Peace. The dream. Everyone’s desire.

I grew up in the shadow of World War I, the war to end all wars. I served in World War II and the Korean War.

I know our dread of war and desire for peace will not deter our enemies, dictators, tyrants, fanatical jihadists or other terrorists whose only dreams are our demise. Have they not proved this repeatedly? They only understand one thing: power, achieved by the strength of military might, monetary muscle and overwhelming punitive sanctions.

Re: your Feb. 28 article, “Shopping center in Oxnard is sold for $13 million":

I thank The Star for reporting information on the sale of Carriage Square in Oxnard. The city and new landlord should both be well aware of the important location of this property before demolishing and developing the old site. The owners should be cognizant of opportunities to help beautify the city, as well as turn a profit. Neighbors from other nearby cities will also be interested in an attractive and unique shopping center within minutes of the Oxnard off-ramp.

Re: Timm Herdt’s Feb. 27 essay, “The sky is really falling�:

Nobody pays attention to what’s happening in Sacramento or Washington, D.C., until it affects him or her personally.

The Feb. 26 Fillmore City Council meeting could have been considered hilarious if the council members hadn't been so pitiful. Star Management President Mike Cirillo showed up, along with a handful of anti-rent control El Dorado Estates residents and a “pit bull� of an attorney, armed with a letter threatening to sue the city.

After the council members temporarily adjourned the meeting to talk in closed session for more than an hour about rent control, in violation of the Brown Act, they returned and confirmed their previous decision to take a vote in El Dorado and provide a rent control ordinance for their approval. That's when Cirillo turned his "pit bull" loose — and for well over 30 minutes. I've never gotten more than three minutes.

Re: your Feb. 26 article, “Home sales in county abysmal,� and your Feb. 27 article, “Stagflation now economic threat�:

Lately, The Star has gotten on the media bandwagon of splashing the most negative news possible about the economy as a lead story.

As a Christian, I continue to be surprised at those who cannot see the inconsistency of claiming to love one another and at the same time being so judgmental about the sexual orientation of other children of God. God created us all, regardless of our sexual orientation, and he did not intend that any of us should live unfulfilled lives.

The Bible was written 2,000 to 3,000 years ago by people who had a world view that has long been proved inadequate in understanding our world, our universe and our human condition. The Bible lists all kinds of acts as being immoral and all means of punishment that no thinking person would accept today.

My husband and I are longtime residents of Westlake Village, living on Triunfo Canyon Road near Hampshire Road, an area very much impacted by the proposed Home Depot development. We both signed the Do-It Center's petition and do not feel it misled us in any way. Of course, it is against Home Depot taking away its livelihood, as are, no doubt, JC Plumbing and other small businesses in the area. We support these businesses.

It’s too bad we elected a bunch of incompetents to run Ventura. It seems they needed to tax us some more in the guise of fees. Right after the election, out comes the new tax (fee) for 911 to raise more money for police and fire after the sales-tax proposition was turned down.

Fire, police and 911 should be No. 1 on the budget. If there is not enough money left, reduce or eliminate remaining expenses. Any prudent person would ask: What does the city do that can be eliminated, such as hiring consultants, spending on art projects and supporting various groups in the city, to name a few?

Last week, sometime after 11 p.m., my kitty was killed by a bobcat or mountain lion. One professional saw the prints in the wet soil and said it was a mountain lion, and the other professional said they were the prints of a bobcat. I photographed the prints and checked out the differences on the Internet, and my guess is that it was a bobcat.

Nevertheless, this large wildcat jumped my neighbor’s 6-foot block wall and attacked my 14-year-old kitty, and the remains of her fur, intestines and liver were strewn from one end of his back yard to the other. What would happen if it were your small child or your small animal?

Re: your Feb. 24 article, “Project to document braceros’ stories�:

CSU Channel Islands has offered “Chicano studies� as a program for a degree. I’m not clear on what a degree in Chicano studies can buy you in the way of a job or career, though. The students are participating in a project to document braceros’ stories, which, I guess, is what they are supposed to do.

The braceros worked between 1942 and 1964. If these workers are still alive and living in the United States, they would have learned English by now.

Isn't it ironic that Harbor Director Lyn Kreiger and Co. are fighting the redevelopment of the Port Royal restaurant while advocating the building of an oversized sailing center with banquet facilities next door?

— Peter Poulson, Oxnard

Re: Evan D. Masyr’s Jan. 31 commentary, “Unification would give PVSD teachers raises�:

I appreciate the work done by Evan D. Masyr addressing unification and the Pleasant Valley School District's financial issues.

We've known for a long time that the state of California supports newly unified school districts by providing substantial funding. That funding would significantly address the needed increase in salary and benefits for the Pleasant Valley teachers.

Concerning the safety of our beef: One packing plant is getting a lot of publicity right now, but what about the beef they sent out the month or the year before? What about all the other packing plants? Why did the U.S. Department of Agriculture stop packing plants from even voluntarily testing for mad-cow disease?

I heard that mad-cow disease — or, as the Food and Drug Administration calls it, bovine spongiform encephalopathy — may not be detected for many years in a human. While I was trying to check this out, I discovered that there was a controversy about vaccines spreading BSE. I don’t remember hearing about that.

Re: Ed Henke’s Feb. 24 Pulse page piece, “Upstream battle to recover steelhead�:

I am so glad to see at least one environmentalist, Henke, finally and publicly admit that steelhead trout are rainbow trout gone to sea. His dismay over the lack of steelhead, though, I feel is misplaced. The decline in the steelhead seems to be connected, strangely enough, to the fact that rainbow trout are no longer stocked in the creeks, streams and, for lack of a better term, rivers, in Ventura County. The steelhead is thriving in places that actually have water consistently in their waterways.

I am writing this letter out of concern for my neighborhood park in Woodside Greens.

It appears as though there are some people who choose not to use their common sense or common courtesy for fellow neighbors in regard to keeping our beautiful park clean and free of trash and or dog excrement. We are lucky to have two mutt-mitt dispensers with trash cans available for cleaning up after our dogs with minimal effort. It is unacceptable to leave this job up to other neighbors or the Parks and Recreation Department. I know there are many dog owners who do a great job cleaning up after their pets, and many thanks to them!

Thirty-six years ago, we moved to Westlake Village from Torrance, where surface street traffic was becoming intolerable. Now we are facing similar conditions in our lovely city. The Thousand Oaks City Council is on the threshold of approving a Home Depot next to one of the tightest on and off ramps of Highway 101 in the entire city — Hampshire Road.

Also, the current zoning for this land’s use is C-1; however, based on Home Depot’s line of goods sold, it should be C-3. But we all know that the City Council can change this zoning without constituents voting.

Re: your Feb. 23 article, “Two schools selected for closure by Conejo panel�:

I am really upset because Meadows School is the reason my family chose Conejo Valley Unified School District over private schools.

I also have to agree with Carlos De Los Rios on the lack of credibility of the process. The school district spent months figuring out a blind method to use in closing the schools. We were all in agreement with the selection criteria. When two schools were chosen, parents were upset. Then the rules were changed. Our neighborhood school went from No. 6 on the first list to No. 2 in a “new� nonblind method.

Re: your Feb. 27 article, “Funds sought for bike lane installation�:

Matching tax dollars are being sought to benefit a select group of people — cyclists. I have two suggestions for how to fund the bike lanes:

— Make a surcharge for every piece of cyclist equipment bought.

— Enforce the driving rules and ticket the cyclists who do not stop at stoplights and signs and who ride side by side and enter the car lanes.

Re: the Feb. 27 letters by Sandy Emberland, "Twisting the truth," and Gary E. Murphy, "O'Reilly spews hate, too":

Re: Bernard Ayling’s Feb. 27 letter, “Issues with view board�:

It is unseemly of Ayling to question the democratic process of Ventura Citizens Organization for Responsible Development. He was president of the midtown council when he oversaw a most undemocratic process. An insider’s committee of about eight people presumed to write the development guidelines for all of midtown and present them to the city as if they represented the will of midtown. The committee did not allow its own membership the opportunity to approve them, much less all of midtown.

Re: Camille Harris’ Feb. 22 letter "Signature count disputed":

In disputing The Star’s statement that, under the proposed Ventura Citizens Organization for Responsible Development initiative, most View Resources Board members would be appointed by the initiative’s proponents, Harris writes: "In fact, all members of Ventura Citizens Organization for Responsible Development can nominate candidates who are then voted upon by the membership of VCORD."

I must take exception to the presumption that 14-year-olds have the cognitive maturity to think, reason and understand fully the consequences of their actions in the same way that adults are expected to behave.

Re: Catherine Myers’s Feb. 27 commentary, "Dealing with hostile kids":

I would like to ask Myers what makes her an expert on students' behavior at E.O Green and/or behavior at the U.S. Postal Service? Why does she assume that the USPS has been able to "identify and eliminate the conditions and personalities that caused regular violence?"

Re: your Feb. 24 article, “It doesn’t make sense�:

I am writing this because I feel some things have been overlooked concerning the tragedy at E.O. Green School.

Regarding all the senseless and tragic killings that have occurred recently in our nation, I think we need to face "reality." Reading all the pleas for more tolerance classes and all the assumptions that we are a homophobic society, I couldn't help but think that the root of our problem is far more subtle. We can kid ourselves all we like, but the fact is we don't value life, and sadly, all the tolerance classes in the world are not going to stop the senseless killings that happen on our streets.

