Here we are off on another school year, which, as usual, brings out all kinds of irresponsible and reckless drivers who don’t use common sense and caution in school zones.

My children attend Las Posas School, and for the past six years, it has been the same old song and dance each year — and surely long before our time at the school.
Despite the principal’s vigilant and repeated pleas, there are still those that a) don’t read what is sent home, b) read it and just figure it does not apply to them, or c) are just plain inconsiderate.

I don’t recall ever reading a backbreaking whale story, and now suddenly there are three? With the competence of Homeland Security being challenged these days, maybe it would be a good idea for the government to send out divers to check the waters off our Navy base at Port Hueneme! Is it possible someone is dropping in from the sky?

— Adrienne Gould, Oxnard

Re: Rita J. Murphy’s Sept. 26 letter, “What does football teach?�:

In response to the letter from Rita Murphy regarding football players on the bench, football teaches many things: respect for authority, how to be part of a team, hard work, dedication and commitment — the list goes on and on.

Football isn’t for everybody. What this young man has learned is that being a part of a team doesn’t always mean getting to be in the spotlight. This is a life lesson that everyone needs to learn. I’m sure he gets worked just as hard at practice as his teammates.

Re: Rita J. Murphy’s Sept. 26 letter, “What does football teach?�

High school athletics is not the same as youth sports. Most youth sports leagues guarantee playing time for all participants. That is not the case in high school. Winning is the clearly defined objective, and at this level, that is not an evil concept. In fact, it is a real-world concept that has been taught through sports for years.

Re: Rita J. Murphy’s Sept. 26 letter, “What does football teach?�:

In responding to the above question elaborated upon by Ms. Murphy, my answer is: discipline, obedience, teamwork, pride, confidence, character, desire, loyalty, perseverance, dedication and commitment.

Two blue whales have died within a week of each other, and another died months ago. All were found with injuries to their backs that are assumed to have been sustained as a result of encounters with ships.

Has something changed within this past year regarding the whale’s migration routes and ship routes to have increased encounters with one another?

Re: your Sept. 22 article, “Stanford petition protests Rumsfeld fellowship�:

Regarding the unrest among students and professors at Stanford University due to the Hoover Institution's appointment of Donald Rumsfeld as a visiting fellow, this story confirms the image I have long had of Stanford University: that the students and professors there are not really interested in diversity after all.

— Lee Elder, Oxnard

Re: Peg Hicks-Moore’s Sept. 22 YourHub submission, “GATE in school, a learning experience?�

Ms. Hicks-Moore’s article starts out with an incorrect statement that implies that GATE students are part of our schools’ special education programs.

Re: your Sept. 20 photo package, “Removing and replacing�:

Citing safety and security, the Navy is removing 300 eucalyptus trees? What? Are they hiding snipers? Can they be used to make IEDs (Improvised Eucalyptic Devices)? Why are so many plants turning against us? Or are these insurgents a fringe grove? I hope they realize they are no match for the U.S. military.

— Peter Wilson, Simi Valley

For the past two weeks, I have watched the Thousand Oaks High School football games with friends who have a son on the team. He has been on the team since he was a freshman, and he is now a senior.

For the entire length of both games, he has stood on the sidelines suited up, watching, along with at least 45 other players — a good number of them seniors — who never get to set foot on the field during play.

Why?

We just finished a fruitless episode with Time Warner Cable in trying to establish phone service in Thousand Oaks.

When a problem appeared, we could not get a supervisor to respond. And when we called the president of the company in Connecticut, we were told that the system would not allow any adjustments to correct the problem. The problems were that the supervisors would not talk with us, the customer, and that the system could not accommodate human intervention.

The Conejo Recreation and Park District’s plans for a 200-person pavilion and 100-site parking lot on Rancho Potrero for the purpose of renting it out for different functions is absolutely out of line.

We and every other resident in Dos Vientos moved here because of the open space and the peaceful surroundings. The CRPD’s plan will destroy and abuse the natural beauty of Rancho Potrero. Having 200 people — including a lot of cars and buses — drinking alcohol, barbecuing, playing loud music, and doing all the other things that go with a party will ruin our peace, not to mention increase the danger of fire.

Let me get this story straight. If I were living in Simi Valley and I had the Rev. Jesse Jackson over for dinner, and some of his detractors followed him to my house and set up a protest about some cause that he supports, which in turn lures some of his supporters into the fray, and as tempers rise, the neighbors call the cops to calm everyone down, then two days later I would get a bill from the city for the "protect and serve" services of its men in blue?

The only real stories here are: Illegal immigration needs to be stopped, and let's not turn our Police Department into a rent-a-cop agency.

When the Simi Valley Police Department and the Ventura County Sheriff's Department were available to deter possible violence at the United Church of Christ Simi Valley, they were making the kind of use of citizen tax dollars that I most value and respect. As feelings lead to angry opinions, judgments and confrontations, that is when I most want the protection of the police and sheriff's departments available to hold the space safely open for free speech and sincere expressions of differences.

Two major obstacles hinder rational debate on illegal immigration: politics and emotion. The sanctuary movement and its opposition are examples of both. The recent comprehensive immigration reform circus was pure political grandstanding. Discussions in the public forum are fraught with misinformation, anger and shortsightedness. Sadly lacking in all this is a defined goal. It’s enough to bring old retired immigration officers to tears.

Re: your Sept. 23 Pulse page, “Sanctuary church in Simi Valley�:

Here is another letter in support of Mayor Paul Miller and the Simi Valley City Council.
In Sunday’s eight letters against the city, the words "foreign person" and "undocumented people" appeared. The main reference to illegality involved convicted criminals.

On Sunday, I visited the United Church of Christ of Simi Valley for worship. My wife and I felt the need to connect with this congregation that is now in the eye of the local immigration reform storm. We did not find a hotbed of political activists there, except perhaps for the Save Our State demonstrators outside, who used their bullhorn to admonish “you should be ashamed� as I walked into the church.

For once I agree with the ACLU concerning the Simi Valley church shelter case.

Certainly the church did not cause any disturbance. A church is a sanctuary — a place of peace, a shelter and protection against the agitation of external influences. The church is practicing its freedom of religion in a cause it believes to be just. It must be allowed to obey the moral principle and practice the compassion in which it believes — without the threat of a potentially marauding mob. Remember, freedom from fear is a cherished freedom for all of us.

The United Church of Christ and the Rev. June Goudey got exactly what they wanted when they announced what they were doing. They got lots of publicity, which further polarized people’s opinion on this divisive matter. They knew full well that protests were going to be staged.

I strongly believe that the church is not above the law and is in violation of federal law, regardless of how its sense of charity supports its actions. They asked for it, now they have to pay the consequences.

Once again, the Conejo Recreation and Park District and the city of Thousand Oaks are trying to ram through a plan for the annexation into city boundaries of Rancho Potrero, the publicly owned 326 acres next to the national and state parks across from Dos Vientos on Lynn Road.

Their plan includes a 200-person party pavilion, asphalt roads, parking lots, buses and lots of noise on this idyllic rural property. The public objected two years ago, so the CRPD and the city put their plan on the back burner. Now, they are trying again. But the public objected again during recently held community meetings.

Re: your Sept. 22 article, “Simi urged to withdraw $40,000 bill�:

Liliana is quoted in this article stating, "We will stand firm and strong so Congress hears and respects our rights."

