-term solution to California's growing energy problems.

Re: Bruce Tinsley’s “Mallard Fillmore� comic strip:

Most people label me a liberal, but I love Mallard Fillmore's dour attacks on liberals. His recent homily denying man's impact on climate, however, is about as humorous as a denial of the Jewish holocaust. Making fun of people, if done right, is funny. But sticking one’s head in the sand and proclaiming the sky is yellow and the sun is blue is not the least bit ducky.

— Peter Wilson, Simi Valley

With so much negative news coming from the Middle East, it's hard to imagine we can do anything here in Ventura County to make a positive change in the region.

Yet we can.

On April 17, an interfaith dialogue will take place in Westlake Village with a panel of holy men — one Muslim, one Christian and one Jew. The discussion will focus on the impact of belief and values on behavior. It is free and open to the public.

I have been briefed on plans to put a liquefied natural gas facility 13 miles off Malibu, just east of the Ventura- Los Angeles County line. They will import the gas from Australian gas fields. The gas is cooled to 275 degrees below zero to a liquefied state and then transported in ships that are essentially huge Thermos bottles. It will be heated back to gas off the shore of Malibu, then piped to Mandalay Beach and tied into the Southern California Gas Company line near the power plant. What makes this type of operation practical is that gas can be transported in a liquid state 700 times more than in a gaseous state.

Do you want another energy crisis — rolling blackouts, increases in your utility bill? Probably not.

Though, chances are, you don’t want your energy to come from coal. You probably don’t want a nuclear power plant in your back yard either. Solar, wind and other “green� energy would be ideal, though the renewable market is still not in a position to meet the demands of California consumers.

I live and work in Ventura. And, I’ve been following the Cabrillo Port discussion for the last three years. At first, I wasn’t sure what to think about it. That said, I’m now a supporter and intend on showing my support at upcoming hearings and encourage others to do the same.

Why? Cabrillo Port will address our short-term energy needs as we transition to renewable fuels. In addition, they have gone out of the way to address environmental concerns. They have even agreed to mitigation that goes above and beyond what is required of them.

Re: your April 8 editorial, “Conserve, don’t buy into LNG�:

I thank The Star for this editorial. It is encouraging to see that The Star’s editors are well informed of the health, safety and environmental dangers posed by BHP Billiton’s Cabrillo Port liquefied natural gas facility off our Ventura County coast. I have great respect for The Star. It has demonstrated the value of a local newspaper.

The 2006 Base Academic Performance Index, which includes information on similar ranking schools, was recently released. The data should be reviewed with caution, as the data does not give an accurate comparison of how our school, Loma Vista Elementary School in Ventura, is performing when compared to schools with similar demographics — ethnicity, socio-economically disadvantaged, English learners, students with disabilities, Gifted And Talented Education, parent education levels. The report will not inform you of the following:

Re: Scott Harris’ April 8 commentary, “Beliefs don’t make you right�:

Mr. Harris makes several false statements and arrives at false conclusions as a result.
First, you cannot compare science of 2,000 years ago to modern-day science, which came as a result of the scientific revolution and utilizes the scientific method. It was not science that made a claim of a flat earth and geocentric solar system, but the Christian church. It was not until Galileo and Copernicus arrived and introduced the heliocentric system that the church made an attempt to alter its teaching, even after threats on Galileo.

Re: Ken Moffett’s April 4 commentary, “Doing the right thing for all PVSD students�:

The Pleasant Valley School District presents “Mathemagic�: “Our Title I schools outperform our schools of greater socioeconomic wealth in the similar schools category — meaning that compared to other students of similar circumstances, our Title I schools are held up as models to other districts.�

Re: your April 7 editorial, “What’s behind the gag order?�:

I thank The Star for focusing attention on the Australian-born Guantanamo Bay detainee, David Hicks. The editorial drew attention to the deal made with Hicks that confined him for another nine months and then releasing him in exchange for his silence on conditions surrounding his imprisonment. The editorial noted that charges of torture shadow the Gitmo detention facility. It noted that Hicks hardly seemed like one of the "worst of the worst," as former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld put it, or, as Vice President Dick Cheney called the Gitmo detainees, “the worst of a very bad lot."

I went to the tower’s developers meeting March 17. The presentation was very professional, and the tower, as now designed, looks very impressive. I was originally opposed to the tower in any shape or form. However, after hearing the presentation, I was not so certain.

California's energy future is based on supply and demand: When demand is more than supply, the lights go out.

California's energy demand is increasing, and we expect 40 million people by 2010. For each additional person who lives in California, we increase our demand for energy by 6,732 kilowatts per hour.

Has anyone explored the idea that with the sea levels rising, there's going to be a lot of pollution coming with it? Some of the most densely occupied areas on Earth are along its shorelines. Along with that population comes land in the form of petrochemical plants, shore facilities and very old storage areas.