I am appalled at what happened to Larry King and why a 14-year-old boy would shoot anyone. Violence against others is truly horrendous and should be punished. I was equally appalled, however, at the reactions of students, the school, The Star and comments by people in general as to what the real tragedy is here.

Brandon McInerney should be treated like the child he is. It is an obscenity to rip a child of 14 from his family, send him to the horror of adult prison and incarcerate him for beyond the rest of his life. This type of thoughtless, retributive violence against a child does not make our society safer.

The killing was horrific, and my heart aches for Larry and those who love him. But convicting a child as an adult is a second murder, committed by adults and authorized by a law that furthers the delusion that harsh punishment for children is justice and the answer to crime.

It is sad and unforgivable that, after all these years, bigotry, harassment and bullying still flourish in our schools. The shooting and death of a student at E.O. Green School was tragic and unnecessary. It also tells me that many parents don’t know what’s going on with their children. The parents of the shooter are equally responsible for Larry King’s death. The school was remiss in not knowing what was happening.

— Gary Traxler, Camarillo

Let's put some pieces of the puzzle together and demystify what happened:

— Larry King was neglected, abused and emotionally unstable. Casa Pacifica is very well known, and The Star’s article purposely "skirts" the reality and facts concerning this shelter.

— Larry was abused and manipulated further by gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgender activists and their message of gender confusion, identity confusion and sexual confusion. Let's unmask the GBLT agenda for what it is: tolerance and celebration for sexual identity confusion.

Re: Ronald Stark's Feb. 22 letter, "Fluoridation is OK":

The Centers for Disease Control states that fluoride's benefits are derived only from topical application, so why are we all being forced to drink, cook and bathe in fluoride?

If the Amercian Dental Association states that infants should not ingest fluoride, then how do I know how much fluoridated water is safe to give to my young children — a half cup or two-thirds cup?

I have never had much use for political “pundits.�

For the first time, in this year’s historic election, we have diversity candidates running. The “pundits� are having a field day pointing out who votes for whom. There is even one person on CNN who has a “magic� white board that he uses to slice and dice the country and the people living in it.

Re: your Feb. 24 article, “Use of private care tests the British health system�:

I would only hope that our country's citizens would wake up to the fact that this type of healthcare delivery system is exactly what the Democrat presidential candidates ultimately want to establish in the U.S.

We certainly need to work on the access and affordability of health coverage for all of our citizens, but the socialists’ utopian idea of a single-payer, government-run healthcare system is doomed to fail, as is the United Kingdom’s and Canada’s delivery systems, as illustrated in The Star article.

I keep reading and hearing about foreclosures — a topic that is scaring a lot of people. However, we all know at least one person who bought multiple houses on little or no money down with the intention of "flipping" them as soon as possible. Obviously these "spec" houses are contributing greatly to the foreclosure count.

I would be interested to know what percentage of the foreclosures are due to speculators buying and then walking away. The Star should investigate this at the county, state and federal level and report this to the general public. I suspect the report will soothe a lot of people.

— Ralph Mauriello, Moorpark

Re: Ed Schlossman’s Feb 12 letter, “Unborn can't vote�:

Schlossman presumes to speak for women he has never met in situations he will never know. Because they had children, he draws the specious conclusion that they were pro-life. Their position on the subject is something he is not privy to and cannot know. A woman's feelings toward a given pregnancy are known only to herself.

— Kathy Matthews, Thousand Oaks

Re: Roger Barker’s Feb. 25 letter, “Initiative won’t thwart hospital�:

I am pleased to clarify any misconceptions any of the proponents or opponents of the traffic congestion initiative may have about my support of the Westlake Village initiative to bring a Lowe’s Home Improvement Center to the city of Westlake Village in 2006.

Re: Bill O’Reilly’s Feb. 23 commentary, “Hate speech flourishes unchecked on the Internet�:

O’Reilly tells us to watch out for hate speech on the Internet. He’d certainly know it. He’s brilliant at it.

The primaries have quickly reduced the number of presidential candidates. To date, none of the remaining candidates has been pressed to explain what she/he really means about “change.�

The U.S. already has a mess from the fallout of this current administration's disastrous changes. We deserve a president and a vice president who value bipartisan solutions, understand how to formulate domestic and foreign policies, can successfully negotiate important legislation through Congress and know what constitutes appropriate action. Now is the time to hold remaining candidates to a higher standard and demand that each specifically address critical issues with proposed solutions.

Re: Lauren Rheaume’s Feb. 25 letter, “Wrong spot for Home Depot�:

This writer certainly has the attitude of "not in my neighborhood" by telling people to go to the Newbury Park Home Depot or suggesting the old Newbury Park Home Depot reopen. That's really sticking together, as the letter states: Send the traffic elsewhere.

Re: your Feb. 26 article, “Assessing the assessors�:

Mary Sagala does not make any sense. She either bought the house as an investment to rent out now or sell more than three years from now for a profit, or she bought it and was going to flip it for a quick profit. It sounds like she bought it and was unable to flip it. From what I can see, rental prices have been holding their own.

— Craig Kronfeld, Oak Park

Re: James Verkuil’s Feb. 26 letter, “Who’s intolerant?�

Verkuil explains that Christian opposition to homosexuality has nothing to do with violence against homosexuals. He tells us that, sure, Christian leaders speak out against homosexuality, “but Christianity preaches that we are to love everyone.� That is a lousy consolation. Verkuil ignores the inherent danger of teaching children a ridiculous, dehumanizing myth as truth.

Re: Bettyanne Sessing’s Feb. 26 commentary, “Trying children as adults is wrong�:

Sessing attempts to make us feel sorry for her son who was less than two months away from his 18th birthday when he stabbed 61-year-old Larry Phifer six times in the neck and beat him to death with a baseball bat in order to steal his DVD player.

Re: Chris Bower’s Feb. 25 letter, “Violence in the Bible�:

It is a certain truth that a half-truth is often a bigger lie than just a whole cloth lie. I feel that Bower’s letter concerning the Bible was a half-truth. While the quotes noted were accurate, they were all taken from the Old Testament to smear the whole.

The other half of the truth is that the Christian faith is based on the revelation of God's nature given to us by Jesus, and we are taught to "turn the other cheek" and "blessed are the merciful," which Christians believe and affirm.

The teachers of the Pleasant Valley School District need help from the people of Camarillo. We are still trying to get a fair and equitable compensation package for this 2007-08 school year. We are currently one of the lowest compensated districts in the county. The teachers of PVSD have attended and spoken at numerous school board meetings, held informational pickets in front of City Hall and our local schools, handed out informational flyers in front of grocery stores and had an ad in a local newspaper.
None of this has gotten the attention of the school board or the superintendent.

Re: Tom Kaiser’s Feb. 24 commentary, “Atmosphere of hate fuels horrific crime�:

I find it remarkable that a commentary addressing the tragedy of a hate crime that is due to the “organized bigotry and intolerance of the fundamentalist right wing� was presented in the most hateful, spiteful, intolerant manner possible. Kaiser blames the hatred and troubled mind of Brandon McInerney on the evil Christians who espouse homosexual intolerance and hate and says that is why Brandon allegedly killed Larry King.

Re: Tom Kaiser’s Feb. 24 commentary, “Atmosphere of hate fuels horrific crime�:

I don’t know what spaceship Kaiser got off, but he certainly twisted the facts on the cause of the death of Larry King, the young man from Oxnard. I can hardly turn the other cheek or even ignore the ignorance of this child psychiatrist’s “opinion� in The Star.

Re: Tom Kaiser’s Feb. 24 commentary, “Atmosphere of hate fuels horrific crime�:

Child psychiatrist Kaiser's hate-filled, anti-religion diatribe saddened me. His misdirected expression of hate failed to shed light on the horrific crime and failed to begin healing in the community. Why did The Star print such a raw expression of hatred?

Re: Tom Kaiser’s Feb. 24 commentary, “Atmosphere of hate fuels horrific crime�:

Several who share my faith have written to express opposition to Kaiser's commentary. I fear those letters backfire, however, because they quite adequately prove Kaiser's point. I am sure most people know that we Christians are not perfect. Those of us who misread and misinterpret such well-appointed essays sometimes do so as a carryover from our misreading, misinterpretation and misapplication of our own theology.

The public deserves an apology for our failures, and I am moved to offer one here.

— Donn Coon, Oxnard

The other day, I took a nostalgic ride to Fisherman’s Wharf in Channel Islands Harbor. It was a thoroughly disgusting experience.

Where once thrived beautiful little shops and fun restaurants is a parking lot to nowhere. The unique shell shop is gone. The Aussie shop is gone. Muggs and Jugs clothing shop is gone. Katie’s Attic unique gifts is gone. The ice cream shop is gone. All three restaurants are gone. Fun Photos is gone. The T-shirt shop is gone. The brass shop is gone, along with our Channel Islands Gifts. There are at least four or five more that escape my memory.

Recently, we received a notice that the city of Camarillo will conduct a public hearing on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. to consider the proposed changes for 159 acres between Las Posas Road and Central Avenue described as the Springville Specific Plan area. The area, currently zoned as rural exclusive, with a 40-acre minimum lot size, is proposed to be rezoned as residential planned development at 10 units per acre, 18 units per acre and 30 units per acre. As I understand it, there will be no single-family houses in this development.