Did I miss something? When did Liliana become a naturalized citizen with the protection and benefits of the U.S. Constitution?

Re: Pa Ventura’s Sept. 22 item, “To Simi Valley�:

I'm convinced Pa Ventura spouts his views without seeking any information. He compares the protest at the United Church of Christ with Simi Valley Days by asking the question, "Has the city ever billed the sponsors of such events as Simi Valley Days for police overtime?" Simi Valley Days is an annual, scheduled, legal, community event that is probably considered in the city budget. The police presence at the United Church of Christ was an unexpected expense necessitated by a publicized illegal activity.

Re: your Sept. 19 article, “Church to be billed for costs of protest�:

How is it possible that the victims of a hate crime are billed for the expenses incurred by the criminals?

I’m referring to the mayor of Simi Valley’s invoice to the United Church of Christ for the Police Department’s costs to control protesters and counterprotesters over the church’s decision to offer sanctuary to an illegal immigrant while she awaits legal proceedings in her case.

Re: Nasser Moradian’s Aug. 29 letter, “Removing pepper trees�:

Mr. Moradian was addressing a previous letter of mine (“Trying to save the wetlands,� Aug. 16) regarding Shato Holdings’ property in Newbury Park when he discussed the possible removal of mature pepper trees by the city of Thousand Oaks. I am against the removal of the trees, but, at the same time, feel I again need to address the disking that occurred last summer. This caused wildlife to flee into nearby streets and the front yards of residents. Springs were driven through, and several willow and cattail areas were cut down.

Once again, the Conejo Recreation and Park District and the city of Thousand Oaks are trying to ram through a plan for the annexation into city boundaries of Rancho Potrero, the publicly owned 326 acres next to the national and state parks across from Dos Vientos on Lynn Road.

Their plan includes a 200-person party pavilion, asphalt roads, parking lots, buses and lots of noise on this idyllic rural property. The public objected two years ago, so the CRPD and the city put their plan on the back burner. Now, they are trying again. But the public objected again during recently held community meetings.

Re: your Sept. 20 editorial, “Uphold your right to read�:

The editorial pointed out that the American Library Association cites three top reasons for challenges to remove books: sexually explicit, offensive language and unsuited to age group.

Re: your Sept. 18 article, “Plan to split Oxnard is revised�:

I had a great laugh reading Jonathan Ziv’s new approach to creating his new city.

As a 16-year former resident of the Silver Strand beach community, I understand his frustration with John Flynn's leadership and the way the county does nothing for the beach community. I moved to the Oxnard Shores neighborhood, and none of my neighbors in this beach community wants anything to do with Ziv or his proposal.

I am writing this because I am tired of the “doom and gloom� in the real estate world. I survived the late ’80s and early ’90s when almost the identical situation occurred. Working in the real estate profession has provided a good and decent living for many people. To know I have been a part of someone’s dream come true is very rewarding.

Re: your Sept. 20 article, “Doctors prescribe model�:

As a retired physician, I was interested in the article on healthcare.

The statement that Dr. Stan Patterson can give each person as much time as she wishes and still keep on schedule does not sound reasonable. Perhaps he is able to severely limit his patient load.

Re: your Sept. 19 articles, “House approves plan to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure� and “Government urged to do more to fix ailing credit�:

Home ownership has always been a risk investment. The market goes up, you gain; the market goes down, you lose.

Wednesday’s articles talk about the House passing a bill to help bail out those who might be losing their home to foreclosure, and the CEO from Countrywide urging the government to step in with help for borrowers.

Re: your Sept. 20 article, “Iraq tour bill stalls in the Senate�:

Since 9/11, I've been bombarded with propaganda that the Republican Party supports our troops more than Democrats. In turn, the Democrats, for fear of Americans believing it to be the truth, have in most cases been terrorized to speak out about the war for fear of being defeated in the upcoming election.

Re: your Sept. 20 article, "Legislators seek to stop strict new rules on kids’ health insurance�:

The article stated, "Democrats in Congress are working to stop the Bush administration from enforcing rigid new standards for a children’s health insurance program that critics say could seriously impede California’s efforts to provide coverage for more families." If the Democrats are successful, they will "seriously impede" individual freedom.

The letters on immigration The Star has published have been interesting in that they display more than mere support of laws regarding illegal immigration. Some of them were expressions of hatred.

For example, look at Jim McHarg's Sept. 19 letter, "It's Bank of 'America.’� His complaints were emotionally based, not based on legality. The bank is not violating the law by displaying signs in Spanish. It is serving its customers, a great majority of whom speak Spanish, much in the same way it allows seniors and people with disabilities to be served first. As long as individuals with hatred lead the way in complicated immigration issues, rationale is absent from the discussion.

Re: Jim McHarg’s Sept. 19 letter, “It’s Bank of ‘America’�:

McHarg chastised the Bank of America for its bilingual deposit slips. I thought we'd gotten past that, but I guess I was wrong.

America is truly a pluralistic society. Our language reflects that. For example, "Hueneme" is a Chumash word. The Chumash were in Ventura County several thousand years before anyone else. "Santa Paula" came from Spain via Mexico. "Aqueduct" came from Italy and the Latin language.

Re: Elton Gallegly’s Sep. 16 article, “Simple steps would reduce illegal immigration�:

Gallegly’s is a minority view expressed by a habitual repeat political artist. It’s 11 years of verbalization that the 24th Congressional District voters must love to hear. The representative's membership on subcommittees and his authorship of major legislation concerning illegal immigration is zero. His professional experience includes real estate broker, with a minor as mayor and member of the City Council of Simi Valley.

Re: your Sept. 19 article, “Church to be billed for costs of protest�:

Is the Simi Valley city manager going to charge Waste Management or Bill Davis directly when protesters start showing up at the Simi Valley landfill?

— Michael Stein, Newbury Park

It is ludicrous for the Simi Valley City Council to bill an entity for costs incurred for an incident it did not stage. It cannot even be equated to a loud-party disturbance caused by the host and guests.

If anyone should be billed, it should be the demonstrators, but, of course, they would be more difficult to sue, much less bill, and the message sent would be counter to the one the City Council wants sent.

Re: your Sept. 19 article, “Church to be billed for costs of protest�:

So, the city of Simi has billed this tiny church $40,000 for police protection that the 80-member United Church of Christ did not request. Say what?

It was others who chose to share their feelings about the New Sanctuary Movement in a menacing and possibly illegal demonstration.

Re: your Sept. 20 editorial, “1st Amendment? It will cost you�:

Once again, the editorial board of The Star has decided to side against those who are attempting to contain the illegal alien problem. Every time any question comes up on the issue, The Star consistently sides with the Greek chorus of "open borders" advocates.

Re: Sherman Mullin’s Sept. 18 letter “Do-nothing Congress�:

The facts speak louder and more clearly than uninformed accusations.

U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly was the first Republican to get a bill signed into law this year. He was a leader in killing the immigration amnesty bill of 2007.

Gallegly chaired an immigration task force and, although the resulting comprehensive immigration bill did not carry his name, most of its provisions were the result of Gallegly's work.

Re: your Sept. 20 article, “Boy, 12, hit by a truck dies of his injuries�:

I write this with great pain.

Travis Hansen was our neighbor and will be sincerely missed. He was such a happy boy, full of life, always bringing a smile to everyone’s face.

Our family is grieving along with Travis’ parents and siblings. Words cannot express the level of sorrow this brings to all of us. I truly believe Travis’ spirit lives on and we will someday meet again.