The eye-opening documentary “An Inconvenient Truth,� currently airing on Showtime, is an excellent realization of the fate of our planet. Narrated by Al Gore, it is a sobering account on the very real global warming that has been taking place for the past several years.

It is a highly recommended show for those teetering on the line as to whether all the talk of global warming is real.

It is very real.

There is a new game in Simi Valley. It’s called “Shake down the street vendor.� Here is how it is played:

The City Council passes an ordinance that requires street vendors to move their operations 500 feet every 10 minutes.

A police officer must spend at least 10 minutes waiting to see if a street vendor — with a valid seller’s permit, by the way — moves his vehicle the ordered 500 feet; that’s more than an average city block. When they don’t move fast enough or far enough, they are ticketed.

When we elected George Bush for the second time, I was sure we had elected a jackass. I was mistaken. We elected a mule.

Our president insists on victory in Iraq. There can be no such thing as long as al-Qaida exists, and they certainly don't need Iraq for a base. They have the whole world. The best we can hope for is containment.

Whose brilliant idea was it to change the traffic flow on the northbound Highway 23 offramp at Olsen Road? Obviously, someone didn't take into account the volume of traffic during afternoon rush hour. The signal was recently activated, as well as a change in the traffic pattern on westbound Olsen Road, which causes exiting traffic to back up onto the freeway, creating heavier congestion by blocking the right-hand lane with stopped vehicles trying to exit. My normal commute from Agoura Hills to Simi Valley in the evenings lasts a maximum of 45 minutes. On April 4 it took 90 minutes to get home. On April 5 and 6 I took an alternate route home through side streets. I bet the residents along those streets are going to love the increase in that traffic flow!

The proposed Cabrillo Port liquefied natural gas facility would have catastrophic effects on property values throughout Ventura County.

Per the environmental impact report, the facility would be the single largest source of air pollution in Southern California, and this would feed directly into our confined air basin — essentially smothering us in smog, with Simi Valley and Ojai bearing the worst of it. All of this will happen so we'll be contractually stuck with higher natural gas rates compared to what will soon be available from Alaska via overland pipelines.

We’d better get ready to bag our own groceries if the union leaders keep their heads in the sand on this one. Are these folks really acting in the best interest of those they represent? Are they really “leaders� if they encourage a strike?

I urge union leaders to consider the costs of such an action and look at the big picture. Think about the impact on workers, grocers and consumers. Grocery workers should be taking a vote of no confidence in their leaders if they don't get back to the negotiating table fast.

A few weeks ago, the city of Thousand Oaks asked the Planning Commission to recommend to City Council size guidelines for the menu signs that line the drive-through lanes at fast food restaurants. City staff suggested some height and square-footage parameters, and the Planning Commission, acknowledging the need for specific standards, approved them unanimously but significantly reduced the sign sizes suggested.

Re: your April 4 article, “County and cities cringe at proposed water rules":

It seems quite amazing that now, after decades of procrastinating and pooh-poohing the environmentalist, the government finally proposes strict rules for management of runoff in order to protect our most important resource: water. Yet, we seem to have a plethora of nonthinking folks in our county who take umbrage at this.

April 4 on the Pacific Coast Highway, the lives of director Bob Clark and his son were taken by a drunk driver. I, for one, remember Clark’s work on the holiday classic, "A Christmas Story."

The driver, Hector Velazquez-Nava, was drunk. He is also an illegal alien with no driver’s license. On the other side of the country, the debate about another illegal alien and drunk driver killing two teenage girls in Virginia triggered a firestorm interview between Geraldo Rivera and Bill O'Reilly.

Re: Richard Larsen’s April 3 essay, “Bring on $5 a gallon gas�:

It doesn't matter if gas is $3 or $4 or $5 a gallon. Smart drivers will continue to buy SUVs and larger pickups because personal safety comes first.

Putting yourself and your family in a small car in a sea of bigger vehicles is foolish. Middle-class families will pay for the larger, more expensive vehicles by simply driving less.

March 31 was a wonderful day for all of us in Ventura County. The grand opening of the Camarillo Library had been anticipated by thousands of people, and several thousand of them showed up for the opening ceremony. I suspect this was in part due to the nice “head’s up!� article The Star ran on March 30.

I’ve heard this library is the only new library in the county in 25 years. It has been said it’s Camarillo’s crowning achievement. All I know for sure is that I was there early, as excited as a child. I didn’t bring my camera because I knew I’d be there several hours, and besides, I’d just buy extra papers to send to my kids who have grown up and now live out of the county.

Prior to the 225th anniversary of San Buenaventura Mission on March 31, I have to say that The Star did a fantastic job in its publicity of this historic event. For some reason, there was absolutely no follow-up in the next day’s paper. That was the icing on the cake, so to speak. It was a failure on the part of The Star for not bringing to the attention of the people of Ventura County San Buenaventura Mission's grand finale. It was really sad.

