Re: Bill O’Reilly’s Oct. 27 commentary, “The sun has apparently set on the Sundance Kid�:

O’Reilly, the really good American, seems to view the 70 percent of Americans who see President Bush as the guy who screwed up royally by going into Iraq as bad Americans. And God forbid anyone mention the obvious or make a movie about Bush’s tragic and deadly Iraq boondoggle for fear that the rest of the world will view America negatively.

Re: your Oct. 26 editorial, “A hot tip: Get ready�:

I appreciated The Star's editorial because I firmly believe the sobering news reports we have witnessed in recent days serve notice for us to be prepared locally for the worst, whenever the worst might occur. Fortunately, we have had the opportunity over the past week to learn from others' misfortunes, while helping to provide support to those most affected.

As last week’s wind event transpired, one of the unsung occupations that didn’t receive much public comment was the Southern California Edison employee.

Like firefighters, Edison employees work many long hours without sleep to ensure that power lines are rendered safe for firefighters and to ensure that electrical power to the public is maintained. While most of the public enjoys power for lights, firefighters must have power maintained so water supply and pressure is there for firefighting purposes.

Re: your Oct. 26 article, “Aircraft grounded in early stages of state fires�:

When I see U.S. Reps. Elton Gallegly and Dana Rohrabacher reply as to why the C-130 aircraft was not used, it makes one wonder, "Is this how the whole government functions?"

To think the newer C-130s came in without the new tanks is mind-boggling in the first place. That is one of the primary reasons they were purchased.

Re: your Oct. 26 article, “Aircraft grounded in early stages of state fires�:

Forgive me for suspecting this is just more Republican hogwash calculated to misdirect and spread the blame far from U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly, his party, their so-called president and his "administration." About the only things they are remotely competent at are public relations campaigns.

According to this article, Gallegly said, "Congress was assured the new tanks would be ready by 2003." Congress was conned, and Gallegly appears to be trying to perpetuate the con on his constituency.

Will Ventura be ready for the new reality after the fires — the huge dislocations in the real estate market and tourist industries? Many people who would have bought a house in the San Diego area are going to look elsewhere. Local Californians will go on trips to places other than San Diego or Lake Arrowhead. Is Ventura ready?

Are we ready for fires in our area?

They are not making any more ocean, and after the fires, even more people are going to want to live close to the ocean.

— Alan Berk, Ventura

I don't know if the public at large is aware of how underpaid local musicians are in our neck of the woods, but the truth is we are.

The average pay in a bar or club is $50 to $75 a man for the night. Sometimes these great musicians and artists work for even less. Usually, a typical gig is one to two hours of prep, four hours of music and one to two hours of takedown.

I know it sounds like I am complaining, and people would say, “If you know about this, why do you do it?" Well, the answer is, “Because we love what we do and we love who we do it for.�

During the past week, California faced devastating wildfires. These fires were caused by a perfect storm. There was dry vegetation, high temperatures, Santa Ana winds and very little rain last winter.

Just how did California respond? Great! Our firefighters were terrific, our governor was pro-active, and the people of California followed directions and helped each other. This was in stark contrast to Hurricane Katrina.

It is a foreboding reflection of our present-day culture that guaranteeing profits for the insurance industry would take priority over the health and welfare of our children. When will this madness end? How much more "compassionate conservatism" can this nation tolerate and still survive?

— Evan D. Slater, M.D., Ventura

I am a retiree of the state Department of Developmental Disabilities. Retirees such as myself will soon receive a ballot in the mail for the most important California Public Employees’ Retirement System election in 16 years.

Retired CalPERS members are voting for who will represent then in the retirees' seat on the CalPERS board.

The first mail balloting took place this fall. The two top vote-getters are now facing a runoff race, which will be held between Nov. 9 and Dec. 10.

Recently, we were contacted by our Terra Linda Community Association Home Owners Association stating that we were in violation of the Covenants, Codes and Restrictions for placing a screen on our upstairs door/window. The door in question is on the second level, and there is no access in or out of it. There is no balcony, and it has wrought iron decorative bars on the outside. The screen is so simple, with the trim painted to match the door, and is barely visible unless you look very closely — not to mention that if a screen door were installed, it couldn’t be opened more than a few inches.

I found out that most of the people who are sending the letters to the editor regarding Monique Dollonne for school board are Ventura Unified School District employees or administrators.

Let’s look at some facts. In Cliff Rodrigues’ Sunday letter, he mentioned that Dollonne requested information on the VUSD budget, which is under the public act request. We all have a right to see it. This was a simple request: Where is the $15 million going? Rodrigues claimed she received the information; she claims she did not.

During this tumultuous time, the Ventura City Firefighters Association would like to thank our community for its ongoing support we have received, especially this past week. As I write this letter, more than 1,500 homes have been destroyed throughout Southern California, and many more are threatened. The city Fire Department currently has dispatched three engines and multiple firefighters from Ventura to San Diego to help battle the wildland fires and to help save the lives and homes of our neighbors.

Re: your Oct. 21 editorial, “Council: Weir, Fulton, Halter�:

In the editorial, brief mention was made of Carl Morehouse’s expertise in regional planning. I believe Morehouse deserves additional recognition for his efforts in fostering a regional focus on issues that affect our quality of life and ultimately work their way down to the local and neighborhood level.

Re: Ian Freeman’s Oct. 30 letter, “O'Reilly a hypocrite�:

This letter attacked Bill O'Reilly for his terrific Oct. 27 commentary, "The sun has apparently set on the Sundance Kid," one of O’Reilly’s best essays ever. It's a shame, but still a fact, that our misguided celebrities attack America first in our war against worldwide terror — in this case emphasizing the word torture as applied to how America treats its insurgent detainees.

Re: the Rev. Hank Mitchel’s Oct. 6 column, “It is not Christians’ job to condemn, deny other paths,� and Terry Paulson’s Oct. 29 essay, “Faith and political obsession�:

Like Mitchel before him, Paulson has poked the Christian bear with a stick. Mitchel and Paulson urged Christians to set an example rather than enforce their faith on others.
Too few seem to agree with the message.

This letter is for the mindless planning officials and special-interest council members who claim to run the city of Thousand Oaks. They carelessly continue to overdevelop vacant property around our homes in the county areas of Newbury Park. We are suffering from the mind-numbing noise, air and traffic pollution being created.
The city is now building a sound wall on the south side of the southbound Wendy Drive on ramp. This sound wall will run along the wetlands and vacant land. Are we then going to see homes built on the wetlands?

Re: Steve Arnold's Oct. 29 commentary, “Who watches the kids?�:

Arnold’s commentary concerning his 6-year-old son leaving the campus of Hollow Hills Fundamental School and his subsequent displeasure with a "belligerent" school district deserves a second look.

Re: Louis J. Cunningham’s Oct. 22 letter, “Stance clarified�:

In regards to Lou Cunningham’s recent letter on the $60 million hillside property purchase that has been proposed in the city of Ventura, I, too, question the wisdom of providing executive housing as part of the designated land use for this acquisition. It sounds as though the housing development that has been proposed as part of this deal will result in mini-mansion estates along the foothills there, which will provide housing opportunities only for the well-to-do. I would certainly count corporate CEOs among this group.

On Tuesday, we will be voting for three seats on the Ventura City Council. I ask you to vote for Jerry D. Martin. Jerry is a lifelong resident of Ventura who will add a fresh and clean voice to the City Council. I look forward to working with him in the years to come and ask you to support Jerry for Ventura City Council.

— Jim Monahan, Ventura City Council member, Ventura

Re: Bill O’Reilly’s Oct. 27 commentary, “The sun has apparently set on the Sundance Kid�:

Perplexed and confused, I ponder: Why does The Star run Bill O’Reilly’s commentaries? I have never encountered new information in his column nor new ideas nor even a lot of logic.

Re: Dan Walter’s Oct. 1 commentary, “Meaningful education solutions remain elusive�:
I was appalled to read about the performance of California schools in Walter’s commentary. California schools rank 49th in the nation in performance. Only in Washington, D.C., did fourth-graders score lower in national testing.

This performance is not what the people of Ventura want for our children. So why aren't Ventura students being educated and doing better when compared to the rest of the nation?

I'd like to thank the Planned Parenthood Action Fund of Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties for publicly endorsing Debbie Golden for Ventura Unified School Board and Carl Morehouse, Doug Halter and Mike Gibson for Ventura City Council. Now I know exactly whom not to vote for Tuesday.

— Michael Mancini, Ventura

I am submitting this brief word of commendation about Carl Morehouse to draw attention to this valued public servant. Carl has worked selflessly for our community for many years, and while he has exhibited sound judgment in managing our business concerns, he has also shown a true sensitivity to the human issues and social dilemmas. I am particularly appreciative of his compassion and fair-mindedness and the way he has helped guide our community in responding to the needs of those among us who are not as advantaged as most of us. From my perspective, this is where the soul or spirit of a community is uplifted or debilitated, and Carl has helped us in Ventura be better.