Re: your Sept. 14 article, “Portions of forest may be closed�:

I am concerned about the closure of our public lands on the pretense that it costs too much to "maintain" them. These places belong to us, the American people, and it is wrong to prevent our access to our recreational areas.

The budgets are not enough to maintain them because there are too many “chiefs� and not enough “regular guys.� The article mentions the Los Padres National Forest recreation planner and "landscape architect.� That intimates a salary that’s too much for our limited budgets.

Re: your Sept. 16 article, “Collision with a ship killed massive whale, researchers say�:

Ironic that North Star Natural Gas takes us out on a nice public relations cruise Sept. 13 to whale watch and visit Platform Grace. Then Sunday, The Star announces that a huge blue whale washed ashore was apparently killed by a collision with a ship.

Re: Manuel M. Lopez’s Sept. 20 commentary, “Split Oxnard? Who benefits?�:

The former mayor talks about Oxnard being what it is because of efforts and time spent by many citizens throughout the city. I don't know about that, but I do know that decisions made from council, with the exception of Councilman Tim Flynn, have virtually destroyed Oxnard.

When Simi Valley police invested 500 working hours in monitoring the vigilante mob threatening the United Church of Christ, they probably overreacted, but it's up to their judgment to decide that. But for the city to send a $40,000 bill to the victim rather than the perpetrators is just downright ludicrous.

If the city does not want to be a city of sanctuary, they should disregard the church's claim of immunity and simply invade the church, grab up the alien, and deport her. That probably wouldn't have cost $40,000 in tax dollars, I'm just guessing.

— Kathi Smith, Ojai

Re: your Sept. 12 article, “Supervisors OK disposal of sludge at area landfill�:

The health of our Santa Clara Valley children is already at risk from the agricultural region’s occasional unhealthy chemical air and old orchard-burning habits. Asthmatic numbers are rising. How will we deal with our city’s already-existing environmental and health concerns and the potential additions of polluted air and water from these proposed asphalt and sludge entities?

President Bush has given his OK to Mexican trucks traveling on our highways. There is the trucking that will be going north into our country, but there also are our trucks going down to Mexico with our goods.

Who owns the trains that haul trucks? If each company were required to put a certain percentage of their trucks on the rails, it would save millions of dollars on highway construction.

Re: your Sept. 15 article, “Beached whale will be buried�:

We packed the kids up and headed to Faria Beach to see the beached whale. Upon arrival, there were a number of viewers parking on the mountain side of the road. The whale had attracted a big crowd. Sheriff deputies arrived shortly thereafter with sirens and lights blaring.

Re: Wendy Dager’s Sept. 13 column, “Pampered dogs, and husbands, can sometimes get cranky�:

I have worked at a local mail store for the past 7½ years, and for the past couple of years, I have seen more and more small critters being toted around in customers' handbags.

Re: your Sept. 16 article, "Planned new stormwater restrictions cost millions":

According to this article, costs to cover the proposed stormwater regulations vary from $60 to $400 per household in Ventura County. Well, how about we raise something in the middle of that amount by each household (not even each person) skipping a latte (or equivalent) at Starbucks once a week in return for clean water?

We recently received a letter from Linda Parks, supervisor for the 2nd District, and were strongly urged to vote and voice our opinion of the precious wetlands.

We have lived across the street of the wetlands for 30 years. We have seen many unusual wildlife species call this their seasonal home. It is a rare gift to observe and appreciate the nature side of our busy lives.

The way people go about trying to get signatures to put something on a ballot is very disrespectful.

As a shopper of Target and other stores in Moorpark, I have never encountered such rude, ignorant people demanding signatures. If you choose not to sign — and by the way, being that this is America, you have a choice — they yell racial slurs, mutter under their breath and intimidate people going in and out of the store. One man said as a lady was leaving — a lady who was juggling a baby and a cart and who happened to have olive skin — "You want to loose your casa or have it be like Mexico?" The funny part is, I know that woman, and she is Italian!

The Conejo Recreation and Park District has done a good job of providing Thousand Oaks residents with some of the best urban and rural parks of any community. However, with the Rancho Potrero project, CRPD is proposing to combine both urban and rural activities right next to each other in the same park! Why?

Re: Lynn H. Maxson’s Sept. 17 letter, “Who pays for healthcare?�

The American healthcare system cannot be compared to the European socialist system for the following reasons:

The American system is a for-profit system that has delivered state-of-the-art medical technology and the best-trained doctors in the industrialized world. I have been involved in healthcare as a safety consultant for 30 years. I have witnessed our system performing miracles on a daily basis.

Re: Terry Paulson’s Sept. 17 essay, “The stalemate continues�:

The Democrats do have "enough votes to cut off funding for the war." They have a majority in the House and well more than 40 votes in the Senate. Hence, they may simply refuse to act on requests for funding for Iraq. They have not done this yet, but they may well soon need to.

Re: Bill Dennison’s Sept. 16 commentary, “Thinning trees helps environment�:

Dennison ignores scientific research in favor of timber industry rhetoric by falsely asserting that intensively logging old trees will minimize wildfire and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Some of the myths perpetuated in Dennison’s commentary:

Myth 1: Managed forests don’t burn.

In light of what has occurred in Iraq over the last few years, and having heard our president’s brief speech and comments, all I can say is that whoever succeeds him, be it a man or woman, I would not want to walk in his or her shoes — even if they fit.

If the Iraqi government were the only problem, that would be one thing; however, there are so many problems that it’s hard to put a time span on our involvement. President Bush will not leave a pleasant legacy to follow.

— Gary Traxler, Camarillo

Re: your Sept. 14 article, “Portions of forest may be closed�:

The larger and more insidious aspect of this trend is the current administration’s push to privatize public lands by promoting private concessionaires and private, for-profit uses on public land. Congress consistently fails to adequately fund the U.S. Forest Service to maintain public facilities. The hidden agenda of many members of Congress is to “starve the beast� by underfunding public institutions, thereby turning more and more public land and facilities over to private entities to be run for profit rather than for the public good.

Re: your Sept. 17 article, “Protesters target Simi church:�

Thanks to all the American patriots who showed up Sunday to protest the illegal sanctuary movement being played out in Simi Valley. Hopefully, it’s this type of action that will someday help to bring an end to the rampant crime, overstressed healthcare system and failed education system that illegal immigration has brought to the Southland.

Re: your Sept. 17 article, “Protesters target Simi church:�

This is what happens when a church decides it is going to be a trailblazer and try to sell lawlessness to Ventura County by using an emotional situation as fuel.

Re: your Sept. 15 editorial, “ Better ways to effect change�:

How dare The Star have the audacity to criticize American citizens when they stand up for their rights.

I noticed The Star was applauding the illegal aliens when they had a protest march in Los Angeles, but it dares to criticize us for exercising our rights as citizens.

Re: your Sept. 17 article, “Protesters target Simi church:�

I was shocked and appalled at the photo of Robin Hvidston screaming at or about a Hispanic mother (Liliana) and her baby that had taken sanctuary at a Simi Valley church.

The hate in her face reminds me of that famous 1960s photo showing a white woman screaming at the back of a 15-year-old black girl who was trying to integrate an all-white school in the South.