Re: Dan K. Thomasson's Feb. 22 essay, "A fair question for Obama":

This essay seems to be an excuse, not a reason, to oppose Barak Obama.

No one charged President Kennedy with plagiarism when he gave his famous “Ask not what your country can do for you� speech at his 1961 inauguration. And yet these words, written originally in Arabic and later translated, first appeared almost word for word in Khalil Gibran’s “The New Frontier� many years prior.

Re: Jay Ambrose's Feb. 22 commentary, “Yellow journalism rears its head at The N.Y. Times�:

Ambrose writes that the New York Times confines its yellow journalism to stories about Republicans.

Re: your Feb. 23 article, “Scientists measure force to move atom�:

I was impressed by the method science used to take this measurement, but the reporting of the result seems to be in error.

First of all, science does not measure nature in ounces, which opens up the possibility of error.

Re: Camille Harris’ Feb. 22 letter, “Signature count disputed�:

Harris makes the following statements, one after the other, in her letter:

"The Star states that the View Resources Board is appointed by the authors of the petition. This is not true, and the process is described in our bylaws.

“In fact, all members of Ventura Citizens Organization for Responsible Development can nominate candidates who are then voted upon by the membership of VCORD."

Re: Tom Kaiser’s Feb. 24 commentary, “Atmosphere of hate fuels horrific crime�:

I thank Kaiser for his insightful words. I hope more people are waking up to the insidious motivations of the zealots who have been diligent in injecting their evil and hateful beliefs into our public domain. Let's hope, after our shared experiences of the last seven years, that these troglodytes return to their caves.

— Danny Combs, Oxnard

We are writing on behalf of senior citizens throughout our community to express our concern and our disapproval of the proposed 911 fee in the city of Ventura.

The Ventura Senior Coordinating Council feels this fee is simply an added tax that will disproportionately affect senior citizens, as we are more likely than most to need 911 services.

Re: Tom Kaiser’s Feb. 24 commentary, “Atmosphere of hate fuels horrific crime�:

I agree with Kaiser’s view that the death of Larry King was a horrific, tragic ending of a young boy’s life and that this could be classified as a hate crime.

But this is where my agreement ends. Kaiser goes on for more than five paragraphs about how he feels this is caused by what he states is “organized bigotry and intolerance by the fundamentalist right-wing zealots.�

Re: your Feb. 24 article, “An ambitious vision�:

It is wonderful to learn that someone, namely Zaya Younan, has a sweeping vision of the future of Channel Islands Harbor and the financial resources to make it happen.

Re: Tom Kaiser’s Feb. 24 commentary, “Atmosphere of hate fuels horrific crime�:

Never have I seen such a demonstration of hate, bigotry, intolerance and general vitriol expressed in a commentary published by The Star.

Never has Pat Robertson or any other Christian leader advocated violence or murder against homosexuals. Robertson has certainly spoken out against homosexuality, but Christianity preaches that we are to love everyone, regardless of their beliefs or practices.

I find it incredulous that a majority of Cubans believe any real goodwill toward them exists in the U.S. government after having to fight a long civil war to remove Washington's previous puppet government and enduring 50 years of U.S. attempts to forcefully take it back by invasion, sabotage, blockade, assassination and threatened nuclear annihilation. Yet, this seems to be the assumption of the statements made by our politicians, and their essentially similar foreign policy positions on Cuba, on hearing that Fidel Castro would not seek the presidency of the Cuban Council of State.

Re: your Feb. 23 article, “TV has a ‘profound effect’ in youth violence, expert says�:

Yeah, like books, newspapers and the written word are not violent forms of media at all. Anybody remember Fredric Wertham and his witch hunt against comic books?
I'm ashamed and sad that The Star printed this drivel in the aftermath of the E.O. Green School shooting. It had nothing to do with TV, video games or music.

Re: Tom Kaiser’s Feb. 24 commentary, “Atmosphere of hate fuels horrific crime�:

Kaiser’s commentary is nothing more than a hate-filled attack against Christians and the “religious right,� which had nothing to do with the slaying of Larry King. Even though the “religious right� is opposed to homosexuality, it does not espouse the hatred of those who are gay. Nor do they under any circumstance “condone� the killing of one child by another, as suggested by Kaiser.

Re: Nan Derrico's Feb. 22 letter, “Social Security’s failings�:

Derrico believes that two government actions regarding Social Security benefits are an injustice. I think perhaps she is far from alone in not fully understanding the two issues she raises.

On the surface, I would support the Thousand Oaks traffic initiative. It seems reasonable to let the voters decide. But due to an almost terminal case of apathy by the voting public, I will have to vote against it.

Re: Alexander Freeman's Feb. 22 letter, "Paulson's dream world":

I did not read Paulson's essay, but I would like to challenge Freeman's letter because I think America is a wonderful place.

Freeman quotes Michael Bloomberg that America now resembles a "Third World country." I have been to several countries in Africa and Asia, and America does not resemble any of them.

I must say that it took strength for a member of the Triunfo Sanitation District board to step up and try to include an advisory about fluoridation via a letter in the local newspaper. I thank Ron Stark of TSD for doing that.

However, not all TSD customers will be reading his "letter," and it doesn't take away TSD's responsibility to post a warning on its bills. The cost of doing that was an objection by Stark. Another board member sees no problem posting that advisory, and it wouldn't be costly. Cost shouldn't be the issue anyway when it comes to performing due diligence.

Re: your Feb. 23 article, “TV has a ‘profound effect’ in youth violence, expert says�:

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman hit the nail right on the head. Our government spends millions of dollars to train our military how to engage the enemy and kill them. Our children get that training free of charge.

Those in the entertainment industry have had an umbrella of protection covering their guilty little heads, and they hide behind the First Amendment very well. Now CBS is showing “Dexter,� the story of a "heroic" serial killer who just kills bad guys.

President Bush is now complaining that Congress has tied his hands on unlawful wiretapping. All Bush has to do is go to the secret court and get court approval. He says this is just too burdensome and we should just trust him and Vice President Cheney.

Huh? These two have proven over and over again that they cannot be trusted. And what is so hard about going to court to get approval?

Bush has lied and lied again and again and now he asks for our trust? Bush thinks he is above the law, but no, he must obey the law also.

For those who are supporting John McCain and planning to vote for him, or have already supported him in the primary, I have a question or two.

How come we need 100 years of war to bring democracy to Iraq and the world when it can be removed from the United States in as little as seven years?

If you are not concerned about McCain’s involvement with lobbyists, are you at all concerned with his voting record, specifically on the environment and energy?

Re: Bill O’Reilly’s Feb. 23 commentary, “Hate speech flourishes unchecked on the Internet�:

O’Reilly’s commentary made my blood pressure rise. He continues to twist the truth. His incomplete reference to Michelle Obama’s comments about her pride in this country was missing an important word — “really.� She was commenting on the politics in this country, saying that for the first time she is “really� proud of her country. How convenient that O’Reilly leaves out a word that changes the meaning of her statement.

Re: Bill O’Reilly’s Feb. 23 commentary, “Hate speech flourishes unchecked on the Internet�:

There is ample evidence O'Reilly suffers from paranoid dementia, but his most recent comments regarding nasty, anonymous comments directed at Nancy Reagan over the Internet should convince even the most skeptical observer.

In this election campaign, there has been much discussion about universal healthcare and national security. Both are important issues, but the question remains: Do they apply to everyone? Can our nation be considered secure if the right to life of one class of citizens is not protected? Can there be any discussion about healthcare if one's life is not protected?

Re: your Feb. 23 article, “Growth limits tied to housing costs�:

The housing advocate, Wendell Cox, recently spoke at a Ventura County Economic Outlook program. He is reported to have said that he does not think it is right to pass regulations that curb development until everyone who wants a house can afford one.

I wonder how many million more people this policy would add to California. Does Cox’s point of view include homeless people? Does it include all people from other countries who want to live here, whether or not they are legal?

I am enormously grateful for the decision of the Conejo Valley Unified School District board to take Maple Elementary School off the list of schools to be closed.

While I completely disagree with closing any schools, Maple is special and deserves to be spared. Its special education program that serves the needs of autistic children is urgently needed in our community. With a growing number of children being diagnosed as autistic, the school board made the right decision to keep Maple open.

Re: Gary Johnson’s Feb. 7 letter, “What, exactly, needs changing?�

Johnson should visit http://www.BarackObama.com and click onto issues to find Barack Obama’s “Blueprint for Change.� Obama is the only presidential candidate who had the wisdom to oppose the war in Iraq. He is for individual liberties, personal dignity, free expression, religious tolerance, private-property rights, universal human rights, transparency in government, privacy, rule of law, fundamental equality and a free and fair market economy.

Re: Don Pyne’s Feb. 18 article, “Tax cuts for rich will be good for all�:

I'm neither a part-time professor of business and economics nor a CPA like Pyne, and I know that I'm not even as good with words and figures as he, but in my 75 years on this planet, I have learned that "figures can lie and liars can figure," and I think that's what he is doing.

He states that in 2005, the highest 1 percent of the income earners paid 39.38 percent of the income tax, but he failed to mention that if you included other taxes, such as sales tax, the top 1 percent probably paid a substantially smaller part.