— The Rev. Walt Dilg, Ventura

Mayor Carl Morehouse’s eight years on the City Council have demonstrated that his primary objectives are to serve the citizens and make Ventura a better city. He has clearly remained independent and objective, and he doesn’t serve any special interest — only the best interests of all. He has the experience and track record that voters can trust. Please join me in voting for Carl Morehouse.

— Steve Offerman, Ventura

It is tricky in a letter to the editor to properly convey how strongly I support Carl Morehouse.

The need for clarity and continuity are extremely important at this moment. Re-electing Morehouse will ensure that we have that clarity and continuity. I am aware that a number of people have concerns about our city’s development approval process, and they may feel that replacing Morehouse is part of the solution. I am absolutely convinced that replacement would be a mistake. City Hall has taken and continues to take steps to improve the process, and we should not fail to recognize and acknowledge that improvement.

Re: Will Thompson’s Oct. 29 letter, “Halter on wrong side of issues�:

Thompson alleges that Doug's "passion is in support of the special interests, not the public interest" and that he "does not share the same view as most of us."

We think most people are thankful for what Doug has done for our community. Anyone who goes downtown sees a wonderful downtown. Doug started the revitalization in the mid-1990s when he formed the Downtown Community Council. We say that a vibrant and thriving downtown is an interest all have.

I would like to express my support for Mike Gibson for Ventura City Council. I have known Mike for more than 10 years now, and I have yet to meet anyone with as much tenacity and determination as this gentleman. I realize he is not as well known in the community as some of the other candidates. However, I actually consider this a strength rather than a weakness because he brings with him a fresh outlook on things and is unburdened with preconceived ideas about how the city should be run. Mike’s desire to serve this city and make the necessary changes to move the city forward is evident in every word he speaks about Ventura.

The proposed enhancement to a plan that has worked very well in California is another effort by the Democrats to make all things into Washington entitlements, effectively eliminating states’ purview in these matters — the place these programs should be administered.

The Healthy Families plan in place covers as well as need be for Californians. To raise the income level for coverage is to make a mockery of those who really need the help.
How many of you really want another example of Hillary care? Washington has never done well for California. Will this be different?

Re: your Oct. 19 article, “Vote fails to override veto of kid health bill�:

I had major surgery twice as a child — one at 2 days old to repair a twisted duodenum that included 10 days in an incubator and an extended hospital stay, and again at 2 years of age to undergo life-saving surgery due to a ruptured appendix that required more than a week in a children's ward.

Were it not for the blessing of having access to good hospitals in the United States and the privilege of being a child whose parents had health insurance, I would not be here, a retired educator, at the age of 63, writing this.

Re: your Oct. 19 article, “Vote fails to override veto of kid health bill�:

Rep. Elton Gallegly had his own health issues that prompted his temporary consideration of retirement before a miraculous recovery and successful re-election as the local congressman.

I am so tired of the Democrats trying to make the Republicans look bad. The State Children’s Health Insurance Program is nothing more than an attempt by Rep. Nancy Pelosi to sell Hillary Clinton's universal healthcare plan.

SCHIP was created by the Republicans in the late 1990s as a plan to provide health insurance for children whose family's income was too high for Medicaid but too low for affordable health insurance. It was not meant to be a government program for health insurance for the middle and upper class of Americans. But this is what the Democrats' plan would have done.

— Mary Bansbach, Simi Valley

Re: your Oct. 19 article, “Vote fails to override veto of kid health bill�:

Rep. Elton Gallegly voted to uphold President Bush's veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program bill. The bipartisan legislation would have provided medical insurance to 10 million needy children.

Given the high cost of living in the district he serves, surely Gallegly knew this was a very worthwhile program that would have benefited many of his loyal constituents. It is embarrassing that Gallegly continues to rubberstamp tragic and failed policies simply out of loyalty to the Republican Party.

— Fred Dixon, Ventura

Why is Simi putting another Target store in our town? This is the most asinine idea our City Council has put out there in at least a week.

That K-mart location would be the perfect spot for Simi Valley to bring in a very nice sporting goods store, such as a Sports Chalet or a Chick’s. We have thousands of kids here, from Little League through high school, who have no place to buy their equipment. Don't even suggest Big 5.

Re: John Blumenthal’s Oct. 17 letter, “Sad day�:

Blumenthal’s rejection of John McCain’s assertion that the United States was established as a Christian nation is technically correct or we would have a theocracy. However, his pathetic ignorance of the "faith of our fathers" is breathtaking.

The holiday season is rapidly approaching, and my mailbox is beginning to bulge with return-address labels from every charity, nonprofit organization, fundraiser, etc. I would like to take this opportunity to notify all of them that I now have enough return address labels to last at least 20 to 25 years — plus there is talk of changing our ZIP code.

— Gary Kellogg, Newbury Park

The governor, the man who claims to “listen to the people,� neither asked me nor held public hearings for citizen input before he put forward his “health insurance� idea.

After 35 years of management, all within budgets, I have sound ideas of how to manage money efficiently. An elementary business practice is to analyze cost factors and take action to reduce the largest cost factors. The largest cost factor in our healthcare system is clearly the 30 percent cost of administration — the simple task of collecting the patients’ dollars and distributing payments to the doctors, hospitals and laboratories. Every businessman knows that administrative costs should not exceed 3 percent.

At one point or another we've all read the headlines and seen the news about the demise of our country's healthcare system, including insurance complications and unpleasant hospital experiences. Last month I experienced quite the contrary in our own Ventura County and wanted to share my positive experience in the spirit of celebrating the innovative and quality healthcare in Ventura.

I would like to clarify a point that may have left some wondering where I stand on hillside development and open space after reading my candidacy profile in Wednesday’s edition of The Star (“Candidate seeks to restore trust in city�). I believe we have to be practical and realistic about what we build and the real cost for all parties involved. The hills and canyons above Ventura are the last large tract of land we have to develop. And, yes, I do believe there will be a trade-off of housing for the preservation of our precious open space.

Re: Rellis Smith’s Sept. 20 letter, “Stop trucks and NAFTA�:

A massive two-part scheme is being perpetrated on our citizens by the federal government. Very few citizens are aware of it, because the feds are quietly promoting it.

Re: Don Glynn's Oct.16 letter, "Gore movie ruled "political'":

Those who read Mr. Glynn's letter may have formed the opinion that the British High Court banned the showing of Al Gore's film, "An Inconvenient Truth," in high schools. In fact, Judge Michael Burton ruled that the film can still be shown in schools, as part of a climate change resources pack, if it is accompanied by fresh guidance notes to balance Mr. Gore's "one-sided" views.

It seems superfluous writing a letter in support of the re-election of Debbie Golden and Barbara Fitzgerald to the Ventura Unified School District Board of Education. They have both proved themselves many times over as stellar advocates for our children.

As the current co-president of the Ventura Education Partnership, I have had the opportunity to work with both of these dedicated ladies on many projects. Their vast knowledge of the issues, ability to get things done and positive people skills command the respect of all who know them.

We are seeing a crisis in our schools. The schools and the teachers are being faced with more regulations and restrictions and less funding. Teachers are feeling stressed due to conflicting forces from state agencies, local agencies and parents. Parents are turning to home schooling out of frustration.

We need new energy on our school boards. There is just so little that can be done by only a concerned citizen. It really takes a position of power on the board to get real change in the system.

As principal of Ventura High School for nine years, I had the pleasure of working with Ventura Unified School District board members Barbara Fitzgerald and Debbie Golden. I heartily endorse their re-election to the school board.

Both are conscientious, diligent and determined board members. They work ceaselessly for the best interests of the school community. Their accomplishments are many, and I would like to highlight just a few.

Ventura Citizens for Hillside Preservation is pleased to endorse Carl Morehouse and Bill Fulton for City Council because of their commitment to preserving Ventura’s hillsides. As council members, they advocated for the reclassification of the majority of the hillside area from a residential to an open-space designation in the 2005 general plan. This signaled that the hillsides outside city limits were not an area where the city planned to expand.

This summer, the Senate and the House passed their own versions of a clean-energy bill. These victories were an important step in the larger battle for strong energy policy in America. Now, Congress must continue to move forward and hammer out a strong and clean final version of this energy bill.

The final bill must include the Senate's hard-fought compromise provision that would require a 35 miles-per-gallon fuel economy standard for American automobiles by 2020. The final bill must also include the House's 15 percent renewable electricity standard, which would require electric companies to obtain more power from clean, renewable sources.

In response to the proposed picnic areas at Rancho Potrero: Horses yes, people no?

When I bought my home in Dos Vientos near the stables, the salesperson informed me that the stables would be moved and the developer would donate $2 million toward the building of a new facility.

Re: your Oct. 17 editorial, “Jessica’s Law needs work�:

The only problem created is not with the law, but with the predators.

If released sexual predators cannot find a place to live in California because of the regulation forbidding them from living within 2,000 feet of schools and parks, they can move to Vermont.

Re: Chris Bower’s Oct. 17 letter, “Freedom to be different�:

Life in these United States would be so much more pleasant if people would understand the idea of rights and freedom.

— Want new clothes? Steal them from the store.

— Want to eat? Take someone's lunch.

— Want to listen to music? Download it for free.