Re: Elton Gallegly’s Sept. 16 commentary, “Simple steps would reduce illegal immigration�:

Gallegly lied to his constituents in his commentary. He claimed that 30 percent of our federal prison population is made up of undocumented immigrants. That 30 percent claim is contradicted by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Gallegly is wildly inaccurate.
Also, undocumented immigrants have lower incarceration rates as a percentage of their population than U.S. citizens.

Re: your Sept. 12 article, “Supervisors OK disposal of sludge at area landfill�:

I am very angry. Why are the elected members of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors approving of Santa Paula being the ongoing recipient of their “special projects?� Why is sewage waste going to be dumped at Toland Road Landfill near Santa Paula?

What did we elect them for if they are proving inadequate in not more evenly distributing these “necessary projects� throughout the rest of the county?

As a daily commuter to Santa Barbara I see firsthand the need for public transportation in the area.

A few years ago I discovered the Vista bus, an inexpensive and almost convenient way to get to and from Santa Barbara each day. I used to take the bus as often as four days a week, but no more.

As gas prices rose, so did the number of riders, to a point where the buses are turning people away because there are no more seats. So myself and others, I'm sure, are back to driving our own cars each day.

We want to attract tourists, right? And maybe also keep our residents happy? Perhaps.

Right before Labor Day, I went walking with my family on the promenade in Ventura. To my discomfort, I saw trash all over the place, filthy restrooms and enormous uncontrolled crowds. Bicycles were everywhere, and two nearly crashed in to me.

At least three gangs were present, with obvious signs, and there was clear-cut alcohol activity. Needless to say, there were dozens of street people, many in apparent need of social services. Many seemed chronically indigent, the so-called “hard core.� I felt pity and guilt.

Re: Allen Byrne’s Sept. 14 commentary, “War is winnable; economy is working�:

Admittedly, I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer, so I have to look at things more pragmatically than others, and I have problems making sense of Byrne.

Re: U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly’s Sept. 16 commentary, “Simple steps would reduce illegal immigration�:

So Elton Gallegly has introduced 12 bills this year targeting illegal immigration. He fails to mention that none of them has passed and that none is likely to pass. He is a member of a Congress that for the last three years has been one of the least ineffective in recent history.

Gallegly has written at length about what could happen. In December he should write about what he has accomplished this year. It will probably be a very short article.

— Sherman N. Mullin, Oxnard

So, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger now has the National Rifle Association, the gun nuts and the animal killers sucking on his jugular vein. Wonder how that feels!

The man who vowed to be the governor "of the people" and to work for the people is actually a flunky of special interests. Under pressure, including a letter from 34 Republicans, he asked for the resignation of a Department of Fish and Game commissioner who was in favor of banning lead bullets that have caused the deaths of so many endangered condors.

Re: U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly’s Sept. 16 commentary, “Simple steps would reduce illegal immigration�:

This piece made me wonder if any congressional districts other than the 24th wish to do anything about our illegal immigration problem.

I travel extensively and never cease to wonder why at every border I must produce a passport and often a visa to enter that country. Our airport security and shipyard cargo x-rays are all for naught if we cannot control our borders and if millions continue to cross while little or nothing is done in Congress to stop it.

Re: your Sept. 15 editorial, “Better ways to effect change�:

I thank The Star for its editorial on the urgent need for humane and comprehensive immigration reform to be completed now by our U.S. Congress. This is indeed where the focus must now be — not on the churches doing God's work, nor on the family tragedies caught up in our dreadful system as it currently exists.

I had a very disturbing experience on the way to a meeting at a friend’s house. In an odd way, it led me to realize what kind and decent young people we have in our valley.
I parked legally, on a public street, not blocking a driveway, mailbox or pathway to the house. An older man came out and asked, “Can I help you?� It turns out to be code for, “This is my street and you are not welcome on it.�

In the dead of winter 2006, Russia’s natural gas giant, Gazprom, flexed its muscles and reduced the flow of natural gas to the frozen Ukraine. Brought to its knees, Ukraine quickly acceded to Russia’s demand — a fourfold price increase — from $50 to $230 per 1,000 cubic meters.

January, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei suggested Iran and Russia create a gas cartel, whereby an entity can control supply and prices. The following month, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Qatar’s emir agreed to discuss the cartel idea.

Re: Wanda Castel de Oro’s Sept. 12 letter, “Tortoise a concern�:

This writer came right to the point about a living thing that could not fend for itself. It's very scary when a full-grown adult — I use the word “adult� loosely — reduces himself to attacking a poor defenseless tortoise and then further disgraces Bob by calling him a turtle.

Well, what about Bob? Bob is the true victim of a demented person who has no value for living creatures that are not able to stand up to protect themselves. Unfortunately, we cannot turn the tables on Jose Mosqueda.

Re: your Sept. 15 editorial, “Better ways to effect change�:

Bravo to The Star’s editorial writers! They spoke beautifully in observing: "Those who would picket church members for doing what church members do — helping people ("inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me," Matthew: 40) — are right up there with war protesters who picket funerals of U.S. troops."

Re: your Sept. 4 article, “BMX bike track nears completion�:

This article about the new BMX track opening in Camarillo hit a nerve. It sounds like a lot of red tape and finger-pointing by the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District board members. Having to wait a full year for the grant funds to be available, then three changes in the general managers? Hmmm. Having to wait a year for the district to finally install the lights? What was happening to those funds while all this was going on? How can Patty Hamm be disappointed, since she’s the chairwoman?

Re: your Sept. 14 article, “’New’ Iraq plan rings familiar�:

I picked up the Sept. 14 newspaper from my driveway, pulled it out of the plastic sleeve and, on the top of the front page, saw the following headline in bold print: "'New' Iraq plan rings familiar" and the sub-headline, "Al-Qaida, patience themes heard from Bush before."

Obviously, with the type face — and the fact that the story was placed above the fold — this was the big story for the day. So why was there seemingly opinion in the headline and sub-headline?

President Bush was talking to us the other night about Iraq. I had a little difficulty following what exactly he was saying because it seemed that I'd heard it all before.

What he did, though, was to remind me of what Franklin D. Roosevelt said in his 1941 State of the Union address to Congress, that “everyone in the world ought to enjoy four freedoms," one of which was freedom from fear.

Well, we sure are getting just the opposite from the current resident of the White House.

Recently I noticed graffiti on the wall along Highway 23. After years of waiting for the 23 expansion, what we have gotten is a dreadfully dull wall, without color variation, pattern or interesting design. No allowance was made for plantings that soften the look and relieve the monotony. It is a wall begging for something.

— Carmela Elsley, Thousand Oaks

Re: your Sept. 6 article, “Man pleads no contest in tortoise abuse�:

It is so distressing to read about what the Sullivan family has suffered at the hands of Jose Mosqueda, the 18-year-old who mutilated their tortoise. His attorney assures us that he "feels horrible about what happened" and that "he's apologized, then someone — possibly Mosqueda's collaborators or, at minimum, his sympathizers — poisons and kills the Sullivans’ small dog. Both pets were crucial to the health and happiness of the Sullivans’ young child, who suffers from autism.

Re: your Sept. 15 editorial, “Better ways to effect change�:

While I might well agree that protesting onsite is a waste of time, I am absolutely appalled that The Star could justify a flagrant disregard of the laws of the United States by reference to Matthew: 40. The Star’s ivory tower "intellect" then compares war protesters picketing the funerals of fallen heroes to those who picket supporters of illegal activity!