The county’s Public Works Agency is and has been taking advantage of homeowners in the unincorporated areas.

The first thing that needs to be done is to know what "property" belongs to you and what belongs to the county.

This is information for those in the Casa Conejo tract, single-family residential houses located in Newbury Park.

Concise brevity is a beautiful thing. As a long time resident of our Conejo, education budget cuts are a terrific case study project for management students at local universities. May I suggest we consider multiple options? Leave emotions at the door and reconsider polar thinking — win/lose, all/nothing, good/bad. Perhaps our students can enjoy the benefits and continue to true education.

Please consider:

— Closing two to five schools.

Why is Ventura County AIDS Partnership granting money to Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties? Planned Parenthood now receives more than $300 million in taxpayer dollars! Local grantees are needier (and more worthy?).

— Mary Margaret Cassidy, Port Hueneme

Re: Terry Paulson’s Feb/ 18 essay, "Dream earned, not given":

It’s hard to know exactly how to answer Paulson's fuzzy, pro-Republican, anti-Democrat jeremiad, but I’ll give it a try. I'll keep it short:

For his big pro-right boost, he lists glossy ideals that have been stomped to smithereens in the past seven years of Bush's presidency, which Republicans have wholeheartedly supported. Instead of listening to what President Bush and Vice President Cheney say, Paulson should look closely at what they do. The two really don't match at all.

This terrible tragedy defies words and evokes only heart-wrenching emotions. We have failed to allow our children to be children, and we have created an atmosphere in which they grow up far too soon.

The apparent motive for this killing was a different lifestyle. Where, O Lord, have we lost our way? If the youngest among us are intolerant and judgmental, where do they learn it? We are not born with prejudice and bias — it is something we learn from those around us.

Well, the lynch mob, led by our illustrious state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, is ready to hang a 14-year-old boy before learning the facts.

— The assumption that this is a hate crime is based on the victim being gay and the suspect being a white male — so it must be a hate crime — and not founded on facts surrounding the case.

— The assumption is that, because Larry King was picked on at school, Brandon McInerney was the one doing the harassment.

Re: Jim Oliver's Feb. 20 letter, "Why schools need God":

Oliver suggests that violence like that which took the life of Larry King wouldn't happen if God were in our schools, and "def(ies) anyone to show (him) where God condones (that) sort of behavior."

Gladly.

Everyone should know by now that Iraq was no threat to the U.S., did not attack or threaten to attack the U.S., and had no involvement in 9/11. It appears the oil corporate administration of Vice President Cheney, President Bush and then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld invaded Iraq primarily to steal its oil.

Whatever the reasons, although a brief war may pump up an economy, a long-term war may destroy it. Instead of building schools, roads and hospitals and funding projects at home from which we all receive long-term benefits, our tax money is used to build tanks that are sent to Iraq and blown up. It's like throwing money down a sewer.

Re: La Donna Martinez’s Feb. 18 letter, “Relative caregivers underpaid,� and your Feb. 8 article, “More than 50 charged in child care scam�:

The child care scam occurred in Los Angeles County, not Ventura County. Child Development Resources of Ventura County Inc. disburses state funding for subsidized child care in Ventura County, as does Children’s Home Society. CDR had absolutely nothing to do with what happened in Los Angeles.

I have been reading article after article about how people with adjustable and subprime mortgages should be working with the lenders to have their loans restructured. We have done everything asked of our mortgage company, one of four that made an agreement with the governor, in the request to have our loan restructured.

It is interesting to observe the paranoid reaction to the Thousand Oaks traffic initiative. I cannot imagine why Los Robles Regional Medical Center principals are concerned that the public, the voters, would vote against a future warranted hospital expansion. Los Robles is the only hospital in town, and most of us need them.

Simply put, the traffic initiative adds another step in the development process for very large, traffic-inducing developments, and that step is us, the voters. The traffic initiative is not simply about Home Depot versus Do It Center.

Re: John Henke’s Feb. 20 letter, “Gun laws inapplicable�:

Henke wrote that the way to be safe was to have more guns on the street. Unfortunately, international research on gun ownership seems to show just the opposite. While the United States leads the entire world in per-capita gun-violence deaths, countries such as Japan and Canada are two of the very lowest. They have very restrictive gun control laws.

— Bruce Mitchell, Oxnard

Re: your Feb. 20 article, “School safety is focus of meeting for Green parents�:

I would like to thank those involved who established a forum to voice our opinions and concerns at the meeting held Tuesday.

As I sat listening to the comments and concerns, I felt many questions were addressed to the school and the district asking what were they were going to do. Shouldn't it be, "What are we going to do?"

I think two things are extremely unfair and need to be rectified by lawmakers:

— Taxing of our Social Security payments. Talk about a double taxation! We paid taxes on these wages during our working years. During our “golden years,� we should be receiving our Social Security checks without having to worry about any tax on them, as it was at one time. This needs to be rectified.

Re: your Feb. 20 article, “Recount set for petition on height of buildings�:

The Star is providing biased if not actual misinformation to the public regarding the View Protection Initiative. The Star states that the View Protection Initiative currently has a signature count of 8,295 signatures. This number can hardly be considered valid.

— The signatures have never been fully counted, and 310 have gone missing.

Pursuant to California health and safety codes, all public water agencies serving more than 10,000 customers are required to fluoridate their water.

With the adding of fluoridation to our drinking water by the Metropolitan Water District, some residents of our community have had some questions about the safety of fluoride consumption for all age groups and especially to children up to the age of 1.

The American Dental Association has given the following advice to reduce fluoride intake from infant formula for children 12 months and younger.

Re: Terry Paulson’s Feb. 18 essay, “Dream earned, not given�:

A recent psychology study found that Americans are not the world’s happiest people. They are 23rd. So how about a country without the American dream, with taxes at 50 percent and socialized medicine? People must be miserable, according to our psychologist, Paulson. In fact, the Danes are consistently the world’s happiest people.

The folly of the city of Oxnard's helter-skelter development policies has finally been revealed for all to see in the recent articles in the Star. The 32 percent drop in Oxnard's median home price in just one year compared to the much more modest price reductions in neighboring Ventura and Camarillo is shocking, to say the least.

With the median price dropping $200,000, the blame must be placed squarely on the City Council members who have rubber-stamped any and all developers’ requests for the past several years, resulting in a huge glut of unneeded and unaffordable housing.

William Lindsay of the Stagecoach Station at Highway 150 and Sisar Road applied for a liquor license for his "grocery and hardware" store on Jan. 23.

This is a dangerous highway without liquor being involved, and adding liquor to a rural area is unconscionable. It is not the Upper Ojai residents who will be patronizing this store for alcohol. Where will these patrons drink and dispose of the bottles and cans? Summit School and the school bus stops are located next door to the store.
There is minimal law enforcement by the California Highway Patrol, and the speeding and accident rates are high, with a number of fatalities on the 150.

For the upcoming state budget cuts, can someone, anyone, explain clearly, concisely and, most importantly, in a nonpartisan manner, which state-funded programs, operations, offices and personnel will suffer cuts and the percentage of cut, and which state-funded programs, et. al., will receive a budget-cut break and the percentage of that break?

Partisan explanations abound, but they don’t inform because of their inherent bias.

Re: your Feb. 14 article, “Tax rebate checks will be in the mail by spring�:

I read that this spring, local citizens will be receiving rebates of $300 to $1,200. It's supposed to stimulate the economy and protect us from the recession. If everyone rushes right out and buys a new technology toy, the economy to benefit most will be China's.

There are certain people within the community, and on the Moorpark City Council, who believe that the High Street Arts Center is an unnecessary expense for the city or that L.J. Stevens is not running it correctly.

I am a Los Angeles-based professional theater director and set designer who has worked with L.J. Stevens on numerous shows, and I want the people of the city of Moorpark and the surrounding communities to know that they should be exceedingly grateful and consider themselves very fortunate to have a person like L.J. in charge of the High Street Arts Center.

Re: Wendy Dager’s Feb 14 commentary, “Stay out of my space�:

Dager might care to know D.A.R.E. resorts to soliciting to continue its program because it has been a proven failure. People, schools and towns have rejected funding, while police enjoy the job security.

Re: Tom Teepen’s Feb. 19 commentary, “Gun lobby’s latest call to arms is way off target�:

I found Teepen’s commentary refreshing, to say the least. It was nice to read one man’s opinion, even though it was, in my opinion, flawed. Suppose we changed “gun lobby� to “Congress.� Would Teepen still be upset? I wonder how quickly he could reason with a crazy person not to shoot him. I wonder if he knows that a concealed-carry holder in California is obligated to protect the citizenry if a situation warrants it. California, by the way, is not a “shall issue� state.

Re: your Feb. 17 editorial, “14-year-old is not an adult�:

For those who keep it as simple as a true-false question, in any context, the answer is obvious: true, a 14-year-old is not an adult. I believe the move to try any 14-year-old as an adult is flawed, and, in the case of the tragic murder of Larry King, it is singularly the certain adult decision that is guaranteed to add more suffering.

The message of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office is that the current situation is hopeless — that there is not one move left, not one option left available in the Juvenile Court.