Re: your Oct. 5 photo and article, “Legislation would put military contractors under U.S. laws�:

I am compelled to write. Look at the front-page photo of “Blackwater contractors.� It’s bad enough they are our bought, overpaid, military fill-ins, but in the photo, two men are in action pose while behind them, other men sit as if on coffee break, rifles upright, watching their phony “soldier� friends.

We are in deep trouble in this country. Get out of this terrible war and get back to rebuilding America, not Iraq.

— Judee Hauer, Ventura

Re: Woody Woodburn’s Oct. 9 commentary, “Save racquet club from wrecking ball�:

The Planning Commission public hearing that had been scheduled for Thursday, as Woodburn noted in his commentary about the proposed Cabrillo Racquet Club zone change, has been postponed to Nov. 1 at 8:30 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors room at the County Government Center. A large group of concerned citizens of Ventura County cannot believe that the county is recommending this project of eight homes replace this wonderful tennis club.

— Lynn Gray Jensen, Ventura

Re: Richard Larsen’s Oct. 16 essay, "Silence from the generals":

His essay concludes with the suggestion that "the next time an administration wants to take this nation to war … the generals will exhibit the same courage when they face policymakers that they display on the battlefield."

Larsen quotes a field grade officer, Lt. Col. Paul Yingling, who blames flag-rank officers (generals) for our failures because they fear for their careers and do not provide honest military advice to their civilian leaders.

Re: Chris Bower’s Oct. 17 letter, “Freedom to be different�:

I read Bower’s words with humor. He comments, "Life in these United States would be so much more pleasant if people would just try minding their own business." He cites many examples of how to react to many of the hot topics of the day, such as "Don't like atheists? Don't preach to them,� or “Don't like assisted suicide? Don't have it done to you,� etc.

Re: Jim Monahan's Oct. 14 commentary, “Clearwater Port will meet growing energy demand�:

Reading Monahan's commentary, I was reminded of an old saying, "My mind's made up, please don't confuse me with facts." He needs to do his homework.

For example, he apparently doesn't know that the amount of LNG-sourced natural gas proposed to enter the California pipeline system from Sempra's two liquefied natural gas terminals in Mexico and one slated for Oregon would far exceed our projected state usage.

Every major network opened their newscast with the horrific story about the Interstate 5 wreck both Saturday and Sunday. Some radio stations even pre-empted regular broadcasting to deliver the breaking news. But not The Star. The Star buried the story on Page 15 Sunday and Page 4 Monday. What’s up with that?

— Nancy Low, Fillmore

Motoring along the California coast exposes us to pristine scenes of maritime and solar beauty, but that coast is now littered with unsettling reminders. Many of the oil rigs that dot the seascape and landscape now stand idle or are bringing up their last black gold or are candidates for imported liquefied natural gas docks. Glaringly missing are renewable energy projects to replace them.

I feel very sorry that the residents of Faria and Solimar beach colonies are getting such shabby treatment from the county. As I recall the story, the whale beached itself north of Faria, and it was towed back into the ocean and dumped at Faria. Would anyone be less than livid to have the county drop off a huge piece of rotting flesh in their back yard? And to make matters worse is the imperious attitude of the director of Animal Regulation, Kathy Jenks.

The Ventura City Council is speeding up the development process for building projects in our city. OK.

But cutting the four-year process for approving development plans to a 30-day evaluation sounds a bit overcompensating. And then excluding formal and organized citizen input and blaming it for previous delays sounds a bit revisionist. Apparently, there are no inefficiencies in City Hall itself.

Re: your Oct. 15 article, “Capps, other lawmakers taking aim at cigarette ads�:

U.S. Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, wishes to curb tobacco advertising and thereby sales. Does no one grasp the conflict between wanting to fund the State Children’s Health Insurance Program with taxes on tobacco, and then trying to cut tobacco use and sales? And that’s not to mention that tobacco consumers are generally low-income people and youths.

— Francis Edward Ward, Oxnard

With the water shortage affecting our state's agriculture and the price of food, we can help. By shifting from grass lawns to artificial turf or green rocks, we can save water and improve air quality by avoiding the pollution caused by gasoline mowers and leaf blowers. There would also be less noise.

Cities and water districts could help by offering rebates as they do for people who buy more water-efficient clothes washers.

— James Bain, Oxnard

Re: Richard Larsen’s Oct. 9 essay, “From polarized to hating� and Richard Guthrie’s Oct. 15 letter, “Crimes are crimes, period�:

Obviously, Guthrie does not agree with the logistics of crimes as discussed by Mr. Larsen. I am of the opinion that it is Mr. Larsen’s inherent right to express his views on crimes and criminals. He has not passed any ruling, and neither is he the competent authority to do so. However, I totally endorse the views of Mr. Guthrie to the effect that “Crimes are crimes, period.�

With our mouths, we are capable of reaching many different volumes from a whisper to a shout. Our voices can be a powerful tool.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger just signed two bills that will be getting much talk, SB777 and AB394. If there is something in these bills that you don’t agree with, make your voice heard. If you don’t say anything, our voices will be but a whisper, barely audible to those who need to hear it. Use your voice.

— Danielle Cross, Newbury Park

Re: Dorothy Campagna’s Oct. 10 letter, “Only one way to God,� Thomas Ion’s Oct. 12 letter, “Don’t print religious rants,� Barbara Hudson’s Oct. 16 letter, “’Extreme audacity’� and Carol Johnson’s Oct. 16 letter, “Defending the Bible�:

Hudson and Johnson criticized Ion with claims that the Bible is a book of “historical fact.� Certainly we can all agree that history books are written with the biases of their authors. This ancient text is no more valid than any modern text written by William F. Buckley or Howard Zinn and is actually less valid.

Why is there no public outcry about real estate agents having a monopoly on the 6 percent commissions charged for selling a house? Could it possibly be the big money they contribute to political campaigns? Think about it. A 6 percent commission on the sale of an $800,000 home is $48,000. Those exorbitant commissions are contributing to the strangling of the housing market.

— Bill Gourlay, Westlake Village

Attention, taxpayers! Spending alert from Hillary Clinton! Hillary recently suggested the government give a gift of $5,000 to every baby born in America for his or her future expenses. Annual births of approximately 4 million equal some $20 billion a year. It might be a good idea to do some wallet-watching if Hillary is elected!

— Rosemary Dallman, Thousand Oaks

It is critical that we get out the vote for Ventura Unified School District board candidates Debbie Golden and Barbara Fitzgerald. They have both been great board members for Ventura Unified and have been endorsed by the teachers and other school staff, and by our local dignitaries and elected officials.

If they don’t win, our excellent school district is in danger. We don’t have to look far to see what happens to school districts when the wrong people — people with personal agendas — get on school boards. As we have seen in other districts in our county, the result can be turmoil, distraction from the main goal — the education of students — and the loss of good staff. Don’t let that happen here because of voter apathy.

We have known Monique Dollonne for the past few years and she has the most passion and compassion I have ever known when it comes to the education of children and the need for improvement in Ventura Unified’s schools.

She knows more about what’s going on in the schools than most of the educators and bureaucrats entrenched in it. We believe, if elected, she will make a huge difference on the board improving our local district.

I urge my fellow citizens to support Christy Weir in the upcoming Ventura City Council election. Christy most recently served as deputy mayor. In her role, Christy has proved to be hard-working, dedicated, ethical and focused. In addition, she is very responsive to citizens’ issues and concerns; improvement in our downtown has been a major area of focus for her the last three years.

Sen. Hillary Clinton criticized President Bush for using Social Security funds. Did she forget that every president since President Johnson did the same, including her husband, President Clinton?

Without these funds, Bush’s vaunted surplus turns out to really be a deficit. Did she also forget that earlier this year she voted against an amendment that would have stopped this practice?

— George Adelman, Newbury Park

Re: your online video, “Church protested�:

I just watched the protesters at the Simi Valley church. In heated, patriotic fervor, they are demanding the laws of the United States be upheld — with no exceptions.
The irony? If exceptions, tolerance and individual rights were not such a part of the greatness of this country, the flag-waving, flag-wearing and flag-desecrating lot would be hauled off to jail for flagrantly violating the United States Code Title 4 Chapter 1 —The Flag.

Re: Robb Quint’s Oct. 16 letter, “New ZIP code? About time�:

Quint says Thousand Oaks should get new ZIP codes to differentiate Thousand Oaks from the San Fernando Valley.

I live in Oak Park, and we fought for a separate ZIP code for years and finally got our own. Being in 91377, I never feel I'm associated with the Valley.

Re: Bernie Huberman’s Oct. 11 letter, “Schools need two tracks�:

I did not think anyone left still believed in vocational programs. My father was supervisor of industrial arts for the Los Angeles Unified School District for more than 30 years. He retired in the late 1970s.

One half-baked apology down, one to go.

While incumbent Councilwoman Philippa Klessig publicly apologized for smearing Councilman Jim Bruno in his absence at the Westlake Joint Board Forum, she simultaneously and, for her benefit, spoke for him and threw allegations at him again at the recent Revelations debate, saying he wanted to be left alone, so stop bringing this up and, besides, there was this "dodged bullet."