Re: your Sept. 15 editorial, “Better ways to effect change�:

I read with great interest The Star's editorial regarding the plight of illegal aliens into our country and, more importantly, into our state and city.

I take offense to the comparison of the protesters practicing their civil liberties to the protesters of a military funeral. How can The Star equate the death of a hero to a person who has committed a crime and has not worked within the system but has enjoyed the freedoms our soldiers have sacrificed their lives for?

Why should millions of Americans who disagree with Planned Parenthood's agenda, specifically abortion and contraception, be forced to subsidize this organization through our tax dollars?

For the fiscal year 2005-2006, Planned Parenthood received more than $300 million of our tax dollars.

Anti-immigration protesters were gathered in Simi Valley on Sunday to protest at a local church that is harboring a young, illegal immigrant mother with an infant while her case winds its way through the legal system.

Why not protest in front of the county jail, where 30 to 60 percent of the real criminals are illegal immigrants? Or in front of the legislators who can really do something about the policies? Why pick on the absolutely most vulnerable segment of any country’s population, mother and infant?

I feel, because I am living in America, that when I bank in America, I should not have to use deposit slips that are written in Spanish and English, where the letters that are in Spanish are larger than the letters that are in English. I also should not have to read a large advertisement written in Spanish on a wall inside the branch. I also should not have to listen to the staff speak loudly to the customers in Spanish.

Bank of America should have the deposit slips replaced with English only written on them. It should remove the large advertisement and have its staff speak in English only at its Moorpark Road and Janss Road branch.

The House of Representatives passed an “energy package� Aug. 4. A 15 percent renewable electricity standard by 2020 is included. I thank the House for doing so.
But, giving 13 years for our electric companies to figure out how to use solar power so they can make a profit is too little of an amount in too long of a time.

I know most of the people sitting in “power� chairs have to play favorites for the money they receive for their next campaign, but, come on, 13 years?

I know global warming is real. Who and what causes it should not even be the focus anymore. We need less profit and more action.

Re: Dan Siefert’s Aug. 30 letter, “Healthcare is never free�:

Siefert at least implicitly agrees that Terry Paulson should stay away from "finance, economics and international relations." He shares with Paulson that unique quality of shill, parroting the Republican spin on ideas and events. Otherwise why would he refer to a government-administered payment system to privately owned and operated medical practices as "socialized medicine," a new meaning for an old shibboleth?

Re: Clifford D. May’s Sept. 13 commentary, “What would Churchill do about the war in Iraq?�:

It’s not a "war" in Iraq, it’s a counterinsurgency. This is a "thinking-man’s war" because "you can’t kill your way out," according to Gen. David Petraeus. May ignores this crucial distinction and implies that Winston Churchill, today, would fight on.

Re: Barbara Vernon’s Sept. 13 letter, “Remembering our ancestors�:

Our ancestors didn't just buy a ticket, get on a ship and arrive on the shores of the New World. They had to apply for passage, have identification and be examined by a doctor to see if they were sick or had a disease, and they were documented when they embarked upon a ship. When they arrived in the New World, they were quarantined, examined again and documented when they disembarked from the ship. They generally had to apply for citizenship within 10 years of their arrival. When they traveled across the Great Plains, they were documented again. The laws were just as stringent then as they are now.

Re: your Sept. 6 article, "Paul stands alone on Iraq war policy at Republican debate":

Rep. Ron Paul has voted against the Iraq war from the beginning. He believes it has been a total mistake, and "our troops should just come home."

In response, journalist Chris Wallace asked him the most impertinent question yet, whether this means we should take our marching orders from al-Qaida. Paul answered: "No! We should take our marching orders from our Constitution. We should not go to war without a declaration" by Congress.

In these days of political rhetoric, we hear and read a lot about how the United States departing Vietnam caused wholesale slaughter in South Vietnam and nationwide killing in Cambodia by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.

Re: your July 4 article, “Doctor to face board in patient sex case,� and your Sept. 12 article, “Board puts doctor on 7 years of probation�:

Recently The Star printed a story about a local professional man who had a sexual affair with one of his patients. It was consensual and brief — two encounters — between two needy people.

Now The Star is printing the story again with startling large headlines. Each time, the man's name is revealed; each time the woman's name is not revealed.

It's no surprise that real estate foreclosure sales are up 784 percent.

The boom was ending in the first quarter of 2003 but got extended artificially when the mortgage industry decided to bring unqualified buyers into the marketplace with subprime loans. This created an impression that real estate prices had a foundation, and the qualified buyers got sucked in along with the rest.

We now hear from those people who make a living selling real estate that this is the time to buy. Not true! Home prices will go down a whole lot more over the next 12 to 18 months as the vast majority of these "teaser" loans readjust.

The Mountclef Ridge Wildlife Corridor case is not about property rights. It is about abiding by the building codes and laws and defining clearly the interpretation of these laws and the associated terms used — for example, the word “undevelopable,� which this parcel has been defined as in the land use element plan.

It is also about sticking with the city's philosophy of providing a ring of open space for the movement of animals between the national forests. The city slipped some during the late 1990s because it was busy fighting itself and was not watching the land use element plan or the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency’s open-space purchase recommendations.

The recent excursion of CBS' Katie Couric to Iraq was an apparent, and deserved, ratings disaster.

Aside from her having never been, is not now, and never will be a credible journalist, anchors from any of the networks have no — repeat no — business in Iraq. Their being flown to report from the latest disaster or big news story is a blatant and transparent attempt to impress their viewers with how "on top of the news" they are. In fact, they have no local sources, as do the current "beat" reports assigned to those areas, and they can provide no better information than those already assigned.

Re: Timm Herdt’s Sept. 12 essay, “Militants in tennis shoes�:

The essay highlighted the efforts of the California Nurses Association to push for a single-payer healthcare system. While there are, unfortunately, many stories like that of John Graham, who is ill and does not currently have healthcare coverage, the government-run model being advocated would only make the problems he experienced even more common.

Aug. 11 marked the fifth annual National Night Out celebration in the city of Thousand Oaks. On National Night Out, neighborhoods across the country host block parties to express unity against crime and drugs. This year, Neighborhood Watch groups, the Area Housing Authority and Many Mansions organized 19 parties throughout Thousand Oaks, generating the participation of 2,700 residents.

Re: your Aug. 26 article, “Faster cars force need to increase speed limits�:

I was horrified to learn that the automobile industry and the most-aggressive minority of our drivers are dictating our speed limits in California. As I understand the state (anti-speed trap) law, if 16 percent of the drivers exceed the speed limit, police cannot use radar as a basis for issuing speeding tickets. Thus, we feel compelled to raise the speed limit in response. In effect, owners of high-performance cars have a right to drive at whatever speed they and their cars can manage.

Re: your Aug. 30 editorial, “Bare cupboards�:

The Star posted a serious request of its readers to donate to Care & Share, a self-supporting food bank in the county. Plenty of details on the needs of the group, as well as its service to the community, were provided, along with donation requirements.

Re: your Sept. 8 editorial, "Left at the station":

This editorial started with an excellent premise of state-of-the-art European high-speed rail service and our overloaded airports and highways, flight delays and lost luggage. However, it then got lost in a bit of silliness by suggesting that we build high-speed rail just to show that we can do it.

What a ridiculous direction of wishful thinking.

I would like to comment on the recent emergency preparedness event held Sept. 8 at Harding Park in Santa Paula.