— Jim Elwell-Martinez, Oak View

Re: your April 4 article: “FDA proposes softening labeling requirements for irradiated foods�:

Irradiating foods and not letting the consumer know about it is an absolute outrage! The Food and Drug Administration’s proposal is totally unacceptable! Those of us who do not want to purchase or ingest irradiated foods would lose our right to choose between irradiated and non-irradiated foods.

As a resident of the Santa Susana Knolls, I was encouraged by Supervisor Peter Foy’s pre-election pledge that would allow each community to have a voice in its land-use affairs and that he promised to make public safety his number one priority. To that end, I and my neighbors would direct his attention to an issue with dire consequences for our community: the proposal for high-density development on the Knolls Horse Ranch property.

Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon recently noted that, when he was coming of age at the height of the cold war, "Fear of a nuclear winter seemed the leading existential threat on the horizon." Now, however, he says, "The danger posed by war to all of humanity — and to our planet — is at least matched by the climate crisis and global warming."

There is a strong consensus among scientists around the world that human activities are a major cause of global warming. Given that consensus and the critical nature of the global warming problem, it is imperative that the world's governments take bold and immediate action.

Re: Timm Herdt’s April 4 essay, “The few who fund the state�:

Herdt’s article reads as though the top 1 percent should be grateful they pay what they do, even though they represent a much smaller percentage as to the total state income.

His trivializing the issue makes it more difficult to understand that most people in the state do not pay their fair share, not because they do not want to, but because the politicians — Democrats and Republicans alike — have made a mockery of our current tax system.

Re: Ken Moffett’s April 4 commentary, “Doing the right thing for all PVSD students�:

Interim Superintendent Ken Moffett is trying to paint a picture of glee that he thinks is flowing through this community over recent school closures.

The anti-tower naysayers and NIMBYs remind me of a missed opportunity.

Remember when there was a great opportunity for Ventura to have CSU Channel Islands located west of downtown on a hillside reminiscent of Pepperdine University’s gorgeous location?

A few loud and influential naysayers defeated the proposal.

The National Association of Evangelicals has approved an anti-torture statement that rejects cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment of any kind and calls for the extension of basic human rights and procedural protections to all persons held in U.S. custody, regardless of circumstances.

I agree wholeheartedly with the NAE and call on each person reading this to look into the mirror, stare long and hard into your soul and ask yourself if you are contributing to the degradation of our society and our world by condoning or tacitly supporting the horrible treatment of other human beings by our government and its agents.

Re: your April 4 article, “Peace club plans week of activities at Ventura High�:

Congratulations to the Ventura High Peace Club! The students who started it — Lauren Weiner and Lauren Steinbaum — as well as their faculty advisor, Mark Schmidt, deserve our strong support. Every high school in the United States should follow their leadership. Their exciting Peace Week program begins Monday, and they welcome interested community members. I commend them.

— William L. Hammacker, Camarillo

I have listened to a lot of buzz created by the Ventura City Council in its proposed changes to South Victoria Avenue. Perhaps only Sanjaya or Anna Nicole Smith has created more buzz around the ol’ water cooler.

After reading about the concept in The Star, I must admit I was skeptical about the islands that would separate traffic lanes from business lanes, thus creating a more efficient means to Highway 101. The idea was new to me. In fact, I even scoffed at the idea, along with my friends.

A brief Internet search shows a few of the predictions made 40 and 50 years ago.
In 1962, Rachel Carson’s book, "Silent Spring," predicted that pesticides — namely DDT — would cause "practically 100 percent" of the human population to be wiped out from a cancer epidemic after one more generation.

Paul Ehrlich was a prolific writer, with best-sellers like "The Limits to Growth" in 1972 and "The Population Bomb" in 1968. Here's a quote from “The Population Bomb�: "A minimum of 10 million people, most of them children, will starve to death during each year of the 1970s. But this is a mere handful compared to the numbers that will be starving before the end of the century."

Re: Ken Moffett’s April 4 commentary, “Doing the right thing for all PVSD students�:

After reading this commentary, I find it amusing that Ken Moffett is the superintendent of the Pleasant Valley School District and lives in Oxnard. Why should he care about Camarillo and the effects on the district or tracts where the schools are closing? He does not need to worry about the effects on his property values, like most of the citizens need to now.

More than half of the members of the school board live in Mission Oaks, which can explain why none of the schools in Mission Oaks were put on the block.

It is beyond my comprehension that Congress can take a "spring break" when so much important unfinished business is in limbo. How many of our troops get that kind of time off?

— Thomas E. Carson, Camarillo

A brand new library opened Saturday in Camarillo, but regular readers of The Star never were informed. It was the most important item of the day, but The Star dropped the ball and did not report it. What happened? Or did The Star deliberately not report on it?