After reading about the recent deaths of civilian Iraqis by defense contractors in Iraq, I had a hard time understanding why we are investing so heavily in "helping" the Iraqi people.

To get a glimpse of how they live (and die), just imagine you are a widow with three children to support. The government has collapsed. People who work for the government are targeted by people who don't like the government. People who go to a different type of church may try to kill you because you are not the right kind of Muslim. You drive your car, giving rides to people for enough money to survive.

Re: Grant Marcus’ Oct. 11 letter, “War bill is a hate crime�:

I’m awfully glad anti-war liberal Marcus openly disapproves of the Democrats tacking on a “hate crimes� amendment to the war appropriations bill. The two issues are not even remotely related and should not be lumped together.

The Democrats’ strategy, which Marcus should have recognized, is to throw Republicans in a quandary over having only one vote to cast concerning two issues — one of which they support, the war, and the other, the hate crimes legislation, which they oppose.

I went up to the Bay Area recently and visited the Point Isabel Dog Park in the city of Richmond. At 23 acres, this is one of the largest, busiest dog parks in the nation.

What I observed should have been a foregone conclusion. The place was noisy, with constant barking, and the grass wasn’t very pretty. But most importantly, the East Bay Regional Park District put the dog park next to the huge U.S. Postal Service Bulk Mail Center, far away from homes, elementary schools, day care centers and senior citizens.

Re: Bill O’Reilly’s Oct. 13 commentary, “When it comes to interrogation, the truth hurts�:

O’Reilly’s commentary calls for “a little truth in this debate.� Let me oblige.

The hullabaloo about global warming reminds me of the Chicken Little tale I heard as a child. Global warming and cooling cycles have been in process for millions of years, before man was a glint in the eye of evolution. Man’s contribution to this process is presently undefined. Even if it was definitely proven, man’s ability to reverse this is laughable on earthly scales. The population density and global economics will insure it remains in the talking stage.

Man is incapable of rational, coordinated action, as witnessed by nations that desire to possess nuclear weapons with which to blow each other up. Even without nuclear weapons, man is doing a pretty good job of this in the name of religion.

— Robert Hubbard, Ojai

The solution to our health coverage crisis could be short and sweet if the leadership in Congress would do one simple thing: Introduce and debate a bill that would require all members of the House and Senate, as well as the president and vice president, to purchase their own health insurance from a private carrier. Can you imagine Vice President Cheney's pre-existing conditions? How would President Bush answer some of those "sensitive" questions they pose to you and me? And just wait until those in Congress see what their monthly bill would be for the type of coverage they're accustomed to!

What is wrong with Congress? Whatever your position on the war, we are at war and need to protect our troops. Congress has decided to denounce and alienate our very valuable ally, Turkey, for events that occurred almost 100 years ago. Why now?

I can only think that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is doing this for political gain, but I don't see how "shooting ourselves in the foot" will endear Ms. Pelosi to the American public. The lives of our young men and women are at risk. The lawmakers say that the moral implications outweigh security concerns. I can't believe this is really happening!

Virtually every news report in The Star on the subject of the contentious Channel Islands Harbor Boating Instruction Safety Center notes that the community is mostly concerned about a few trees, birds and park areas, while the county harbor department is mostly concerned about the safety of children. Not true! Let us consider the safety issues:

1. Children who walk from the westside BISC to the beach must cross a parking lot and two streets on which motorists frequently speed. An eastside BISC requires no street crossings.

I am a volunteer with School on Wheels, an organization devoted to tutoring homeless children, including those in foster care or shelters.

For the past year, I have tutored a boy who has great scholastic ambition and dreams. He is highly literate and motivated, yet in the past year, he and his younger siblings have been moved five times. Five! And shifted among three different schools in Oxnard. Three!

Re: your Oct. 7 article, “Pesticide's use in county now up to state officials�:

A recent article in The Star discussed methyl iodide and the possibility that it will be approved for use on California farms.

Re: Bill O'Reilly’s Oct. 13 commentary, “When it comes to interrogation, the truth hurts�:

So, Mr. O'Reilly shows his true colors: He thinks the United States should torture prisoners; not only that, but opposing torture is a "far left" political position.

When my family arrived from Italy in 1949 and 1950, we spoke four languages and still had to learn English. We all learned new customs and ideas. We also did this with no assistance from any government or assistance programs. We earned the right to be citizens of this great country, and we are proud to earn our piece of the American pie. Why has this ideal been subverted?

— Claude Joe Piantino, Camarillo

Re: Bill O'Reilly’s Oct. 13 commentary, “When it comes to interrogation, the truth hurts�:

O’Reilly puts U.S. military personnel in jeopardy. His column hit a new low point on the "disgustometer." Although he has been a prostitute for the neocon fascists for many years, this piece, advocating torture of POWs, goes way beyond the pale.

What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. If it's OK for our government to engage in prisoner torture, then it must also be OK for our enemies to torture our captured soldiers.

Information on the national Web site, lawyersandsettlements.com, confirms the formation of a class-action lawsuit against soy manufacturers based upon causation of childhood leukemia.

It is confirmed that soy phytoestrogens are, according to the Food and Drug Administration, "more potent estrogens than once thought." Currently there is active physician debate concerning whether soy, a Food and Drug Administration-documented "endocrine disrupter," should remain over-the-counter or become a prescribed estrogenic substance.

Re: Jim Monahan’s Oct. 14 commentary, “Clearwater Port will meet growing energy demand�:

Monahan states that he “supports affordable and reliable energy.� He also states, “California needs new and exclusive supplies of natural gas to keep our economy moving and improve the quality of life in our community.� He also said he has “thoroughly studied the Clearwater Port proposal.�

Write me in as someone who supports President Bush in his veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program bill as presented. The president would have signed the bill if it hadn't been presented with such an inflated amount of eligible people that would be covered. People who make $60,000 a year should be able to afford medical coverage for their children. The critics of the president don't consider how many people would drop their current coverage of their children if this bill had not been vetoed.

Re: your Oct. 11 article, “STDs hidden epidemic in county�:

Dr. Robert Levin, county public health officer, says we are failing our young people because we are not stressing the importance of taking precautions. Do we say, "Take precautions when you start taking drugs or trying cigarettes or alcoholic beverages?" Do we warn our young people not to steal, cheat, lie or resort to violence, “but if you do, take precautions?�

As I oversaw my son’s flight check with his instructor for a lesson at Oxnard Airport on Saturday, I noticed a group of bikers lined up, their bikes all in a row, some holding flags.

A Falcon 20 jet came in for landing, then taxied up to the row of bikers.

I sauntered over for a look and then noticed the men in military uniform.

The plane’s cargo doors opened, and a casket with an American flag draped over it emerged.

Re: your Oct. 13 article, “Climate crusader wins Peace Prize�:

Al Gore is now a Nobel laureate. What a refreshing change to see a former politician follow his passions and change the world, for the better, within a year. In 2006, "An Inconvenient Truth," a small, independent documentary — essentially a PowerPoint lecture — broke into the international consciousness and awoke us to the harsh climatic realities. Now you can't turn on the television without seeing some corporation backpedaling to claim some "green points."

Re: Lilith’s Oct. 12 letter, “Wal-Mart a campaign issue�:

If our City Council doesn’t act, our pleasant Ventura environment could begin to look and feel like those ugly places where we don’t want to live.

Wal-Mart’s existing plan would bring increased traffic to an already congested stretch of Victoria Avenue, as it would replace and expand the Kmart store. Worse still, it will hurt smaller businesses. I’m all for competition. Competition is good. But monopolies are not. Business practices of supercenter stores have exhibited the detrimental impacts characteristic of a monopoly. We don’t need them, and we don’t want them.

Christy Weir has supported the visual enhancement of Ventura in a special manner during my tenure on the Design Review Committee. She has encouraged good design as well as the enforcement of city codes that discourage visual blight. She has supported programs to improve Cemetery Park, to retain the cross above the city and to allow volunteers in policing to address code enforcement issues. She can be found at the farmers market interacting with constituents. I would recommend her re-election to the City Council.

— John Stewart, Ventura

As an advocate for children and the environment, I have always supported those in the community who share my goals. Deputy Mayor Christy Weir’s passion for creating a better future for our citizens, both young and old, has impressed me.

As the City Council liaison to the Ventura Unified School District and a member of our Visioning Committee, Christy has been an active participant in helping to set policy which will positively impact the education of our children. I have enjoyed working with her and value the extra time she takes to reach out and listen to all sides of an issue.

I am one of those people who loves the election season. I get a kick out of listening to all the promises that won’t be kept, the “new ideas� that have been rehashed from previous campaigns and, of course, the outright lies. It always amazes me to see just how naive the candidates think we are. At times I have been so impressed with a candidate’s convoluted logic and lies that I wanted to vote for him or her just because of the creativity they showed. I figure that if a person can dream up a truly convincing lie, they may just have enough imagination to concoct something new and practical.