Re: your Sept. 11 editorial cartoon:

The latest in a continuing stream of "blame America first" propaganda with The Star’s editorial cartoons just sent me over the edge. This “cartoon" on the anniversary of the greatest terrorist attack against our United States of America is next to treasonous. It depicts Osama bin Laden thumbing his nose at the White House with the American flag turned upside-down. This is the height of anti-American rhetoric.

I am writing about my experience with a Ventura County program called the Regional Occupational Program.

I have wanted to be a medical assistant. I really love to help people who are sick. That's why I went to ROP. Actually, I had a choice of going to Oxnard College or Ventura College, but the ROP location was really close to my house. That's why I chose ROP for taking the medical assistant program.

Hollywood receives most of its revenue from outside the United States. What sells big is anti-American propaganda, and Hollywood is out to make a buck. This will be the end of America, and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it from happening.

— Jim Mirick, Ventura

My family immigrated to this country in the mid-1600s, when we did not have the restricted and biased immigration laws we have today. They probably came without papers of documentation saying that it was legal for them to be here.

I have always been proud of the poem at the base of the Statue of Liberty:
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Re: Erik Bernstein’s Sept. 6 letter, “Don’t hate immigrants�:

Illegal immigrants are here unlawfully. They are here against the law.

Do we really want those who won't submit to the discipline of following rules and who come here illegally to remain without proper jurisdiction? The children of these illegals are the hardest hit. They are set back for not learning the language and becoming part of this society. Then the kids join gangs. The gangs do nothing but loiter and look for trouble, and mayhem follows. They fill our jails, deplete our charities, and cry on their parents’ shoulders that they are being put down.

Re: your Sept. 9 article, “Hundreds attend party for Anna Nicole’s daughter�:

Dannielynn turns 1. It is bad enough that this poor child's mother died in an "accidental� overdose, but now we are making her a spectacle. She is 1 year old and has had a larger party than most have in one lifetime. She is destined for a life of attention and drama, to say the least.

Re: your Aug. 30 article, “Los Padres no stranger to fire�:

Your article's table of largest fires strongly supports Jeff Kuyper's and ForestWatch's position.

The 1932 entry for the Matilija fire indicates that accurate records for fire size exist at least for the last 75 years. Had man's policy not interfered with nature, one would expect the largest fires to be evenly distributed throughout that 75-year interval. However, that is not what the data show.

Re: your Sept. 7 article, "$134 million OK'd for area traffic jobs":

The story quoted Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s prepared statement, "Last year the voters spoke loud and clear that we should invest in our transportation system."
The article went on to reveal that the governor took $1.2 billion of the "spillover" money from the public transportation account and put it into the state’s general fund.

Re: your Sept. 11 article, "A halt in grading near ridge is ordered":

Save Open Space/Santa Monica Mountains supports the efforts to preserve the Mountclef Ridge chokepoint. Without this narrow chokepoint, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area will become an island.

The SMMNRA’s mountain lion population is now on the brink of extinction. Mountain lion families have been observed living in the gorge on this property. Acquisition of this property is critical to maintain the movement link of predator populations from the Los Padres Forest to the SMMNRA.

It seems to me that our presence in Iraq is no longer effective. Too many lives have been lost in an effort to protect life, which ends up feeling like a contradiction to me. I realize we must fight for our freedom; however, this cause could potentially never end — and at what cost? The young lives of those who could be our next leaders are now lost to gunfire.

There seems to be no easy way to resolve a lot of our country’s current issues, but war really is not the answer. We must think outside the box and not always rush to judge or try to change something that maybe never will change.

Make no mistake, we are in Iraq for several reasons:

— Test new medical technology and the efficiency of medical evacuations.

— Test new lethal military toys.

— Open up new global markets.

— Use the Pentagon and U.S. troops as energy-resource protectorates.

Re: your Aug. 31 article, “Dad who lost 2 sons asks nation to back effort�:

When I read this headline, I though I would be reading about what Jeff Hubbard, the man whose two sons had died serving our country, had said. Instead, I found in the first half sentence that the real issue was what Jeff Hubbard was not doing — speaking against the war.

When I read news reports, I'd like to read news and only news. Opinions belong in the Opinion section, not in the news section.

— Rodney Sinclair, Thousand Oaks

No wonder Gen. David Petraeus has a chest full of medals for bravery. It took real guts to tell Congress that things are improving in Iraq, on a day when nine American soldiers died. But if you think that took guts, consider what it took to tell Congress that he hadn't cleared his testimony with the White House.

I know there are penalties for contempt of Congress. What are the penalties for contempt of the American people?

— Marvin Petal, Oxnard

What a dog and pony show Gen. David Petraeus put on in front of Congress on Monday! His sleight of hand was very neat indeed.

During his rosy report of how nice things are in Iraq — he made me want to vacation there — he even referred to the possibility of drawing down our troop levels in the near future. Everything sounded great until you read published reports and then really listened to what he said.

I have watched with close inspection the current U.S. Senate hearing on Iraq and the questioning of Ambassador Ryan Crocker and Gen. David Petraeus. The process was extremely moving, as history was in the making and was unfolding before our eyes and ears.

Regardless of one's ideology, the debate during the examination by senators of all persuasions and political viewpoints, as well as the testimony by two most experienced professionals on such a critical issue, has been consuming, enlightening, yet exhausting.

Re: your Sept. 8 Pa Ventura item, “To Americans�:

I have to disagree with Pa Ventura regarding the Bush administration being overzealous in pursuit of security. On the contrary, President Bush has done nothing to protect our borders, and neither has our inept Congress. We do not know who is coming into our country and who is already here.

Re: your Sept. 7 letter, “Flags belong in class�:

Lea Glaus Stevens asks, "Where is the respect for America and her flag?" I think he is looking in the wrong place.

It's not the flag in the classroom that is important, it is the example that each American sets.

Re: Thomas D. Elias’ Sept. 6 commentary, “Another form of price deception at the gas pump�:

Kudos to Mr. Elias! He has uncovered a most pernicious and ever-expanding Big Oil foray into our innocent wallets. Finally, the true reason for U.S.-caused global warming makes sense!

Silly me, I thought the only advantage of an early-morning fill-up was a just-cleaned restroom.

Re: your Sept. 7 letters, “Gay pride�:

As the proud mother of a gay son, I was delighted to see the positive responses in the letters section. For sure, I agree with them as to the fact that "family" means a group of people who love and care for one another, and it makes no difference what title or sex they happen to be.

Tire air pressure and plastic airfoils for trucks are going to stop global warming? I don't think so.

What about forest fires? The average amount of forest and brush lands consumed by fire every year in America is 2.7 million acres. This year more than 3.3 million acres have been lost to fires so far. That's more carbon dioxide than from all the cars in the United States. Where is the Sierra Club — the tree huggers extraordinaire — when we need them? Oh, they're protesting at Home Depot stores. Al Gore is selling carbon credits. But what good is it if 100 trees burn down for every one he plants?

Re: John O’Connor’s Sept. 5 letter, “Gays not family-friendly�:

Reading this letter, it once again it becomes abundantly clear why an event like the Ventura Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Festival needs to happen.

Just to add one more comment to the Gay Pride Festival and family-orientation issue that has sprung up recently, I thought to mention a family experience we had while river rafting this summer.

Re: your Sept. 7 article, “Housing doldrums won’t end yet�:

The current housing market in Ventura County is a tremendous opportunity for buyers, particularly those who are first-time buyers, veterans and those who have not owned a primary residence in the last three years.