Re: Don Pyne’s Feb. 18 commentary, “Tax cuts for rich will be good for all� and Terry Paulson’s Feb. 18 essay, “Dream earned, not given�:

Pyne’s commentary should have been on the same page as The Star’s comics. Does The Star and its editor think that all liberals are idiots? Then there was Paulson's essay. How about some balanced points of view?

— Michael Gallo, Thousand Oaks

Re: your Feb. 16 Pa Ventura item, “To DA’s office�:

At a recent banquet in Woodland Hills, I was introduced as the oldest living member of the founding faculty of California Lutheran University in 1961. Since I am now 87, it sounds plausible. I was on the faculty there for 17 years. I have been a resident of Thousand Oaks for 47 years.

Re: your Feb. 17 article, “A crisis hits home�:

I do feel sorry for those homeowners who were misled by salespeople who did not explain the possibility of higher payments and what would happen if they were not able to pay the higher payments.

The potential homeowners apparently were misled into believing that the home prices would keep going up. With the huge increase in home prices, that really didn’t make sense.

Re: Feb. 15 and Feb. 19 letters on U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly running for re-election:

Letters on Feb. 15 from Gallegly's proponents and on Feb. 19 from his opponents have all focused on his accomplishments with earmarks and other special favors for his supporters. Neither side has acknowledged his successes as a legislator, which is, after all, the first item on his job description.

Per the Library of Congress, Gallegly has written bills that resulted in eight new laws (on 213 attempts) during his 21 years in the House of Representatives.

Re: John R. Hanson’s Feb. 14 commentary, “Government and politicians biggest threats to middle class�:

Hanson writes that government regulations add 30 percent or more to the cost of goods, resulting in less spending power and prosperity for the middle class. For example, the price of a new car includes more than $5,000 in environmental costs. However, without emission controls, we’d hardly be able to breathe. In 1977, Los Angeles had 121 smog alerts. Subsequently, the number of cars has significantly increased while air quality has significantly improved because of emission controls forced on a reluctant auto industry.

Have you been along northbound Highway 101 lately? At the 101 and California Avenue, there is a sign for the city of San Buenaventura that was designed to lead tourists to our fair city. What is really ironic is that a banner has been wrapped underneath the main sign by The Becker Group stating, "For lease."

Does this mean that Ventura is for lease? And if so, let me know how much. I may be able to swing a deal.

— Charles Eichelberger, Ventura

Re: your Feb. 17 editorial, “14-year-old is not an adult�:

Fortunately, in the eyes of the law and Proposition 21, Brandon McInerney can and should be tried as an adult.

The Star reported Feb. 13 that the previous Monday, the suspect allegedly told a female friend that the victim was “having his last day.� This murder was a premeditated act. The firearm had to be procured. It had to be carried to school. It had to be taken into school and then into the classroom — the one place that should be the safest of all places on campus.

Why is a 14-year-old boy being tried as an adult? He cannot vote, and why? Because he is a juvenile and not an adult. He cannot own property, and why? Because he is a juvenile and not an adult. He cannot purchase or consume alcoholic beverages, and why? Because he is a juvenile and not an adult. He cannot live on his own, and why? Because he is a juvenile and not an adult. He cannot even drive a car, and why? Because he is too young.

If he had committed any other illegal act, he would be tried as a juvenile and not as an adult. Why is it that murder makes him an adult? He is not an adult. He is a 14-year-old boy.

Re: Sunday’s Pulse page on school violence:

State Sen. Sheila Kuehl ends her letter with, "Our prayers are with the family of Lawrence King.� The Star's editor, Joe Howry, writes toward the end of his article, "There is no mechanism for rallying consensus and action, save, God forbid, governmental involvement." Letter-writer Edward T. Buckle blames the shooting on "religious extremists."

Re: Sunday’s Pulse page on school violence:

I just want to add my voice to those who favor trying Brandon McInerney in Juvenile Court rather than as an adult.

Many have stated it more eloquently than I can, but for me it comes down to two things. First, very simply, he is not an adult and should not be tried as one. And secondly, he deserves the opportunity for redemption and would probably have a better chance at that if he were tried as a juvenile.

Re: Edward D. Thiele’s Feb. 19 letter, “More guns is the answer�:

As the "hand-wringer" who questioned the need for 200 million guns in the U.S., identified by Thiele in his letter, I have no desire to engage in a "war" of words but would like the opportunity to make a simple observation.

From the letter-writers who defended firearms in The Star after both the Virginia Tech shooting and the recent spate of campus shootings, there has not been a single word of concern written for "poor them" — the victims of the shootings and their grieving survivors. It's all about "poor us," defenders of the weapon and their wielders.

We have had a tragic shooting at a local middle school and a shooting at another university. Now the gun control magpies are speaking out for more gun laws. Did anyone notice that schools and colleges are gun-free zones? Did anyone notice that a 14-year-old cannot purchase a gun? Did anyone notice that in the gun-free zone known as New York City, a woman was murdered with a meat cleaver? Should we have meat cleaver control laws?

We do not need more gun-control laws. We need more guns in the hands of well-trained individuals. The university shooting proves that an unarmed citizenry is unprotected. The murder in New York City proves that guns equalize.

Re: your Feb. 14 article, “Norman promoted to deputy city attorney�:

Our City Council never ceases to amaze me. One week they say the city is broke and must charge a 911 “tax� to keep that service operational for the citizens. The next week they promote an attorney to deputy city attorney and increase his pay to $137,000. How many police officers or firefighters would that pay for? It would cover 2,740 911 calls at $50 a call. And surprisingly enough, this attorney happens to specialize in litigation, public works issues, police and finance and redevelopment. Is this just the beginning of the spending to defend the 911 tax?

— Michael Machuzak, Ventura

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia says he approves of "aggressive interrogation" methods, a Republican euphemism for torture. I believe he was referring to the use of waterboarding.

He joins the likes of President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary of State Condi Rice and administration attorneys general, past and present, in endorsing prisoner-of-war torture. And, if it's OK for us to torture our prisoners, it must be OK for our enemies to torture captured Americans.

Re: your Feb. 17 article, “A crisis hits home�:

I have two points regarding this article.

The first is that I noticed The Star highlighted quite a few people who got themselves into financial trouble because they overextended themselves with a mortgage. But buried in the back is the Kaspar family, who appears to be financially responsible.

John McCain said he opposed President Bush’s tax cut because there were no spending cuts to compromise the tax cuts.

Just a thought: We know the speed at which Congress works to save our tax dollars. Give us poor, overworked taxpayers the tax cut and take the difference from the pay and expenses of Congress until they come up with viable cuts. Wouldn’t you like to see this put to a popular vote?

— Jim Barros, Simi Valley

If the City Council members cared more about the people they are supposed to represent, we wouldn't need the Right to Vote on Traffic Congestion Initiative. But evidently they don't.

I'm tired of politicians who say they're for slow growth just to get elected, but then approve every project that's presented, regardless of traffic congestion. If voters approve the initiative into law in June, it will give voters a say on big development projects that bring the most traffic.

Re: Laura Winchester’s Feb. 13 letter, “Why elections count�:

What has been missing since the creator of heaven and earth, and all things therein, has been banned from the national education system? The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech,� etc.

Re: your Feb. 8 article, “Trustee proud of attempt to bring religion into schools� and Laura Winchester’s Feb. 13 letter, “Why elections count�:

Having recently arrived in Sammamish, Wash., I had not had an opportunity to read the article in The Star concerning my departure from the Ventura County Board of Education. A caring friend called and read the rebuttal to that article.

Re: Nicholas D. Kristof’s Feb. 16 commentary, “When we torture others�:

If never ceases to amaze and disgust me as to how low and far the left-leaning journalists in this country will go in an attempt to degrade our country and government.

For anybody who still believes Al Gore and thinks the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide is the cause of global warming, I have one question: If greenhouse gases are so effective in warming the climate, why are the highest temperatures recorded where there are the least amount of greenhouse gases?

Re: Robert Lagomarsino's Feb. 15 letter, “Gallegly effective�:

The endorsement of Gallegly would have had a touch more honesty had Lagomarsino bothered to point out that he is a Gallegly campaign contributor and has a vested financial interested in seeing Gallegly characterized as "effective.� Also, one measure of Gallegly's "effectiveness" was that he spent two legislative years hustling votes to get the Channel Islands National Park visitor center renamed for Lagomarsino. But I'm sure his endorsement was completely objective and had nothing to do with such trivial things.

— Russell Burgos, Thousand Oaks

Re: your Feb. 15 letters in praise of Elton Gallegly’s running for re-election.

Gallegly again? It was ludicrous to read all those accolades written by present and former Ventura County officials who all possibly benefited from many of Gallegly's government earmarks over many years and Republican Party officials who also benefited.

It seems they brought up what they considered several of Gallegly's pluses over the decades but conveniently omitted the minuses of the past seven years.

Re: your Feb. 15 letters in praise of Elton Gallegly’s running for re-election.

After reading all the sycophantic praises to Gallegly's "accomplishments," I first was angered and then intensely saddened. This guy has been on the wrong side of every issue by virtue of his wholehearted endorsement of our "president." Never mind having to state the obvious, just look at the condition of our country, the errors in judgment regarding foreign policy and the direction of the economy. The GOP and their henchmen have guided this country in an abyss. Why on earth would anyone re-elect someone who has toed the party line towards a quasi-cataclysm?