I support Monique Dollonne for the Ventura Unified School District Board of Trustees. She has demonstrated a driving desire to work on improving public education. Her efforts are felt not only locally, but also at the state and national levels.

Her knowledge of how the education system is supposed to work, her dedication to accountability and transparency, her understanding of the No Child Left Behind legislation and Title I funding would greatly benefit the Ventura Unified School District.

I attended the candidates forum for Ventura Unified School District board and was pleased to be able to firm up my voting decisions.

Twice I asked the incumbents, Debbie Golden and Barbara Fitzgerald, "What innovative programs are you implementing in order to address the needs of almost 50 percent of low-income and English-as-a-second-language learners who have difficulty passing tests?�

The response I repeatedly received was, "We are continuing to improve, and we are above the state and county average."

I know Monique Dollonne to be a woman who has helped hundreds of public school parents and teachers from Sacramento to San Diego. She has helped parents navigate the school system so they may acquire resources for underserved children in underperforming schools and districts.

Monique has helped public school teachers alleviate the problem of digging into their own pockets to purchase needed classroom supplies. She did this by holding training workshops for teachers to help them understand and analyze data and funding allocation coming from the state to the district and school sites.

President Bush told the Turkish prime minister on Oct. 5 that he strongly opposes a resolution in Congress that would label the World War I-era deaths of up to 1.5 million Armenians genocide.

However, as candidate for president in February 2000, Bush acknowledged the Armenian genocide to the Armenian National Committee of America. In a letter to that organization, he stated, “The Armenians were subjected to a genocidal campaign that defies comprehension.� You could conclude strong words from a candidate and waffle as president.

My husband and I have been made aware that the Conejo Parks and Recreation District is considering developing a "party pavilion" across from Dos Vientos, along Lynn Road in the open space.

We are extremely opposed to this idea. This natural open space is a wonderful place to hike or horseback ride and to enjoy the beauty and serenity of natural surroundings.
The party pavilion will have an overall negative impact on this area.

We love our rural park. Please leave this for open space.

— Pam & Ron Stephenson, Newbury Park

Re: Tab Hendricks' Oct. 12 letter, "Don't change ZIP codes":

I disagree completely and will be glad to finally have appropriate ZIP codes in Thousand Oaks.

Re: your Oct. 3 article, “All of T.O. could get new ZIP codes�:

Although this article states that this change will bring improved delivery of our mail, reduced fuel costs and methodical and timely delivery of mail, the costs and headaches incurred to sort out the confusion will far outweigh the minimal cost savings of this change.

Re: Thomas Ion’s Oct. 12 letter, “Don’t print religious rants�:

I felt compelled to respond to the letter by Ion concerning “religious ranting.� No one has claimed to be absolutely sure of the meanings and interpretation of every word out of the Bible. However, there are more pieces of manuscripts of the Bible (24,000) than any other work of ancient history. As for accuracy, 665 prophecies (predictions about the future) have come to fruition. The Bible is much more than a collection of stories. It is historical fact with fulfilled prophecy, as well as a lifestyle philosophy.

Re: Thomas Ion’s Oct. 12 letter, “Don’t print religious rants�:

My goodness, gracious me, what “religious rantings� we have from Ion on the commentary page of The Star, since “religion� means any set of beliefs, and “ranting� means to declaim extravagantly, violently and in a wild, vehement way.

Ion wants The Star to send those who disagree with him about God and “religion� to the cartoon page near the horoscopes. Now he is in a pickle for obviously trying to denigrate, belittle and insult those who might like cartoons or horoscopes. I don't like horoscopes, but I'm not trying to legislate others.

Re: your Oct. 13 article, “Climate crusader wins Peace Prize�:

Certainly Al Gore deserves much praise for raising international awareness over the threat posed by global warming and climate change.

As a representative of the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network and as a cancer survivor, I had the opportunity to meet with U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly in Washington to discuss issues pertaining to healthcare, early cancer screenings and research.

The congressman agrees that healthcare should be a nonpartisan issue. He supports funding for research and early cancer screenings for the underserved and uninsured. However, he voted against the expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. I would like to ask him on behalf of his constituents that he reconsider.

Do you wonder why there are not enough votes to override the president’s veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program bill? Perhaps it is because the tobacco companies successfully campaigned against the 61-cent additional tax on each pack of cigarettes that will fund the bill.

Even though 72 percent of Americans approve of the SCHIP bill, big tobacco’s donations to Republican lawmakers have thwarted the effort by Congress to continue the necessary levels of funding for this successful program, which the states run, using private insurance companies.

Re: Timm Herdt’s Oct. 10 essay, “The odds against reform�:

Herdt’s essay should have been headlined, "Healthcare's cowards" to note the length to which the governor and legislative Democratic leadership will go to avoid single-payer universal healthcare. Privatize the Lotto. Raise sales taxes. Tax special groups. Subsidize insurance payments from any source except that of the general fund which might call for tax increases.

It was with great displeasure that I heard of the arrest of 1,300 violent illegal aliens. What I found amazing about this is what Julie Myers, spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said. She said on national news that the arrests were an accumulation of two weeks of investigation and what a good job they did. What she didn’t say is that more than 800 of those arrested were already in custody and that 149 were incidental arrests, meaning the wrong person answered the door and was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Since I came of voting age, I have always taken my civic duty to vote seriously. My politics followed the natural course of things: When I was 18, I was a Republican because my family was Republican. By the time I was halfway through college, I was a full-fledged Democrat because my teachers were all Democrats. However, of late (mid-30s), I have come to find that neither party deserves my partisan loyalty. So I submitted a voter registration card, checking the box “decline-to-state� regarding party affiliation. I felt I was christening myself a part of the body politic that might be described as the “Show Me� party, as in “Show me why I should vote for you, sir or madam candidate.�

Re: Richard Larsen’s Oct. 9 essay, “From polarized to hating�:

Larsen stretches his point beyond breaking. He states, quite illogically, that merely breaking the law does not make one a criminal. He believes that someone who crosses the border illegally (his word) is not a criminal. Neither does he believe that people who cheat on income taxes, speed or drive while intoxicated are criminals.

Re: Jef Kurfess’ Oct. 11 letter, “System is not broken�:

Kurfess says, "Going around our laws and the system as it exists is illegal. End of story."

It is nice to see the equestrian world still lives on in Thousand Oaks. The Day of the Horse Event on Sept. 29 was a pleasant tribute to this lifestyle. What a nice reminder of our equestrian heritage!

The event started with a Chumash Indian blessing. There were also many different horse demonstrations, including a carriage ride, a farrier, hunter jumpers, a barrel racer and so many beautiful horse breeds on display. They even had the Conejo Riders perform. A big congratulations and thank you to Equestrian Trails Corral No. 3 for sponsoring a wonderful afternoon.

— Glenn Townsley, Westlake Village

This letter is on behalf of the citizens who use the Conejo Valley Dog Park on Avenida de Las Flores in Thousand Oaks. The problems that we have been complaining about continuously have not been addressed, or even acknowledged, by the Conejo Recreation and Park District or its director, Bob Marchesano. Therefore, this letter is being sent to the Environmental Health Department, the Thousand Oaks City Council, and media.

The main complaints and health problems are:

Re: Wendy Dager’s Oct. 11 column, “Laws protect teen privacy, even from parents�:

Do children really have that much control over their parents? It is unfathomable that some students have so much control over their parents, even as minors. How is this, when some parents pay for all tuition, books and support their children while they are still in school? Both parents should have every right to see documented reports for daily activity, as well as progress for grades. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act are counterproductive from a concerned parent’s standpoint.

Can this possibly get any more insane?

We invade a country — illegally and, to many American minds, immorally — the same way the Nazis invaded Poland, illegally and immorally, in September of 1939.

Re: your Oct. 4 article, “Columbine inspires students to take up Rachel's Challenge�:

I recently attended the “Rachel’s Challenge� presentation at Cabrillo Middle School. My 13-year-old son, who had attended a school assembly earlier in the day, encouraged me to “take my Kleenex� and head over to the cafeteria for an encore presentation for parents.

Ventura needs Monique Dollonne on its school board!

I have recently familiarized myself with the Local Educational Agency Report, Program Improvement Status, prepared by the California Department of Education. Anyone can check this online.

I was unaware that the Ventura Unified School District is in its third year as a failing district. Not only is it one of the failing districts in California, but California schools are ranked as the worst in the nation, with the exception of Washington, D.C. We are at the bottom of the bottom.

Re: John K. Carter’s Oct. 9 letter, “Bad role models�:

So, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are “sick and tragic� for saving three children from poverty and hopelessness, and for having a biological child as well.

Ms. Jolie has been the Goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees since 2001. Mr. Pitt, along with Global Green USA, is planning environmentally sustainable housing for New Orleans residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Shame on them! How dare two dedicated people presume to do admirable work when they aren’t even married! Oh, the horror!

Re: Don Borad’s Oct. 8 letter, “Stop domestic violence�:

Borad complains that society ignores domestic violence victims. But then he does the same by ignoring male victims with his sexist comments like, “We have lost nearly 4,000 of our troops in Iraq since the war started, while we have killed twice that many women here in the United States in the same period.�

In an idealistic and naive world, we would hold Two Trees and the open space between Ventura and Ojai in its "pristine and undefiled" condition in perpetuity. I, too, would like to see that happen, but let's get real.