Re: your Sept. 9 article, “Life choices�:

The medical profession is more than willing to put people through many and varied tests for fertility, most often not covered by insurance. And when their testing shows little or no chance of naturally conceiving or carrying a baby, it turns around and displays the showcase of "new" and "tried-and-true" — read “even more costly� — procedures to try. And, more often than not, the person or couple bites and spends more money and more time in an attempt to conceive, with no guarantee of success.

Re: Sara Brody’s Sept. 9 Pulse page commentary, “Middle Hell�:

Sara has hit the target with me. My daughter asked to be taken out of middle school after the first year. Her reasons were so compelling (lack of consequences when students disrupted class, lack of motivating class subjects) that we started looking for alternatives.

California has a critical need for clean and affordable energy sources. Without prompt passage of AB1451, the development of the new technologies that will allow us to move away from dependence on nonrenewable sources will be set back, possibly for years. Without the addition of utility-scale solar installations featured in this bill, a whole new industry will fail to be created.

We are perplexed to find this bill, which passed unanimously in the Assembly, stalled in the Senate, even though it is designed to give a boost to the existing AB32 and the California Solar Initiative.

Re: your Sept. 9 Pulse page, “Surviving school�:

I read the three commentaries by Sara Brody, Jill Brody and Judith Smith.

Sara Brody's commentary brought up memories of my then 7-year-old son's painful experiences in his public school. When I read Jill Brody's piece and came to her remarks about No Child Left Behind, the anger returned.

Re: Sara Brody’s Sept. 9 Pulse page commentary, “Middle hell�:

The memories came flooding back as I read 14-year-old Sara Brody's poignant letter and diary. I, too, was a smart, creative and quirky teen who never did fit in well within the confines of the public education system.

Hold onto your hats! Very soon, you will be replacing roof shingles and chasing backyard umbrellas because your windbreaks on Ventura and Pleasant Valley roads will be reduced to stacks of firewood. Yep, once again, my favorite uncle has decided to use thousands and thousands of taxpayer dollars to annihilate an issue rather than a few hundred dollars to solve it. Three-hundred arboreal bastions of oxygen production along Ventura and Pleasant Valley roads are slated to be shredded by chainsaws. It’s funny to be able to afford the manpower to kill them, but not be able to afford tree surgeons to heal and manage them.

Re: Marganne Winter Oxley’s Aug. 22 letter, “English only please�:

Oxley asks, "Isn't English the official language of the United States of America?"

That would be no. No official language is mentioned or even contemplated in the U.S. Constitution. But her question does bring to mind a joke I once heard:

What do you call a person who speaks two languages? Bilingual.

Re: Marganne Winter Oxley’s Aug. 22 letter, “English only please�:

Oxley posed the following question: "Isn't English the official language of the United States?" The answer is a most emphatic "no." There is no official language in this country.

The Founding Fathers discussed the most important issues of the day in French, not English, as a fluency in French was considered a prerequisite for inclusion into the class of persons deemed qualified for office.

Will all of the environmental zealots concerning the Santa Susana Field Laboratory site in Simi Valley wake up to economic reality? If you owned a polluted piece of property that had a high market value of $100 million and the cost of cleaning it up to the minimal level was $50 million — but even at that level of cleanup the transfer of the property would be prohibited — economic reality would require that you expend a minimum effort in order to spread out the $50 million loss over a maximum period.

Re: your Sept. 7 article, "Housing doldrums won't end yet":

The Star persists in leading with bad news when it could help the local economy by leading with good news in the same article. Unfortunately, The Star chose to put the good news at the end of its front-page article on housing where it could easily be missed.

Re: your Sept. 2 Pulse page, “Hardest-working people nominated in Ventura County�:

I read the article about Bob Thompson sent in by his mother, Gertrude Lovelace.
Bob’s father, Bill Thompson, played taps on the trumpet at the Memorial Day services at the Bardsdale Cemetery every year for 30 years. When Bill passed away, son Bob became the trumpeter during this solemn remembrance of our veterans at the cemetery for the next 24 years. Total for the Thompson family: 54 years.

— Marge LeBard, Fillmore
(The writer is a former member of the board of the Bardsdale Cemetery District. — Editor)

Re: your Sept. 6 article, “Man pleads no contest in tortoise abuse�:

I just read the update on Jose "Tony" Mosqueda regarding his torture of Bob the tortoise. His sister, Celia Ramirez, commented, "We don't really care about the turtle."

Mosqueda steals the tortoise — not turtle — mutilates it, repeatedly throws it against a wall and dumps it to die in agony. Now he has pleaded no contest.

Re: your Sept. 2 Pulse page, “Hardest-working people nominated in Ventura County�:

Reading all those letters about overachievers was exhausting. I had to take a nap. I'm an elderly retiree who shuffles along at one RPM and doesn’t do anything today that I can’t put off for a month. Work? Ugh! How distasteful, vulgar, obscene. Have these people no morals? Never mind that I should have been born rich. I need another nap.

— William Wolny, Oxnard

Now is the time for our elected officials in Sacramento to act and pass real reform that makes healthcare affordable. The excuse of marathon budget proceedings not leaving time for meaningful healthcare reform is unacceptable.

Another year of inaction is exactly what opponents of reform like Blue Cross want. With more than 6.6 million Californians without health insurance — nearly 20 percent of the state — and even more of us who see our premiums rising and our benefits falling, elected officials in Sacramento must act this year to pass healthcare reform.

Re: John O’Conner’s Sept. 5 letter, “Gays not family-friendly,� and Robert D. Wilson’s Sept. 5 letter, “Festival or seminar?�:

I do not agree with the individuals who wrote to express their negative opinions about the Gay Pride parade. Along with these writers, many others in faith communities publicly judge, criticize and persecute other people's choices that go against their religious beliefs, and I can only see more hate, violence and separation these opinions will provoke.

One of Sen. Larry Craig’s lawyers, Stanley Brand, has said the Senate has no business looking into the conduct of one of its own following Craig’s guilty plea in connection with an airport men’s room sex sting.

An unbroken line of precedents dating back 220 years makes clear the Senate does not consider misdemeanor private conduct to be a fit subject of inquiry.

“We ought to seek to have the committee dismiss this outright,� Brand said of a Senate ethics panel’s investigation. “The Republican leadership called for an ethics investigation that had nothing to do with his office.�

Re: your Sept. 1 article, “Legal action is filed over traffic initiative�:

I read, with interest, about the legal debate heating up regarding the Oxnard Traffic Initiative. As a resident and voter in Oxnard, I want to know that any issue being presented to me is the truth. If the title and summary of the initiative is inaccurate, it needs to be fixed. Accuracy is important.

Re: Robert D. Wilson’s Sept. 5 letter, “Festival or seminar?�

Mr. Wilson’s letter in reaction to the recent ninth annual family-oriented lesbian and gay pride celebration sponsored by the Ventura County Rainbow Alliance hardly requires a response. It’s just another tired rendition of the same old hate-spewing script composed by fanatical far-right elements demonizing those who currently occupy the “them� classification (as defined by Karl Rove) in order to galvanize the “us� into political action within the voter booth. It’s political scare tactics, plain and simple.