Here are a few facts regarding the library:

— Square footage: 65,000 square feet.

— Cost: $27 million.

Re: Timm Herdt’s April 4 essay, “The few who fund state":

This essay provided evidence of how pervasive the redistribution of income has become in California. Thirty percent of all personal income taxes are paid by 0.4 percent of the people, 42.7 percent is paid by 1 percent and 64.3 percent is paid by 5 percent.

Re: your April 3 article, “Simi woman learns cancer she thought she beat is back�:

After reading the article about Robin Chibnik and how she is fighting breast cancer again, her name will be added to the shirt I will be wearing as I train and walk in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Sept. 15 and 16 in Long Beach. From reading the article, I know she has so much courage and love to get her through this again.

— Kelly Kolde, Simi Valley

Re: your March 29 article, “Retired general dissects war effort for T.O. audience�:

I thought The Star’s recap of Tommy Franks’ speech in Thousand Oaks was excellent. The Star captured most of what he said with the exception of his statement about costs. He said we have debated costs in lives, dollars and opportunities; however, the debate on the costs of “coming home� has not taken place.

— Ronald E. Hagler, Westlake Village
(The writer is a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel. — Editor)

Re: your March 31 article, "T.O. arts groups fear end of city subsidies":

If it is the Thousand Oaks City Council's goal to "eliminate any and all subsidies," why don't they start by eliminating the annual $100,000 in taxpayer funds they are misspending to subsidize their unwanted day laborer site?

— Dawn Williams, Thousand Oaks

As if the threat of overdevelopment on the site of the Knolls Horse Ranch wasn’t scary enough, developer Colton Lee is now proposing a devastating, ill-conceived road-widening project that would tear through the heart of the very rural and woodsy Susana Knolls.

Colton Lee's proposal consists of 142 units of manufactured homes, basically a fancy trailer park with a pool, clubhouse and only one road in and out. Potential residents would be oblivious to the fact they are living on borrowed time in a high-risk fire zone.

As residents of Port Hueneme for more than 20 years, we have seen a pattern of growth we were proud to acknowledge. Now a structure is being proposed that would stick out like the proverbial "sore thumb.�

We are a small town — a village, really — and we love it that way. To put the tallest structure between Los Angeles and San Francisco in tiny Port Hueneme is absurd. No one is saying stop growth; just use common sense. We realize the city will have to find a way to use the property in a profitable way, but we hope they will see the folly of this particular venture. Let's go back to the drawing board and find a project we can all live with in harmony.

— Barbara & Robert Burnett Jr., Port Hueneme

Why hasn't the Democratic majority in the House and Senate put an enforced "surrender" date in the Iraq Accountability Act for pork? After all, they campaigned on putting a halt to irresponsible spending.

— Dick Schneider, Oak View

Every day, morning and night, while on Highway 101, my car shakes from people flying past me, driving much over the posted speed limit. I, like many others, have children in the car and find this totally unsafe.

When there is no traffic, I drive the speed limit, never below it and honestly, maybe 5 mph over it. These people pass me at 80 or 90 mph, weaving from lane to lane to get where they have to be.

Although aware of the concerted efforts of a group of citizens to establish a dog park in Camarillo, I had not been an active participant in the process. It had never seemed a matter of much urgency. I live and walk my dogs in the unincorporated area of Camarillo Heights, enjoying a local park long used by the neighborhood as an unofficial hangout for dog walkers to let their dogs play in the long expanse of mostly unused green space known as Charter Oak Park.

Every day, Democrats in Congress and their strategists repeat a phrase that is, without fail, faithfully regurgitated by the media. It is not a valid phrase, but it is repeated so often without challenge that it has taken on the false facade of validity. It’s time to rebut the myth.

The November 2006 election was not a referendum to end the war in Iraq. It is not the will of the people that funding be delayed or tied to withdrawal of troops. There is no mandate to end the war.

A sure sign of spring and the coming of summer, along with blossoms blooming and temperatures rising, is the onset of gasoline price gouging by Big Oil. After the latest round of ripoffs come the now-expected grumbles of commuters. As surely as one season follows another, these grumblings are followed by the same lame excuses Big Oil puts out every year.

California should look to every opportunity to bring new sources of clean-burning, environmentally friendly sources of energy online to support our growing population. We have one of these opportunities right in front of us: the Cabrillo Port LNG proposal.

The Cabrillo Port LNG proposal, which is using state-of-the-art technology, will leave a minimal footprint on our environment. It will comply with state and federal environmental laws and will provide a clean-fuel alternative to vehicles that currently burn dirty fossil fuels, such as buses, public transit and waste haulers throughout Ventura County. This will leave our air cleaner than it is today and protect our children from asthma and other problems that result from bad air quality.