Kudos to JK Mondol for putting together a reasonable and legal proposal for the inevitable development that is sensitive to some of the desires to keep Ventura from morphing into just another Los Angeles suburb, a la Oxnard.

I pay every bill I can online and was happy to see on this year’s property tax bill that I can pay my taxes online.

I simply despise sitting down with my cancer-ridden spine and partial body. I have cancer in my spine that is terminal, and I have had 37 surgeries — five of them amputations; on July 17, I had my left leg removed just below the hip. Online I can pay bills in seconds — no checks, no bill box stuffed with paper bills and no sitting down twice a month for hours writing checks to pay bills. I even have a few accounts that are deducted from the checking account on a certain day each month.

Re: Tracy Bridger’s Oct. 10 letter, “Bikers need seat belts�:

Bridger suggests that, in order to have uniformity in road safety regulation, motorcyclists and occupants of other road vehicles — cars, trucks, SUVs — should be required to wear seat belts. All or none, she says. Additionally, she would prefer advice rather than a mandate on seat belts for vehicle riders.

Although there isn't uniformity, there is parity between motorcycles and other vehicles in this aspect of road safety regulation. Here's the parity as we see it:

My daughter was issued a parking citation at Ventura College, where she is a full-time student. We paid $40 this semester for a parking permit, so why was she given a ticket? Because she placed the $40 parking permit on her windshield, where it was clearly visible. Apparently, the college requires she place it on her rearview mirror. The ticket person saw her valid permit but still issued the fine.

OK, she made a mistake. But, she is a college student, and Ventura is a college and there should be some sense of community and consideration for students.

Life in these United States would be so much more pleasant if people would just try minding their own business.

Don't like abortions? Don't have one!

Don't like stem cell research? Don't support it!

Don't like gay marriages? Don't marry a gay person!

Don't like religion? Don't go to church!

There is a need for new leadership. Now is the time for some common sense to be brought back to local government. Now is the time for the community to help generate the needed revenues to support services in our community. Now is the time to elect Doug Halter and Lou Cunningham to the Ventura City Council.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars and hundreds of staff hours have been spent finding ways to tax the citizens and businesses in Ventura. Whether it is attempts to increase sales taxes, add a new restaurant tax, add new phone lines to be taxed or add new fees to the business license tax, the city of Ventura has been on a mission to increase the cost of living and the cost of doing business in Ventura for the last several years.

I cannot vote for Jerry Martin as I live in Santa Paula, but I feel he can do an outstanding job for Ventura on the City Council.

I have known Jerry and his parents, before his dad passed away, for close to 40 years. After he graduated from high school, he got into the electrical apprenticeship program. Shortly after becoming a journeyman electrician, he came to work for the same contractor I worked for. Up until I retired, we worked together off and on for close to 20 years doing various jobs throughout Ventura County. I found Jerry to be a great working partner and/or boss. He always had things set up and lined out, so that even I could follow the directions.

It is sad to see so much religious debate in the Opinion section of The Star. When people take a book that is made up of stories compiled by order of a Roman emperor hundreds of years after the fact — and then they are so absolutely sure about its meaning and veracity — you are not dealing with a rational person.

Why does The Star print their rantings? I wish The Star would leave the rantings about God and religion to another section of the paper, maybe the cartoon page near the horoscopes. The Opinion section is about the exchange of rational thought and ideas. It is The Star’s duty to preserve the sanctity of man’s thought from the irrational behavior of religious zealots.

— Thomas Ion, Moorpark

Re: your Oct. 3 article, "All of T.O. could get new ZIP codes":

Why does the U.S. Postal Service need to inconvenience tens of thousands of its customers with ZIP code changes just to redirect our mail from Santa Clarita to Oxnard for “processing�? The Star’s article offered little more information than the headline. Where are the details behind the headline?

Re: your Oct. 9 article, “Protest U.S. government, not church, mayor says":

Simi Valley, like the rest of California, has about 10 percent illegal aliens, or about 10,000 out of the total city population. At the City Council meeting Monday, Mayor Paul Miller told us the city government wasn't interested in doing anything, and that the public should go only to Washington for relief.

Re: your Oct. 10 article, “Man kills 1, self at tire shop�:

Every day in this country, a man decides to use a gun to kill and maim innocent people, whether family or strangers. This escalating type of violence now affects more and more of the American public.

As a city of Ventura Parks and Recreation commissioner and longtime resident of Ventura, I love our parks, beaches, hillsides and open farmlands. That's why I choose to live in Ventura.

For that reason, I will vote for someone running for Ventura City Council who shares my love for careful, thoughtful growth that includes a consideration for any impact on the quality of life for the citizens of Ventura.

As I understand it, the shipping lanes in the Santa Barbara Channel were established long before GPS or any type of technology for navigation as a means of keeping ships from running into the Channel Islands. Now that there is much better technology, why not move the shipping lanes to the other side of the islands? After all, it is a playground of wildlife and recreating humans, too. The ships just don’t make any sense inside the channel anymore.

— Chris Tucker, Oxnard

The use of private security firm Blackwater in a U.S. conflict in Iraq smacks of Adolf Hitler's elite SS, or at least a privately owned CIA. There’s no accountability and no oversight, so they can literally get away with murder.

What message are we sending to the rest of the world? There are more private contractors in Iraq than U.S. military personnel.

Private security firms are supposed to help protect private companies, not substitute for a nonexistent "coalition" in Iraq.

— Rory McDonald, Camarillo

Re: your Oct. 3 article, “Old Town's face-lift in its final phase�:

Has the writer of this article seen Camarillo Plumbing and Paint? Is that "an attractive environment?" How about the guy on the park bench outside of the karate studio?

Re: your Oct. 3 article, “Fulton, Weir and Halter lead in campaign funds�:

This article contained the statement, "With little controversy propelling this year's race...."

We have laws on the books for a reason. Laws are meant to deter people from illegal conduct. The United Church of Christ in Simi Valley is violating federal law by aiding and abetting Liliana, who has already been charged and convicted of violating federal immigration laws twice by entering the United States illegally. The church should be prosecuted under federal statutes for its illegal conduct.

Re: Anthony Ortiz’s Sept. 16 letter, “Overcrowded homes pose safety problem�:

I was very impressed with his letter about his living in the north end of Oxnard.

For 50 years, I have lived in the south end, tending to my own business. My section of town is being ruined by allowing the construction of second stories on some homes, going from a three-bedroom to a six- or-seven bedroom home, then renting out five or six bedrooms to couples with three or four kids plus one or two cars per family. The parking is already limited.

Re: Bruce Garber’s Oct. 2 commentary, “Support resolution to impeach Cheney�:

Garber writes, “We are clearly complicit in these grave offenses.�

We? We? Oh, of course, he meant the people who walked into the voting booth and aided and abetted President Bush and Vice President Cheney not once, but again in 2004. The buck started there.

— Miriam Hansen, Camarillo

Monique Dollonne needs to be on the Ventura Unified School District board. I know her to be very sensitive to the desires of students and their parents. Monique recognizes the problem areas and is determined to correct them.

— Ruth Schneider, Ventura

I am an inmate at the Ventura County Jail, Todd Road Facility. The purpose of my letter is to address a health and safety concern here at the jail and also out in the public.
Here in the last few years, staph infection has become a growing concern. It has spread in jails, schools and public restrooms.

Re: Ethan Orloff’s Sept. 13 letter, “Why we’re in Iraq�:

He is certainly entitled to his opinion, but to say that the Muslims "hate us for our … support of Israel" does, without a doubt, show an ignorance of what has been happening for the past several years. The statement is nothing more than hate propaganda.

Every day I read in The Star, I see on television, I read in magazines about how water is wasted by everyone, how we need to conserve it by every means imaginable. Most of these measures are small, but important, to the overall usage of water.

Has anyone in a position of power, such as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, ever thought about all the water wasted by the hotels and casinos along the Strip in Las Vegas, with their huge water fountains that may be considered very pretty, but are also very wasteful?

Re: your Oct. 7 special report, “Mysterious deaths�:

It always amazes me that research on sudden infant death syndrome, or any disease conditions, fails to involve input from the chiropractic profession. My purpose is simply to suggest an ignored cause for SIDS, one that could save lives.

The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District and Republic Pictures have not returned the Santa Susana Mountains to its original state at the location where they filmed the movie “Lion to the Lamb� in March 2007.

The wildlife guzzler at the location near Rocky Peak is empty, and they have not replaced the 25-year-old oak tree that they killed. The tree would have been 26 this last month. I wrote to these agencies in April and voiced my displeasure of allowing a movie to be made around the animal guzzler. Not one of them responded.

I trust the city of Simi Valley will hold firm and maintain the stand against the unlawful church. The ACLU gives little respect to keeping our country in some semblance of order. In my opinion, it does far too much to cause more and more anarchy than to maintain a regimentation of law keeping. I do resent that our freedoms extend to a few organizations with deep pockets who are doing all they can to undermine the wonderfully disciplined nation we once were.