Re: John O'Conner's Sept. 5 letter, “Gays not family-friendly,� and Robert D. Wilson’s Sept. 5 letter, “Festival or seminar?�

I had to check the top of the page to verify my paper was a 2007 edition rather than a 1957 leftover. O'Conner and Wilson used some pretty strong words to describe the Family Gay Pride event and gays and lesbians. Their words included the following:

— “Relationship is barren and even anti-family."

— "Nothing about the gay lifestyle is pro-family or family-friendly."

Re: John O'Conner's Sept. 5 article, "Gays not family-friendly":

Mr. O'Conner stated, “By their own choice, gays and lesbians create relationships that cannot produce children or families." Let me educate Mr. O'Conner. I am the proud aunt of three beautiful nieces created by a "gay" relationship. How dare Mr. O’Conner tell me they are not my family!

— Connie Gajefski, Ventura

Re: Erik Bernstein’s Sept. 6 letter, “Don’t hate immigrants�:

To the letter writer who said get used to having illegal immigrants because there’s nothing you can do about it, I have the following suggestion.

The illegal immigration problem is easy to solve. First, enforce our existing laws, which will make it impossible or at least very difficult for the illegal immigrants to find work. Therefore, they will have no reason to stay here or come here in the first place.

As a visitor to Simi Valley to visit family, I was surprised and greatly disappointed to find that the Rancho Simi Community Park Pool was closed for public swim for the last long holiday weekend of the summer and on the hottest weekend of the year. It was only open for two hours for lap swim. It was closed for a private party. If this is a public park, how can that be? Taxpayer dollars at work?

— Lily S. Horsman, Newtown, Pa.

Oxnard has a lot of important issues, from protecting our neighborhoods against gangs to ensuring that our schools are preparing students for the future. The Oxnard Traffic Initiative hurts us in meeting these priorities.

The initiative doesn’t put one single cent into improving intersections and traffic flow. On the other hand, the Oxnard City Council just increased by 420 percent the money the city charges developers to fix traffic problems. This initiative, because of its requirements, will hurt the city’s ability to collect this money from developers. In fact, the initiative will reduce the city’s ability to generate revenue for our priorities, including protecting our neighborhoods and improving our schools.

Re: Bill Locey’s Aug. 31 review, “A bevy of hits at his fingertips�:

Was Bill Locey at the same Stevie Wonder concert we went to? Or are he and his bored rock snob critic friends just jaded? They actually clapped at a concert?

What brave souls they are to bear with the tediously slow creations of a musical talent not resting on canned reiterations of hits! Imagine, an artist willing to explore musical options — and with a repertoire less than 30 years old — has the audacity to access a variety of music and actually involve an audience in a musical experience that covers a broader range of styles than warmed-over golden oldies!

Solving traffic congestion in Oxnard is a priority issue — there’s no argument about that. I believe people, myself included, would sign an initiative that would effectively lead to resolving the traffic problems in Oxnard and throughout Ventura County.

The problem with the traffic initiative now being circulated for Oxnard voter signatures places the burden of fixing traffic on the city of Oxnard — mainly taxpayers, homeowners and businesses that have already paid for traffic improvements that have not been realized.

Re: your Aug. 28 article, “Church provides shelter to family�:

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement “prioritizes enforcement efforts to best protect national security and promote the public safety of communities throughout the country."

Huh? What possible danger do Elvira Arellano and Liliana, and those like them, pose to any of us? ICE has hardly made a case that tracking down the most vulnerable and the easiest to find is protecting anybody.

Re: Frank Moraga’s Aug. 31 essay, “New immigration debate�:

Mr. Moraga demonstrates a great ignorance of U.S. immigration laws in his essay.
An "immigrant" is only someone who moves to the United States permanently, on a permanent residence visa, also referred to as a "green card." There are more than a dozen types of work visas granted by the U.S. government for people with different qualifications and different situations. But all of them, with the exception of the permanent residence visa, are temporary. Thus, it is impossible for someone to be "waiting with green cards in hand for years to get permanent residence visas," as Mr. Moraga states.

Re: Thomas P.M. Barnett’s Sept. 4 commentary, "Targeting the roots of terrorism in this long war":

Mr. Barnett comments that economist Alan Krueger in his study, "What Makes a Terrorist" derives from "persuasive statistics and analysis" that most terrorists are middle-class and well-educated. Suppressing civil liberties and denying political rights are the twin fomenters. Civil liberties are the linchpin for stability.

I find it hard to believe that so many people who consider themselves true Americans, real members of the community, could be so callous and ignorant to what is really happening to our country.

Illegal immigrants are here to stay, so get used to it! Ever since I can remember, I have seen the people working in our fields and cleaning our lawns. I can remember the people who had the jobs that I would never want.

There is absolutely no doubt that Ventura is one of the most desirable places to live in our country, perhaps the world. Given the glorious weather, the incredible topography, the ocean, and the friendly residents, who could ask for anything more?

Yet with all that we have going for us, there are still some areas that we as a collective citizenry should be aware of and address.

In my opinion, life is about choices and making decisions that can make a positive difference. In other words, let us concentrate on “adding value� to our fair city.

Re: John O’Conner’s Sept. 5 letter, “Gays not family-friendly� and Robert D. Wilson’s Sept. 5 letter, “Festival or seminar�:

I wanted to let the people of Ventura know that not all of us are as non-accepting or harsh in judgment as those who have written letters concerning the Family Gay Pride event.

Re: your Sept. 4 article, "Labor warnings trouble bosses�:

In response to The Star’s article on immigration, in which I am portrayed as a lawbreaking business owner, I would like to set the record straight.

If the authorities are worried about where to house sexual predators after they are let out of prison, maybe the answer is to deport the illegal immigrants that are in the jails to make room for them. Then there may not be a shortage of cells in the jails.

— Dorathy & Alan Hardie, Thousand Oaks

Having spent some 25 years researching and consulting on the lead issue — whether paint, gasoline or toys — it is heartening to see that the United States is watching out for our children whose lives could be impacted by this toxic metal.

With that said, we should realize that lead has provided and continues to provide many benefits to our society.

For example, lead paint is still used on bridges and ocean-going vessels because of its durability. In studies of homes where lead paint is present, it is not the sole source of lead exposure to children, given the impact of leaded gasoline consumption.

Re: your Sept. 4 article, “Lead is casting shadow on parents, children�:

After reading The Star’s excellent article on lead poisoning of children, I feel compelled to draw attention to a very important source of lead for children that is not currently discussed, or, I fear, even known or looked for by many: the lead in lead ammunition.

Lead is a soft metal and currently still in bullets. It fragments into many pieces when an animal is shot with it and can easily be ingested by people who are eating hunter-killed meat.

The plans for a 200-person pavilion and a 100-site parking lot on Rancho Potrero next to Circle K Ranch, is way over the top. The reasons to oppose it are many, but the fact that the proposed structure on the site is referred to as a "party pavilion" by many should alert the Conejo Recreation and Park District and the City Council that this is not a popular plan.

Why are some elected officials intent on ruining a beautiful area with a place for people to get drunk, loud and cause risk to equestrians who ride on trails throughout the site? Have they ever ridden a horse around a wedding party?

It should be obvious to all Americans that the president of Mexico, Felipe Calderon, considers this country an extension of Mexico.

Calderon, in a recent speech, made this amazing statement: "I have said that Mexico does not stop at the border, that wherever there are Mexicans, there is a Mexico."

Calderon's attitude is that by deporting illegals, we are hurting the Mexican economy, and this country is in violation of Mexican nationals’ civil rights.