OK, I get it now. A 14-year-old bigot and a graduate student/mental patient force the destruction of the Constitution? I don't think so.

If the letter writers who are so quick to condemn “200 million guns� and, by association, the 80 million people who own them, are really concerned about safety, they would join the “right to carry� movement. Forty states have “right to carry� laws, where anyone 21 and older, who is legally qualified and properly trained and licensed, can carry a firearm for self-defense. As shown in the Colorado church shooting in December, one armed person can make a huge difference in the outcome of a criminal attack.

Edmond, Okla., Aug. 20, 1986; Luby's Restaurant, Killen, Texas, Oct.16, 1991; Columbine High School, Littleton, Colo., April 20, 1999; U.S. Postal Service, Santa Barbara, Jan. 31, 2006; Trolley Square Mall, Salt Lake City, Feb. 13, 2007; Westroads Mall, Omaha, Neb., Dec. 5, 2007; Virginia Tech, April 16; Northern Illinois University, Thursday.

Eight tragic massacres, innocent people who have lost their lives forever and families who will be forever affected by murder and mayhem.

The tragedy of the killing of one child will lead to further tragedy. We will mourn two children now, and two extended families will share the emotion of grief. We will look for blame, whether it’s in the legal system, educators, society or availability of weapons — and then what?

No one can argue that, regardless of age, we can and do make reasonable and unreasonable life-altering decisions. Arguments will be made that a child’s immature brain cannot be blamed for its actions, but no one can argue that a child is also capable of ending another’s life.

After reading of the murder at E.O. Green School, I tried to gain some kind of perspective as to why and how that happened. I found myself again walking those hallways in my mind as I did some 30-odd years ago.

I did not know the depths of human cruelty and humiliation that awaited me at E.O. Green. I suppose none of us did. Everyone speaks about middle school being one of the worse times in adolescence — and indeed it is.

Re: your Feb. 17 editorial, “14-year-old is not an adult�:

The Star editorial is ridiculous. Of course, the 14-year-old is. He deliberately and with malice shot and killed another human being. He knew what the results of his actions would be. And he did it anyway.

Other people are to blame for this tragedy: the school that allowed the taunting to happen, the people who let him go to school dressed in a provocative way and the taunting kids who are now protesting and professing their love for him. How quickly they turn.

Charging juveniles as adults is a small reflection of the vengeful society we have become. Ventura County is known as the “hanging county� in a state known for its high incarceration rates, in a country that boasts the highest incarceration rates in the world.

According to U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. incarcerates 750 per 100,000 individuals, compared with 148 in the United Kingdom, 107 in Canada, 85 in France and 119 in China. Are we safer than these other countries? Absolutely not.

After hearing and reading about Larry King and his family, my heart aches for them after this senseless tragedy. My kids did not understand what it takes to have someone hate you so much for the way you act or dress that they shoot you. I told them there are many sick people in this world and to make sure they report any bullying, bragging about having a knife or a gun or any weapon immediately to an adult at the school that they attend and that they could do that anonymously.

Tolerance is taught at our schools and presented in a manner to teach children to accept all others and not to judge and do harm. We have a zero tolerance rule in most schools in Ventura County — and is it enforced?

What is it that's come over so very many human beings? It's like a disease of the heart, but one where the pathology lies not in the muscular fibers but in the moral ones: an "unresponsiveness" to right and wrong. Killers, rapists and batterers feel no remorse and then are permitted, too often, to go free and have another go at ravaging us.

Drunk, careless and raging motorists take lives daily and then plead not guilty, hoping to and sometimes actually avoiding any comeuppance whatsoever.

Re: Gary Johnson’s Feb.7 letter, “What, exactly, needs changing?�

Johnson should refer to www.BarackObama.com and click onto “issues� to find Obama’s “blueprint for change.� Obama is the only presidential candidate who had the wisdom to oppose the war in Iraq. He is for individual liberties, personal dignity, free expression, religious tolerance, private property rights, universal human rights, transparency in government, privacy, rule of law, fundamental equality and a free and fair market economy.

Re: Evan Masyr’s Jan. 31 commentary, “Unification would give PVSD teachers raises�:

I read with interest Masyr’s commentary stating that the way to raise teachers' salaries was through unification. While the article made several good points, and I agree that our teachers need more money, I feel the analysis was incomplete.

Among the areas not covered are:

A couple of days ago, I received what appeared to be an advertisement mailing. I pulled this card out of my mailbox and saw some very large Spanish-language print. Below that was, I suppose, a significantly smaller English-language translation, but since I don't speak Spanish, I can't be certain. Scratching my head in confusion, I turned the card over and learned a shocking truth: This was a flier for Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign!

Re: your Jan. 27 article, “New state law on pet shops exposes stricter standards of care�:

While the Pet Store Animal Care Act is an important step in helping to ensure the welfare of animals offered for sale in pet stores, it is important to note that such laws do nothing to keep pet stores from selling puppies from puppy mills. Regardless of whether the store itself is licensed and inspected, the grim fact remains that most of the cute and playful puppies in pet stores come from puppy mills — and their purchase supports a cruel industry.

Re: Evan Masyr’s Jan. 31 commentary, “Unification would give PVSD teachers raises�:

I appreciate Masyr’s honesty in reporting about the finances at the Pleasant Valley School District.

Where are we one year after the “PVSD school closure fiasco?� The finance committee has determined that there is no extra "wasted" money in the PVSD budget. The city of Camarillo has mysteriously forgotten its vow to bail out our schools. Most of the administrators at PVSD have fled in frustration. The current state budget crisis will push us further in the hole.

It is appalling to hear that Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett is doing it again. He is making the county spend $300,000 of our money towards the construction of an unnecessary bridge that will help only a winery and perhaps 11 residents. Mind you, the bridge will cost over $3 million. Why are we spending money to subsidize a winery? The 11 residents have lived there a long time without any bridge, and environmentalists agree that any steelhead can make it upstream with very little effort. Bennett should be ashamed of wasting away precious public money.

— Mohammed A. Hasan, Ventura

I wanted to attend the meeting at the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Parks District on the Camarillo dog park matter, but because of a scratchy throat I could not make it.

In the news report, the term “school� was brought out. Actually, there are three schools involved: El Descanso Elementary School, Monte Vista Middle School and Rio Mesa High School. Students begin arriving at the high school bus area as early as 6:30 a.m. to leave on two very large buses, and they return at 4 p.m. Many of them hang out for awhile before dispersing.

Re: Frank Moraga’s Feb. 8 essay, “Everybody, let’s play nice�:

Moraga only tells part of the story concerning the illegal-immigration debate.

Re: your Feb. 10 article, “A tribute to lost souls�:

Whereas I respect and understand this group and others who wish to memorialize loved ones, I feel it important they understand the true impacts of releasing balloons.
They do not simply “go away� or “go to heaven.� Hundreds of thousands of balloons are released every year. Many end up in the ocean, on beaches or other sensitive habitats.

Releasing balloons and attached ribbons or strings is littering. It is no different than throwing a candy wrapper out the window of your car.

Does anyone believe that a very liberal Democrat can win a presidential election? Most Americans are neither liberal nor conservative, but moderate. As Sen. John McCain is a moderate, it is most likely that he will win the election over very liberal Barack Obama, should he be the nominee. As ex-President Bill Clinton won on the premise that he was a moderate, I imagine that Hillary Rodham Clinton is also a moderate.

Obama says he is the candidate of change — change to what? Hillary Rodham Clinton at least has a vision. But McCain will undoubtedly be the next president of the United States.

— Karol Ransom, Ventura

I recently received a letter from Nino DeFranco and Mojtaba Sedighi thanking me for signing a petition that I did not sign. For this reason, I question whether or not they actually received 15,000 signatures, as they say.

It’s obvious that traffic is not the real reason for the “Committee to Keep Thousand Oaks Traffic Moving� initiative. The reason is clearly to keep Home Depot out of the old Kmart location so that the Do It Center will not have the competition it fears. This should be called the “Keep Home Depot Out� initiative.

Re: Steve Greenberg’s Feb. 12 cartoon:

What’s this sonar stuff anyhow?

Sonar — Sound Navigation and Ranging — was developed by the British during World War I for U-boat detection and tracking and has been the underwater eyes of mariners worldwide ever since. It’s used to measure water depth and locate schools of fish. Sonar-equipped freighters, tankers, yachts and cruise ships can avoid submerged objects in their paths. It’s too bad the Titanic wasn’t equipped.

Just about the time I began to think that there is hope that sexism and racism has been relegated to the dust bin of history, I am shocked back to reality by the tragic shooting of a boy in Oxnard because he appeared to be gay.

While we rail against religious bigotry and hatred around the world, we continue to foster that same hate and fear ourselves. Our churches, pastors, and lay people denounce and shun their fellow human beings because they are different.

We allow unfettered access to guns while we mutter platitudes that "guns don't kill, people do."

In a letter to The Star following the Virginia Tech campus shooting last year, I said that I was praying, daily, for some sanity regarding the issues of gun ownership and use in the country and the National Rifle Association's absolute defense of that ownership and use.

One writer "returned fire" by saying I was suggesting insanity among the country's community of gun owners and users.

I'm sorry, but it is insane that we've had five campus shootings across the country in the past week.