We moved to Newbury Park because we love the rural, natural feeling the area has to offer. We soon decided to fully enjoy the area by taking advantage of hiking, mountain biking and, most recently, by becoming equestrians. We wake up each morning feeling so blessed by our beautiful surroundings.

It has recently come to our attention that the Conejo Recreation & Park District has proposed to develop the Rancho Potrero area by building roads, parking lots and a large party pavilion. Our question is why?

The Democrats have attached a hate-crime measure to the war appropriations bill. What hypocrisy!

— When you have a war bill that targets Muslims, Muslim groups, and Muslim nations.

— When you have a war bill that complicitly protects invasion, occupation and mercenary corporate contractors, with no accountability and impunity from international law.

For some, home foreclosures and job layoffs have become a road more frequently traveled lately. Real estate “for sale� signs congest the road, dotting both sides of the street. The signs tell of broken dreams and delayed mortgage payoffs — the forsaken patios, silent swimming pools and overgrown grass of a former dream house. The kitchen seems lonely, refrigerator no longer adorned with reminder notes and school pictures. One could almost hear the faint sounds of special gatherings in former days.

Your home was your castle.

Re: Richard Larsen’s Oct. 9 essay, “From polarized to hating�:

Liberals — excuse me, I mean progressives — are always accusing everyone else of being hateful, but it is liberals who hate. They hate smokers, people who drive SUVs, people who think life is sacred. And liberals hate rules.

In his essay, Larsen writes: "They did this by simply labeling every illegal immigrant in this nation a criminal because they crossed the border illegally. By that logic, any person who cheats on income taxes, speeds, drives while intoxicated and a host of other actions is a criminal because he broke the law."

The time has come for Simi Valley’s planning board and council members to stop the overbuilding of homes in Simi Valley.

It has been seven years now since this city was known as "the safest city in the nation.� It is no more. Thousands of residences have been built since then, and our crime rate has risen drastically. This is the fault of greed for more revenue by our city government catering to the developers rather than to this once peaceful community.

The schools are now overcrowded, and new schools are not being built to accommodate the increasing population.

— Nina Trotta-Sutton, Simi Valley

Re: your Oct. 8 article, “Cavity crisis�:

This article seems to use a cavity crisis among children to promote the very controversial issue of water fluoridation. It didn’t mention that fluoride can be purchased in all major toothpaste brands.

At the Sept. 25 Thousand Oaks City Council meeting, council members Andy Fox, Jacqui Irwin and Thomas Glancy abolished the future of Measure A. Their flawed reasoning was that the city has not reached the maximum cap in residential building units in many years. Maybe that’s because we had Measure A in place.

Measure A was adopted by the voters in 1980 and, in part, was put into effect to control the quality and quantity of developed residential units — a slow-growth safety measure and a win-win proposition for both the developer and the community at large.

Having been a shop instructor for 35 years, I am convinced that only a two-track approach has any chance of reducing the 33 percent dropout rate. But first, we have to start in elementary school to make sure that all students learn to read and comprehend English. If they aren’t reading up to level when they leave elementary school, how can they succeed in any subject in secondary school? And if they’re not succeeding, why “stay the course�? They’re in a hole and they just stop digging. And then what?

Re: your Sept. 30 article, “When a crisis occurs, a homeowner with little cash saved becomes vulnerable to foreclosure�:

The statement about homeowners being just a life-changing moment away from catastrophe is very true. Almost everyone is at risk when something very serious such as a job loss or a divorce comes along. However, as a Realtor, it saddens me when someone gets in trouble and loses their home due to bad advice.

Re: Maricela P. Morales’s Oct. 7 commentary, “Fix system humanely�:

We do not have a broken immigration system. We have an immigration system that has not been enforced for 20 years, and many groups have grown accustomed to this broken-down state of affairs.

Re: your Oct. 3 Business article, "Ventura dialysis center simplifies patients’ lives�:

I am glad to see Ventura County continues to expand its ability to provide quality medical care. This article, however, misrepresents how this care has been provided to date.

Doug Halter is a highly intelligent, high-energy individual who cares deeply for our community and has a long history of public service in our city. He is sensitive to our public safety needs and our historic, artistic, park and beach resources, yet he has enough common business sense to know there must be a balance and consensus to assure our economic vitality.

— Mike Merewether, Ventura

While conducting historical research on a unrelated matter, I noticed these items in the Ventura Signal from the 1870s and thought The Star’s readers may be interested.

— April 1, 1876: "Just at the hour of going to press an immense dead whale washed ashore near the mouth of the Ventura river. Newcomers who have never seen one of these monsters of the deep can now have the opportunity of seeing one of the largest. Messrs. Ah Foo and Ah Sam, celestials, propose to render the carcass into oil. The whale measures nearly 73 feet in length, and evidently has been dead but a few days, and bears marks of severe usage with harpoons, as three large ones are still sticking in his side."

Re: your Oct. 7 article, “Pesticide's use in county now up to state officials":

I thank The Star for the crisp, investigative reporting about the issue of methyl iodide in our Ventura County strawberry fields and for putting it on the front page on Sunday where it belonged! Everyone who cares about our farming industry and the health of our communities should become informed about the three real dangers discussed in the story.

First and foremost, there is the danger posed by the chemical to the lungs of the young and elderly who will inevitably be exposed to it if approved.

Re: your Oct. 7 article, “Hwy. 23 contractor disputes gripes�:

After reading the article about drivers’ troubles on Highway 23, I can bet that these people must be safe drivers who don't use their cell phones when driving and who drive a safe speed when in a construction zone. But I would like to say that having worked out there, though not on Highway 23, it is enough to make you think, “What is it I’m doing out here?� Cars are going by you at 65 and 70 mph, and there is just this small retainer to keep the cars from getting to you.

Re: Deroy Murdock’s Oct. 6 commentary, “Hillary Clinton: Still socialist after all these years�:

I laughed at Hillary Clinton’s depiction as a "hardened socialist." She was a corporate lawyer. She was on the board of Wal-Mart. Her husband was "the best Republican president" we have had, according to former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. Lifelong Republican Greenspan had harsh words for people like Murdock. Why, precisely?

Re: your Oct. 9 article, “Protest U.S. government, not church, mayor says�:

With the news that Simi Valley Mayor Paul Miller and City Manager Mike Sedell hopped a plane to Washington, D.C., to personally consult/confront Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, I have to ask this question:

If Chertoff was unable to handle one of the worst natural disasters in this country's history, in New Orleans, and if he's as focused on homeland security as he should be, where in the world do our Little League city officials figure the incident of a Simi Valley church harboring what they consider to be an illegal criminal fits on his radar screen?

I have noticed that U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly has supported each request for additional funds for the Iraq war. I also note that he opposed an increase in funds for the child healthcare bill. I guess that means he places a higher priority on Bush's war than on the health of the children of our good country. What a shame!

— Dan Zoll, Ventura

Re: Michael Josephson’s Oct. 5 column, “Character counts: Doing the right thing�:

I'm an avid reader of Josephson's column on ethics that runs several days a week on The Star’s opinion pages. I believe that his message is one needed now more than ever, and he relates his points to real life situations so well.

Re: your Oct. 5 article, “Fight at the faucet�:

We have all seen people wasting water in our neighborhoods. I have caught myself hosing down the driveway after washing the car. However, the biggest water wasting I have seen is not from us, the citizens, but from the very people who are in charge of the biggest water supplies and municipal water usage.

City sprinklers never seem to water just the plants, and they almost always overwater until the streets become wet as well.

Re: your Oct. 5 editorial, “SCHIP veto a bad move�:

The editorial position of The Star on this issue wasn't surprising. All the Democrats and liberals can do is avoid fixing a problem and just throw more money at failed systems.

The healthcare delivery system, the current pricing model, the interrelationships of providers — all need change. And it wouldn't hurt to examine the structure of the "nonprofit" entities involved in healthcare.

— James M. Crosser, Ventura

After attending the Oct. 3 scoping hearing for the Clearwater Port liquefied natural gas project, I could only think to myself : It's déjà vu all over again.

One has to wonder why the LNG companies continue to explore Southern California as a potential LNG site after BHP Billiton's highly public failure to locate a terminal off the coast of Oxnard.

Re: your Oct. 5 article, “Fight at the faucet�:

We face a water crisis produced by real estate developers and affordable housing advocates. It is easy to blame the weather for the problem, but the other major cause is excess population. If fewer people lived in California, less water would be used.
In the future, our water rates will rise, and we will be asked or required to make sacrifices to conserve water. Now is the time to stop all major housing developments until the state can implement an effective program to limit population growth.

— Kirkland Gable, Thousand Oaks

Water, water nowhere

I appreciate The Star's ongoing coverage of water issues. Here in Southern California, we are facing extreme drought conditions and the probability of soon receiving less water from the Sacramento Delta.

What are we going to do about it?