My sincere condolences to the friends and family of Lawrence King. I am saddened and shocked to learn of this young man's shooting — in school — and sickened that this may have been a hate crime. As a resident of Ventura County, I certainly hope that the school systems and law enforcement here step up their efforts to prevent such crimes and the atmosphere that tolerates hate and bullying.

This is not the first time I have heard that gay-identified students are bullied within the schools here, as elsewhere. We owe all of our kids an environment where they can learn in peace and safety — even if they are, in some way, different from their peers.
Rest in peace, Lawrence.

— Victoria Helton, Ventura

Re: your Feb. 14 article, “DA loses appeal in judge’s sentences�:

Kudos to the appellate court for denying the district attorney's attempt to erase defendants' sentences in three misdemeanor cases and disqualify the judge who handled them.

I just love it. What is unbelievable is the sheer arrogance of District Attorney Gregory D. Totten’s office to think that he can be prosecutor and judge at the same time. What is next? Does he want to be the jury, too? There is a reason why this great country has checks and balances and separation of powers.

Re: Charles Williams’ Feb. 11 letter, "Bye-bye, conservatives":

I am astounded at Williams’ abysmal lack of knowledge of what conservatism is and what makes up the values, morals, motivations and passions of true conservatives. His description of what "they seem to desire" is so far off the mark that it defies belief. In fact, the very opposite of what he seems to think is the truth.

It's just plain ludicrous to think conservatives want to demean women, remain forever in Iraq, distribute guns to any miscreant, enslave the public, marginalize minorities, etc., ad nauseam.

Re: your Feb. 8 article, “County supervisors pledging $300,000 for Hwy. 33 bridge�:

Supervisor John Flynn’s description of the expenditure of $300,000 for the bridge over Old Creek Road as a subsidy to the winery is extremely inaccurate.

Residents and property owners have suffered access problems for many years. In the event of an emergency, no fire trucks or ambulances could get through to the other side of the creek.

With the passage of Propositions 94, 95, 96 and 97, it would make sense to legalize gambling in California. We already have Super Lotto, Mega Millions, horse racing, Fantasy 5 and Scratchers. There are already four major casinos located here. What’s left? Nevada should share the wealth.

— Gary Traxler, Camarillo

How can the Democrats possibly lose this election too? It’s easy. Take the American voter to new frontiers where no voter has ever gone before: either a black male or a white female. Both carry with them ingrained prejudices that will be difficult, if not impossible, to overcome. The Democrats and independents are just about equally divided between the two and are strongly committed.

Regardless of which one is chosen as the standard bearer, a substantial group will consider themselves disenfranchised and will stay away on Election Day. Pit the chosen candidate against a likeable white male war hero. Result: Another four years of the same.

Re: your Feb. 11 article, “Obama gets caucus win in Maine�:

Let's examine where The Star editors place news articles on Democratic election results.

Pretty much all Obama wins are placed on the side or bottom of the front page, if at all in the front page. Florida was a state that Democrats were not even allowed to campaign in, and Hillary disobeyed her own party and went there anyway. When she won (Surprise!), The Star announced it in large bold letters across the top of the front page as a "triumph."

Re: Leo Bowman’s Feb. 6 letter, “Shoppers want Wal-Mart�:

Hats off to Mr. Bowman!

While waiting in line Monday on my monthly shopping spree, I couldn’t help but think of all the tax dollars going to Oxnard and how much was from Ventura residents.

Perhaps a smaller Wal-Mart wouldn’t be too bad. Of course, the traffic might see a slight increase, but have you been to Los Angeles lately? That’s traffic! Our town is growing, but it seems the traffic problem is swept under the carpet.

Tax questions and proposals seem to be on the minds of many elected community representatives. With a proposed fee for 911 calls, sales tax increases and community budgets, the voter will be presented, via the ballot, many proposals. This time is as good as any to interject the revenue from red light fines and traffic fines.

For the County of Ventura for the year 2006-07, total revenue collected was $48.3 million. After standard deductions, Ventura County’s net was $24.8 million. Who gets the money? Is the distribution strictly for law enforcement and criminal justice-related agencies and related programs? Is there duplication with agencies and related programs already contained in county budgets?

— William L. Harris, Oxnard

Re: your Feb. 12 article, “Elton Gallegly files for a 12th term in Congress�:

I was pleased to read that Elton Gallegly will be seeking re-election to represent our community for another term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Re: your Feb. 12 article, “Elton Gallegly files for a 12th term in Congress�:

As someone who served with Elton Gallegly as part of the minority in Congress, I know firsthand how effective he is, no matter who is in charge.

I wholeheartedly endorse Elton for re-election. He is the right person to represent Ventura and Santa Barbara counties in Washington, D.C., as his record has proved for more than 20 years. We need to keep him fighting for us!

— Robert Lagomarsino, Ventura

Re: David Goldstein's Feb. 10 “Eye on the environment' column, “Make your own processed water�:

Goldstein’s column about options for water was very interesting and the most informative article I've read about water in a long while! He obviously did a lot of research to put it all together, and he should be very much commended for his effort!

About the only avenue not covered was cost comparison, something a lot of folks are concerned with, since most are now paying more for their water than their gasoline!

Re: your Feb. 9 article, “Educator says she's punished for caring�:

On Feb. 6, those who attended the Oxnard School District board meeting found out who has the power: the bureaucrats.

OSD, like all schools, has a budget crisis, yet this group seems to have an unlimited budget. The bureaucrats did not follow protocol and call parents immediately when they had a question about time spent by two high school students with their former teacher. That might have saved a lot of money.

I honestly admire Gov. Mitt Romney in his decision to withdraw from his candidacy at this point in time. From his standpoint, I believe he truly respects the majority’s choice of whom would be best for America as projected in the primary. His action exemplifies a very courageous and commendable virtue least expected to come from a prominent politician who already had spent a considerable amount of time, effort and money to gain power.

Re: Jeffrey L. Wissot’s Feb. 12 letter, “Reduce spending�:

This letter, regarding the cost of a massive community park, needs clarification.
I am assuming that when Wissot writes about the “massive community park,� he refers to the proposed Lang Ranch Community Park.

I'm an 11-year resident on the Thousand Oaks side of Westlake Village. Almost every morning for the past several years, my daily routine has included the unfortunate task of driving passed the decrepit, depressing empty Kmart lot and making a daring left onto Willow Lane to get to my gym and do my mandatory 35 minutes on a treadmill and a few crunches and curls. I do this at 5:30 a.m. Even at that hour, it's a challenging drive.

Joe Smolarski has died. He fought in war and in peace for the country and the city he loved. Joe took wounds at the Battle of the Bulge that nearly crippled him for life, but Joe was tough and came home in victory to Chicago and married a local girl named June. Together, they came to Thousand Oaks, had children and worked for the betterment of their community as energetic volunteers.

Re: Jeanette Day’s Jan. 16 commentary, “Religious liberties and our children�:

We have been given the freedom of religion in this country. No one should be able to take that from us. I don’t care if you’re Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu or whatever, you should be able to express your faith.

Re: Steve Greenberg’s Feb. 10 cartoon:

I have a bone to pick with this cartoon. It depicted the Democratic donkey as a sculptor with a mallet and chisel trying to decide if he should carve first “woman� or first “black� president on an unfinished statue. Greenberg didn’t draw the donkey wearing safety goggles! Children will see this cartoon and perhaps try their hand at carving without goggles and lose an eye! Greenberg needs to think of eye safety before he takes up his pen and inks!

— Richard Senate, Oak View

Re: your Feb. 12 article, “Elton Gallegly files for a 12th term in Congress�:

I was very pleased to read in The Star that Rep. Elton Gallegly plans to run for another term in Congress.

Gallegly has been a great friend and supporter of law enforcement here in Ventura County. As district attorney, I have had the privilege of working closely with him on issues that directly impact our ability to protect this community.

Re: your Feb. 12 article, “Elton Gallegly files for a 12th term in Congress�:

The Star’s story on Gallegly’s decision to run for re-election inadvertently missed the most important issue in the story — Gallegly’s proven track record of success and accomplishment as a legislator in Washington.

Re: your Feb. 13 editorial, “Hard lesson on violence�:

The Star’s editorial left me very sad. Any shooting at any school anywhere is a tragedy. You mention that E.O. Green is one of the schools taking measures to make the school as safe as possible. Your editorial states that the students wear uniforms. Really? These are uniforms? The Star shows pictures of students "in uniform?" If these are uniforms, what does non-uniform attire look like?

What I want to know is: How did a kid manage to carry a weapon onto the campus?

— Phyllis Dimant, Oxnard

We couldn’t get Bill Clinton out of the White House fast enough. But we now have the power to keep him out. Vote Republican.

— Jeff Switzer, Newbury Park

Several months ago, members of the Thousand Oaks Democratic Club (Democratic Club of the Conejo) were subjected to a caucus regarding the Democratic presidential candidates. The results were as follows: John Edwards came in first, Barack Obama came in second and Hillary Clinton came in third. Only three members supported Clinton. The Obama supporters convinced one of the Clinton supporters to peel away and join their fold. Only two members remained supporting Clinton. I was one of them. The Feb. 5 primary vindicated my position.

— Samuel M. Rosen, Newbury Park

Now that Election Day is over and California voters wisely defeated Proposition 93, the "smoke and mirrors" term limits initiative, many legislative incumbents will begin looking for real work.