— Janna Orkney, Oak Park
(The writer is chair of the Triunfo Sanitation District Board. — Editor)

Re: the Rev. Hank Mitchel’s Oct. 6 Conejo Valley Interfaith Association column, “It is not Christians' job to condemn, deny other paths�:

I am a born-again Christian and take offense to some things that the Rev. Mitchel said that are false.

Re: your Oct. 5 article, “Minister criticizes Simi Valley City Council�:

Enough is enough! I’m personally tired of being a part of the “silent majority.� We have been sitting back and letting a few “do-gooders� tell us how to run not only our lives, but our country, our county and our cities.

The empathy for the illegal immigrant hopefully exists in all of us. That does not give the Rev. June Goudey authority to ignore the law of the land. I, for one, insist that her church reimburse our city — the taxpayers — $40,000.

— Mike Bigley, Simi Valley

Re: your Oct. 6 article, “Gold medalist pleads guilty�:

The confession that just came out regarding Marion Jones using steroids is just a sad and disappointing story. She not only took drugs, she lied about everything. That is how she represented the United States.

What does this show our children who looked up to her — or any athlete for that matter? There shouldn't be that much pressure for these athletes that it leads them to drugs in order to win.

I recently was a judge at the Moorpark Country Days parade. The National Anthem was sung, but there was no flag to salute. No flags lined the streets of High Street, Los Angeles Avenue, Spring Road or Tierra Rejada Road.

Where are the flags? Simi Valley and Santa Paula line their streets with the American flag. Why can't Moorpark?

Every day our young people are being slaughtered in the Middle East. It doesn't matter how you feel about this situation, what matters is how you feel about America.

My husband and I have lived here for more than six years and have enjoyed the thought of always having the wonderful open space close to our property. We are very much opposed to the development of a party pavilion at Rancho Potrero, as we feel it would only create a more dangerous road. We already have motor bikers and young drivers speeding along Potrero, which backs onto our property. On many occasions, they have crashed into the barrier fencing, and the thought of a bigger road with much more traffic would, I'm sure, only cause many more accidents with more young people being hurt.

Re: your Oct. 6 article, “Mayor, under scrutiny, abruptly drops out of sight�:

Mayor Robert Levy of Atlantic City, N.J., is clearly an immature and insecure person. Why is he the mayor of a major city? First he lies, and if that wasn’t bad enough, then he runs away when he is accused of lying. ’Fess up, man! We do not need a lying coward in the political sphere of our country. We have too many others already.

I say let him run away and replace him. The unfortunate thing, however, is how are we to know the next guy won’t be exactly the same?

— Kelly McGowan, Simi Valley

My wife and I became aware of city of Thousand Oaks’ and the Conejo Recreation & Park District’s plans to develop the 326-acre Rancho Potrero property by building roads and a 200-person party pavilion in the middle of an open space rural preserve.

We attended a community workshop in early July, at which, without exception, the attendees made it clear that while the additional trailheads, some shade trees and a few picnic tables were acceptable, the construction of a pavilion with an access road was not.

Re: your Oct. 7 article, "Clausen, Irish upset UCLA":

Just to set the story straight, the UCLA Bruins team and the Notre Dame Irish defense upset UCLA. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen, who used to play for Oaks Christian, had very little to do with it.

— Mona Marting, Newbury Park

Re: your Oct. 5 article, “Minister criticizes Simi Valley City Council�:

I am livid.

Since when does the government of a city, county, state or country have to kowtow to a church? Isn't this exactly what the Constitution, by law, does not advocate?

Re: Betsy Hart’s Oct. 5 commentary, “Alumna of Mean Mom School hopes lessons count�:

I really enjoyed Betsy Hart’s commentary. As a father of five, all raised, I totally agree with her that you do not do what you do for today, but for the future. Being a parent is being a leader, a director to the future. And for me, as long as our children add to the world, then we did our job, and in our case, we are very pleased with the lives our children lead.

Re: your Oct. 5 article, “Fight at the faucet�:

It looks like we are running short of water. We should take shorter showers and turn off the water when brushing our teeth. We need that water to fill the swimming pools and water the lawns of the thousands of new dwellings being built in Southern California.

— John Cowart, Ventura

I recently had an encounter with the California Highway Patrol. My vehicle was pulled over, and my passenger in the rear seat was cited and fined for not wearing a seat belt.

While stopped on the side of Highway 101 during the officer’s enforcement duty, motorcycles were passing by, traveling at the same speed we were. Passengers on the back seat of the motorcycles were wearing helmets but no seat belts. No enforcement or fines were given to these individuals or groups.

Re: your Oct. 6 editorial, “No torture? No, redefined�:

Editorials are the opinions of their writers. A newspaper’s professionalism is reflected by the content of such articles.

I just read that this is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. What a crock! We're supposed to be aware of domestic violence this month and then we can go back to ignoring it? Meanwhile the powers that be wring their hands and say, “Oh, my!� Garbage!

We need a Domestic Violence Awareness Decade, or even a century or two. Also, awareness is ridiculous. A woman is very aware when somebody is beating her to death, but that doesn't keep her alive. Only action gives her a chance of survival.

Re: Oct. 7 commentaries by Jonathan Ziv and Keith Moore, “Visionary plan for new city� and David Katz, “Citizens need to know more about CIB�:

At least these people are willing to step out of their comfort zones to see if the actual splitting of Oxnard into two cities will benefit the citizens. It seems like the leaders of Oxnard are getting a little nervous and are against this proposal without letting the process work out. I, for one, am tired of the status quo and would appreciate better representation of our city leaders.

Re: Deroy Murdock’s Oct. 6 commentary, “Hillary Clinton: Still socialist after all these years�:

How can Murdock, with any conscience — if it's possible that he has any — decry Democrats as liberal socialists when the Republicans have rubber-stamped everything that this lying administration of George W. Bush has asked for? We have a national debt that’s the greatest in American history, and Bush’s government policies are more akin to Adolf Hitler’s and the Third Reich’s than anything! The middle-class is being decimated to the total and complete benefit of the fastest-growing percentage group in the United States: billionaires.

Re: David M. Smith’s Oct. 7 letter, “Veto puts children at risk�:

As the president and CEO of United Way of Ventura County, Mr. Smith knows only too well how important the State Children’s Health Insurance Program is, and how devastating President Bush’s veto is.

Interestingly, both the House and the Senate, in a rare show of bipartisan agreement, passed this important legislation. Yet our very own congressman, Elton Gallegly, voted against the SCHIP bill. Hard to believe.

Re: your Oct. 7 Parade insert:

On the cover of the Parade insert was a full-blown picture of movie star Brad Pitt. The story inside was mostly filled with adulations and validations of his lifestyle and, of course, his trysts with Angelina Jolie that have produced a baby. Pitt and Jolie are not a family. The parents of that baby apparently have no intention of marrying because that wouldn't be chic, hip or sophisticated in the Hollywood culture.

On Nov. 6, we have the opportunity to move Ventura forward by electing Doug Halter to the City Council.

Many of you already know and support Doug Halter. I’ve known him for more than 15 years. He is a small business owner, entrepreneur and involved citizen. When I was police chief, Doug served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Police Activities League.

Supposedly, too many Americans don't have access to healthcare. That's simply not true. Everyone has access. Being able to afford healthcare is the real problem.

Earlier this year, Pierpont residents were raising funds to have lifeguards posted on the stretch of beach between San Buenaventura State Beach and Marina Park. A summer later, many Pierpont residents just want the lifeguards to go away.

What was originally welcomed has clearly soured and gone bad. Most residents supported the lifeguards for increased beach safety. What they didn’t realize they would get is a paramilitary force patrolling the beaches with little care or concern for the Pierpont lifestyle.

Re: John Krist's Sept. 30 commentary, "Santa Cruz Island's ecological rebirth�:

The incredible saga of the struggle to restore Santa Cruz Island's natural ecosystems brought me so much joy and hope. I thank the Channel Islands National Park, the Nature Conservancy and all the individuals involved in this remarkable journey for their vision, tenacity and perseverance. They have developed for the world a model of restoration — the fact that it can be accomplished and is worth the struggle. I believe the court cases and the success of the project will also serve to help other restoration projects worldwide. I also thank John Krist for his continuing excellence in reporting on environmental matters.

— Allison Maires, Ventura

Re: your Sept. 29 Pa Ventura item, “To clock watchers�:

This is to remind Pa Ventura that the change of time from daylight-saving time to standard used to take place at the end of October, not the end of September as he indicated. This year it will be moved to November 4. Remind us again on November 3.

— Mary Ellen De Luca, Oxnard

Re: your Sept. 29 article, “Venturan gets one-year jail term in hit-run death�:

Beth Dunn was a beautiful human being.

There is no way to justify Judge Bruce Clark's decision to give Randall Painter a one-year sentence plus probation. What about the culpability of Mr. Painter's cousin and friends who bought alcoholic drinks for an underage drinker? Is this the end of it? I can't believe it.

Re: your Sept. 29 article, “Venturan gets one-year jail term in hit-run death�:

The accidental and violent death of disabled Beth Dunn was without a doubt a horrible tragedy. And yet a second tragedy concerning Beth’s death occurred Friday in Courtroom 12 during the sentencing of the man responsible for her death.