With confidence levels at near-record lows, it is time for fresh faces and not business as usual in Sacramento. Once elected, individuals can easily become addicted to feeding from the public trough, with a car, gasoline, postage, trips and a myriad of other perks paid for with our tax dollars.

Re: your Feb. 12 article, “Trader Joe's bars some Chinese imports":

Why not implement the "country of origin label" provision enacted by Congress in 2002 and let consumers decide for themselves whether or not to buy a product?

— Julie Smith, Moorpark

It appears that it has happened again. First it was Florida, then Ohio and now California.

As I was attempting to vote on Feb. 5, I was told that my name was not on the "list" and, therefore, I was not eligible to vote. I am registered as an independent and, as such, I can vote either the nonpartisan or democratic ballot, but apparently not here.

This letter is in regards to all the heavy reporting by the media about Hillary Clinton running for president.

Much of what is read is about other candidates picking on poor Hillary, that she’s almost being treated like a victim. Hillary is not qualified to be elected president of the United States.

I want to thank U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly for keeping his promise to his friends and constituents. He promised us one year ago that he would run for another term, and now he has made good on that promise.

At a time when the Democrat leaders in Washington spend all their time excoriating President Bush and our valiant military, we need all the reasonable, effective people that we can get there. More than 30 members of Congress have decided it's not worth the agony and are not running for re-election. This is not the time to quit, and I applaud Gallegly for his decision to run for a 12th term.

I am not getting conservatives lately. President Bush is not a true conservative. Sure, he does wear his faith on his sleeve, but so what? He has been awful in terms of securing the border and dealing with the whole of the illegal-immigration issue. History may prove him right on Iraq, but not without a multitude of footnotes.

Thousand Oaks is currently in litigation with a developer, Shato Holdings of Westlake Village, which alleges that the wetlands at the end of Alice Drive in Newbury Park were created in 2003 as a result of the California Department of Transportation and the city making improvements to the Borchard Road offramp. Development of the property would require a Clean Water Act section 404 permit.

I don’t believe our government is evil or is run by evil, ill-intentioned people. I don’t believe it is liberal or conservative in driving forces. I don’t believe it conducts conspiratorial events to deceive us about the truth.

I believe a democratic government is, by its nature, fragmented, uncertain and makes mistakes based on well-intentioned, ill-conceived, short-sighted, egotistical, often divisive goals.

Re: Richard Larsen’s Feb. 12 essay, “Retreating from the right�:

I thank Larsen for a thoughtful and accurate description of the Republican Party of today. He hit the nail squarely on the head. Early on, I thought they would rally behind Mike Huckabee because of his overt religiosity and wanting to amend the Constitution to match the Christian Bible, but it appears they didn’t want that kind of exposure, fearing that once the entire country and world saw them for what they really are, extremists and zealots, they would not have a chance, thank goodness.

Re: your Feb. 9 article, “Senators want to OK guns in parks�:

Without going into the Second Amendment controversy and the rationale as to why a citizen feels the need to own guns such as semi-automatic versions of AK-47s and Uzis, can anyone tell me why anyone would have to carry military-style semi-automatic assault weapons or large-capacity ammunition magazines ranging up to 75 rounds in Death Valley or on the Channel Islands?

— Wayne Saddler, Ventura

Re: your Feb. 13 article, “County to help fund low-income housing�:

Tuesday, District Attorney Greg Totten called me during the meeting of the Board of Supervisors to alert me to the shooting at E.O. Green School. I immediately left the board meeting and went directly to the school, where I met Mayor Tom Holden and Police Chief John Crombach at the command station. I wanted to lend support as a county supervisor and a citizen of the community. The parents by the hundreds waited anxiously at the fence for news and to learn whether their children were safe.

Being a registered nurse on a pediatric unit in a hospital is emotionally painful. It’s hard to see parents break down in tears because they can't afford the $500 to $600 monthly payment for life-sustaining medications. I've worked 11 years on this unit and recently changed to a different nursing unit because of the heavy heart I brought home every day. Please take care of our families and pass H.R. 676.

— Theresa Winter, Thousand Oaks

Re: Frank Moraga’s Feb. 8 essay, “Everybody, let’s play nice�:

Moraga continues to bombard us with his rhetoric about immigration. He and these radical Latino groups such as the National Council of La Raza cannot and will not force anyone to enjoy the out-of-control influx of illegal immigrants. I suspect that his position at The Star enables him to filter and reject negative commentary from Star readers who are against illegal immigration, in turn downplaying the controversy.

It would be interesting to see the outcome of the election if hundreds of millions weren’t spent on campaigning! All that money could be used where it is needed, on schools, the economy, poor people, medical research, transportation, etc.

I remember voting a long time ago, back in Europe. There was not even a choice! Just to vote....

— Beatrix M. Vasko, Newbury Park

Re: your Feb. 11 article, “Nia blends dance, healing techniques and martial arts�:

Thanks for highlighting Nia in The Star. In addition to the wonderful offerings at the Ventura Nia Center, Nia is also offered at Moorpark College in the physical education department and once a week in Thousand Oaks.

Although all ages enjoy Nia’s fusion fitness, whole-body conditioning, simple routines and energizing music, Nia really can be “fitness for the rest of your life.� It relies on various levels and intensity with an emphasis on healing and free expression and no pressure to feel any pain. Plus, Nia is just plain fun, and the first class is always free!

Re: your Feb. 10 editorial, “CVUSD gains by listening�:

The Star’s editorial got it backward. The Feb. 5 meeting of the Conejo Valley Unified School District did not exemplify a fair school closure process; it nullified the one that we already had.

Up until Feb. 5, the board had a fair process. Each meeting followed these steps.

1) Consider previously announced proposals.

Re: Gregg Anderson’s Feb. 8 letter, “Hyperbole reigns�:

The average teacher spends almost $1,500 of his/her own money each year for classroom materials. If the 3.1 percent cut from the education budget happens, the teachers will need to dig deeper into their already dwindling pockets of money.

When Anderson had his pay cut 5 percent, was he asked by his boss to contribute toward buying pencils, paper and tissues for his office? I daresay not. He couldn't even imagine it. Yet on any given day, a teacher, parent or principal is doing that for a school.

Re: Tim Gallagher’s Feb. 10 commentary, “Congress needs to butt out of baseball�:

Whether or not Congress should meddle in the affairs of Major League Baseball may be debatable. But does Congress have the right to question what goes on in baseball? There can be no doubt.

Without the approval of Congress, there would be no exemption from antitrust laws. The Supreme Court made it clear it would not overturn the exemption, insisting that only Congress can do so.

I recently came upon the story/poem of the albatross, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.� Most people like me think this bird is something really bad — bad luck hung around your neck, always with you. It's exactly the opposite. The albatross is a rescuer, a salvager.

It's eerie how this story is exactly what is happening to the conservative base of the Republican Party today.

I have been reading the pros and cons about Home Depot opening a store on Hampshire Road.

I own 300 shares of Home Depot stock and am not happy with the way they have been opening stores. I don't know if they are still responsible for the building on Ventu Park Road, which still sits vacant, and the cost to remodel the one on Hampshire will be staggering! So I am against Home Depot going into that location for selfish reasons.

When politicians wonder why the people of their area don't trust them, this 911 tax/fee is a good example. It appears to be "the old back door, we'll get what we want" tactic used by all politicians on all levels of government.

I believe that people get into politics for benevolent reasons but eventually resort to whatever means necessary to get what they want. We, the people of Ventura, have let city officials know that we believe we pay enough for them to be good stewards of our fine city. They want more. They always want more.

At last, the California Coastal Commission’s custodial objective seems to be re-emerging. Combined with this judgment and a recent watchful eye over some current dealings at Marina del Rey, its protection of the coast is looking more purposeful.

There has been a struggle at Channel Islands Harbor between dutiful community environmentalists and the personal mission of its harbor director, whose plan includes erecting a large building on the very location of a long-existing heron rookery. The plan calls for the removal of very limited parkland in the harbor, blocks scenic corridors and imminently adds further endangerment to the gentle snowy plover that breeds on the beach adjacent to the proposed site.

Re: Tim Gallagher's Feb. 10 commentary, "Congress needs to butt out of baseball":

Gallagher is dead wrong when he thinks that steroids, which are controlled drugs by federal law and California law, can be traded like candy. A physician has to have a legitimate medical condition to prescribe a controlled drug for an individual patient. This was not the case with baseball, as a clubhouse attendant was the drug supplier, along with the personal trainer. A legal drug was being used in an illegal way.

Re: Joe Howry’s Feb. 10 essay, “Taxing citizens’ patience�:

Where did The Star dig up the zany idea that a city should never charge a fee for an essential service? Twice now The Star has stated this as the principal reason why it opposes the proposed 911 fee.

After hearing people speak their mind by way of exit polls and opinion polls, I am still amazed that the economy is their No. 1 concern, with the “war� in Iraq coming in second, third and even fourth, depending on which poll you believe. When will Americans wake up and realize that it is the “war� in Iraq that is bleeding our country dry while piling debt on the backs of our children and grandchildren? Get rid of the “war� and you get rid of our budget problems.

It was pathetic to hear President Bush begging Congress to save the economy at the same time he introduced his $3.1 trillion “budget� that tries to hide the cost of his “war.